Puppies are fun, energetic, and – oh yeah – adorable. But they are a lot of work. Raising one into a good dog requires almost constant attention and dedication, at least for the first few months of their lives. After all, while it isn’t an easy job to train a pup, it’s a lot simpler to ingrain good habits when they’re little than to try and deal with issues when they’re older.
I recently adopted two beagle puppies – I know, two! I must be crazy! I love dogs, and I’ve worked with them both on professional and volunteer levels. Here are a few tricks and products that have made my life (a tiny bit) easier during these formative months.
1. Crates
Many books, trainers, and methods nowadays recommend crate training as it complies to a dog’s natural instinct to want a den-like atmosphere. Plus, they are less likely to soil their “den.” Therefore, you can be relatively certain that – if left in the crate for reasonable amounts of time – you don’t have to worry about accidents. Of course, if you do leave them in there for longer than they can hold their bladder, and they relieve themselves in the crate, you then run into dangerous territory. The dog may get used to being around its own urine or feces, and then nothing is “sacred.”
It’s not uncommon for your puppy to scream and whine at first while being confined, but do not let them out until there is at least a small break in the noise. Otherwise you will be conditioning the behavior opposite of what you want.
2. Puzzle toys
These are trainer recommended. Dogs – puppies especially – need lots of mental stimulation, often times more than we can give them. Food time is the perfect opportunity to give these to them – especially since their instinct is to hunt for their food. A puzzle toy forces them to do a little work for their food, and gives them that much-needed stimulation. Plus, it’ll give you an extra few minutes of (relative) peace and quiet. Visit this site
http://www.kongcompany.com/worlds_best.html
3. Baby gates
These help partition off your houses in a way that is much more manageable than piling a bunch of boxes in a doorway – and also less likely to be destroyed by a teething pup! Sure, the cheap ones become a bit of a hassle to be constantly stepping over. But by investing a little more money, you can get gates that swing open and shut, latching into place. These gates keep your pooch corralled in the space you want them to be in, and you don’t have to worry about teaching them what is off-limits at this early age.
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