Spring is here and we have seen a huge increase in people bringing in their new puppies for classes. We love seeing these puppies begin their first training lessons. Setting your puppy up for success starts at a young age. Whether your puppy is a rescue or purebred, setting your puppy up for success includes extensive training to increase their socialization and confidence. Here are five ways to set your puppy up for success.
Setting Your Puppy Up For Success
- Provide an enriching environment for the puppy.
An enriching environment creates an enriched puppy brain! To provide your puppy with an enriching environment, you should provide the puppy with the following things:
• A variety of toys (make sure they are chew-proof and puppy safe).
• Different surfaces to play on including artificial turf, metal, rubber, and grass.
• Offer obstacles such as wobble boards and pillows to develop dexterity and body awareness.
• Rotate these toys and obstacles out often to keep the puppy used to new things. - Start housetraining early.
Puppies should be taught where to eliminate when they are still young. You should start housetraining at 3 to 4 weeks of age. The area where they go to the bathroom should have a different substrate so they learn to go in a different spot. Scheduling feeding and going out can also help with housetraining. Once puppies are weaned, feeding the puppy on a schedule will help regulate their GI tract. When you start to learn when they need to go out after their meal, it will be easier to develop an easy potty break schedule. - Crate train your puppy.
Crate training is one of the top things that new puppy owners struggle with. You can read our article on crate training here for more information. Even though putting the puppy in a crate can seem cruel, it can actually help the puppy feel more secure. When starting out the crate training, crate puppies for short periods of time and let them out before they get too stressed. - Create a safe environment for the puppy to grow in.
Puppies are natural explorers and very curious. Similar to human toddlers, all dangerous objects should be placed out of their reach. Small items can be swallowed and may obstruct the puppy’s intestines. The only fix for this is surgery which is often risky and extremely expensive. You’ll also want to keep electrical cords out of reach. Puppies may chew on them which can result in burns and electrocution. Puppies are also excitable so if there is anything breakable within their reach, you may want to move it until they grow. - Make sure to bring your puppy in for proper veterinary care.
You should always bring your puppy to the vet in the first week you bring them home. The veterinarian can examine the puppy and make sure your puppy is healthy and free of developmental problems. The vet will also check your puppy’s stool for intestinal parasites. The vet will then advise you on future care and what vaccinations the puppy should get in the future.
Learn more about our puppy classes: Puppy Essentials, Puppy Group Classes, Puppy Socials, Puppy Play and Train Day Camp.