Getting your first family's puppy requires a good deal of advance preparation. If done right, it will allow a smooth transition for your new puppy into the family, and house training will be relatively fast and easy.
First, let's start with some initial supplies you will need before the puppy comes home:
- The crate-you will need a crate that is just large enough for your puppy to sleep in and turn around in. The crate becomes the puppy's den and safe place. The crate is also the key piece of equipment in crate training puppies. It is important that the crate is small enough that there is no room for a toilet area, as this defeats the purpose of the crate. As soon as you bring you puppy home, you should establish the crate as his personal space. Once you let the puppy roam around or sleep in bed with you or anything like that he will whine and whimper when you put him back in the crate, and this may weaken your resolve. So do yourself and your puppy a favor and use the crate from day one, and stick with it throughout the house breaking process. Be sure to put a cozy blanket in there so he's comfy.
- Collar and Leash-you want to have a collar and leash available for your puppy for training purposes and getting him used to wearing a collar. The leash should be used when taking your puppy for potty time, by putting him on a leash this prevents him from wandering off. Initially your puppy may not understand what is happening when you take him out to go potty, so the leash keeps him in the right area.
- Food & Water Bowls-I recommend 2 stainless steel food bowls, one for water and one for food. I prefer the types with a rubberized bottom to hold them in place on the floor. With my first puppy I used plastic food bowls, and not only did the puppy chew them up, his little black nose lost its color from rubbing up against the plastic.
- Puppy Training Pads – when house training puppies, most people start inside with puppy training pads, until the puppy is old enough to walk outside on his own. I recommend carrying the puppy to the right spot yourself, as you will otherwise have to untrain him and retrain him later. However, puppy training pads are especially good for house training puppies using an indoor method (for small breeds).
- Chew Toys – It is very important to establish what is ok to play with and what is not ok to play with. It might be cute to watch your brand new helpless little puppy struggling with dragging your shoe across the floor, but believe me; it won't be cute when you come home from work to find your new shoes completely chewed to shreds. Get some toys just for you new puppy, and let him know those are the only things he should be chewing on.
- Gate or Puppy Playpen – when you first bring your puppy home, you want to confirm him to limited areas of the home, not give him free access. As he begins to learn where the potty is and so forth, he gains more freedoms. You will also need a way to confine the puppy if you have to leave him at home. You can put him in a bathroom or playpen to limit his access and minimize the accidents. Gates are great for keeping puppies from having falls on stairs.
That is pretty much it for the initial supplies you need to have on hand before your new little one comes home. Your breeder should give you some food, and you can then purchase more of that brand, or use the food form the breeder while slowly mixing in a new brand that you plan to use. You want to be careful to avoid too many changes at once, so plan to feed your puppy whatever type of food he is used to, and slowly introduce a new brand if necessary.
Just remember that house training puppies can take time, so be patient and calm. It is up to you to show your puppy the way it works in your household.
If you want to find out more, go to this website here: House Training Puppies.
