How should you raise a puppy?

Here’s the translation of the text:

Soon you’ll have your new puppy at home, and you might be wondering how to raise your puppy. No worries, because in this blog, we’ll discuss what we mean by puppy upbringing, how to start, how to teach your puppy, and much more!

Raising your puppy starts with solid preparation

Before you begin training and raising your pup, proper preparation is crucial! So, before bringing a puppy home, consider the following:

• Is my home puppy-proof?
• Which veterinarian can I go to?
• Which dog schools are near me?
• Where can I take my puppy for grooming?
• Are my neighbors informed?
• Which toys, food, bed… suit my puppy?

You can find a complete puppy to-do list and checklist in these videos:

What do we mean by “raising a puppy”?

Raising a puppy means teaching the dog its place in the ‘pack’ (the family). You teach it how to behave in your family and in your living environment. In short, you want to teach the dog ‘manners.’ Of course, a dog doesn’t know what ‘good manners’ are. It’s the human who determines that for them.

The concept of ‘raising a puppy’ is, of course, very broad and includes, among other things:

1. house training
2. socializing
3. habituation (or learning to get used to strange sounds and objects)
4. learning to be alone at home
5. obedience training
6. and more…

Almost everything you can think of to have an obedient, social, and happy dog. You can find visuals and sounds on this topic in this video:

How do I start raising my puppy?

You should start raising your puppy from the beginning, don’t wait too long. The earlier, the better!

In previous blogs, we discussed ‘teaching your puppy to be alone’ and ‘socializing your puppy.’ Now, we’ll talk about how to teach our puppy something.

How can I teach something to my puppy?

With positive reinforcement, you reward immediately after the action by saying “good” or “well done” (or using a clicker) along with a treat. For example, when teaching your dog to ‘sit.’ It’s essential that everyone in the family uses the same command for specific tasks. Consistency is also necessary. What is allowed is always allowed, and what is not allowed is never allowed! So, it’s not appropriate for your puppy to be allowed on the couch one evening and not the next.

The step-by-step guide: teaching your pup a command with reward!

1. Lure your pup into position with a treat;
2. Reward him/her immediately with the treat;
3. Gradually reduce the gestures used to lure the puppy into position;
4. After a few tries, you can attach the command to the action, say it just before your pup performs the command;
5. Important! Say the command once and don’t repeat it 20 times;
6. Use the correct intonation as well;
7. Reward your puppy. This can be with treats, toys, freedom, or a pat on the head.

TIP: For the first few weeks with your puppy, we recommend using food or toys as a reward. These are great for building a bond.

How should I discipline my puppy?

In the dog world, there are no rules of good or evil. A dog does something because, based on all the impressions it receives, it recognizes a pattern to which it must respond. It is up to us as humans to determine what is good or bad. For example, a dog barking outside is not doing it to annoy you but to protect its territory.

If you want to discipline your dog, for example, to stop biting, do not do this physically or with shouting and screaming. Use a word like “no,” “enough,” or “A-A.” The last one is very good because you won’t use it in everyday life, whereas you may use the word ‘enough’ more often. Say the word in a normal manner, make your voice a bit deeper, but don’t shout at your dog.

A good punishment can also be ignoring your dog or giving a time-out. With a time-out, you isolate your puppy from the pack/family, in a bench or room for a short period of 1-2 minutes.

Some examples

Always show your dog the behavior you want to see!

For example, when you come home, and your dog jumps up, ignore the dog and go back out the door. After a while, the dog will realize that jumping up doesn’t get attention. Then, when you enter, ask for a ‘sit’ first, and then say goodbye. If

you try to stop jumping by pushing or saying “no,” it may not help much. This is because both actions can be seen as giving attention to your dog.

TIP: If you physically punish your dog, it might become afraid of you. We don’t want the dog to obey because it’s scared. If you have a dominant dog, there’s a chance it will resist you. A punishment should always come right after the behavior; punishing afterward is pointless, as the dog won’t associate the punishment with what it did “wrong” but with what it was doing at that moment. Also, consider your dog’s personality before punishing; with very sensitive dogs, it’s best to work in a more positive way.

When should I not punish my dog?

It’s essential to know what behavior you can and cannot punish. Behaviors you don’t want, such as biting or pulling on the leash, can be punished using the tips mentioned above.

However, when it comes to house training, you should approach it differently. Punishing your dog for having an accident may make them feel that they are not allowed to relieve themselves in your presence. To handle this situation, read our blog on house training.

Raising your puppy with crate training

A crate is handy when raising your puppy. It can serve as a time-out place if your dog is misbehaving. But pushing your puppy into the crate with a collar is not a good idea. Let them get used to the crate first and see it as a safe place to relax. Learn how to do this in this video:

If you want to know more about crate training, we have listed it step by step for you in another blog.

Conclusion

Now that you have a general idea of how to raise your puppy, you are well-prepared for the arrival of your pup. Raising a puppy can be very intensive. So, be sure to read our other blogs where we try to support you as much as possible during this upbringing process!

If you have specific questions or observations, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are here to help!

Do you want more information or tips & tricks about puppies? Make sure to read these blogs:

• A puppy schedule, the ultimate tool for owners!
• Having a puppy soon? These 7 preparations you should make!
• Getting your puppy: everything you need to know
• How much does a puppy cost?
• 5 to do’s for the first three days with your puppy
• This is the ultimate puppy checklist!
• How much should a puppy exercise?
• How should I calm down my overstimulated puppy?
• 5 tips for crate training your puppy
• How do I socialize my puppy?
• Must-haves for your puppy
• How to stop a puppy from biting, the ultimate tips
• Leaving your puppy alone, how long is okay?
• House training a puppy, how do I do that?
• Crate training a puppy, step by step!