When you bring home a new puppy for the first time you need to start teaching him to go outside in your garden or back yard to relieve himself.

It is all down to communication; while you are first training a puppy do not have too many high expectations. Your expectations of your puppy should be at the same level that you have of a new born baby.

It takes patience and a little time before your puppy realises what you want him to do, any accidents must not result in you shouting, smacking or rubbing your pet’s nose into his faeces; after all your mother didn’t do that to you when you were a baby!

The procedure is simple; it is down to timing and keeping a watchful eye on your puppy. Each time your puppy goes to the toilet you have to praise him in a light encouraging tone of voice, he will look forward to your praise and try to please you.

Toilet train a puppy

When your new pal has eaten his meal he will need to go out to relieve himself, it is best you take him to a part of the garden where you have allocated him a toileting space, praise him when he actually goes and after he has finished.

However, if you prefer to wait until he has had all his injections then use paper or puppy pads situated conveniently near the back door so that he will associate the door with going to the toilet.

Do not put puppy pads all over the house, although at night time you can place one in the bottom of his dog crate or dog bed.

If you or your family are at home during the day, each person should keep to the same routine. Your puppy will be confused if everyone expects him to follow a different routine.

One of the easiest ways to tempt your puppy is with the use of dog treats, treats can be kept in a small bag near the back door. When he has relieved himself on the paper or asked to go out by heading off towards the door then praise, and a treat, is his reward.

However, if you are starting off his toilet training for the very first time, taking him out at key times during the day will help him to know what you are asking of him. These times can be when he wakes up, after playing with him, after his meals and last thing at night.

A puppy up to the age of 12 weeks may need to be taken out every hour to get him into a routine, as he gets older he will be able to hold himself for a longer period. When your puppy reaches the age of six to nine months he should be able to hold himself in long enough to last through the night, although there may be a few accidents at certain times.

The first few days that a puppy spends in a new home can be a stressful experience for both you and your new pet. It may be the first time they have spent the night away from their mother, brothers and sisters; dogs are natural pack animals, and their instinct tells them that being apart from their pack is dangerous. Crying and whining is his way of calling out to them. This can easily try your patience, but with a little forethought, things can be made much easier.

Preparation is the key to helping him settle in to his new surroundings. Spend an hour or so before his bedtime playing with him; tiring him out will help him get a good night’s sleep, and you want to avoid letting him nap in the few hours before his bedtime. You also want to avoid making toilet trips with him through the night, so you need to bring him food and water at around 6PM. Take him outside to his toilet area just before he goes to bed. Make sure you praise him for this, as it also helps with house training.

Crying Puppy

Where your puppy sleeps can affect his urge to cry at night. If it’s practical, let him sleep in your bedroom. Your constant presence will reassure him, and it will also help you establish yourself as the pack leader, which is vital to his training and behaviour. However tempted you may be, don’t let him sleep in your bed. If you do, he will come to expect it, and this can lead to behavioural problems further down the line.

If you have started to crate train your puppy, put the crate in (more…)

A new puppy is an excitable little pet that bobs about on the floor in your kitchen or living room until his little legs are strong enough for him to run. Feeding him puppy food full of quality ingredients, with a mix of essential amino acids and other valuable minerals, will see him quickly grow into an adult dog with strong bones, lean muscles, a pair of bright inquisitive eyes and a shiny coat.

Right from the time your puppy makes himself at home, a well loved member of your family, it is important to set in place a daily routine. Meals should be given in small portions, at regular intervals, taking time to let him out of the house to a small allocated area in the garden for him to relieve himself.

Good food, daily exercise and regular playtime are (more…)

Well done, you have now decided to look to adding to your family by adopting a puppy or an adult dog. This is a time for preparation, and the first important task is to choose the breed of dog. Taking into account his size and temperament is important, as he has to fit into your lifestyle.

This decision is one of the most important decisions in your life; however it is important that your partner and your family all agree to look after a pet and follow the same feeding and dog training routines.

It may be you have lost a well loved canine friend and you want to replace him, or your best friend has purchased a dog; whatever the reason, choosing a puppy or dog is an exciting time.

If a child is pestering you for a dog, you will probably have to be in charge of his (more…)

It is generally accepted when you bring home a new puppy that he will whine for a little while when you go to bed or if you go out and leave him alone. A puppy who whines at you is letting you know that he is unhappy, he wants his mother, his brothers and sisters to come and rescue him from this new strange environment. He needs reassuring.

However, being clever, your puppy will soon cotton on that whining is a way of getting your attention, getting more food, extra treats and the affection he craves for if you give in to him. A whining puppy who was just upset can easily turn his whining into an annoying habit to get his own way.

Time for action or he will soon be an adult dog that whines whenever he wants something!

Start as you mean to go on, not easy with those gorgeous (more…)

Most adults who have a family would have thought that they wouldn’t have had to go through a period of potty training again, but when dogs enter the family home, it does become necessary once more. Here are some top tips for toilet training your new baby (oops, I mean your new puppy).

It is important that your new puppy is taught guidelines from the time you bring him home. Use either a litter box, or show him where the back door is every time he has had a meal or you see him bobbing up and down. This will take time and patience on your part, but it is well worth the effort.

Do not smack your puppy or shout at him when he gets it wrong. If he gets it right and (more…)

When you have a new puppy it opens up a whole new world of health and safety issues, making sure your pet is healthy and that everywhere he treads the ground and surrounding areas is safe for him.

When a puppy has had his course of vaccinations he will love to explore anything and everything in his surroundings.

If you have a garden area for your puppy to play out in, check that the area is safe. Where you did not worry about small holes in the fence or gaps in your hedgerows before, now they are a safety hazard for an inquisitive and small puppy.

Gardens that have slug pellets scattered everywhere and weeds that have been treated with weed killer look like clumps of food to a new puppy. They are of course poisonous.

When there is a selection of bulbs popping up out of the soil they may remind him of his favourite treat and, if eaten, could give him a rather bad stomach ache or something much worse. Bulbs are poisonous to a puppy; if you find your pet chewing them, immediately rush him to your local vet.

Some of the common plants that have been growing in your garden for quite a few years need to be checked out. Look at gardening information for any tips about dangerous plants and how they affect pets. Some of the popular but common plants that can be (more…)

Adults (particularly women) love to take time to pamper themselves, such as having their body massaged and their hair cut, as it make them feel good. Pampering your puppy or adult dog with a massage, or having their fur coat cut and blow dried by a professional dog groomer, is also beneficial for both dog and owner.

It may seem strange at first, but massaging your dog is something that can be easily done on a daily basis at home. It helps dogs and owners form a bond, but more importantly it gives you an idea of the condition of your dog’s body and the quality of their health.

How to massage your dog:

Lightly circle your hands around your dog’s neck and shoulders, feeling all the time for any unusual lumps or bumps. Move downwards, never upward. Go down your dog’s shoulders to the chest area and then (more…)

When your puppy starts to listen to other dogs barking and making a noise, he may think he has to follow their example. This is a natural reaction for dogs, and it can make it difficult for you when you’re training your puppy not to bark.

One of the main worries dog owners have with any puppy or adult dog is what the neighbours will say when the dog starts to bark. This is especially true with a new puppy as their bark starts off at a much higher pitch.

Stopping a dog barking altogether is quite unfair as a dog does need to express themselves with a bark once in a while; however, controlling a dog’s barking is easier than you think.

Taking your dog out for a long walk, or exercising him in the nearby park or grassland, will use up some of his pent up energy. Energy that has been building up has to have an outlet, especially with a puppy or dog that has been (more…)