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Read “Taking Home Your Puppy Part 1″ here.

Written by Bethany Tracy
Owner, Wasatch Canine Camp

The Car Ride Home

To not cause any stress or trauma to your puppy when they are in the car riding to your house, we want to make this experience as relaxed and low-key as possible.  I recommend you have someone accompany you to pick up your puppy, so that you can handle him/her while they drive home.  Spread an old towel, blanket or bed sheet on your lap and onto the seat next to you, in case they get car sick or have an accident.  Allow the puppy to sit on your lap, or lay in the seat next to you in the car.  Avoid any kind of coddling or doting behavior, especially if the puppy starts to whine.  This will only reinforce whining in the future.  It is expected for your puppy to whine a little bit.  If the puppy is getting too stressed and noisy, try putting them on the floor at your feet.  The vibrations from the car can have a calming effect on the dog.  At this time, do not punish the puppy for whining, vomiting, or if it has an accident.  If you live far away, stop periodically to let your pup stretch its legs and relieve itself.  Try to avoid areas that are well populated by other dogs, as your pup is not fully vaccinated yet and is vulnerable to diseases.

Introduction to Your Home

When you first arrive home, be sure to first take your pup outside to go to the bathroom.  It is best if you already have a spot in your yard picked out for them to go to the bathroom, take them to that spot, and when they go to the bathroom praise them heavily.  Take your puppy into your house and let them explore one room at a time.  Keep a close eye on them and follow from a distance.  Your puppy may be a little disoriented, but that is completely normal.  If your puppy tries to chew something, or get into something they aren’t supposed to, try distracting them with a squeak toy, or a good smelling treat, do not discipline them right now.  If they don’t seem interested in the treat or toy, try getting them to play with you or follow you away from what they’re doing.  You can try things like whistling, hand clapping, or rubbing your hands on the floor.  Try to keep the introduction to your house quiet and unforced, allowing them to bond to you in a relaxed and gradual manner.
For the first two or three days you have your pup, try to not overwhelm them with visitors, even close friends and family.  Save those introductions until after you are certain that they are comfortable with the transition from the breeder’s house to your house.

The First Night

Generally the first night your puppy spends away from its littermates is very traumatic for both them and you.  Your puppy will more than likely wine, squeal, be very restless, and need to go to the bathroom a lot, which will make the first night for both you and the puppy miserable.  You will most likely have the urge to either let them sleep in bed with you, or to isolate them in the far part of the house so they can “deal with it.”  I highly recommend you do neither of these things.  Letting your puppy sleep in bed with you will only make them expect it every single night.  Isolating them in a dark room can only increase their sense of isolation and can make it even more difficult to leave them alone in the future.

The best method I would recommend for their first night with you is to tie them on a leash to your bed and put a bed or blanket there for them to sleep on.  Your puppy will want the security of being next to you.  Before retiring for the night, be sure to take them out to go to the bathroom, and walk around the yard with them for a little bit so they can get some energy out.  You also want to make sure to take away their food and water around 7:30-8:00 at night to insure they get everything out of their system and won’t have to go to the bathroom during the night (although, they still may need to).  When you’re ready to go to sleep, tie them to your bed and place them on their bed/blanket.  Tying them there will help them from getting up and going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, since dogs don’t like going to the bathroom where they sleep.

It is normal for them to whine their first night.  If they do start to whine, reach down and quiet them without a fuss (never pet them and say things like “its okay”).  If they continue to whine, you can correct them with a gentle scruff shake along with “no” or “quiet.”  If the pup has been quiet for several hours and then begins to whine, they most likely need to go outside.

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Wasatch Canine Camp offers private puppy training classes and free socialization classes in Pleasant Grove, UT to help you get started on the right track with your newest family addition.  We teach you everything you need to know about raising a puppy, and training a puppy.  Contact us today to schedule a training session with us, or to come out to our free socialization classes!  We serve the Salt Lake County and Utah county areas.

Written by Bethany Tracy
Owner, Wasatch Canine Camp

This article is intended to help you ease your new puppy into your home, helping your pup have little to no stress as possible.  I hope by now that you have done plenty of research on this breed of dog, and that you are ready to take on the challenges, and joys, of raising a puppy.  In this handout we will go over how to get your home ready for a curious puppy, how to bring your puppy home, and how to start things right with your pup.

