Hi this is the second part of Dog Caring at all stages :
38.Make sure you understand the pros and
the cons of the breed you are getting (or
have gotten). To make sure you get useful feedback,
talk to a local trainer or veterinarian. These
professionals have seen the good and bad of each
breed and can provide balanced input.
39.When is the best time to get a dog? Ideally, bring your puppy home approximately three years before you plan to introduce children into the household. This will give the dog plenty of time to be trained and to mature. He will then be better able to handle the introduction of the children. The dog will also be less work for mom and dad by the time the children arrive. If you have young children and the household is determined to get a pet, try a cat or a fish. Cats require much less raising, care, and maintenance than dogs do. You will still need to kitten-proof and supervise your children with the cat, but this might be a better alternative.
40.Conversely, if small children are already in the household, waiting until the children are between eight and ten years of age is recommended. Children of this age have more self-control and maturity, and Mom and Dad have more available time for raising the puppy now that the children don’t require constant monitoring.
41.Never assume the children will care for your puppy or dog. Raising a puppy is not a learning experience for your children. Only bring a puppy into the household if the adult owners both agree that this is the right idea at the right time.
42.Introduce the leash and collar when the puppy comes home for the first time. Keep your puppy on a leash while she is out of the crate. Allow her to drag her leash around so that it will become a normal part of her day-to-day life.
43.Stay in constant watch of your puppy.
The more you watch and direct his every
action, the fewer mistakes he will make. Less mistakes
means less stress for the owner. Less stress
for the owner means no temper tantrums or displays
of the “ugly owner.” Less of this “stressed
out” behavior from leaders leads to more trust
from puppy to human. Easy, yes?
44.Unknown Boundaries: You can’t make a correction for something that your puppy doesn’t understand yet. So if you’re puppy is going into unchartered waters (rooms off limits), do not yell or vocally reprimand. Play the name game and call her back and praise her for following your lead.
45.Keep your puppy on a leash in order to redirect him more neutrally. If you see him get into something inappropriate, gently tug the leash and call his name (without anger) to call him away from his mistake.
46.Keep in mind that puppies are truly making mistakes in this stage. If we respond to mistakes with anger, our puppies may accidentally learn that exploring is negative (and that we are negative!). Mistakes are mistakes at this stage. The only thing they need to learn is that their leaders will help them learn fairly and calmly. Whether it’s a housebreaking accident, a chewing mistake, or a mouthing mistake, keep your cool and redirect your puppy.
47.Be a good baby-sitter. Since we need to tend to their needs completely, don’t leave your puppy alone in the yard by himself or unattended to “play” by himself in the living room. When you’re with your puppy, plan activities to occupy his time. Balls, chew toys, puppy manners exercises, walks, etc., are all creative ways to keep your puppy involved with something positive.
48.When you can’t supervise your puppy, place her in her crate for a nap. This is the easiest way to prevent errors. You may need to crate her simply to pay bills or cook dinner, and then take her out again. Feel good about using your crate as a way to supervise (safeguard) your puppy when you can’t supervise her. Think of the tools we use for children when we can’t actually hold them: walker, playpen, swing, crib. Tools or “training wheels” are always used for safety until the little one is safe by herself.
49.Keep chew toys in every room in which you wish to take your puppy. If toys are readily available, you can always give your puppy something positive to do with her time while you’re brushing your teeth or putting on your shoes. This prevents table legs, your legs, and leather shoes from being “chew toy du jour!”
50.The “canine umbilical cord”: If you need to fold laundry or do the dishes and you wish to have your puppy with you rather than crated, tether her to a table leg or tie the leash around your waist or belt. Keeping your puppy tethered in the room with you will keep a “boundary” in place and keep her in your visual field. Be sure the object you tether your puppy to is something heavy, like a bedpost, sofa, or heavy dresser, so your dog can’t move the object or pull it over and injure herself.
51.Only tether your puppy while she’s wearing a flat, material collar. Never tether a dog while she’s wearing any sort of training collar. It helps if your puppy’s material collar has a quick-release latch in case she gets tangled. Never use a choker chain or prong collar for tethering, and never tether your
puppy unattended or for long periods without supervision.
