​PREPARING FOR AND TRAINING YOUR NEW PUPPY
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PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR INFORMATION ON CRATE TRAINING AND SUPPLIES FOR BRINGING YOUR NEW PUPPY HOME.
SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED: FOOD AND WATER BOWLS, CRATE, BEDDING, TRAINING TREATS, ADJUSTABLE COLLAR PREFERABLY HARNESS TYPE AND LEASH (TO BE USED AFTER A FEW DAYS OF ADJUSTING), HIGH QUALITY PUPPY FOOD (WE GIVE YOU A SAMPLE OF WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN EATING WHICH CHANGES WITH BREED SO ASK BEFORE BUYING , SAFE TOYS (NEVER ROPE TOYS AND ALWAYS DISPOSE OF ANY TOY AS SOON AS THERE ARE SIGNS OF FRAYING), VITAMINS, GROOMING BRUSH.
CRATE TRAINING: BUY AN ADJUSTABLE CRATE UNLESS YOU WOULD RATHER CHANGE CRATES EVERY FEW MONTHS.  IT SHOULD ALLOW PUP TO STAND UP AND TURN AROUND EASILY  OR EVEN STRETCH OUT A BIT, BUT NOT GET FAR AWAY FROM ANY SOILING IT COULD CREATE.  THERE ARE MANY CHOICES AND OFTEN THE HOUSE-TRAINED DOG WILL ENJOY HAVING THEIR CRATE TO GO IN AND OUT OF FREELY FOR THEIR LIFETIME.  IF YOU BUY AN OPEN BAR CRATE YOU CAN PUT A NICE BLANKET OVER IT FOR ADDED COMFORT/PRIVACY AND TAKE IT OFF WHEN THE DOG IS CRATED FOR COMPANY OR DURING TIMES WHEN YOU WANT THEM TO BE SECURED FOR A BRIEF TIME BUT STILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.  IT'S REALLY YOUR PREFERENCE BUT BE SURE THE DOG HAS PLENTY OF ROOM TO STAND AND TURN AROUND AS THEY GROW.  
DAY ONE OF TRAINING:  GIVE THE NEW PUP LOADS OF LOVE AND ATTENTION BUT WHEN YOU ARE NOT RIGHT ON TOP OF THEM THEY NEED TO BE CRATED.  TAKE THEM OUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER EATING AS THEIR LAST MEAL WILL BE READY TO BE EXPELLED AS SOON AS THEY ARE DONE WITH THE CURRENT MEAL AND ALSO AS SOON AS THEY COME OUT OF THEIR CRATE.   TRY TO DO THIS IN TWO HOUR CYCLES DURING THE DAY WITH PLAYTIME OF ABOUT 30-45 MINUTES AFTER DEFECATING/URINATING AND THEN BACK INTO CRATE UNTIL THAT 2 HOUR TIME SPAN IS UP THEN BACK OUTSIDE TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES.   SO OUT OF CRATE TO POTTY,  FEEDING TIME IF IT'S TIME, OUT AGAIN TO PLAY AND POTTY, THEN BACK OUTSIDE BEFORE BACK IN CRATE.  MAKE A BIG WONDERFUL DEAL OUT OF IT WHEN THEY GO POTTY WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO AND IF YOU CATCH THEM IN THE ACT OF SOILING WHERE THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO SCOLD THEM LOUDLY AND LOOK AWAY BUT DO NOT EVER HIT THEM AS THIS WILL CAUSE MISTRUST AND CONFUSION.  MOST PUPPIES AND DOGS ARE VERY SENSITIVE AND WANT TO PLEASE THEIR OWNERS.  EXTEND THAT 2 HOUR TIME FRAME AS PUP PROGRESSES.   EVENTUALLY 8 -12 HOURS WILL GO BY DURING WHICH TIME THEY CAN HOLD IT. OUR GROWN DOGS ARE IN AND OUT ALL DAY BUT WILL GO UP TO 12 HOURS OVERNIGHT WITH NO PROBLEM.
NIGHT ONE OF TRAINING:  KEEP THE PUP IN A ROOM WITH A HUMAN THAT CAN GET UP DURING THE NIGHT AND TAKE THEM OUT.  PUPPIES ARE ADJUSTING TO ENTIRELY NEW SURROUNDINGS SO THEY MUST BE NEAR A COMFORTING VOICE.  I RECOMMEND TAKING THEM OUT AS LATE AS YOU STAY UP AND THEN GETTING THEM OUT OF THE CRATE AT THE 4-6 HOUR MARK UNLESS THEY ARE WHINING TO GET OUT BEFORE BECAUSE THEY NEED TO GO.   THIS IS TRICKY BUT YOU WILL LEARN WHEN THEY ARE JUST WHINING TO BE WITH YOU AND WHEN THEY GENUINELY NEED TO GO POTTY.   I HAVE FOUND MOST PUPS DO NOT NEED TO GO OUT MORE THAN ONCE DURING THE NIGHT AFTER THE FIRST FEW DAYS AND SOON NOT AT ALL.    SEE BELOW FOR MORE INFO ABOUT THAT.
