There’s nothing quite as exciting as bringing home your first pet to call your own, particularly if that’s a bundle of joy in puppy form. This excitement and fun can rival buying your own home for the first time, or learning to drive. But of course, while great intent to is an essential consideration that many of us hold close to our hearts, it’s also important to recognise that goodwill is not going to be enough, we need technique and understanding to care for them properly.
You’ll pick up all sorts of lessons over the years as a dog owner, such as how to ‘potty-train,’ them as it were, how to stop them from chewing your furniture, and to what degree you should allow them to bark at passers-by from within the household. But of course, some lessons are more essential than others, as they relate directly to the health and immediate wellbeing of your pooch.
But what are those lessons that we need to know? In this post, we’ll discuss that and more:
Be Careful Allowing Your Puppy Up & Down The Stairs
Puppies are natural explorers, they’re curious about everyone and everything. For this reason, it’s important to take some time to consider where their curiosity could get them into trouble. Namely, if you have stairs in your home, then they will be interested in following you up and down them. Sure, they can easily fall down the stairs due to their lack of easy bodily control, but you’ll find that allowing them to climb up can also cause harm to their joints. For this reason, being careful and limiting their access with safety gates can be key.
Set Bed/Sofa Standards Now
It’s important to set appropriate lessons now, those that you keep over time. For instance, making sure your puppy knows that jumping onto the bed or sofa is not acceptable. This is thanks to it being unhygienic and their claws may scratch up the leather. This is where purchasing luxury pet beds can help them find those options to be somewhat inferior anyway, especially when it comes to their growing need for orthopaedics. Set those boundaries now, and they’re more likely to properly grow into them.
Always Invest In Good Training
It’s important to invest in good training to the degree that this is relevant and necessary. You can achieve this by heading to a reliable trainer, one that you can trust with your pet, and pay for a block of sessions. This will allow them to not only learn to see you as an authority figure. But they will slowly become adapted to being next to other dogs. This can prevent them from being fearful or aggressive in public situations, such as when taking your dog for a walk outside as they grow. Good training sets habits and behaviours now that will benefit you for a while to come. Well socialised dogs are welcome anywhere! It’s a reflection of the time and energy you invest into making your pup a good canine citizen.
With this advice, you’re certain to select the best lessons for first-time dog owners.
Cover Photo Credit: Photo by Christian Domingues from Pexels
