First Weeks of Basic Puppy Care
When you first take home the puppy of your dreams, it’s a great experience. However, there is no user manual that will come with your puppy. You may find that raising this new puppy can be a chore — especially at the beginning, because the puppy will feel sad because it has been taken away from its mother and brothers and sisters.
The puppy may whine or cry a lot at first, and be a nuisance. However, this is to be expected until the puppy adjusts.
One of the most important things you can do during the first weeks of caring for your puppy is to create a comfortable spot for your pup to sleep. This will include a place that is soft, dry and warm. Even better if you can create the sleep area with a toy or a cloth that carries the puppy’s mothers scent on it. Plan this in advance, so you can get a cloth to bring with you when you pick up the puppy, to capture the mother’s scent.
Also, do not positively reinforce the puppy when it whines. If you instantly run to the puppy when it starts crying, then you will let him know that it is a way to get your attention.
It’s good to remember that puppies tend to be very mischievous and curious. This is natural. Expect them to try to get into everything. Because of this, you want to make sure to “puppy proof” your home first, and make sure the puppy is not exposed to objects they might swallow and choke on.
It is important that you correct the puppy’s bad behavior. The best way to do this is to scold them for negative behavior, and then show them how to do what you want correctly. This way you are negatively reinforcing bad behavior, and positively enforcing good behavior.
An example of this would be if the puppy is chewing on your newspaper. Scold them for chewing on a newspaper, and replace it with a toy, and then praise the puppy for chewing on the toy.
A great way to reinforce positive behaviors is with a treat or sign of affection.
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