Bringing Puppy Home

Immunizations: First, a stop to the vet to get your puppy checked out and on a schedule of immunizations and (if you so choose) spayed or neutered is in order.

Identification: Consider getting for your puppy identification in case they are lost. You can easily purchase customized collars at the pet store, but there are more permanent solutions to give you peace of mind.

Tattoos are a common identifier and are usually placed on the back inner thigh, and is a number that identifies your puppy owner's identification.

The ultimate identifier, though, is the microchip which is a tracking device the size of a grain of rice placed beneath the skin. Most pet owners prefer these for their dogs and cats because they don't disfigure the animal like a tattoo does, and they are tamper-proof. Some countries (such as the UK and Australia) require you to have a microchip installed.

Potty training: The most common and effective way to potty train a dog is cage training. Have your puppy sleep inside her own crate. Once or twice a night, you will need to let her out to go potty. Your puppy's bladder can hold it in for one hour for every month old she is +1. So a three month old puppy can hold it in for four hours inside the cage before she is uncomfortable and needs to let it out.

Create a dog toilet by filling on specific spot in the yard with gravel. Every time your puppy has to go, CARRY your puppy to the dog toilet. The key really is carrying her to that spot and being with her until she goes. If she doesn't go potty, carry her back inside the house, put her in the cage, and try again five minutes later.

Plan to groom your puppy. Long haired dogs need to go to the groomer every six weeks to get groomed. You can do a lot of the grooming at home by using a pin brush or a slick brush. The goal is to teach your puppy to hold still and let people groom her. If she tries to bite the brush, thinking it's a toy, distract her by handing her a treat with the other hand. Eventually she will get used to being groomed.

Nipping is a normal part of how a puppy plays. Redirect nipping from the kids' hands to a chew toy. She should never think of your fingers as a toy. If she's chewing your hand now, when she's a big dog, she'll still want to chew your hands, so always have toys to redirect her to.

Help your puppy be self-entertained when there are times you can't entertain her. If you give your puppy the right chew toys, she won't chew on the furniture because she'll never think the furniture is an option. We recommend a Kong toy, a great toy in which you can put small treats inside and provide countless hours of entertainment while the puppy attempts to get them out.