Don’t stress. You can help the kids and the new puppy become friends, but first you must learn how the pack relates. Yes, there is a ‘pack’ now in your family.

The Leader

In most cases, one of the parents will become the dominant ‘leader’ of the pack according to your puppy. You will be seen as the boss and puppy will look to you for commands. You will use this to your advantage during training and positioning the pack.

The Siblings

As for the kids, to your puppy they are equals, and puppy may feel they have some control over their ‘equals.’ This means the puppy will most likely treat them like he or she would other puppies.  In other words, your puppy will treat the kids in the family as siblings. There will be little respect, some fighting (biting), some yelling (barking), and probably jealousy when it comes to attention of the parents.

The Competition

Most kids will be very excited around puppies. The puppy will see this as a sign of weakness. Just like they will see you as the leader of the pack, they will take this excitement as an indication that the kids are beneath them in rank and treat them as such. Playful behavior is expected, but uncontrolled excited behavior will confuse the puppy. This behavior needs to be corrected as quickly as possible.

The Chain Of Command

Your puppy needs to learn that they are not in charge of the kids. They are at the bottom of the chain of command. It could become dangerous if this isn’t corrected as the dog will see the kids as their property and may try to protect them from other kids or people.

Puppy may also turn on your child if certain behavior is seen as unacceptable and may try to reprimand the child by nipping or biting. Puppy needs to learn that your children are NOT siblings and that you are in charge of everyone’s discipline. This is a good time to tell your kids what you expect them to do:

•  Stand your ground – If your child is old enough, teach him or her to stand their ground when it comes to the puppy. If the puppy jumps they must not back up, crouch, or run away. They need to stand up tall, turning their back to show disapproval as well as protect their body, and showing they are actually in control and in charge.
•  Never position yourself below or behind puppy – Laying on the floor with the puppy may seem fun, but it sets up the belief within the puppy’s realm of understanding that they are ‘above’ the child. The same situation occurs when entering the house. The ‘pack’ leaders and elders always enter the den first. When it’s time to come inside from playing, it’s parents, then child, then puppy.
•  Tame your excitement – Puppy sees excitement as a sign of weakness. They can sense a human’s emotions and will immediately react in the way they feel is appropriate. You need to train your child to remain calm and in control. This will make a huge difference in your puppies behavior towards the child. That doesn’t mean your child can’t play with the puppy. It means your child must have a calm voice and controlled movements to remain in charge.
•  Hold back affection – If there is a problem, your child should not be showing puppy any affection until the problem is solved. This is very important as your child needs to show authority and dominance. If your child shows affection too soon, it will again be seen as a sign of weakness and you’ll have to start all over again.

This will be a good start, but this complicated training principle can’t be placed solely on the shoulders of the kids. The parents need to get involved and show the puppy that the children are not at the bottom of the pack. The parents need to watch for this pack behavior and make sure the puppy knows what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable.

Understanding, and living, the pack mentality can be a lot of work. I won’t kid you, it is. Raising a puppy takes work, time, and patience. No one can deny the value of this training when you have a happy, well-adjusted adult dog that respects both you and your kids. This is a dog to enjoy!

How do you help your puppy become a well-adjusted member of the family? With training of course. There are many tools available today to help you train your puppy. The following are some of the most common training tools for puppies.

Treats

A well-known favorite in puppy training is puppy treats. Have treats handy at all times in order to get your puppy to respond quickly to commands. Puppies love treats and most respond very well when they know they’ll receive one as a reward for doing as you ask. Treats are good positive reinforcement for puppy potty training. Give puppy a treat when the right potty spot is used. As with all training, keep consistent for this to pay off. You can tell a person is training a puppy or dog by the pockets full of treats. In other words, be prepared to be consistent.

Clicker

A newer form of training that has caught on is the clicker method of training. The clicker is typically a mechanical device (although some people just use vocalization) which emits a pleasant, you guessed it, ‘click’ sound to reinforce a puppy’s good behavior. People will use this training tool for many reasons. For instance, if you don’t want your puppy to have a lot of treats, you can train your puppy very effectively without them using the clicker method. The thing to remember is the ‘click’ sound must be associated with good things, like a pat on the head, a hug, a belly scratch, or whatever your puppy wants for a job well done.