WHERE DO THEY LIVE AND SLEEP:  AS MENTIONED ABOVE, THEY HAVE BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM EVERYTHING THEY KNOW AND YOU ARE NOW IT FOR THEM.  IF YOU PLACE THEM FAR AWAY FROM PEOPLE THEY WILL BE SCARED AND CONFUSED.   PLEASE PLAN TO KEEP THEIR CRATE IN A ROOM WITH PEOPLE WHENEVER POSSIBLE.  I PERSONALLY HAVE THE NEW PUP'S CRATE EITHER ON MY BED OR RIGHT NEXT TO ME AT NIGHT.   WHEN I KNOW THEY HAVE RELIEVED THEMSELVES RECENTLY AND ARE JUST WHINING TO BE LET OUT I SAY IN A FIRM VOICE "YOU'RE OK, IT'S TIME TO GO TO SLEEP" AND THEN IF THEY DON'T QUIET DOWN I SAY "NO, TIME TO GO TO SLEEP".  I REPEAT THIS UP TO THREE TIMES BEFORE I ADD A SHARP TAP ON THE TOP OF THE CRATE AND REPEAT IT AGAIN.  I USUALLY DO NOT HAVE TO REPEAT THIS STEP MORE THAN THREE TIMES AND OFTEN ONLY ONCE.  QUITE FRANKLY I HAVE BEEN PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT HOW WELL THIS HAS WORKED WITH THE MULTIPLE PUPS I HAVE TRAINED IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
FEEDING:  THIS ALWAYS PUZZLES ME WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME FOR SPECIFIC FEEDING TIMES BECAUSE WE FREE FEED OUR GROWN DOGS HERE.  WITH MANY DOGS EATING AT DIFFERENT TIMES IT JUST MAKES SENSE FOR US.  WITH PUPPIES I RECOMMEND THREE TIMES A DAY BECAUSE THAT'S HOW PUPS ARE FED HERE.  FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, AFTERNOON, EARLY EVENING.  WE DO FREE FEED PUPS AS THEY GET USED TO EATING. AMOUNTS VARY SO I SAY FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE FOOD BUT IF THEY CHOW THAT DOWN QUICKLY ADD A LITTLE MORE.  I USE OUR NU-VET VITAMINS AS TREATS SO BREAKING THEM IN HALF OR QUARTERS WORKS WELL FOR PUPS.  PLEASE START WITH THE FOOD WE GIVE YOU AND TRANSITION SLOWLY TO A NEW FOOD.  PUPPY STOMACHS ARE SENSITIVE.  GENERAL RULE OF THUMB IS IF YOU ARE USING A CHICKEN BASED PRODUCT THEN USE A CHICKEN BASED TREAT, ETC.   DO NOT USE LOWER QUALITY DOG FOOD AND NOTHING WITH CORN AS ONE OF THE FIRST THREE INGREDIENTS.  THERE IS SUCH A WIDE RANGE OF PRICE AND QUALITY OUT THERE THAT IT CAN BE CONFUSING.  WE USE A HIGH QUALITY FOOD WITH A MID RANGE PRICE ($38-48 FOR A 35 LB BAG) AND ADD THE NU-VET VITAMINS.  THAT BEING SAID, WE RAISED MANY DOGS ON WHAT WOULD  BE CONSIDERED LOWER QUALITY FOOD IN THIS DAY AND AGE.  ALL OF THOSE DOGS LIVED HEALTHY LIVES WELL INTO THEIR TEENS (IE. 12, 14, 16, 19!)   THE 12 YEAR OLD WAS A 120 LB GOLDEN RETRIEVER SO THAT WAS A GOOD AGE FOR HIM.  
SOCIALIZING: THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND THE MORE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT AGES YOUR PUP IS AROUND THE MORE COMFORTABLE THEY WILL BE.  MANNERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND ALTHOUGH WE ALL THINK OUR DOGS, LIKE OUR CHILDREN ARE DELIGHTFUL BEINGS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD ADORE, THAT'S JUST NOT THE CASE.  PLEASE TEACH YOUR PUP TO STAY DOWN OR GO TO THEY CRATE WHEN YOU HAVE VISITORS THAT MAY NOT APPRECIATE YOUR BUNDLE OF JOY JUMPING INTO THEIR ARMS.  LET PEOPLE PRAISE THE PUP FOR BEING SO WELL-BEHAVED AND THEN MARVEL AT YOUR TRAINING ABILITIES.  ***PLEASE AVOID DOG PARKS, ROADSIDE RESTS, PET STORES, ETC. UNTIL YOUR PUP IS FULLY VACCINATED.  AREAS FREQUENTED BY MULTIPLE DOGS ARE BREEDING GROUNDS FOR BACTERIA AND VIRUSES!***