Many of us would cherish a new puppy, but what can we do to make them and those around us happier? When we bring a new puppy into our home, there are similar challenges as when we have a toddler, says Colleen Campbell, owner and trainer at Heroes Boarding & Training in South Deerfield. Campbell offered a number of tips and guidelines to help you bond with your puppy and lessen damage to your home.
First, Campbell suggests introducing the puppy to any children in the home ahead of time.
“Children act and sound different than adults to dogs. Without a slow introduction, the dog can get freaked out,” she said. Part of selecting the family dog, especially for those with children, has to do with their personality.
“Don’t pick the first dog that comes charging at you or the one hanging back in the corner. Go for the middle. A dog that is easy going and doesn’t seem to be easily bothered by loud noises,” Campbell says. If the dog is in a shelter, watch to see if it lunges at other animals, especially cats.
“You need to watch for this behavior if you have other small fuzzy critters in your home,” she said.
Campbell said puppies learn the most during the period between 8 and 12 weeks old.
“The first few nights can be rough. They will have accidents and they will cry, just like a child,” she said, adding they may miss their mom or siblings. Campbell said the amount of time it takes for a new puppy to adjust to being in a home varies depending on the owner and the dog.
“It can take a week or two, but some take longer, even months. The biggest thing you can do to help them adjust is to be patient and let them know consistently they are safe,” Campbell said.
Keeping the puppy close initially is important to help lessen accidents, damage to the home, or an injury to the puppy. Campbell suggests keeping them on a 6-foot leash in the house when they’re not in their crate.
Puppies take a while to learn to hold their bladder and bowels. Initially, Campbell said they can usually only manage a couple of hours when they are 2 to 3 months old. As they grow older and become more accustomed to signaling to go out, they learn to hold on for several hours, Campbell said. She added that you need to expect to be up in the middle of the night those first few weeks to lessen accidents.
Another good way to help the puppy adjust is to “give them a job,” Campbell said. “Begin to teach them to sit, stay, lay down, etc. Play games with them.” It’s helpful to understand the way dogs learn, she said.
“They don’t generalize. They have to learn new things in different locations,” she said. Teaching a dog to sit in the living room and then asking them to do the same thing in the back yard is confusing, she said.
“Crating, done correctly, is very beneficial for the dog. Don’t think of it as a cage. Think of it as a playpen,” Campbell said. Crating allows the dog to have a safe place to hang out, rest, or have a snack, she said.
“If you have to take a shower or go out for a couple of hours, then they are safe,” she said. Campbell said it is also good to have chew toys in the crate and to be aware the size fits the dog.
“You don’t want the crate to be too small, but you don’t want it to be so big they have a corner to go off and pee in. Once they are older, you can get as big of a crate as you want,” Campbell said.
“Crating a puppy also helps with housebreaking. It gives the puppy structure,” she said. Crating in another room can also help with separation issues. “With people being home so much more during the pandemic, the puppy may be with their people all the time. When we get back to more normalcy, it may be hard for the dog.”
“Just like a toddler, think about what is going to be within reach of the puppy. Cover wires and put items you don’t want chewed out of reach,” Campbell said.
Again, it’s also good to have the puppy on a leash indoors so they can’t “sneak around a corner and pee,” she said.
Campbell said it can take up to eight months to housebreak a dog. In terms of timing for the dog to relieve themselves, she said the best time to take them outside is right after they eat, about 20 minutes after playtime, the last thing before bed and first thing in the morning. Campbell said while “pee pads” are sometimes helpful, they are more often shredded by the dog.
“My mentor taught me a tired dog is a good dog. An exhausted dog is an excellent dog,” Campbell said. It’s important to set up mental and physical challenges for your dog to break boredom and to help them learn new things.
Cris Carl can be reached at cstormfox57@gmail.com.