Crate

If you are potty training your new puppy a crate is a very useful tool. Dogs are den animals, and if you introduce them to a crate early enough they will consider it their den. Dogs don’t like to mess in their dens, so your puppy will hold their potty time as long as they possibly can in order to keep their ‘home’ clean. They will learn to wait for you to let them out to go potty. This helps with potty training as you can reward puppy for going outside when you let him out of the crate. Of course, puppy will need play and cuddle time, too, so be sure to reward puppy after a successful potty trip with time out of the crate playing with you.

Newspaper

When potty training puppy, there are bound to be accidents at first. Newspaper or puppy training pads can be used to transition puppy from inside the house to outside. This will keep the inevitable mess to one location. This may also be necessary if you live in an apartment or other location where it’s not possible to run outside each time a puppy needs to go potty. In the middle of a dark winter night, you may also consider paper-training necessary for a young puppy that hasn’t quite gotten big enough to hold his potty urge for very long.

Chew Toys

This is a big deal. Your new puppy needs chew toys so you can train him not to chew and bite your furniture, your shoes, or YOU! There are many choices when it comes to chew toys. You can buy hard plastic bones for puppy to chew on, soft squeaky toys, balls, ropes, and more. It’s best to try out a variety of toys and see what your puppy likes. Make sure to give the toys to your puppy quickly when you see him or her trying to bite something inappropriate. Distraction and expediency is key. Keep the chew toys handy and interrupt any bad behavior quickly. Then, praise puppy when chewing on the toy you presented. Be prepared to have chew bones devoured quickly. Stock up so you are always ready when puppy is.

Collar and Leash

Using a collar and leash is something most dog owners will need to do. To walk your dog, you’ll want to start training your puppy by first having him or her get used to having a collar and leash on. Just having puppy wear them around the house will help, even before puppy is able to walk properly with a lead. Then, when you are ready to start training puppy to walk alongside you, the collar and leash won’t be foreign.  Be prepared for some resistance at first while your puppy tries to understand how it all works and what you expect. And, don’t plan to go very far in the beginning. A walk down the driveway may be all your little puppy, or you, can handle at first.

Training a new puppy can be a rewarding experience, especially if you have the right tools for the job. These basic training tools can help you and your puppy get started on the right foot – or paw!

You can choose to feed your new puppy one of several options.  Natural and organic puppy dog diets have become more popular in recent years.  Some pet owners prefer to feed a raw diet to their puppy.  Most people choose to use kibble as the main component of the puppy dog’s diet.  For this reason, I will focus primarily on this choice.

As you wean the puppy, a high-quality puppy food with tiny kibble is best.  A puppy dog’s diet should include all the essential vitamins to create a healthy diet for excellent growth.  Feed your new puppy three or four times a day.  Your puppy dog’s diet should consist of puppy food moisten with water.  Do not moisten the puppy food with milk.  The milk acts as a laxative in your puppy dog’s diet.  The water will create a softer, more palatable cuisine for your pet.

As the new puppy grows and becomes accustomed to eating the kibble as a regular part of his or her diet, you will want to gradually decrease the amount of water.  If you plan to feed dry dog food in the future, expect to transition the dog’s diet earlier than later.  Continuing to moisten the dog food may make transition more difficult later in life.  By six weeks of age, your puppy dog’s diet can be solid kibble.

Your puppy should be permitted all the kibble he or she wants during the initial phase of the weaning process.  Make sure you present the puppy the new diet of puppy food at regular times.  Around five months of age, your puppy dog’s diet should decrease to only two feeding time’s per day.  By this time, you should establish a specific quantity of food per day to ensure a healthy diet and weight for your dog.

Talk to your vet about how much to feed your new puppy.  All puppies look cute, round and cuddly at some point during their first few months.  It can be difficult to know when your puppy is overweight.  Your veterinarian will help to advise you on this issue.  It is a good idea to open up the door of communication between you and your vet now.  Both vet and owner only want what is best for the new puppy.

Feeding your new puppy a healthy diet does not have to be difficult.  Talk to your vet for advice and information.  Always choose a quality food as the main source of nutrition in your puppy dog’s diet.  A healthy diet for your puppy will set the stage for a healthy dog in the years to come.

What is Crate Training?

