What is your top bit of advice

[Beautyinreality]

Our beautiful pup is 8 weeks today and coming home to us this weekend. Have read all the books etc but as a first time dog owner I am a little nervous. Please tell me your best advice for life with a puppy.

Buy the happy puppy book. And puppy proof the house. If things aren't left out they can't be chewed.

If they are getting really bitey and overexcited they are probably tired. They need to sleep way more than they think they do. Encourage sleep!

Enjoy it. Don't try and teach too much at once - but they do take on a surprising amount - so a having games to use their names, hiding games and calling their name so they come find you - that all helps with recall later.

It gets easier once they have had their jabs.

I'd say take them on off lead walks as soon as you can somewhere safe. They stick by you then. We fed little bits of sausage everytime she looked at us, came back etc... and her recall is pretty good. But you see people with 6 month old dogs they've never let off the lead and that's going to be harder to teach recall.

Also - puppies get a pass from bigger dogs till they are about 6 months - so they'll either ignore them or give them a warning wuff if they get out of hand.

We are a little ahead of you as our puppy is 16 weeks now. So advice learning from my / our mistakes-

Take the puppy fun places in the car so they don't associate the car with the nasty vets who give them injections.

If you are going to have a rule like "no dogs on the sofa", make sure you have been clear to other family members so you don't find your dh snuggled up with puppy on the sofa and now the fucking dog jumps on the sofa every time they walk in the front room and is having to be taught to not get on the sofa.

Put spare poo bags in every coat pocket and bag. Dont rely on having the clip on the lead as it will drop off at some point and you won't notice until puppy is mid-shit. (Yay for a friend with an older dog being at the Park at the same time to save the day!). Also, remember to remove spare poo bags from jeans pockets before washing and throwing in the tumble dryer.

Puppies fall in love with you quickly and want to keep you happy but often haven't got a clue how to and sometimes you can see she knows I want her to do something, but can't work out what. We've got "sit" sorted well, and sometimes if confused, will just sit because that's often what I'm asking her to do, so she'll try that as she can't work out what the other noises I'm making mean.

Buy lots of kitchen roll and cleaning wipes.

Find a good dog school and go for at least 6 months. Puppy classes are great, but it's worth continuing beyond that initial first few weeks. Also great to get support through all of the different stages. Mine loved her classes which we did for about 18 months pre-covid. We moved on from obedience to the Do More With Your Dog trick training scheme. Really good fun.

@AlCalavicci

Patience Consistency Nail recall I agree with PP about using a whistle, , I don't like everyone in the park knowing my dogs name. ( they could call him over and feed him crap/ steal him etc ) Get pup use to ; Having ears , paws , eyes , touched / examined so if there is a injury it's not scary / unfamiliar to have them examaned .

Travling in cars on buses and trains.
Been around loud noises
Been around other animals
Been around people

Don't be afraid of asking for help or advice , member the only daft question is the one that's never asked .

Whistles are great but they are not going to stop your dog getting stolen. It is easier for someone to use a whistle than learn your dogs name.....

Nappy bags are much cheaper than poo bags.

Equafleece dog onesies are amazing if your dog likes getting wet and muddy.

Put radio 4 on for the dog when you go out they like it.

Pick your battles. I gave in and let the dog sleep in my room jn his basket. He is silent and will stay there until I get up. 5am wees don't exist in our house.

Lastly the fucking annoying chewing everything phase does end! Then they can have a luxury bed they don't destroy 😂

Buy a copy of Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas

Don't focus so much on verbal communication but on how you and your dog communicate through subtle movement and gestures. These movements and signs can be very slight indeed so observe well. And make sure you don't flap your arms about but be gentle and slow with everything, never loud and erratic! Be aware of your own body position. The best dog trainer I worked with never said a word, she just used her body very calmly, , and focused on how she inhabited the space around her dogs and how she approached and touched them. Her commands were very gentle almost imperceptible gestures. Approach training sessions with the right, calm, focused, mindset. Dogs don't respond well to nervousness and indecision.

Agree on rules and boundaries as a family and follow through as a family consistently.

My dogs are taught from the very beginning to :

• after one or two barks to go and lie down in their basket when the door bell rings or someone comes to the door and to stay their quietly

-ditto when we are eating at the table or drinking tea on the sofa

• ditto when in a dog friendly pub or cafe or on a train

• never to go ahead of me across roads, down or up stairs,. and in and out of doorways.

