PUPPY FIRSTS

Your dog is going to have so many firsts in their new home. First feed, first walk, first vet visit, these are all things your new puppy is going to experience with you and can be quite stressful at times. We can help them have positive experiences which will help them to be more comfortable and confident in the future.

Feeding

When you bring your puppy home you might want to change onto a different food than they have been fed so far. That’s fine but changing straight away can cause an upset tummy, especially with the stress of moving. Ask the breeder or resume for a small amount of food that they have been feeding the pup, this will help with the transition. It’s a good idea to keep them on the food they know for a few days and then you can start to change onto the food you choose by mixing in small amounts of the new food and gradually increasing. This should help prevent upset tummies.

Moving house and being in a new environment can be stressful for some dogs and they might not eat straight away. If they are worried you can help by giving them safe space that is their own and leaving them on their own to eat. You can add tasty meat to their food if they are still reluctant but only add small amounts as this can also cause an upset tummy. They should start eating when they feel comfortable and settle in but definitely book a visit to the vet if you are worried.

Collar and lead

Your puppy probably isn’t wearing a collar when you pick them up but it’s important that they start wearing one. However, it’s best to introduce it gradually and let the puppy wear it for a few minutes to start with and gradually increase. It’s an odd sensation for the pup to suddenly be wearing a collar and some will try to bite and scratch it. Try and play with your pup to distract them so they forget about it. You should do the same with the lead, let them wear it around in the house with it trailing or while you are carrying them around. They need to get used to the wait of the lead on the collar before using it for walks. Try to prevent your puppy from grabbing and tugging on the lead as this will quickly become a fun game and the lead will be viewed as a toy.

I always recommend walking dogs on a harness, regardless of age, size or breed of the dog. You can start introducing the harness to your pup at an early age. Like the collar, it shouldn’t just be put on straight away. Allow your pup to sniff around the harness and use treats to encourage them to put their head (or legs, depending on what harness you have). Use lots of treats and encouragement to get it on. They should wear it only briefly the first time and gradually increase. If your dog shows any signs of stress, go back to showing them the harness and rewarding them for sniffing it.

Vet visits

All dogs have to go to the vets. It is rarely a fun experience for the dog and they can quickly learn that the vets means needles and jabs. This can make vet visits even more stressful for both you and your dog. However, you can help create positive experiences for your pup which will help in the future for your dog to be calm and happy at the vets.

The first time you take your pup to the vet it will probably be for their jabs. That part won’t be fun but the rest of the visit can be. Take toys and treats with you and make being in the vets really fun for your pup. Ask the staff to interact with your pup too and make a fuss of them (if they are comfortable with new people). Once they have had their jab, don’t leave straight away. Sit back in the waiting room and play with your pup away so that the jab isn’t what they remember when you leave.

You can also try and pop into the vets on days when you don’t have appointments, check with your vets first. Take your pup in to say hi to the staff, have a fuss and a good play without any medical check up. This will make positive experiences for your pup and they will be happier to go to the vets in the future.

First Walk

Once your pup is fully vaccinated, you can start going on walks! How exciting! You might be eager to go to the park and show your pup the world but remember that it can be overwhelming for a little pup. Their world is about to get a lot bigger!

First, practice walking around in the garden. They should be used to wearing a collar and lead by now but now they have to learn that the lead restricts how far they can go. It is also a good time to encourage them to walk near you, have some treats on you and praise them for walking nicely. A lot of pups will stay very close to you on their first walk because they feel safe with you, this is a good time to reinforce that behaviour.

Your pup is going to be curious and want to sniff everything and meet everything. That’s great because it means your pup is enjoying the walk. We do want our dogs to meet lots of different people but we don’t want them to learn that they can run up to all people and dogs. Allow your dog to look and see everything but try and keep the walk going. Always praise when they look at you as we want them to learn to check in with us when out on a walk.

The general rule for walking pups in 5 minutes of exercise per month of age, up to twice a day. So you can take your 3 month pup for two 15 minute walks. Remember this when planning your walk. If it’s a 20 minute walk to the park, it might be worth driving there so you get to spend time actually in the park. If your pup seems worried you can try to stay close to the house and go to the same area on each walk so they get more comfortable being outside before trying to venture further.