A New Puppy - Congratulations ! 

FIRST THINGS FIRST:
You are now the owner of a Lamaload International Labrador puppy. Immediately after your pup has settled into his new home you should register him with your vet.

Make arrangements for him to have his shots (8 weeks & 12 weeks) and keep him indoors until 10 days after the final course. Do not allow contact with other animals and especially avoid the faeces of other dogs until after this time. We suggest you arrange to have your puppy identity chipped to enable him to be traced at any time.

SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS:
This is the first time your pup has left his mother, it is natural for him to be upset so give him something warm to cuddle up to (A covered hot water bottle is perfect). We suggest you buy a small dog crate where he can learn to have his own space. You will be surprised how dogs come to love having a place of their own where they can rest undisturbed. Wherever he sleeps he will be fretful but try not to give it too much attention as this may develop into an established pattern of behaviour. (He whines you get out of bed). Puppies need LOTS of sleep therefore try to ensure he has time and space of his own. Like human beings puppies learn from their environment. 

A noisy over excited household encourages similar behaviour. A wild enthusiastic puppy may be cute at first but not half so attractive a year later. Dogs are creatures of habit and feel secure in a predictable routine, try to keep the play, feeding and rest periods consistent.

HOUSE TRAINING:
Decide from Day One where your pup can go. Picture him as a fully-grown adult dog and decide what and where is appropriate. Romping on the bed might be fun with a cute little bundle of fur but will it be acceptable with a 60 lbs Labrador? If it isn’t then don’t allow our pup to do it now. He won’t understand when you suddenly change the rules. The best way to house train your pup is by confining his sleeping quarters to a small space (puppy cage). Contrary to popular opinion dogs are exceedingly clean creatures and try very hard not to soil there own sleeping quarters. 

Popping them inside a confined space to sleep then encouraging them onto a sheet of newspaper to relieve themselves is an excellent way to start house training. Once they have had their shots puppies can be encouraged outside to perform toilet duty. Immediately after sleeping or feeding is a good time to invite your pup to go to the toilet. Just like a baby your young puppy will not be able to go through the night without relieving himself so be prepared to get up and let him go to the loo. As he matures the necessity for this will disappear.

FEEDING:
Whilst your puppy is growing nutrition is an extremely important consideration. You cannot put back at a later date nutrients he lacked in him formative months. Cheap food now could lead to expensive medical bills later. We feed only Woofs World Premium to nursing bitches and puppies. It provides all the vitamins and minerals a growing dog requires with no need for extra supplements. Whilst in our care your pup has been fed three times a day we suggest you continue this until six months of age when you can reduce to two meals per day.

PLAYTIME:
From the day you take your puppy home he/she should be taught to play with YOU. The very best game for any puppy to learn is retrieving. Use an old pair of rolled up socks and do not be in any rush to take them from him. If he runs off with the socks do not chase him. Retrieving is a ‘sharing’ game and will teach your pup many valuable lessons. Tug O’ Wars are most definitely out unless you want to teach aggression. On no account should your puppy be left to play with another dog, YOU should be the centre of his attention. If your children play with him they should NEVER tease him. Rough games like wrestling, fighting and jumping up should be forbidden. Watch for signs of growling and /or puppy biting. This is not good. You and not your pup should decide on the rules of play. You must decide when, where, what and for how long.

Do not allow your pup to manipulate you to do his bidding. This may seem cute at first but not in 12 months time when he snaps and snarls any time you don’t give in to him. Remember the reason most dogs ignore there handlers and prove so difficult to train is that they have learned how to have fun WITHOUT their owners. Free play with other dogs is just about the easiest way for your pup to learn to ignore you so don’t allow it. Please refer to the Pack Mentality Page -  we strongly suggest you read this immediately and revisit it at regular intervals. This will give you an ongoing insight into how your dog thinks

PROBLEMS:
Chasing and refusing recall are the main reasons owners come to us with their ‘problem dogs’. Imagine the anguish of seeing your pup run over as it runs across the road after another dog. Do not under any circumstances allow an untrained young puppy to run around freely in the countryside until you have some control. Once your dog learns how much fun he can have chasing squirrels, rabbits and other dogs you will have a very hard habit to break.

We run a regular Monday evening training class where you and your dog can learn to have fun together.

Just call us on 07785-258486 to book a place.

www.woofs-world.com