Before You Buy Your Puppy 

Your new puppy will need his or her own feeding and water bowls, a protected place to sleep, a collar and lead. Other requirements might include: chew toys, grooming equipment, flea control, and worming products                                              

Puppies do need to have a "safe place" such as a box, crate or blanket for naps, and as a retreat, when the household activity becomes too much. This space should be respected, and your pup should be able to rest here without being disturbed. Do remember that puppies need lots of rest, and younger family members may need to be reminded not to disturb the puppy, when he or she is sleeping.

Feeding Your Puppy

House Training Your Puppy

One of the golden rules is to remember that punishment does very little to hasten the training process, and usually only serves to make the pup anxious and secretive.

Establish a routine as early as possible, with toileting time as soon as the puppy wakes from a nap, immediately after eating, and at half hourly intervals. Take the pup to the area of the garden you wish them to use, and praise them lavishly when they perform.

If an accident occurs inside, make as little fuss as possible, but clean the area thoroughly to remove any odours that could act as triggers for further accidents.

House training doesn't have to be a drama. Pups naturally like to have clean sleeping quarters, or keep the ‘den’ clean, and most dogs are easily toilet trained. Don't, however, expect too much from your pup at first. Young pups simply do not have sufficient control of their bladder and bowel muscles, sometimes not until four or five months of age, so accidents can and will happen. You just need a little patience – and some newspaper or plastic covers to protect the carpet!

Results won't be immediate, but begin toilet training your dog on the first day at home.

Pups will often want to go to the toilet straight after a meal and upon waking, so take advantage of these times. Take your pup out first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and right after meals, naps, exercise and play sessions. But don't limit yourself – take your pup out every hour or two in between these times. Remember: a young pup can't hold their bladder for more than a couple of hours.

If your pup is circling or sniffing about looking for a place to torpedo, gently grab your pet and go outside. If you live in an apartment with no access to a garden, puppies can be taught to use a litter tray.

Once you see your pet eliminating in the appropriate place, give generous amounts of praise (and a treat) for a job well done. Praise is the key to successful toilet training. Dogs need to associate praise with an action, so it's critical to give the praise while, and immediately after, the pup has relieved himself or herself in the appropriate place.

You can help your pup by providing meals at the same times each day – regular meals, encourage regular toilet habits.

Choose a specific command at toilet training times, like “do it” , “potty” or “toilet” and your dog will learn to associate the word, with the event. This can come in handy prior to long car trips, when your perfectly trained dog will go on your command. It won't always work, but now is the best time for your pup to learn.

Never rub your pup's nose or face in their urine or faeces. Harsh discipline like this not only makes your pup fearful of you, and ... it doesn't work.

Also, realize, a dog that's done something naughty in the lounge room at 2 pm, won't understand what's making you so angry at 5 pm. If you come home only to rant and rave, your dog won't think your coming home is much fun. Instead, just clean up any mess with a minimum of fuss.