Positively Puppy:
Patterns For the First Days Home

Take one young puppy, a new family and home, blend together and what you get is a recipe for fun and excitement or disaster. The future and success of this new relationship are often determined during puppy's first days in your home, when owner and dog begin to interact. This time can be difficult, but there are ways to ensure a smooth transition and help build the foundation for a long, happy and healthy life together.

"It can be an overwhelming, frightening, wonderful experience" said Matthew Margolis, California-based dog trainer and author of I Just Got a Puppy: What Do I Do?, "If you do it right, you have to do your homework -- read, research and educate yourself -- before you do it. Remember the five 'P's:' Prior planning prevents poor performance."

Assuming that you've studied different breeds, chosen a responsible breeder and picked a healthy dog, then the next step is to learn about dog behavior, and, how to raise, train and care for a puppy. Read books on the subject and talk to trainers, veterinarians and groomers for information.

Before bringing him home, decide what the new puppy will be permitted to do and what methods will be used to teach him household manners. To prevent confusion Margolis said, "Everybody has to agree how to raise the puppy. You don't want one person praising the dog and one person saying 'no.' The more family members involved in the training, the better. Then no one gets mixed messages."

Map out a strategy for consistency. Select specific words or phrases to use when praising, correcting or training the puppy. Plan where the dog will be kept, how he will be house-trained, who will feed, exercise and clean up after him and when it will be done.

"It's important to decide these things before the puppy comes home," said Margolis, "Decide on everything the puppy needs for a comfortable transition from the breeder to his new home."

Some breeders may start crate-training or house-breaking a puppy prior to the sale, to better prepare him for his new home. "I told my breeder that my puppy's name would be 'Flash' and she called her that. She used the specific crate I planned on using and she sent an old towel that smelled like home with her, said Dr. Debbie Eldredge, DVM, from Vernon, New York, AFlash's transition was a piece of cake. So many of the new-puppy problems weren't problems. What an incredible way to start with a new dog."

If possible, Dr. Eldredge recommends sending a blanket and toy for your new puppy to use while still in the breeder's home. When he leaves, he can bring possessions with him that smell familiar, which may ease his initial loneliness. Get the breeder to supply you with some of the food the puppy has been eating, as well as the schedule she has used to feed and exercise the pups. Also obtain a health and vaccination history, and any other written care instructions the breeder may suggest.

Prior to the puppy's arrival, make certain to puppy-proof the house. Have all necessary equipment and supplies on hand and ready for use. Decide when you will bring the puppy home. Try to arrange a date when the weather will be pleasant, and on a weekend or day-off so you can be home with the new pup.

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Puppy's first days home will be a whirlwind of potty breaks, feedings, play time, more potty breaks, explorations and introductions. Introduce him to any children and other pets in the household. Take him to meet your veterinarian and for a preliminary exam. Show the new puppy his home -- where he will eat, eliminate, sleep and live. "The first week should be introductions to the home, said Margolis. We want to make him as comfortable as we can. This isn't his natural environment, he has to get used to it."

To help puppy adapt to the new environment, Dr Eldredge said, "People need to realize a puppy shouldn't have the run of the house. During play time, he can explore one or two rooms when you are with him."

As he explores, monitor his behavior and let him know how he's doing. "Praise the puppy for exploring new areas. Tell him he's a good dog. This helps him to adapt and lets him know he's behaving appropriately," said New York City dog trainer and author of Mother Knows Best, Carol Lea Benjamin, "There's also nothing wrong with saying 'no don't chew this, but here's a ball.' Substitute good for bad. This is how to teach a dog to behave in his new home."

What type of behavior can be expected from a puppy those first days? "Many new dog owners either don't know or don't remember what is normal behavior for young puppies," said Sara Staats(*1), PhD, a psychology professor at the Ohio State University Newark campus, "The problem often isn't with the dogs, it's with the owners' expectations."

Margolis said, "What can you really expect? Assume that the puppy will do everything wrong. He will chew, cry, whine, dirty, maybe be shy or rambunctious, and that's normal." Getting into trouble is a normal part of puppyhood. "Puppies this young can't be expected to be perfectly well-behaved without training from the owners," said Staats.

Your puppy will be more secure and happy if he knows what is expected of him. To prevent the bad behavior that may come from not understanding his limits, training must be started as soon as the pup comes home. Teaching the puppy makes him aware of "the boundaries that make him feel secure and safe as a pack animal," said Benjamin, "All creatures need to understand the rules of the world in which they live."

Training methods for a young puppy should never be rigid or harsh, particularly during those first days when you are developing a lifetime bond. Never hit or yell at the pup. Remember that the puppy is a baby and as such needs special care and attention. "How would you want to be treated if you were new in someone's home? What would you like and dislike? This is how the pup would want to be treated," Margolis said, "Think of him like a child. He needs shown and praised, not disciplined and punished."

Teach the pup in a kind and patient manner, and gently establish yourself as his leader. "Give the puppy mental stimulation. Name everything you're doing. This educates him, makes his brain grow and helps him to concentrate and listen to you," Benjamin said.

Benjamin suggests using a game to teach the puppy. "Walk through the house calling the pup in a sweet and encouraging way. The puppy will turn and follow you. This says, 'I'm the leader and you're the follower.'," said Benjamin, "It sets the tone for the relationship and gives the dog structure without doing anything that appears to be training. This lays the ground work for future training and starts the bonding process."

Make the puppy feel welcome and loved when he first comes into your home. "The most important advice to the owner is to bond with their new family member. This relationship is about love. Sit down with him and stroke him, talk to him," Margolis said, "You will bond with the puppy playing with and feeding him, praising him when he goes outside, grooming him. It all should be done as a welcome to his new home."

Puppy's early weeks in your home will be a busy, tiring, exhilarating time. It's important to keep in mind that the events of this period will set patterns for the years ahead. "Remember in the midst of all the excitement that this is a living being that's going to share your life for 15 years or more," said Dr. Eldredge, "If you start that first day trying to make it as positive as possible, you and your puppy are more likely to have a lifetime of good relationship."

For some practical how to's on making the first days with your new puppy happy ones, see the following Puppy Pointers:

Postively Puppy: Main Article
First Week Firsts
First Vet Visit Forges Healthy Life
Puppy Prep Kit
Introducing....Kids and Puppy
Puppy Proof Your Home
Ain't Misbehaving

Portions of this article originally appeared in the APuppies USA, 1999 Annual

(*1) Quoted with permission from "Bad Behavior The Top Reason That Dog Owners Give Up Their Pets" written by Jeff Grabmeier in a review of a study conducted by Sara Staats, PhD, OSU-Newark, the results of which study were originally published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medicine.