• reliable recall

• to relax on their own in their beds (as it happens always with another dog)

• to stand on a low table and allow people to stroke their heads, look in their ears and mouths, pick up their feet, handle their underbellies and tail area, be groomed.

Always be a calm, reliable positive parent to them.

Don't overfeed.

Find out early on whether they are motivated by balls, toys, food, play , and use accordingly.

Give them as many experiences as you can early on : with bicycles, a variety of other dogs, snow, rain, wind, sun, water, car travel, cafes, parks, forests, drivers, umbrellas, horses, men in hats, rivers and ponds, beaches and the sea.

The more training you can give them as a youngster, the more freedom and liberty they can enjoy safely later on. But remember that your relationship is even more important than the training.

Ooo @Areyouhappy arm flapping! That's what causes most problems with non dog owners and dogs and probably accounts fir a whole heap of animosity towards our furry friends. People will insist on jiggling their arms up and down like they're working a puppet when they come across an energetic dog. Said dog thinks ooooo they want me to jump!

@Anordinarymum

You are the top dog. Make sure your pup knows his place in the pecking order.

My top bit of advice would be to ignore this completely.

Agree re getting hi used to the car. Also used to being left alone, starting in tiny increments obvs.

Get them used to a toothbrush - avoid tartar build up by brushing several times a week. Younger you start, the less they object.

And pack theory only applies to the extent that dogs like to feel secure living in a group. They want to know they belong. That's it.

Dog training advice and support on FB.
Join!!
Fab advice.
And get a rechargeable torch. For night time garden toilet visits.

Your dog is not a "fur baby" its a dog treat it like a dog and it will behave a like a dog. Secondly choose the right dog for your circumstances and if a pedigree from a very reputable breeder. Socialise well in the beginning expose them to everything that you can find that is relevant to your lifestyle. I dont know anything about pecking order or pack theory or positive training or any specific dog other training methods but I have had dogs (and farm animals and horses) much of my life and I expect my dog to behave and do as they're told. We are consistent and have sensible age appropriate expectations, no dog (horse cow pig) is going to be perfect all the time e.g. there is no such a thing as a bullett proof recall they are dogs not machines. Dont over complicate things keep it simple. Its always worked for us everyone comments on how happy and well behaved and well adjusted our dogs are. If the training goes wrong one day so what tomorrow is another day. Dont loose any sleep over it. Everyone says dogs are hard work Ive never found this they are not children or horses.

Let them off lead as early as you can. He'll stick by your side.

And love the precious advice as well about being his mum - that doesn't mean he's a spoiled "fur baby"- he's still a dog. But know that he is a sociable pack animal that needs your love and guidance. Don't leave him alone before he is ready.

The other one I love which is actually a Salt Bradbury recommendation - 50 treats in the pot challenge:
Give pup a treat every time you catch him doing something you like - laying down with a toy, sitting nicely, laying down calmly, coming back to you when you're in the garden. You don't need to ask them. That way pup starts to repeat behaviours naturally that are rewarding and you have to care less about formal training.

My advice would be use common sense , don’t stress if things aren’t perfect and be prepared to adapt from the ‘norm’ if it works for you .

My advice is to ignore advice if it isn't working for you. Of course it is great to read and research, as well as to talk with experienced dog-owners and trainers. But far too many self-styled experts have fallen into the trap of believing there is One True Way to raise a happy, healthy, well-behaved dog. That belief is as false as the idea that there is only one way to raise a happy, healthy, well-behaved child.

Thank you so much to everyone who has commented. Very helpful and interesting reading. And reassuring.

I had 3 babies in 18 months and would very much describe my parenting style as flexible and adaptive. Hopefully this will help me as a new dog owner.

We have wanted a dog for a very long time as we are a family that loves walking, the outdoors and animals. Hame working has now made it possible and we are very excited.

[quote shallIswim]@WoodchipNightmares is there a good book about this? I feel we'd benefit from learning more about doggy language[/quote]
Roger Abrantes, 'Canine Language', has lots of line drawings.

1. Enjoy it. They're little for such a short time (and then they become teenagers ugh). Take the photos. Make the memories.