Crate training is the process of getting a puppy comfortable with staying in a crate as a means of security and a safe retreat. That’s why crate training is not cruel, but is quite the opposite, providing comfort and safety. Crate training may also be used to potty train a small puppy.

Some experts say that crate training is the basis for all further training. It sets the stage for good puppy behavior and gives them a level of confidence they may miss without crate training.  Another advantage of being crate trained early on is it can help reduce anxiety in the event puppy needs to be crated, such as at an overnight stay at your veterinarian’s clinic or hospital.

Choosing the Crate

When buying a crate for puppy, you’ll want to consider their size. The crate needs to be big enough for puppy to be comfortable but not too big that puppy no longer sees it as a den. If you get a crate that is small enough, puppy will greatly resist using part of it as a potty place, as they see their crate as their den and want to keep it clean. If you get a crate too large, puppy may use one side as their den, and the other for a potty.

Resist the temptation to save money by buying one crate for the life of the puppy. The crate you use to train your puppy should fit your puppy’s size. Then, if you choose to have a crate for your full-grown dog, buy a new one to fit your puppy’s adult size later. Some crates and kennels take this into consideration and offer a divider so you can section off a larger crate into a smaller den for your puppy.

There are many types of crates, some designed for stationary use and some designed for travel. Some crates are designed to be mini-kennels, with features like quick breakdown and folding easily for transporting. You’ll find wire crates and plastic crates. Decide where you will be putting the crate and how you will be using it before you choose one.

Crate Training Basics

Once you have a crate that is the proper size, you’ll need to begin to get your puppy used to going in it. Here are a few tips for getting puppy to explore and enjoy the new crate:

• Leave the Door Open – Place the crate in a central location where you spend time and are close by. Then tie the door back so it’s open and your puppy can go in and out. This will allow puppy to explore without feeling separated from you or trapped. Puppy won’t understand at first that the door opens as well as closes, but will after further exploration and training.
• Drop in a Few Treats – As puppy explores, the little treats you’ve left inside the crate will delight and encourage more exploration. This will allow puppy to associate happy feelings with the crate and become attached to using it quickly.
• Make Crate Comfortable – Add some comfortable bedding or towels for puppy to lie on. You can also put puppy’s favorite toys in there. Give puppy all the comforts of home in the little den.
• Short Intervals Only – Once you start closing the door, be sure to keep puppy’s time in the crate short. Younger puppies cannot hold their bladder for very long so don’t leave them in the crate too long or your crate training will backfire. Over time you can increase the intervals. Try crating puppy after a potty break for about 15 or 20 minutes. Set a timer and release your puppy when the time is up. And don’t forget to praise puppy for the good work.
• Crate Train Only While at Home – When you leave for a few hours at a time, section off a safe area of the house for puppy to stay while you are away. Set the crate in the safe area with the door propped securely open so puppy can use it as a resting area within the play area. Closing a puppy in a crate while you are gone for a long period of time may cause puppy to form an aversion to the crate if associated with you being gone.
• Crate Use For Potty Training – Once puppy is familiar with the crate, you can start potty training with the crate for short periods of time. As soon as you take puppy out of the crate, go right outside to the potty spot. If puppy goes potty, make sure you praise, offer treats, and play. If puppy doesn’t go potty, then back to the crate for another short interval. Repeat this routine several times a day and puppy will soon understand and get to know his crate and his potty spot. Remember to be consistent if you choose this method.

If you stay the course with crate training you’ll find the rewards are great. Puppy will love the comfort of ‘home’ and become more and more capable of controlling the urges to potty wherever and whenever. Puppy will also appreciate you for being such a determined and solid puppy parent when guidance is needed most.

Puppies, they’re cute and cuddly, they’re playful and friendly. There must be very few people who can resist the charms of puppy. In fact, this new family member is so cute and loveable it is possible you can might forget one of the biggest challenges that you will face when that little puppy first arrives home – the potty training.

Puppy potty training, also known as housebreaking your puppy, is rarely easy, the fact is potty training can be downright frustrating even upsetting at times. There are though ways to make sure that you get through the process successfully. Let’s start with some tips to get you and your puppy off on the right foot (or paw):

Know Your Puppy’s Potty Dance.

