New puppy owners often overlook the responsibilities of having a puppy because they are so excited to bring one home to play. They aren’t aware of how much work puppies actually require… causing what should be a joyful time to turn into a frustrating experience. However, you can prevent this from happening by preparing yourself and your home. Read about the most common mistakes new puppy owners make below… and how to avoid them:

1) Potty training your puppy indoors.

The development of indoor nifty potty training pads can actually do more harm than good. If you expect your dog to go outside when he’s older, then using these are not the correct way to go about training him. He could end up mistaking your carpet or rugs for the pads and never learn about where he’s actually supposed to go. The only instance in which you should use these is if you plan on having your dog use them for his entire life.

2) Giving into his whimpers. It is common for puppies to cry for the first few nights after bringing him home when being left alone. It is extremely difficult to ignore those whimpers and simply allow him to sleep in your bed with you for a few nights. However, if you allow this, he will never learn how to sleep on his own and may end up with dog separation anxiety.

3) Avoiding the kennel.

Most puppies hate kennels. They bark and cry and howl when you put them in one. But putting your new puppy in a kennel when you are away is the key to keeping him safe. If you let him roam free, he could end up destroying your home or getting into dangerous items or food.

4) Taking your puppy out before he’s vaccinated.

There are a number of vaccinations your puppy will need before he can safely be in contact with other animals and even humans. Their immune systems are not fully developed when they are young so they are more susceptible to diseases. After he gets all of his immunizations, feel free to take him anywhere you want!

5) Letting your puppy do whatever he wants.

Behaviors that puppies engage in are often cute when they are young, but not when they get older. For example, you may allow your puppy to jump on guests now but this is not acceptable when he is full-grown. It’s easier to curb behaviors like this at a young age. The earlier you train, the better behaved your dog will be.

Following the tips above will get you and your new puppy off to a good start. Bringing home a new puppy is exciting and it’s often hard to anticipate that there will be work to do early on which will lead to years of enjoyment.

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This question really depends on the individual situation – more specifically the age of the pet, and how long the pet has had that name, and what type of pet you have. If you have a new puppy that has already been named, I wouldn’t feel guilty about changing the name. My family raised a litter of puppies while I was growing up and we gave them what we called “puppy names” to keep them all straight. We didn’t put a lot of thought into the names and almost expected some of the names to be changed. In this case, feel free to change the name of your new puppy whatever you’d like.

But what if the puppy (or dog) is older?

Unfortunately, there is some truth to the old saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” but this doesn’t necessarily mean you are stuck with the dog’s name. Generally speaking, the older the dog, the more difficulty you may have if you decide to change it’s name. If a puppy is over 4 months old, he will probably have started to respond to his name. If you adopt an animal that knows his name, he will, understandably, be confused if you attempt to change it. My advice in this situation is to choose a new name for your dog that is similar to the one he already has. This is a win-win for both of you – it will be much easier for your pet to adjust to his new name, and also let you call your pet what you want.

Also keep in mind that the amount of time the dog has had that name is also a factor. Just like “puppy names,” many shelters and rescue groups will give names to animals to help keep them straight. In this case, they probably don’t know their names anyway, so feel free to change them as you please. However, some shelters (or previous owners) may know the name the animal responds to. In this case, I would recommend keeping the name if it is at least tolerable, or changing it to something similar. Both you and the dog will already be going through a lot of changes – and a new name won’t make things easier for either of you.

What about cats or other pets?

As is the theme here, it is going to depend a lot on the individual animal and situation. However, from experience, other animals do not pick up on their names as fast as dogs do. I would use the guidelines explained above for dogs, but realize you probably have more leeway. Also, the less cuddly, the easier it is to change the name of your animal. If you’re not fond of the name of your new goldfish or hermit crab, by all means, go ahead and change it.

Congratulations on the new addition to your family! Check out Protect Your Puppy for more advice on caring for your new pet.

There is seldom anything more delightful than the excitement of bringing home a new puppy. However, once in your home, the reality sets in. Puppies are playful and curious most of the time. They are still learning new things so you should expect that owning a puppy can get a little nerve-racking. Puppies do not just settle in one area of your home voluntarily; like babies and small children, they are insatiably curious about everything, and need to explore the entire house.

Because of this, they can never be left unsupervised, as they are a danger to themselves, and the household furnishings as well. They love to chew things, and therefore, not only is there a risk of losing your favorite pair of shoes, but more importantly, a risk of choking. Aside from this, there will be issues of toilet-training and obedience-training. All these factors make a puppy pen a great investment.

Puppy pens are containers for puppies that you can place inside and outside the house. Having a pen will help you keep your puppy safe, when you are unable to supervise him. Aside from that, they will help you train your puppy and to housebreak him. It is a bad idea to use a puppy pen to punish your puppy, as it is better for him to associate his pen with happy feelings. You can customize your dog’s pen to make him more comfortable.

Buying a pen for your puppy will not only protect your pet but also your valuables. Placing your puppy inside a pen will protect your home furnishings. However, unless it is at night, it is not advisable to leave your puppy penned for longer than one and a half hours, as this will give rise to separation anxiety and abandonment issues.

