A WORD ABOUT NEW PUPPIES
Often I am called upon to provide puppy support. Those of us that have raised a dog from infancy on know how difficult a task that is. Underneath the delightful scent of “puppy breath” and the richness of a puppy coat, lies a life that needs to feel safe, thrives on direction and requires constant guidelines and boundaries.
Just like babies and they most certainly are, consistency, scheduling, forward thinking and patience are your best friends. Establish a daily feed and walk schedule and do not detour from it. Most of us are out of the house by 8am. It’s unfair to ask a young pup to go much more than 3 hours between bathroom breaks and you’ll want to master the art of housebreaking ASAP. Dancing Paws can help you set up a schedule that will assure your puppy gets that opportunity as well as much-needed play and socialization time.
Many pet owners employ a crate or quadrant off a small area for a pup during the day. Allowing run of the house early on can be disastrous. Do consult with your vet as far as proper diet is concerned. It’s a good idea not to permit a puppy unlimited access to food and water during the day (it makes the house training that much more difficult).
Young puppies and even veteran dogs often display separation anxiety. You can help them in a variety of ways. Leaving articles of your clothing comforts them, classical music soothes them and de-sensitizing them to your comings and goings is extremely important.
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