1. You can always teach them tricks. Right now, work on relationship. A dog you have a strong bond with is one who will recall. (See teenagers above...)

1. Naps. The answer to most behavioural issues is naps. The puppy is biting? Nap. The puppy is running around like a demonchild? Nap. The puppy is incapable of listening? Nap nap nap. You may need to enforce naps - putting them in their crate/pen, sitting by them and signing nursery rhymes til they go to sleep. The nice thing is that puppies are non-verbal, so you can substitute folk songs with rude words, if that helps. But naps are the secret to contented puppy rearing.

Respect your dog's genetics.

Breed and line can make a big difference to canine behaviour. Obviously not every dog will tick every breed box, and dogs bred for the show ring over generations will not necessarily retain much from their working roots, but a show-line Labrador will be a different creature from a high octane Vizsla out of field-trialing parents, which again will be different from a Malinois and none of them will be much like a Pomeranian.

Build a bond with your dog through positive attention and play, and devote some time each day to training.

And have fun.

Lots of great advice here. 9 month lab owner - I'd add be confident to ask other owners to call their off lead dogs away from yours, don't feel you have to stop and meet every other on lead dog you encounter (I just cheerfully say "come on, not everyone wants to say hello" as we trot past) as I want his attention on me on his lead, and to speak up for your dog when people approach it - if you're not comfortable with people stroking him, politely say or in our case it was to ask people who wanted to say hello to let them sniff a closed fist/open palm rather than go straight in to pat his head which he hated.

And as a lab owner I'm so glad we introduced him to the vacuum cleaner early on wish we'd somehow done the same with motorbikes (he hates them).

Take your dog into lots of different scenarios, even if you don't think your dog will routinely encounter them in adulthood.

I have a strong suspicion that my dog's first owners didn't drive - they were London based. As a result, he's great on the Underground but finds car journeys really stressful. Which is really fucking useful seeing as we moved to Wales!

Likewise I don't think they introduced him to livestock. He's not to be trusted around sheep, or anything else on four legs that's not a dog. Again, really fucking useful when you live in Wales and have a dog that can't be trusted around sheep....

Your life may change, over the next 15 years, in ways that you didn't anticipate. Best to prepare your dog for everything life has to throw at them, as even if you think you and DDog will always live in inner London (or wherever) that may not be the case.

Flexible and adaptive is my preferred approach to everything :D

You'll be just fine OP.

Get the three basics down:

• Loose lead walking
• Recall
• Ability to be left alone

The rest, work on as you go along. It's easy to factor into everyday life. When problems arise, Google a solution and experiment until you find the right one for your pup. :)

Housetraining and all of that is pretty easy. You just have to be consistent and on top of things for a bit.

As for socialisation, just be natural. Take pup out with you when going about your daily business. Expose to lots of different things in a chill way. You don't need to ram loads of dogs, people, surfaces, etc., down their throat. It's better for your pup to have 5 positive experiences in the world than 50 stressful ones.

Finally, don't forget to handle them often. :D Touch their paws, ears, belly, tail, look at their gums, get them used to being examined and touched in lots of different places.

Definitely take the puppy out somewhere every day, get a puppy sling or similar if you're anxious about going out pre jabs. You want to go to lots of different places, cafes, supermarket car parks, town centres, beaches, countryside, schools, friends houses. They need to meet lots of different people as well as other animals and dogs.

It's so important to socialise them properly and it's a short window to get this right.

The book Easey Peasy Puppy Squeezy has a good list in it.

Try and enjoy the puppy days, they go so fast!!

Great advice and wisdom here.
I would add:
No to treats unless training.
Be consistent and very patient and remember you don't need to raise your voice at your dog - it's pointless and it's worse for you.
Aim for the dog to fall into the family routine s not the other way around. Yes you can hoover when the puppy is asleep. Just as you can when a baby is asleep (met DH too late in life to train him on this one but kids and dogs sleep through this activity 😁)
Get the puppy used to being handled so that you can check them over like a vet would. Some dogs will never like it and it's not much you can do about it in that case.
If you trust your dog, your dog will trust you. You're his guide and protector so if they feel secure around you, they won't need to get stressed unnecessarily.
Dogs can get stressed about a million things and we don't always notice.

Watching with interest before I collect my new pup next month.