New Puppies and Common Dangers
It is now past Christmas and the festivities are over, which means for most that it’s time to go back to work. If you have bought a new puppy during the Christmas break, the work begins now in the form of training them.
If you are tired or the puppy is tired then do not try to train them as they will not be as responsive.
The best time to train a dog is when they are full of energy, as they can listen to your commands without waiting for food or wanting to sleep.
One of the first dangers with a new puppy is that they have no road sense, as life is one large adventure.
However that can cause a problem as the puppy may decide that when the front door is open they can push past you and run into the road.
The main dangers are cars but there may be a larger and aggressive dog that has not had the correct injections.
Training your puppy to walk through doors:
- Wait is the first rule. Take the time to practise in your house. Have the puppy at the side of you while you face the door that you go out of. Make sure the door opens away from you and not towards you.
- Approach to open the door and leave the puppy, telling it to wait!
- If your puppy moves then take it back to the same spot with the command ‘No, no’.
- Try again, rewarding your puppy with a titbit when he grasps the fact he has to stay there, even if it’s only for second before he moves.
Note: Do not take too much time up as it has to be fun so once you have tried a few times take him for a walk or play with him as a reward for his work.
Warning: If he makes a mistake do not scold him as he is a baby and may become nervous which can result in little puddles.
