Taking your puppy home

In these 8 weeks the mother teaches the puppy lots of coping skills...things that make you and your dog’s life much easier.

I always suggest to people that if possible to take the puppy for a drive around the block before the actual date of pick up. This will just give the little one some time for getting used to driving in a car and being a way from his mother.

If you don't have someone driving with you to pick up your puppy, put him in a crate and secure him in the car. You don't want your puppy coming to sit under the pedals while you are driving or injure himself.

Ask the breeders if they could try and not feed the puppy a few hours before your drive and make sure he went for a potty before hand.

This will help prevent accidents in your car and also keep your puppy from feeling nauseas.

In the next few weeks that your puppy is with you it is just as important...this is the time for you to teach your pup social skills and basic cues.

The earlier you start with this the better.

Up to 16 weeks it's crucial to put as much in these training skills as possible.

Start by socializing your pup with friends coming over to visit, your cat and other dogs.

Always be there while doing so, never leave him unattended.

Don't force him if he gets scared.

I like taking my dog to the park and meet and greet with others or you can take them to a sports game.

During this time you can start with potty training This is also the time to start training cues you would like your dog to know. Don't worry about the recall cue.First establish a bond with your dog.

You might think but shouldn't you wait till your puppy is older...no.

Start now.

Although his attention span is short and training sessions will be short. He still grasp what is wanted of him.

It's easier to prevent an unwanted behavior then to cure it.

Take some time before you pick up your puppy to find a place where he will sleep.

Crate training is great for that.

It's good for a puppy to have his own safe place. It comes in handy when you have to leave the house...but not for hours and hours at end.

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