Puppy Training: Bringing Your Puppy Home

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     The relationship between you and your new puppy and the future behaved dog you are going to bring into your home begins with this great experience. That cute little puppy that is a jumble of unorganized energy right now will in months and years down the road, become a well-behaved companion. But there is a lot to do in order to reach that goal. The path to that goal starts with what you do with the puppy the first day you take him to his new home.

Always remember, days in a new home are a world of one new thing after the next for the puppy as well as you. You are both adjusting to a completely new experience. Your puppy has been taken away from the litter, and everything he knew, to come to your home. Everything in your home is new and foreign to him. If you are patient with him and understand what he is going through, you will likely both have a good first few days.

If you ask a breeder or animal behaviorist, they will tell you that when a puppy is seven weeks old, it is ok to take him away from the litter and bring him to his new home. This puppy is still a baby. So don't push him too much. Initially he will likely be very excited about being in a new place and try to spend a lot of time getting to know the new surroundings. You should let him explore and get to know this new home, as long as he is not causing any problems. He will also need a lot of sleep, and likely take naps in the morning and afternoon.

If you bring an eight-week-old puppy home, you must understand this is a time of fear for puppies. Loud noises and sudden movements may frighten him easily. It may well take months for him to work through all these fears, so you need to be patient and understanding to his struggles. Try to let him use this time to get used to your home, and don't take him to places where there may be loud and scary noises. Even trips to the vet should be avoided in a puppy's eighth week.

If you get an older puppy, say 12 weeks old, this pet will be a little wilder at the get go. He will have a lot of energy, likely get into a little trouble. He will not be needing as much sleep, but will be wanting to get to know the house, and stay very close to you all the time, so you won't have a problem keeping track of him.