H G ADVICE
190 | AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN
R
ecently, a young colleague took
a new puppy home. It’s been a
time of settling in, adjusting and
coping with occasional minor mishaps,
but from all reports, it seems to be going
well. It’s the start of a long and hopefully
happy journey for both of them, but the
success of that journey doesn’t come
about by accident.
Bringing a new pup home involves a lot
more than buying it a cosy bed and getting
in a supply of dog food. Puppy training
manuals, such as How to Teach a New Dog
Old Tricks: The Sirius Puppy Training
Manual and After You Get Your Puppy
by British vet and animal behaviourist
Dr Ian Dunbar, can be a great help. But to
apply the lessons taught in those books,
you need to be as present for as much as
possible of the first few weeks of a dog’s
new life in your home.
First off, the pup will need a refuge, a
cosy, quiet place of its own, until it adjusts
to its new surroundings. This can be a
partitioned corner of a quiet room, or
even a travel crate, furnished with some
bedding and chew toys, where it can
retreat and feel safe. Anytime you can’t be
physically present to supervise the pup, it
should be secured in its safe place.
Establish behavioural rules immediately.
As Dr Dunbar says, “If you want your dog
to follow the rules of the house, by all
means do not keep the rules a secret.”
Show the pup its toilet area straight
away, and take it there frequently so it gets
the message, and reward it when it goes in
the right place. If it chews on something it
shouldn’t, immediately exchange theforbidden object for one of its chew toys,
which should be always available. Puppies
chew, so get used to it.
To avoid needlessly stressing your pup
in social situations, introduce new people
and other animals very gradually, always
allowing it access to its ‘safe space’ so it
can retreat there if it feels overwhelmed
or threatened. And make sure it can
always get to its toilet area, too, in case
it needs to go.
Allow your puppy to familiarise itself
with the house and backyard, if there is
one, but keep a watchful eye and don’t
let it wander around unsupervised. And
keep those chew toys handy to distract
it if it starts to do things it oughtn’t, such
as dig up the garden or vandalise the
laundry basket.
After two to three weeks your new
arrival should start feeling secure and
confident in its new surroundings.
Then it’s off to school – a course of
puppy obedience classes where both
of you will learn more about how to
get along with each other and your dog
can meet new humans and canines
in greater number and begin to feel
comfortable around them.
Once it has learned to walk on a leash,
the puppy can begin to experience short
excursions around the neighbourhood –
make sure it is fully vaccinated first. After
the pup is used to obeying your calls, it’ll
be time to introduce it to other dogs
down at the local leash-free park.
It’s a big, interesting world for a dog.
Training yours early will make sure it
enjoys it to the fullest. #Pets
When a new fur-baby joins the family, helping it feel
secure is the top priority, writes Roger Crosthwaite.PUPPY
LOVE
3 OF A KIND
PET ACCESSORIESPamper your pooch with a super
comfortable 4 Seasons canvas
reversible pet bed, $64.95, Mog
& Bone; mogandbone.com.au.All profits from the We Heart Rescue
collar and lead set, $94.80,
are donated to the RSPCA. Henley
& Co; henleyandco.com.au.Protect your furry friend’s health
with this water bowl, $119, made
from naturally antimicrobial
copper. Georgie Paws;
georgiepaws.com.