Be Prepared for your New Puppy.

    So you've decided to add a new puppy to your family. Congratulations! The next 15 years or so should be a time of sheer delight, companionship and happiness for you and your canine friend. But beware, if your relationship starts off on the wrong foot it could all end in tears and would probably be your fault. Why? Simply, a puppy must be shown what to do an rewarded for behavior which pleases you. If you fail to educate your puppy he will improvise with often tragic consequences.

    The vital mission of puppy education for dogs under 18 weeks old.

    Owners and pups must learn to understand one another. It is strongly recommended that school for Joe Puppy begins the second the adorable 6-8 week old ball of fluff and big eyes is brought home. There's not a minute to wait ~ The clock is running!~

    Everyone knows that a year of a dogs life is worth 7 human years ~ except everyone is wrong. Recent research has shown that a year old puppy is equivalent to an 18 year old human. A 2 year old dog is as developed as a 24 year old human and after that a year in a dogs life parallels 4-5 years of human existence. People familiar with the old saying "Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man" might be shocked to realize that  in the world of canine behavioral development this translates to "Give me a puppy for its first 4 and a half months and there you have the adult dog behavior."
    Appearances can be deceptive. Big breeds may still be growing pups at a year old. Small and toy breeds may be physically grown, but inside the heads of all dog breeds there is a domesticated  wolf whose temperament and behavior is fixed in those first few weeks as life as a cub in the wolf pack. Training cant wait until the dog's size of physical maturity looks right.
     

    From 5 months onwards (8 years in human terms) if puppies follow the rules laid down by their adopted pack, the human family, they develop happy, rewarding lives as loved and predictable companions or working dogs of achievement.
    As pack animals, puppies seek to fit in and please the pack leader ~ so long as they know what pleases the pack leaders~ the new owners.
    Communication is critical.
    By comparison the puppy allowed to run wild in the first few weeks of their life tend to endure lives of constant punishment. No one showed them what to do. They find themselves in constant trouble for breaking rules they never knew existed. With little love lost between pups and their owners, it becomes an short trip between being in the dog house and arriving at the pearly kennel in the sky.
    Its never too late to rehabilitate a misbehaving old dog using some of the puppy training methods ~ it just takes much longer. Bad habits are difficult to break and whilst many behavior and obedience faults can be mended with perseverance and patience on behalf of the owner, temperamental problems such as biting, fighting and fearfulness are deep rooted in a dogs earliest experiences as a puppy.
    Re-socialising a grown dog not to bit and to trust is time consuming and may be dangerous. The dog may always need muzzling. How much better than to avoid creating a dog with a prickly disposition by properly socializing it as a tiny puppy.
    There are almost 5,500,000  households in the UK owning 6,500,000 dogs. 60% of those dogs are pedigree. Yorkshire Terriers, GSD's, Labs, Cocker Spaniels and Westies are the most popular breed. People choose dogs for their size, their appearance, their household life styles and their budget. The National Canine Defense Leagues famous slogan reminds us that "A Dog is for Life" What else should would be new owners look for in their new lifetime companion?
     
     
     

    Choosing a Dog.

    The breed doesn't matter. Just make sure the choice is the right one by "test walking" at least 6 adults of your preferred breed. Try them out with simple obedience commands to sit, walk at heel, lie down, be quiet and roll over. test driving 6 dogs will teach potential new owners more than they will ever learn from any books or videos.!
    Chosen the breed? NOW read the books and see the video.
    If you are choosing an adult from a rescue center test walk your selection away from the kennels and get to know it before committing yourself to adopting it. If you are choosing a puppy, decide what it is you want from a pet dog. Most owners want a dog that is friendly towards them and towards other people. Its time for prospective owners to exercise their purchasing power and demand that breeders raise friendly pet quality dogs.
    The single most important piece of advice is to buy a puppy that's already been raised indoors, that's used to children screaming, husband and wife arguing, people dropping pots and pans, loud sports programmes on the TV... then you've got a good solid dog at that point.
    If the puppy has been growing up in a barn, a kennel or a crate its not a pet quality dog. Its live stock however good the breeder or how bad the puppy mill, if its been raised outside it can't possibly be socialized for family living. Lastly, you must know what to do with your dog the first week you get it home!
    The clock is ticking!
    Everyone knows just how time flies and how much there is to do in each day. But if you have decided to begin a new lifetime relationship with a dog you must devote time ~ usually in frequent 10 minute bursts of instruction~ to build a solid foundation for its success during the puppy's first few weeks at home. We are geared to viewing growth and development in human time spans ~ there's time to rectify mistakes and you can always try explanations and reasoning with a child or spouse! Dogs are dog, no more no less than domesticated wolves. Their social development takes place over weeks not years and by 18 months even the biggest dogs have stopped growing. You cant reason with them, but you can reward them for good behavior and learning the rules. It really is a race against time to teach your new companion his nursery lessons which enable him to go on and learn new skills and become a faithful and reliable friend.