Establishing A Schedule With Your Puppy
The most important thing to remember during the first month with your puppy is to establish a schedule. You should have set up ahead of time everything from where your dog will sleep to what is acceptable behavior.
This shows responsibility by setting fair limits and being firm. Spoiling your puppy can give them a sense of superiority which can create big problems down the road, including aggressiveness.
It is imperative that you establish a schedule with your puppy from day one. Of course the schedule should fit in with how you spend your day. The schedule should also accommodate the physical and social needs of your new puppy.
As a baby, they need to eat and go out regularly. They also need to play, spend time with you and sleep. All of these are very important things which need to be done daily and cannot be neglected. Below is a sample schedule:
6:00 Am- Take puppy out
6:10 Am- feed first meal
6:30 Am- Take puppy back out. If they do their business, allow them to stay out a bit longer. If they don't, bring them back in the house and take them out every five minutes until they go.
7:00-8:00 Am- Confine puppy to kitchen while household gets up and ready and out the door.
8:00 Am- Take puppy outside
8:15 Am- Confine your puppy to their room or crate.
8:15-11:30 Am- Do something not involving the puppy.
11:30 Am- Take puppy outside.
11:35 Am- Feed another small meal.
11:45 Am- Take puppy back outside. (Just like at 6:30Am)
12:00 Pm and through the afternoon- Spend time playing or interacting with the puppy.
3:00 Pm- Take puppy outside.
3:10 Pm- feed another small meal.
3:30 Pm- Take puppy back outside.
4:00 Pm- Confine puppy for an hour or so.
6:00 Pm- Take puppy outside.
6:15 Pm- Feed last meal of the day.
6:45 Pm- Play and interact with your puppy in other places in the house with supervision to prevent accidents.
9:45 Pm- Take your puppy outside before bed.
10:00 Pm- Bed time.
A schedule is the key to making it work with your puppy throughout their whole life. You need to stay focused and keep your pup on the schedule you have established to the very best of your ability. Of course there will be distractions, and you will stray away from the schedule once in awhile. You should recognize these as distractions and get back on track as soon as possible.
You also want your new puppy to get used to being left alone at times. This doesn't mean you can leave for school or work and expect your puppy to be confined to a crate or the kitchen for 8 hours or more.
Leaving your puppy for up to 4 hours is an acceptable length of time. You should only do this once you have made sure that your puppy's environment is safe and they have an appropriate chew toy so they can keep themselves occupied.
If you cannot stay with your puppy all day long, you could consider doing half days at work for the first week and try to get other members of the family or a friend to help you the other half of the time.
If all you have to give your new puppy is the weekends, you are going to have to hire help. You should hire someone who is trustworthy and reliable to come and check on your puppy several times a day for the first few weeks and then, as they get older, at least once a day.
Your breeder or veterinarian can probably refer a good dog-walking service also. You can research local services yourself, but it is always better to get a recommendation. Meet in advance with the person you select to care for your puppy so you are comfortable with each other.
When you meet, exchange all necessary emergency contact information, including your veterinarian's phone number. Ask the person to visit when you bring home your puppy if they can. This is so they can meet and you can review the schedule together.
Keeping a schedule for your new puppy will make life a lot easier for both of you. Even if you don't follow the one here, you should at least stay consistent in your day to day dealings with your new addition to your home.
About the Author
Steve Crofford is a huge dog enthusiast and loves to work with both puppies and dogs. Do you want to learn more about puppies or your adult dog? Go to http://acaninesworld.com You can also get your free 7 day dog health course at http://doghealthcourse.com
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