Making a safe home:
To make your home safe for your new baby puppy, eliminate potential hazards around the house and pay attention to the following:
Keep breakable objects out of reach.
Eliminate any access to electrical cords by hiding or covering them; make outlets safe with plastic covers
Safely store household chemicals
Keep dangerous plants out of reach
Poinsettias, Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Dumb Cane, Japanese Yew, Oleander and English Ivy, plus others.

Exercise extreme caution when using insecticides such as disulfoton. Always read and follow label directions for safe use and storage.
Potted roses and certain other plants may have already been treated with disulfoton prior to being sold; please check with your local nursery or lawn and garden store beforehand, so you can be sure to plant them in areas inaccessible to pets.
Disulfoton may be mixed with organic fertilizers, which can be attractive to dogs.
If you plan to use disulfoton, please ensure that it is applied only in areas that are completely inaccessible to animals. Store unused product in a secure container or cabinet out of pets’ reach.

In the garage:
Be sure engine lubricants and other poisonous chemicals (especially antifreeze) are safely stored. Puppies can and will lick it off the floor if there are spills that are not cleaned up...

Pools and hot tubs:
Check covers and fences to make sure they are safely secured and your puppy cannot fall in or gain access to pools and hot tubs.

Bringing your new puppy home:
The best time to bring your new puppy home is when the house is quiet. Discourage friends and relatives from stopping over and don't allow overnight guests. First establish a daily routine and follow these steps:

1. Before bringing him into his new house, take him to that special place in your yard where he will be expected to go potty. It is best to take him to the same place each time. Spend a few minutes with him there and let him look around, if he happens to go potty be sure you praise him. Baby talk is an excellent way of praise ... He should be put on a schedule of about every 3-4 hours at the age of 8-10 weeks.

2. Introduce him to his bed or crate: Let your puppy check his quarters and possibly meet his toys and investigate them a little. Make this a positive time, talking baby talk and praising him if he enters his/her bed or his/her crate. You want him/her to like his crate or bed and it is very important to make this a positive experience for him/her. If you don't want your dog sleeping in your bedroom forevermore, the first night is very important to both of you. If your puppy will be sleeping alone, we have found it helpful to leave a radio playing softly or a clock ticking close by, as sounds seem to comfort lonely puppies. Be prepared for whining, howling or even barking. Your new baby puppy is spending his first night alone and away from his litter mates and mommy. Try to resist the urge to comfort him, if you do comfort him, he will expect you to anwer his calls everynight. Eventually your puppy will fall asleep. You may find that this time is frustrating and really hard, but it is important to stick to your schedule and try to keep things as you expect them to be when your puppy matures. The first few nights are the worst and it only gets better from this point forward.

3. Spend as much time with your new puppy as you can for at least the first few days. You want to make sure that he is adjusting and realizing that your home is now his home too. You need to remember during frustrating training times that your puppy has just left everything and everyone that he knew and loved behind. He/she is most likely insecure and scared, even though he may not show outward signs of this, he needs to be reassured and comforted. Potty schedules are very very important during this time as he will be confused and won't understand where he is expected to go at his new home.

House breaking aids:
Stain remover and deodorizer (puppy accidents)
Puppy treats (For training and housebreaking)
Paper toweling (incase of accidents)

House training tips:
House training is probably the most important thing your puppy will learn. You need to make training a positive experience and use love, praise, and affection to truly accomplish this task. Puppies can get confused very easily, so a set schedule and potty place are essential. Taking your puppy to the same place everytime will help him understand and catch on to what is being expected of him.

Place your puppy on a consistent food and exercise schedule: Feeding him at the same time each day will "train" his digestive system. Your puppy will need to go potty shortly after he eats, usually about 15-20 minutes after his meal. Take your puppy to his potty place and let him walk around. Take your puppy for his walk after his morning breakfast and his evening meals, after playing and also before bed time.

Your puppy should never have full run of your home. For house breaking purposes your puppy will learn faster if you confine him to a kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom, and train him one room at a time. If you catch your puppy having an accident in the house, you tell him "NO" in a loud deep voice and take him immediately outside to the potty area, if he finishes going and does so in the correct place, make sure you praise him. Praise is most recognized in baby talk and with an excited tone of voice.

Remembering that baby puppies have so much to learn and that they are expected to learn all of this in such a short time is really an important factor. It is very important that you have a schedule and try to do things the same way each time. Puppies learn best when they are praised and loved a whole lot by everyone in their family. They need to know when they do something right and also when they do something wrong and I have found it most important to use my voice as the answer to his right and wrong issues. Baby talk is playtime and praise, a deep loud voice is used as "NO" and naughty, and when neither praise or naughty is needed, just use your regular voice. Puppies do well when they understand and get clear signals from their owners! A puppy training class is wonderful and very helpful, ask around and find a trainer in your area. Most puppy kindergarten classes will teach you how to teach your puppy. No matter how many puppies you raise, you just never know it all! Good Luck with your new puppy and if I can answer your questions or help you in any way, just let me know!

Your children and the new puppy: We all know that puppies and children go together and are just meant to be, it is important to understand that a child cannot be expected to discipline and train a puppy on his/her own. Indeed, a young child under six needs supervision when he plays with the puppy. Over-exuberant loving of the puppy, such as hugging him too hard, could cause injuries. As a parent you should realize that even though you may want this puppy to be your childs pet more so than your own, you should understand that puppy-raising responsibilities are yours. Include your child and assign certain duties for your child to help with, but do not expect any child to take on such a big responsibility alone. As your puppy matures your child can gradually take over more and more of the responsibilities.

Thank you for taking the time to read these helpful hints!

Teresa
715-832-9091

E-mail:  tar9091@aol.com