The great thing about pet pens is that your dog can still feel a part of the family, as opposed to an outsider in a crate or dog-house outside. When shopping for a pen, there are some things you need to consider:

Things to consider when shopping for puppy pens

It is wise to choose a pen that can be easily moved from one area to another. If you want to bring your puppy to the kitchen while you prepare dinner, you can easily do so. There are puppy pens that are light but very durable. They come in different materials, like wood, metal, or plastic. Plastic is less recommended, as a puppy may be able to chew through it. There are also collapsible versions of puppy pens, which make it easier to bring your puppy with you on a picnic, as you can stop him from wandering off and getting lost, or choking on some small object on the ground.

The size of a puppy pen should depend on the size of the puppy, as well as his growth rate and activity-level. A puppy pen should be spacious, and high enough to prevent your puppy from jumping or climbing out. A 36 square inch pen is recommended, either square or many-sided. Your puppy’s pen will act as his temporary haven in your home.

You will want to make it as comfortable as possible. It should have a sleeping area, a play area, an eating area, and a littering area. Puppies get easily stressed so it is important for them to get enough rest. Choose waterproof pads or cushions to equip the pen so in case your pet pees, it becomes easier to clean up.

Before you leave your puppy by himself in a pen, make sure you take him out to the toilet. The pen should be lined with newspapers, and the puppy should have an adequate supply of food, water and sturdy chew toys. You must never leave a puppy alone with cheap plastic toys or chews that have detachable parts that your puppy can easily choke on.

A minor consideration is the aesthetic design of a puppy pen. You may want the pen to conform to your home design. Thankfully, this is not difficult to solve. Puppy pens come in different colors and finishes, and there is sure to be one for everyone. Ensuring the safety of your puppy is necessary for him to grow into a healthy, happy, well-behaved dog.

Wow! How cute and adorable! Yes absolutely, and many a puppy has been bought on impulse just because they were ‘irresistible’ and often without any consideration as to what the demands would be in having a puppy as a new member of the family. (I think there are some similarities there with having children don’t you think?)

Probably the last thing a new puppy owner thinks about is how stressful it can be to deal with the puppy’s teething problem and stopping it from chewing, on everything in the house. Little do they realize however that it will be a major challenge to control this very natural growing development.

Here’s where the training similarities between puppies and babies ends, because babies are in an easily controlled environment, whereas puppies can leave a trail of disaster and destruction because many people once they bring their puppy home just leave them to romp around the house and even give them their old shoes, socks, slippers, shirts etc., to play with.

Then when they leave the puppy alone at home, it’s only natural it will start to chew on the good stuff you don’t want them to, but similar – like shoes, books, cushions, socks, the couch, the furniture legs, coffee table and any number of other things they can sink their teeth into.

They can’t make the distinction between what’s the good stuff and what isn’t and think it’s okay, but it’s not okay – it’s infuriating and what’s worse, your dog has no idea why you are now showing signs of hostility towards it.

The good news however is that they can be trained not to do these things with tried and proven ways to stop your puppy from chewing.

USING THE CRATE TRAINING METHOD

By far the best way of dealing with a puppies’ teething issue as well as things like potty training etc., is to use the crate method. This involves getting a crate or strong box that will allow the dog slightly more room than it takes to stand and turn around in. This will be the puppies home where it has it’s own ‘space’ to get away and feel protected.

Crate training your dog will not only prevent destructive chewing, but will also aid in potty training and create a positive and safe environment for your dog when you’re not around, and it will not have the opportunity to chew on your belongings and other harmful things like power cords, etc.

Some people think that keeping a dog in a crate when they’re not around is cruel. This is not the case at all. Dogs by nature like small, darkened places and tend to feel very safe in crates. Almost all dog trainers today believe that crate training is a necessary and positive part of your puppy’s development.

So the object is to make the crate a safe and happy place for your dog to be, and for the puppy to feel it’s their place, they need the things it identifies as belonging to them – especially toys they can chew on, as well as rags, balls, etc.

The next most important thing to teach your dog when he is teething and chewing is which toys are his and what are off limits. Also purchase good things to chew on such as Kong toys or Bully Sticks. Kong’s are made of tough rubber and can be filled with goodies such as peanut butter or cheese. They are excellent chew toys and wonderful for the teething period. Bully Sticks are 100% natural and 100% digestible, low in fat and great for your dog to chew on.

Other chewable toys that could be used are Nylabones which are made out of solid hard plastic and have bumps on them to soothe teething gums or other toys made of hard rubber or plastic. (Check out your pet store for a variety of new products suitable for your puppy to chew on).

Reinforce which toy is for your dog by giving him his chew toy and saying something like, “Here is your toy, good boy!” If your dog chooses something that he is not to chew on, take it away and replace it with one of his chew toys repeating something like, “This is your toy, good boy!”

With persistence, your puppy will learn what to chew on and what it’s not to chew on.

In time your puppy will recognize certain words it can associate with like come, sit, down boy, etc., but a puppy has no idea of what you’re saying, it can only recognize actions, gestures and voice levels.

A. There is your “well pleased” voice level which is slightly higher than normal, excitable and accompanied by affection, pats, rubbing and words like “good dog”.

B. Then there is the “lower registering voice”, slower and more like a growl that the puppy quickly perceives is your displeasure and shouldn’t be doing what it is doing. Of course you will use appropriate words like “bad dog, naughty dog” etc., but it’s not necessary to yell at the dog or hit them or scold them for any reason. At least not yet! I know it’s a big ask, but no matter how annoyed and upset you are about what it has just chewed, don’t take it out on the dog because they can’t figure out what they did that was wrong, and will only end up all confused and scared.

Just by using the right intonation in your voice with short one syllable words, you can effectively communicate even though it doesn’t have any understanding of the actual words you use.