14/05/2024
Some home truths and great advice from Thinkdog with Lewis Nicholls for anyone welcoming a new puppy into your home!
**** WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN BRINGING A PUPPY HOME ****
1 - You will get frustrated. You'll likely get VERY frustrated. If you don't you're a much more patient person than me. It's okay to get annoyed and frustrated. It's not easy. Don't expect them to change overnight or even after a week. Manage the environment as best you can whilst they are so young. It does get much easier. it just takes time.
2 - There will be s**t on the floor at some stage. They're very young and very small. They have small insides. They will s**t and p**s a lot. Do your best you can to toilet train them by taking them out regualrly but just remember mistakes happen. Nobody is it blame, just clean it up and keep taking them out regularly. It will get easier.
3 - You'll probably get a lot less sleep the first few weeks. Puppies make noise and change can be scary. Expect them to be unsettled through the night for a couple of nights. Just be there with them. Don't put them in the garage, put them next to your bed and let them know your close if they get upset. Creating a secure puppy starts with making them feel secure.
4 - They are a puppy, but they are an individual. They will come pre-programmed with likes, dislikes, fears and desires. They're not all the same. Just because you have a friend that has a dog that loves everyone, doesn't mean your dog will love everyone. No matter how much you expose them. Accept what your dog wants and likes to do. Work with that, not against it.
5 - You'll confabulate about what they are doing. Confabulation is when you come to a conclusion without any evidence. A very common thing we get is - "my puppy is barking and lunging when on lead because they are trying to protect me". This is false in every single case we've seen. I cannot recommend enough that getting a dog trainer to help you BEFORE problems arise is one of the most crucial things any new puppy owner should invest in. Get help now. You want to think 'This is pretty easy I don't think we need them anymore'. But the reason things are easy, is because you have a trainer to help you. Keep them even when things go well. They'll tell you when you're ready to get at it on your own.
6 - If you leave things lying about, then it's fair game for them to chew. Clean up you messy people! You need to get more organised otherwise you'll have shoes and socks with holes all through them.
7 - If you they have access to the whole house they will explore the whole house. That's not an issue for an adjusted dog, but for a puppy that means every room will likely have a p**p, p*e or a chewed something in the room. Shut doors or restrict access how you want to.
8 - Things will take longer than you expect them to. It's very odd how we accept and understand that human children take years to be 'toilet trained' and yet we get annoyed if our puppies aren't within a couple of weeks. Training takes times. We call it dog training, not dog trained. Not only does it take time, it's ongoing and should last their whole lives.
9 - Puppies get sick and vet visits aren't free. Have an money set aside for any sudden vet visits you might need to make.
10 - Expect Chaos. Expect the worst and hope for the best. That's the only thing that gets us through all our foster pups. When you expect things to go bad but they go well it's a pleasant surprise and helps us stay sane. Embrace the chaos and have fun. Things do get better and easier.
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