AS SOON AS YOU GET HOME:

Place pup in DOG JAIL. Between the visiting/handling here and the trip home this pup has had A LOT OF STRESS.  I don’t care HOW old PUP/DOG IS, this relocation is stressful to it.

THIS IS NOT A TIME FOR ANY MORE HANDLING.  This includes family members at home or eager friends waiting to see your pup.

Let the pup SLEEP then play in DOG JAIL, after several hours you can get it out and have some exercise/play time with it.

The first week is VERY IMPORTANT for the pups “mind” setting up the rules and discipline in the house.  BE FIRM, it is essential that you get off to a good start.  Backpedaling is so hard, why add that to the adjustment?

Excessive handling is NOT A GOOD THING simply because the pup will quickly learn to EXPECT it and again, you are trying to undo a “habit” you have started.  I know that at first it is so exciting to hold and play with the pup BUT UNLESS this is to be the daily routine for this pup you are sending the WRONG SIGNALS to it.  Soon routine enters into your life and the pup is expected to fit into that BUT how can it when there has been constant visiting/handling/playing, which NOW is expected by the pup and why not???

From the start plan a routine that you can enforce.  Working families with school children are off all day.  If you have picked up the pup from me on a Friday night, handled it all day Saturday and Sunday, you can imagine the SHOCK Monday morning will bring.  I hope you can see how UNFAIR this to a wee pup that is already stressed from leaving everything familiar and NOW is suffering the loss of what made it start to feel safe.

Pup will quickly figure out the routine of the house and accept it.  It will sleep and play with its’ toys all the while you are gone and expect to play once the family returns.

Do not expect a LOT out of a puppy.  When he leaves here he will be using a litter box.  Remember he has a very small bladder and an even smaller attention span!  I feel from the age of 4 months and on you can start trying to train puppy, before that you will just be frustrated. Since you MUST NOT EXPOSE THE PUP TO OUTDOORS UNTIL THE LAST SHOT IS COMPLETED, the litter box is an easy indoors solution.  Do NOT lock puppy in his cage in an effort to make him hold it for long periods of time.  If you do this and he messes in the cage, he may then start using it to go potty and that is not what you want at all.  Leave the door off so he can go in and out to sleep and you will see he will always come out to go to the bathroom.  This is what you want since the time will come that you have him housetrained and will want him to stay in the cage for periods of time.  Buyers call all the time because they had the puppy out to play in the family room and he went potty on the rug.  This is quite normal.  After all, he doesn’t know to “hold” it yet and just squats when the need arises.  You don’t want those pee smells in your rug so immediately soak them up and then spray the rug with a “pet odor eliminator” and rub that in.  This will neutralize the enzymes in the pee and remove the odor.  Since you want to play with him on the floor, spread on old quilt down so if he has an accident you can put it in the washer.  As time goes on you can slowly get puppy used to a “potty routine” and you will see that with maturity he quickly learns the rules.

Your puppy is now accustomed to going in a litter box. DO NOT ELIMINATE LITTERBOX  IN FAVOR OF PEE PADS.  The change over should be gradual letting puppy get used to the smell of it and the feel of it under his feet.  I recently sold a puppy and the buyer wanted to use pee pads.  I warned her not to eliminate what the pup was used to.  She went home and decided to use pee pads ONLY.  Every day the puppy would refuse to wet on the pee pads and hold it until she took it outside.  The problem was that the pup really NEEDED to go potty more than the lady allowed for in her routine.  After several days poor puppy had a bladder infection and needed antibiotics.

Your “dog jail” (see home preparations) should have the litter box in it along with the bed, and food/water.  I never trust a dog when I am going to be gone all day, I don’t care HOW house trained they are!  Do not give puppy free-run of the house.  You will notice that soon after eating the puppy will go to the bathroom.  If you are trying to train him to the outside pay attention and take him out in time. Males, are the easiest to train.  Simply choose the area you want him to go potty in. EMPTY the last litter box “smells” in that location. Go right to it and stand there.  Puppy will follow and once you stop he will nose around and go to the bathroom.  Encourage him to stay in the area until he is done.  Don’t clean it up!  Make a big deal out of things and quickly return to the house. The next time go to the spot where he will smell his own products and go right on top of them---after while, you can clean things up, you will notice that he will go right to that spot every time.  The main thing is to persevere while he gets the ground well anointed and gets familiar with what your expected routine is.  When puppy is four months or older you can insure that he makes it through the night by finishing his mealtime off by 6pm.  Offer water until 8pm. Then make sure you take the puppy out last thing before bed.  Feel free to take puppy to sit on the couch with you, but remember,if you should get up to answer the phone or door pick up puppy and take him with you.  The puppy will jump down to follow you and this could be disastrous to “baby bones” and you don’t want him taking this opportunity to go potty on the rug.  After awhile you will be able to give puppy more run of the house and he will head for the paper when the urge hits him.  Just make sure you leave puppy confined either in dog jail or crate when you leave the house.

A crate-ful puppy: Although many new owners are reluctant to train their puppies to use a crate—some even mistakenly think of them as jail cells-there are several compelling reasons to do so.  First, crate training can greatly ease the housebreaking period.  Second, it helps puppies become accustomed to travelling safely.  Third, it gives them a comfortable place to retreat when they need peace and quiet.

Dogs quickly make their crate into their “den” and since, by nature dogs do not like to soil their dens, using a crate during the housebreaking period can help teach puppies when and where it is appropriate to “go”. The size is important, make sure your puppy can standup and turn around in it.  If you are buying a crate for the first time, get one that will accommodate the “full grown” size your puppy will be.  You never want to leave your puppy in the crate for too long.  Although a crate can be a valuable housebreaking tool, puppies must be taken outside and be praised for going outside.  Although many older puppies can make it through the night, during the day they should only stay in the crate for a few hours at a time.

Most puppies learn quickly but they cannot always control their urges—particularly when they are very young and their bladder muscles are not fully developed.  Should your puppy soil his crate, do not harshly reprimand him, but quickly take him outside and praise him for going where he is supposed to.  Clean the crate thoroughly and remove the odor so the puppy is not tempted to soil there again.

Crate training not only gives puppies a comfortable place to retreat to at home; it gives them a safe place when travelling by car or plane.  A dog that accustomed to a crate will be less traumatized by travelling in one by plane, and will be afforded more protection and restraint from the bumps and jolts that often accompany a car trip. Despite the negative associations owners often have with crates, the fact is that most dogs, when properly taught, really like their crates.  I often find one of my dogs taking a nap in his crate(door open) during the day.  A crate should never be used as a punishment, but should be encouraged as a place for your puppy to relax, sleep and, at times, get away from the world.