Readying Your Home

Before bringing your puppy into your home, you need to make sure it is puppy-proofed and that you have the rules and boundaries already planned out for him/her.  Puppies are like babies, they constantly want to explore and taste everything.  To keep them from getting into harmful things, or getting into things you don’t want them to, you need to make sure you have harmful things put away where the puppy can’t get into them.  As far as things you don’t want the puppy chewing, you need to make sure any child toys, shoes, clothes, etc. are picked up and properly put away.  Your puppy may even be interested in chewing table legs, couches, wall corners, etc.  One thing you can do before bringing your puppy home is buy some bitter apple spray (which is odorless, and is safe spraying on just about anything), and spray it on anything you may think your new puppy will try tasting.  This way, it will associate early on that everything in your house is not a fun thing to eat, because of the bad taste.

Since dogs are extremely social animals, it would be smart if you picked out a place in your home for their crate that is in a semi-busy area, such as the kitchen, TV room, or laundry room.  This way they can be around their new pack (which is you and your family) almost always, but still have a place to lie down and relax when they get tired (which is their crate/kennel).  Crate training is a crucial part of potty training and behavior training with your puppy.  I recommend buying a crate that your puppy has just enough room to stand up and turn around in.  If there is extra space in your puppy’s crate, they will use it to go to the bathroom.  If you have a large breed puppy, that will grow out of crates quickly as they get older, there are big crates you can buy that come with a movable divider in it.  This will make it easier for you adjust the crate as your puppy grows.

To start your new puppy off on the right foot with potty training, someone needs to be able to be home with the puppy at least every 2-3 hours for the first month or so that your puppy is with you.  Puppies can only hold their bladder for so long while they’re learning, so they will need someone there with them constantly to be able to take them out to relieve themselves.  You will also need to be prepared to take them out once or twice in the middle of the night.  Be sure to plan your schedules to their potty needs accordingly.

Supplies Needed

•    Food and water dishes
•    Collar and leash
•    A training collar (ask us about which type of training collar we would recommend for your pup)
•    Grooming equipment (nail trimmer, brush, ear cleaner, etc)
•    Wire or Plastic Crate
•    Pet odor cleaner for when they have accidents (we recommend Nature’s Miracle)
•    Toys and bones (preferably not something that they will destroy in seconds)
•    Dog food

Dog Food

Choosing the proper diet for your pup is very crucial to their development and even their temperament.  I’ve seen many dogs live off really poor food, and be extremely grumpy because of it.  Then once they get changed to a better food, their mood changes, because they’re getting better nutrition and feeling better.  Ideally you want to stick with a holistic diet for your puppy, because a holistic brand will never put corn, fillers, or by-products in their food.  Dogs can’t digest corn, it just sits in their stomach as a filler until they poop it out.  You’re basically paying for them to poop in your yard.  By-products (which are the heads, feet, and intestines) aren’t completely horrible for your dog, but they don’t have as high of a nutritional value in them as pure chicken, beef, fish, or lamb.  Those types of ingredients you want to stay away from when looking for a good brand of food.  If you ever wonder if a certain brand of food is good for your dog or not, the best thing you can do is look at the ingredients.
Listed below are some brands of food I would recommend getting for your new puppy:

•    Kirkland (the Costco dog food brand, only found at Costco)
•    Natural Balance
•    Purina Pro-Plan (white bag only)
•    Naturally Wild
•    Ultra
•    Blue Buffalo
•    Royal Canin
•    Nature’s Best
•    Solid Gold
•    Wellness
•    Innova
•    Canidae
•    Evo

If a certain brand of food wasn’t mentioned, such as one you would find at a grocery store, then it is most likely extremely bad food for your dog.  Buying holistic dog food is definitely more expensive than buying cheap grocery store brand foods, but there are so many more benefits for buying better food than to buy the cheap stuff.  Basically, the better the food your dog is on the less they are going to eat, the less they are going to shed, and the less they are going to poop.  They will also be so much healthier that you will most likely pay less in vet bills as they get older.  The difference between grocery store brand food and holistic food is basically the difference between eating fast food 24/7 and eating fresh home cooked meals 24/7.  You decide which is better for your dog.

Books I Recommend

- “Cesar’s Way” by Cesar Millan
- “Be the Pack Leader” by Cesar Millan
- “How to Raise the Perfect Dog” by Cesar Millan
- “The Art of Raising a Puppy” by The Monks of New Skete
- “How to be Your Dog’s Best Friend” by The Monks of New Skete

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Wasatch Canine Camp offers private puppy training classes and free socialization classes in Pleasant Grove, UT to help you get started on the right track with your newest family addition.  We teach you everything you need to know about raising a puppy, and training a puppy.  Contact us today to schedule a training session with us, or to come out to our free socialization classes!  We serve the Salt Lake County and Utah county areas.