Dear Critter Corner: We just brought home our newly adopted pup. What are some tips you can give us on setting everyone up for success?
Congratulations on your newly adopted pup! I am a big believer in having strict rules to start, which you can loosen up on later in life when your pup has earned it. Here are some of the things I like to consider.
To help with potty training, I will start my pup out in a crate for bedtime and when they are left home alone. This can be just the crate, or you can attach an x-pen to it so that they have more space if needed.
If I don’t intend to have my pup on the furniture when they are older, I am not going to allow it as a young pup. It is very hard to keep a pup off furniture once they have been allowed on it. This applies to beds and other types of comfortable surfaces.
You will also want to manage your pup’s environment and look at ways to set them up for success. This is usually done with crates, x-pens, or baby gates. One thing to think about is what the pup should be doing during your meals. Will they be allowed in the same room? What are your expectations? The rule in my house is no begging ― my pups are allowed to pick where they want to hang out but are not allowed to beg or get too close to me.
Some other considerations are to get started with teaching some basic manners. This can be sitting before having equipment put on, or going out the door to the back yard before having a meal placed down.
There are many other ways to get your pup started on the right path; this is just a small sample. You can consider signing up for one of our obedience classes, which will help set everyone on the right path! Enjoy your new pup!