With their big paws and soft ears, puppies are adorable but they are also a lot more work than you can imagine. Ask a friend who has brought up a puppy and they will most likely say 'never again!'. But if your heart is set on a young dog, here's a few things to consider before you bring them home.
The attention sponge
It is much like having a toddler, the persistent ask for attention with barking, scratching or chewing and, if they are quiet, the rush to see what trouble they have gotten into! You will not be able to leave them alone in the house without toileting or damage (see below) so shopping, cinema trips, afternoons out must be arranged around their care even more than an adult dog would demand.
But also, napping
Puppies also need a lot of sleep. This means that they are not always entertaining for children who need to learn to let sleeping dogs lie. Very young puppies will only play or be cuddled for 5-10 minutes before sleeping again – needing 18-20 hours of sleep a day. This will decrease as they get older, adult dogs need 12-14 hours of sleep a day.
Toilet training
Young dogs just weaned from mum will toilet pretty much straight after eating, and as they get a bit older you will need to take them outside every hour as they still have a small bladder, but also as part of training. This is because you need to see the action (of toileting in the garden) to reward the action, and then you need to reward the action consistently for it to become a habit. Older pups, like Bailey above who is six months old here, can hold their pee for about three hours.
If you miss when they need to go to toilet, they will go in the house so be prepared to clean up wee and poop for several months until they are reliably house trained. Cleaning up after an accident should be done without fuss. The old idea of sticking a dog's nose in the mess means nothing to them as they cannot connect something in the past with the pain you are causing them now. For urine, soak up as much of the liquid first before scrubbing with water and a little soap. Make sure any products are pet-safe and keep your pet away from the area until it dries.
Mouthing, chewing and play biting
Dogs explore with their mouths and will pick up all manner of items, most of which will be bad for them! Discarded sweets and takeaway chicken bones are particularly hazardous in parks and on the pavements so you must pay attention during your walks.
At home, you will need to 'puppy proof' your house. Food and treats always to be kept out of reach, as well as any cleaning bottles that could be chewed, favourite children's toys must be put away. This is a surprisingly big change of habits for the whole family so everyone must be vigilant and involved.
Puppies chew to alleviate pain as they are teething and sometimes also to gain your attention. Remote controls, furniture corners and books are all fair game if they are at their level! Provide plenty of toys and puppy-appropriate chews that they are allowed to chew, but still expect damage to your possessions. If it is valuable then put it out of reach until your dog is older. Teething starts at a few weeks' old and continues until they are 6-8 months old.
As part of learning, puppies will mouth your hands and arms – mouthing means holding in their mouth or nipping. It is always done in excitement and very different to biting out of fear. At the Home, we train against this by briefly removing our attention if they mouth – although there is no physical or verbal punishment here, the puppy is losing out on what they most want (you!) so they learn to adjust their play to keep you engaged. Whilst the puppy is learning here, mouthing can be very painful for young children and older people with delicate skin.
Training takes time and costs money
As soon as you know you are bringing a puppy home, book in for puppy classes with a suitable trainer. This will be for about one hour every week for 5 or 6 weeks and will cost about £80. Like being at school, you have your homework and must continue the training at home and on walks on top of these times. This is so your dog 'generalises' – that is to realise that good manners learnt in the training class also should be applied at home and in the park. All the family should train as well, so the puppy generalises responses to every person.