52.You may want to have several tethers already set up around your house. Pick the most used rooms like your bedroom, office, and living room. Have a tether already set up in each room so that you can easily hook your puppy up to it as you move around the house with her.
BRINGING HOME PUPPY
39.When is the best time to get a dog? Ideally, bring your puppy home approximately three years before you plan to introduce children into the household. This will give the dog plenty of time to be trained and to mature. He will then be better able to handle the introduction of the children. The dog will also be less work for mom and dad by the time the children arrive. If you have young children and the household is determined to get a pet, try a cat or a fish. Cats require much less raising, care, and maintenance than dogs do. You will still need to kitten-proof and supervise your children with the cat, but this might be a better alternative.
40.Conversely, if small children are already in the household, waiting until the children are between eight and ten years of age is recommended. Children of this age have more self-control and maturity, and Mom and Dad have more available time for raising the puppy now that the children don’t require constant monitoring.
41.Never assume the children will care for your puppy or dog. Raising a puppy is not a learning experience for your children. Only bring a puppy into the household if the adult owners both agree that this is the right idea at the right time.
42.Introduce the leash and collar when the puppy comes home for the first time. Keep your puppy on a leash while she is out of the crate. Allow her to drag her leash around so that it will become a normal part of her day-to-day life.
RAISING TIPS
44.Unknown Boundaries: You can’t make a correction for something that your puppy doesn’t understand yet. So if you’re puppy is going into unchartered waters (rooms off limits), do not yell or vocally reprimand. Play the name game and call her back and praise her for following your lead.
45.Keep your puppy on a leash in order to redirect him more neutrally. If you see him get into something inappropriate, gently tug the leash and call his name (without anger) to call him away from his mistake.
46.Keep in mind that puppies are truly making mistakes in this stage. If we respond to mistakes with anger, our puppies may accidentally learn that exploring is negative (and that we are negative!). Mistakes are mistakes at this stage. The only thing they need to learn is that their leaders will help them learn fairly and calmly. Whether it’s a housebreaking accident, a chewing mistake, or a mouthing mistake, keep your cool and redirect your puppy.
47.Be a good baby-sitter. Since we need to tend to their needs completely, don’t leave your puppy alone in the yard by himself or unattended to “play” by himself in the living room. When you’re with your puppy, plan activities to occupy his time. Balls, chew toys, puppy manners exercises, walks, etc., are all creative ways to keep your puppy involved with something positive.
48.When you can’t supervise your puppy, place her in her crate for a nap. This is the easiest way to prevent errors. You may need to crate her simply to pay bills or cook dinner, and then take her out again. Feel good about using your crate as a way to supervise (safeguard) your puppy when you can’t supervise her. Think of the tools we use for children when we can’t actually hold them: walker, playpen, swing, crib. Tools or “training wheels” are always used for safety until the little one is safe by herself.
49.Keep chew toys in every room in which you wish to take your puppy. If toys are readily available, you can always give your puppy something positive to do with her time while you’re brushing your teeth or putting on your shoes. This prevents table legs, your legs, and leather shoes from being “chew toy du jour!”
50.The “canine umbilical cord”: If you need to fold laundry or do the dishes and you wish to have your puppy with you rather than crated, tether her to a table leg or tie the leash around your waist or belt. Keeping your puppy tethered in the room with you will keep a “boundary” in place and keep her in your visual field. Be sure the object you tether your puppy to is something heavy, like a bedpost, sofa, or heavy dresser, so your dog can’t move the object or pull it over and injure herself.
51.Only tether your puppy while she’s wearing a flat, material collar. Never tether a dog while she’s wearing any sort of training collar. It helps if your puppy’s material collar has a quick-release latch in case she gets tangled. Never use a choker chain or prong collar for tethering, and never tether your
puppy unattended or for long periods without supervision.
52.You may want to have several tethers already set up around your house. Pick the most used rooms like your bedroom, office, and living room. Have a tether already set up in each room so that you can easily hook your puppy up to it as you move around the house with her.