You will want to catch your puppy in the act of potty dancing when possible, so you can teach them the correct way to go potty. Start watching your puppy for the signs of a ‘potty dance.’ These signs usually come right after they have eaten or had a drink and also very often after some playful activity. So, after you have fed your puppy, watch for the signs; sniffing, circling, cocking a leg or squatting. Also, after playing, watch to see if puppy is showing any of these same kinds of ‘looking for a place to piddle or poop’ signs.

Assign a Potty Spot.

Once you see puppy getting ready to go you will need to show them where to go to potty. If at all possible the best thing to do is to take puppy straight outside in order to help train them that the inside of the house is not a potty spot. If it’s not possible to take puppy outside because they are too little to wait until you can get them outside to the potty spot, then you will likely need to paper-train puppy first with a spot in the house. As the puppy gets older they will be able to hold on for longer and longer as time goes by thereby making it possible to plan an outdoor excursion to their potty spot.

Always Try to Reward Good Behavior.

If your puppy goes potty in the right spot, a reward is definitely in order. This can be either be your praise and affection or it could be a special treat reserved just for potty time. It is also best to use a mixture of treats, praise and playtime as that works very well in potty training puppies. Because puppy wants only to please you and only to play with you, your praise and play means everything to them and they will do anything to get it – including go potty in the right place.

Schedule Potty Time.

Since you have been vigilant with your puppy and learnt the ‘potty dance’ signs and understand the potty habits, you can now begin setting up a schedule so that you don’t have to watch puppy quite so closely. Typically speaking, most puppies will want to go potty about 30 to 40 minutes after they have eaten, or after waking up from a nap, or after they have played hard. Bearing this in mind, you are now ready to schedule these times to suit yourself and your puppy. So, feed puppy at a time when you know that you have the time in 30 minutes or so to take puppy for a potty run. Set up your playtime in the same fashion and include that 30 to 40 minute time at the end for potty time. If you stay consistent with your schedule, you will soon hopefully be able to relax a bit.

Consistency is the Key.

Speaking of consistency, it bears repeating you must keep consistent with your puppy. If you are not totally dedicated to the training you can expect it to fail. Puppies are a creature of habit. Therefore, if you are providing treats as a reward during potty training, have the treat prepared to give them immediately. If potty time is 30 minutes after they have eaten, then make sure to get puppy out ready at the potty spot after 30 minutes and remember, if you are not consistent, it is your failure, not the puppy’s failure.

Give it Time.

Puppy will have accidents. On occasions there will be times when puppy will happily go outside to the potty spot, only to look at you with a puzzled expression then just as you are returning to the house, puppy will suddenly understand and go potty where they are. You have to be prepared for this and mustn’t get stressed by it. You are looking for improvement over time and it does take time but as long as there is a forward progression, you should have nothing to worry about. Patience will be your best friend while housebreaking your puppy.

Limit Food and Drink at Bedtime.

When a puppy is very little, you cannot expect them to have more than approximately one hour of sleep for every month old they are. So, if you bring home a three month old puppy you can expect to set the alarm for about every three hours during the night, else you will probably wake up to a puddle or pile. In order to stretch this time out while waiting for growth and nature to take its course, it is a good idea to limit food and drink from three hours before bedtime. Try to schedule your puppy’s feedings earlier in the day to help you and your puppy to get a full night’s rest.

Being prepared with this type of information can help you get through puppy potty training smoothly without too much stress. Remember, consistency is the key. If you stick with it, your new puppy will be happily house-trained in no time at all.

Don’t worry! It’s not all bad.

Actually it’s all very good, and puppy parenting can be extremely rewarding. However, it can also be mentally and physically draining if you don’t take time for yourself while raising a puppy. Here are a few tips on how to get your breaks and keep your sanity.

Routine

Life might seem chaotic right now with your puppy going a mile a minute, around and around in circles, up and over in a whirlwind of activity. In reality, your puppy really wants and needs routine. In many ways, puppies are like children.
Children need rules and routine in order to feel safe. Puppies need rules and routine for the very same reason. Getting puppy on a routine is going to help you both. Start by creating a schedule. Choose feeding times, potty times, play times, nap times, and bed time. Then stick to it.

Of course, you may need to adjust the schedules in order to keep puppy on track, especially with potty training. But, as you work this out, puppy will quickly learn the schedule and you’ll be able to relax a bit.

