Don’t give dogs or other pets as presents this Christmas

Every year around Christmas time the RSPCA in the UK , and other animal charities around the world,  make appeals to everyone to think twice before buying a new puppy or any other pet as a Christmas present. The repeated message is “A dog is for life, not just for Christmas”. This prompt is to make people think, and to consider the implications of owning a pet of any kind.

It is a wonderful experience to see your child’s face light up when you present them with an adorable puppy. There’s no getting away from that, however it doesn’t last very long and it is only one side of the coin.

Puppies can be very hard work. They chew, they soil, they can interrupt sleep, they dig and they demand a lot of attention, it’s rather like taking on another unruly child.

Although puppies grow quickly, their education is a slow process, even if you have an intelligent breed. During your puppy’s education and socialisation you need to remain calm and patient at all times, and above all you must be consistent, even if you are at the end of your tether. One small slip up confuses your pup and can set his education back.

Puppies tend to take up a lot of time, Just like a child. Your puppy would need walking (come rain, blizzard or shine) training, feeding, brushing, cleaning up after, as well as playing with. Children soon loose interest with all these chores and they inevitably fall to the parents. Do you have time for all these little jobs every day? If not your bored depressed little puppy will probably eat your sofa.

Of course puppy farms are applying hard sell tactics in the run up to Christmas. They prey on people who are unsure if they should buy a puppy or not. The puppy farms force people into making rash decisions that are not thought through properly. The salesmen may say “Well, someone else is interested in this pup”, of course there isn’t anyone else, they just want to force the sale by making the buyers think that they may loose the chance of buying the cute little puppy they have shown interest in. The puppy farmers are not concerned if you are ready and able to take on a puppy, they are only thinking of the wonderful Christmas they can have once they have their hands on your cash.

Christmas day will no doubt be a wonderful day with your new puppy and your happy children. Any puppy mishaps will be regarded as little accidents and mischievous behaviour and all pups’ naughtiness will be heart warming and laughed off.

Six to eight months down the line, puppy is still having little accidents. Puppy is now a big puppy, and proving to be a bit of a handful. The kids have lost interest and everything is covered in dog hairs

This is when there is a boom in puppies that have been placed into the care of animal charities. The charities can not possibly re-home every adorable puppy that comes to them. Anyway, who wants your unruly puppy at the dogs home when they can go to the puppy farm and buy a younger, smaller and cuter puppy there?

The fact is that some cute adorable pups that find themselves at the dogs home have to be destroyed, due to no fault of their own, other than nobody wants them.

Happy Christmas Puppy!

Puppy Training can be very rewarding

When a new puppy comes into the household, chaos usually follows, at least for a little while. It has just left the safety of litter mates and mama, and now it has to listen to and depend on this giant hairless being. What are some training methods to follow? Is there a right and a wrong way?

The following puppy training advice will get your puppy started towards becoming an excellent new family member.

Crate Training – Housebreaking a puppy can be frustrating, but using a crate can make this process run a bit smoother. Make sure there is a comfortable bed in it, toys, and plenty of room. Dogs, in general, don’t make a mess of their sleeping quarters. So a puppy is less likely to mess where it is crated.

There will be yelping and whining at first. Just tap the door and firmly say, “No!”. Eventually, the puppy will get the idea that being in the crate is comforting. Rotate toys so the puppy doesn’t get bored. And make sure to not leave the puppy crated for more than two hours at a time, with an hour of crate-less playtime in between.

Play with your new puppy dog

Play Biting – Biting is a puppy’s way of playing, it does it to litter mates, so why not the human? If it bites, yelp in pain and stop playing, maybe even walk away. With time, it will get the idea that biting equals no playtime. This is especially important when children are in the house. Socialization with other pups of the same age can be a good idea, then it can rough-house with peers.

Jumping – Teaching a puppy that it isn’t alright to jump up on a person is beneficial for both puppy and humans. If the puppy starts to jump, turn around and refuse to look at it. Have treats available for when the puppy isn’t jumping.

Giving a treat when the puppy is sitting or at least has all four feet on the ground will teach it that it is better to not jump.

A final piece of puppy training advice is to have a routine to follow. Consistency is the best way to remind a puppy what the desired behavior should be.

When you get a new dog at home, we know how they can be irresistible, so he or she sleeps in your bed the first night. Note that if you do not want your dog to sleep in the bed at all, then you should not do so, not even once. In doing so, the dog will think it’s okay for him or her to sleep your bed and a habit will be formed instantly.

New dog  needs to know the rules of its new home

We do not let either of our dogs sleep in our bed, both dogs sleep downstairs in their own beds.  If you prefer your dog box or bed trained, then you should start from the first day. Don’t make things hard on yourself right from the beginning. The dog will be more than happy wherever it sleeps – it just needs to know the rules of its new home.

Your dog is intelligent

The first time your pet home, you need to start training him or her to wear a collar. The collar should be placed on your pet while you are there. Every time you leave, while the dog is getting used to the collar , you may want to remove it from him or her in order to prevent strangulation. In time, your pet will be ready to take the collar at all times.

When the pet is accustomed to the collar, it’s time to introduce the leash to him or her. Soon, your pet will be walking side by side with you on the leash. As you walk him or her, also can be taught the basic commands of sit and stay. Your dog is intelligent and I know you will see that as you are doing your dog training.

Every day train your dog

Every day, your dog will learn a little bit more, but you need to ensure you have the patience and confidence in your new dog. When you have confidence in them, they trust you and become happier and calmer animals.

Click here for full new dog training details

Everyone has heard the term ‘ A dog is for life and not just for Christmas’ and that really is worth bearing in mind when choosing the right new dog for you and your family.

This is not a guinea pig you are taking on, a dog will be there with you for many years and will need a lot of looking after. It is essential that when you are choosing the right new dog for you that you bear this in mind.

How much of my time does a dog need?

Before you take on a new dog, you should consider details such as how much time you have available to exercise the dog?  (big dogs need much more exercise) , do you have children in the house? (then a puppy may be better than a rescue dog who’s background you can not be sure of), do you have experience with any particular breed of dog?  (it might make training it easier for you), what is your financial situation? (big dogs eat more food and can cost you lots of money).

Do I really want new dog

You must also consider whether you REALLY want a new dog or if it is just a passing fancy. Too many dogs get abandoned a few months later when their owners realise just what they have taken on, and the commitment involved. If you are not SURE you want a new dog and can commit to looking after it properly then don’t have one.

I lost one of my dogs a couple of years ago, he had a stroke and had to be put to sleep. But he was 19 YEARS OLD! so he had been given a good long crack at life and enjoyed it right up to the end. Other breeds of dog may last just 10 years or less, but either way you will be committing to years of your life with the dog. If you can’t commit to that then don’t get a new dog.

This is Pepsi, who lived to be 19 years old:

These are my 2 current dogs, both well behaved and (eventually) well trained:

If you do decide that you want a new dog, and are sure that you are choosing the right new dog for you, then the next step is getting them trained as quickly as possible. The link below will help you there. It saved me a lot of time and money having this information and I’m sure it will also help you.

Click here for full new dog training details