Bringing Puppy Home
Disclaimer: I am NOT a professional dog trainer nor do I claim to be. I have however researched my techniques and I have tried and tested the techniques that I will share with you in this blog. These are the techniques that I successfully use. Also there are many techniques in dog training and I am in no way saying that my way of training is the right way or the only way. I have successfully trained many dogs and pups and I am simply trying to help by sharing what I have experienced while training.
I have raised five puppies and I have made my share of mistakes doing so. I would like to share with you what I have learned through my experiences.
I have found that the most successful way to raise a puppy is to put 110% into that puppy for the first month or two after bringing puppy home.
The first few days I devote completely to getting to know my new pup. I hold off on any training or correcting during these first few days. I devote this time to gaining the pups trust. After we have established trust we move onto learning the house rules.
I have found what works best for me is to utilize baby gates.
The week before I bring the puppy home I gate off sections of my house. I like to use my kitchen as our "home" for the first month. The kitchen is kind of the hub of the house. It's where we are most of the time and it gives me quick access to the backyard for housebreaking.
For the first month the new puppy and I spend 95% of our time in the kitchen. If I can't be in there with the puppy then the puppy goes into it's kennel. By spending ALL of our time in the kitchen we build a strong bond. I am always right there to help the pup learn the house rules. I can also catch the pup as soon as it starts to potty and get it outside before the accident happens.
I don't look at this as an inconvenience because I know that doing it this way is making a very well behaved pup. When I stay in the kitchen with the pup it keeps me from getting distracted and not paying attention to what the pup is doing. Distractions can lead to the pup not learning what is right and what is wrong and can lead to unwanted behaviors.
The first few days I devote completely to getting to know my new pup. I hold off on any formal training or correcting during these first few days. I devote this time entirely to gaining the pups trust.
We take this time to play and enjoy each other. I hold the pup while they sleep. I sit with them while they eat. We play some more. I talk to them constantly. We just really get to know each other. Once the trust has been gained I start adding in teaching.
Please remember they are just like kids. You have to teach them right from wrong. They are born chewers and they don't know your antique table is worth tons of money. To them everything is there for them to chew on. Take the time and love to teach them it is not okay. Dogs want to please. Most of them are very fast learners if you are patient and teach them. I use marker words for this and I will have a training post on marker words. If you need more info on marker words please don't hesitate to reach out in the comments below, by email, or message us through our Facebook Page.
I am always right there to teach things like, we don't play in the water bowl or chew on the furniture.
Housebreaking goes so much faster this way too. I am always right there to correct and take outside. Sage was completely house broke after 2 weeks.
Once I feel very comfortable that the pup knows the house rules we start venturing out into the rest of the house for short periods. When I see that the pup is content and well behaved during these visits then I take the gates down.
Sage is 4 month old now and we have had him for 2 1/2 months. I have taken down the gates and he can be left alone in my house and does not cause any trouble at all. I do not have to constantly watch him. Now I would not leave a pup this age alone for any extended periods of time. Short periods are fine for him and his time will increase with his age.
UPDATE: Sage is 8 months of age now and I fully trust him alone in the house for extended periods. We worked very hard to get to this stage at such an early age and I am proud of the work we have put in.
I do make sure that my babies are exercised before I leave them. Being a German Shepherd Mom I know to work this into my schedule. If however, something comes up and I have to leave Sage for an extended period and he has not been exercised I utilize his kennel. It would not be fair to place him in a situation for him to fail at this age.
I love the bond that is created using this method. We are constantly together and it makes for such a strong bond. My two babies are so well behaved because we took the time in the very beginning to teach and learn.