Summer Creates Puppy Fever

August 1, 2018

Puppies are incredibly cute and cuddly. They smell like heaven (at least most of the time) and their cuteness is contagious! It’s like a domino affect this time of year, everyone is getting a puppy and trying to figure out how to approach all that a new puppy entails as far as our day-to-day life goes.

As a pet owner, there are certain responsibilities that come with any pet, but a puppy brings a lot more responsibility to the owner in the beginning. Puppies are hyper, teething and ornery! As a puppy lover myself, I purchased one this year and thought I could go through the Puppy Experience with my customers!

Let me introduce you to IsaBella! Bella is an Aussie (Blue Merle) like my other fur babies. They are super active puppies, requiring a lot of attention and exercise. This is true about many breeds and one way you can address this is with an out-of-sight fence. With the freedom to run the yard and play comes exercise, time outside to assist in-house training your pet, and a nice enclosed area to do leash and basic command training.

I recommend leash training your pet as soon as possible as puppies are chewers and want to chew the leash. Breaking that habit right away will address even more modified behaviors for your sweet new fur baby. If you need help with leash training, pleasing see the following post covering the topic: Importance of Leash Training.

If you already have a fur baby, introducing the new baby of the family could go two ways. Your current pets may either be accepting or start performing negative behavior. This needs to be addressed as soon as possible! Jealousy is never a good thing within your fur Family. Make sure your current pet still gets one-on-one time while adjusting to your newest family member. Before you know it, they will be playing together and welcoming their new friend into their home.

My Gatsby has taken Bella under his wing and has warmed up to her, helping me assist in her training. Although she nips at him often, he discourages her from doing so. If this is not the case, no worries, they will adjust to one another. Some older pets feel a little more standoffish to the new pup. I recommend giving them time to warm up to one another, always encouraging play time together.

Besides keeping your pet safe while outside and given them lots of room to run, they also need to be followed by a Veterinarian. This is especially important in their early development. As a pet owner, that is some of the responsibility that comes with taking care of your pets. Did you know that Dog Guard out-of-sight fencing is Veterinarian Approved? It is a safe, efficient way to contain your pet at a reasonable price.

PET TRAINING 101

When training your pet or putting your pet on a pet fence you should wait until the puppy has become acclimated to their new surroundings and is at least 12-14 weeks old. Acclimation to their new environment and distancing themselves from their mother and siblings takes at least 2 weeks. The focus of a puppy also improves with encouragement and is much better by 12-14 weeks. In the meantime, you can be working with your puppy on leash training because it is very important in walking your dog and training your dog on a pet fence. One thing to remember is that your new pet is really a puppy until it reaches 2 years old. Don’t expect a perfect pet right away and don’t be hard on yourself or the puppy. All good behavior comes with repetition in training, after all, they are learning to memorize and mimic behavior.

PUPPY PROOFING YOUR HOME

Introducing a puppy into your home is not much different than having a toddler. You need to make sure the floors are clear and I recommend baby gates or our in-house containment system to keep your puppy’s focus on one area at a time. It can be very overwhelming when your puppy comes into your home for the first time. Getting the puppy acclimated to one area at a time helps to guide them through the rest of their lives. Keep an eye on them outside, puppies put anything and everything in their mouths just like toddlers. Rocks do not digest and can cause blockage. The necessity for surgery to unblock the puppy is expensive and stressful, but can be avoided. Mulch and other outside materials can cause dermatitis in puppies. Breeds that are prone to allergies are especially susceptible.

There may be areas you do not want the puppy in, such as a formal living or dining space. This can be done by either gating it off or using a containment transmitter, which works with their collar (receiver) just like the outside fence does. It’s also portable, allowing you to move it from room to the next. Train them on one room at a time or just train them which areas are theirs and which areas are off limits. Either way, it’s a great method to train puppies, dogs and cats!

All in all, the entire family will be huge part of the puppy’s life and the joys that come with owning a pet. Take your time, don’t stress the puppy or yourself. Work one hour a day with your new fur baby and before you know it, they will be so well-behaved that you will forget about Puppy Training all-together (not likely but you will at least laugh about it)!