
Choosing Your Puppy:
Finding the right puppy to live with you in your London home starts with selecting a reputable breeder or rescue centre. Ensure the puppies have been raised in a clean, loving environment, ideally seeing the puppy with its mother to assess her health and temperament, which can be indicators of your puppy’s future characteristics. Avoid any signs of puppy farms, such as multiple breeds available or unwillingness to show breeding conditions.
Preparing Your London Home:
Before bringing your puppy home, make a safe and welcoming space. This includes puppy-proofing by securing electrical cords, removing toxic plants, and ensuring small objects are out of reach. Set up a comfortable rest area with a bed and blankets in a quiet corner, and designate a specific place for feeding with access to fresh water at all times. Introduce a toilet area, ideally outside, or prepare an indoor area with puppy pads if you’re in an apartment without easy garden access.
House Training Your Puppy:
House training is critical and requires consistency and patience. Establish a routine: take your puppy outside frequently, especially after eating, drinking, playing, or sleeping. Use a keyword each time they eliminate outdoors to build association. Praise and reward immediately after to reinforce the behaviour. For those in flats, use puppy pads in a designated area, gradually moving towards outdoor training. If accidents happen, clean up without punishment to avoid negative associations. However if you catch your puppy toileting you can gently pick them up and move them to the designated area.
To Crate or Not to Crate:
Most puppies will naturally avoid soiling their crate, though there are exceptions. This trait can be advantageous for managing their environment when you’re not directly supervising, helping to prevent accidents on your flooring and aiding in consistent house training. However, confinement in a crate can be distressing for some puppies. To mitigate this, transform the crate into a welcoming space by leaving the door open, ensuring it’s comfortable, and linking it with positive experiences, such as treats. If your puppy begins to enjoy the crate space, you can start closing the door for brief periods, making sure to reopen it before any signs of distress appear. Gradually, you can increase the duration your puppy spends in the crate without causing anxiety. This approach requires patience and dedication, so consider the necessity and benefits of a crate in your training regimen.
Ensuring a Peaceful Night’s Sleep:
Puppies often find the first few nights in a new home challenging. To ease this transition, create a snug sleeping area close to where you sleep to provide comfort. A consistent bedtime routine, including a last toilet break, can also signal it’s time to settle down. If your puppy whines, a calm reassurance without encouraging active play is key. Over time, this will help them feel secure and sleep through the night. Once your dog is settled in, after a few days or so, gradually move them or yourself to a designated sleeping spot.
When Should Your Puppy Get Vaccinated:
Puppies receive initial immunity through their mother’s milk, a protection that begins to diminish around the age of six to eight weeks. Vaccination for puppies usually occurs between the ages of six and ten weeks with a series of two shots. It’s essential to consult with your breeder about any vaccinations your puppy may have received and schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for the necessary immunisations.
Socialisation and Exercise:
Proper socialisation from an early age is vital for a well-adjusted puppy. Safely introduce your puppy to various people, animals, sights, and sounds, particularly around London’s busy environment. Exercise is equally important; tailor it to your puppy’s age and breed to avoid overexertion. As they grow, gradually increase the duration and intensity of walks and play sessions.
Feeding Your Puppy:
A balanced diet is crucial for your puppy’s development. Research or consult a vet on the best food type and portion size for your breed, and establish a feeding routine with set times and a designated area for eating. Avoid overfeeding and provide clean, fresh water at all times. Here is a dog food bran I personally recommend. Get 50% off your first order via this link: Butternut box 50%off
Healthcare: Regular Check-ups and Vaccinations:
Stay on top of your puppy’s health with regular veterinary check-ups and keep all vaccinations up to date. Discuss worming, flea treatments, and the schedule for booster shots with your vet. Microchipping is also mandatory in the UK, ensuring your puppy’s safety and compliance with the law.
Puppy Training:
Teaching your puppy effectively involves a balanced approach that extends beyond purely positive reinforcement. Establishing clear boundaries and expectations right from the start is essential. Consistency in commands, routines, and rules helps your puppy understand what is expected of them. When a puppy follows a command or behaves desirably, rewards such as treats, praise, or playtime are beneficial. However, it’s equally important to discourage unwanted behaviour in a gentle yet firm manner.
If a puppy engages in undesirable behaviour, such as nipping or jumping, you can employ the 3 strike rule by
1. Moving your dog away from what they are doing (1st strike)
2. If they do it again move them further away (2nd strike)
3. If they continue put them in another room for timeout to think about what they are doing for 5 seconds (3rd strike)
Then repeat, repeat, repeat gradually extending the time by 5 seconds with each timeout until your puppy gives up.
When administering the 3-strike rule (push, move, isolate) with them for e.g., chewing or jumping up, be sure that the lessons are quick and clear. If there is too much chasing going on or if they are getting the better of you then we have to manage the environment better, so they associate the action with an immediate consequence. If the consequences are not working, make the consequence progressively more inconvenient e.g., longer timeouts. Someone has to give up, don’t let it be you.
When Challenges Arise:
Despite your best efforts, you may encounter training challenges or behavioural issues. If you’re struggling with specific problems like separation anxiety, excessive barking, or leash pulling, it’s important to seek advice. Rather than becoming frustrated, consider reaching out to me on 07877 373125 for tailored guidance and support to address these issues effectively.
By following this comprehensive guide and maintaining consistency, patience, and positivity, you’ll navigate the puppy training journey more smoothly. Remember, each puppy is unique, and adapting your approach to fit their individual needs and personality is key to fostering a happy, healthy relationship.