Remove

If you have things you don’t want destroyed, do yourself a favor and save your sanity by putting them out of reach. Puppy is too young to understand all the things that can and cannot be chewed on or played with. And, if you have to be constantly vigilant and always yelling ‘no!’ you are not going to remain sane for long, or enjoy your puppy.

As a reminder, shoes make wonderful chew toys, in the eyes of a puppy. Keep all shoes hidden behind closet doors. This will remove the temptation and frustration. Safety issues also come into play here. Tape up or otherwise corral electrical cords. Plants can be either a mess waiting to happen or worse; there are many poisonous plants to be aware of. To be safe, remove them all out of puppy’s reach. Also, put breakables away. In other words, clear the decks! You have a puppy on board.

Distract

There are so many great toys on the market today for puppies. Look for appropriate squeaky toys, chew toys, rawhide bones, ropes, and more. Use these to distract and keep puppy busy while you go about your day.

Be sure to keep a bucket of these ‘distractions’ handy at all times. Anytime puppy goes after something to chew on that you would prefer puppy leave alone, like your arm or the sofa, pull out a distraction. Puppies need to chew and they need to play, so make a good toy available at all times.

Help

Of course there are going to be times when you just need a break. Maybe you want to get away, or maybe you just want to stay home and take a nice, long, completely uninterrupted nap.

Ask for help! Maybe a family member or friend can help. If this is not an option, schedule time to get out and about to local dog parks or pet clubs where you can meet other pet owners. You may be able to make some mutually beneficial relationships where you both help each other out with your energetic puppies.

Puppies might just be the cutest little things on earth. With all the power their cuteness holds, you may be tempted to forget to take care of yourself. Don’t do it!  Find ways to make puppy happy while taking little breaks so you can be the very best puppy parent you can be. Then you’ll both be happy, healthy and ready to enjoy each other.

Firstly, do have you the time?

Puppies need your time and lots and lots of it. If you’re constantly rushing to get everything done, you may need to seriously reconsider the idea of taking home a puppy. A puppy is a new creature to this world. Puppies need plenty of your time and attention to learn how to properly share your world. A puppy is going to require lots of help being taught how to potty train, how to behave properly around other pets and people, plus lots of your attention for playtime. Do you have plenty of time to give a deserving puppy?

Does the Rest of Your Family Agree?

If the puppy is going to be a part of a family, they are going to affect everyone else in the family. That is why it is pretty much essential to make sure everyone in the family agrees to accepting this new member. Agreement ensures that the puppy comes into a fully welcoming home and you not going to create any unwanted issues or tension between family members and the puppy, too.

Are You Prepared For The Work?

Puppies take work, a lot of work, are you prepared for that? Are you ready to have mop and paper towels in hand constantly?  Are you ready to get up in the middle of the night to take care of your puppy’s needs? Ready to play, even when you don’t feel like it? To make those vet trips and pay those vet bills? Plus making the trips to the stores to buy their pet food? Are you ready to deal with emergency situations with your puppy? Are you willing to spend the hours and hours it takes to physically take care of your puppy; training, bathing, brushing, feeding etc?

Can You Afford the Puppy?

Puppies cost money! Even if you get a puppy absolutely free, your puppy is not going to be free for very long. Maybe you’re buying a purebred pup, either way, the expenses don’t end when you take the puppy home, they have only just begun. You will need money for food, bowls, toys, treats, bedding, crates, leashes, collars, grooming, shots, neutering or spaying, training or obedience classes, routine medical bills, unexpected vet bills, to mention most but not all expenses. So be prepared for lots of expense and decide honestly if you really can afford that furry friend.

Do You Have Support?

We have mentioned that it is a lot of hard work taking care of and bringing up a puppy. Will you have any support to help you when you need a break? Think long and hard about this before you take on a puppy and you will save yourself much future stress. Support can come in many different forms; the neighbor who walks your dog for you every once in a while, the family member who will dog-sit for you when you go out of town, the friend who can offer puppy potty training help and/or advice.

If you have honestly answered these questions, then you will be in a very good place to make a realistic decision about whether you are able to adopt a puppy or not.

If the answers show you are really ready for a puppy at this time, then waiting until the time is right would be the proper thing to do. You and your potential puppy will be much happier and therefore better off. If the answers show you are ready, congratulations, go for it! It’s an exciting time for you as you venture into the whole new world of pet parenting!