First Days
The Journey Home
This is likely going to be the longest car journey of your new pup’s life, so it’s important to prepare properly.
A checklist is always helpful to ensure you remember everything you are going to need for travelling with your pup, particularly if you are coming from a long distance away. Here is a list of what we would pack to pick up a new edition:
Water is important to remember as if we are travelling a long distance our pup will need to have access to water on the journey, or stop for rest breaks along the way to have a drink.
Blankets will help your new pup to feel secure and comfy on their journey. We will also provide you with a scent blanket embroidered with your pups KC Name to help them to relax and feel secure. A blanket can also help to cover a crate to help them feel more secure; it will also emulate their whelping crate that was covered on all sides and encourage them to go to sleep.
A crate or car safe harness is essential to comply with UK law. Legally in the UK all dogs must be restrained in a vehicle and you can be fined if caught in non compliance. It is also obviously much safer for your pup and for you and your passengers in the event of a crash. It will also help contain your pup to help ensure that they do not distract you whilst driving and cause dangers in this way.
It is equally important to NEVER restrain your dog in the car by their collar.
If you attach a dog by their collar to a seatbelt loop or a lead attached to the headrest, then in the event of a crash the dog will snap suddenly against their neck, causing severe neck injuries and potentially death. So please ensure you have a secure and safe method of transporting your puppy in your vehicle.
Puppy pads are there to protect your car upholstery, but also as a good place for your pup to toilet if they need too. Our pups are young and not only will they be highly unlikely to hold their bladders for long periods of time, but it is not fair for us to try to make them at this age. Puppies need regular bathroom breaks to relieve themselves as their bladders are only very small and attempting to hold the need to urinate for long periods can be very uncomfortable and even painful for them.
When travelling with our pups we set up the crate with half blankets and toys and the other half a puppy pad, to allow them to relieve themselves when necessary. Again, regular stops to offer the pup a chance to relieve themselves and also to change soiled pads are essential.
Poop Bags are actually a legal requirement for you when out with your dog. If caught out walking your dog, without a method of cleaning up after them, you can be fined or prosecuted. For this reason we always
Finally, a toy will help you to distract your pup if they are insistent on not going to sleep. You can also invite them to play during rest stops and after bathroom breaks. Remember, this is going to be one of the most stressful times for your pup, so you want to try and make it as rewarding a pleasant as possible for them to minimize any negative associations with the car which can continue into later life.
Arriving Home
The first day, or few days of taking home your new puppy are the scariest for your pup, so it’s important that we do a few things.
A) Don’t expect too much
- Your pup has just left the only home they have known all their life, they are bound to be unsettled, this may mean crying, it may mean howling, it will definitely include toilet accidents. When you first bring your pup home concentrate on letting them explore gently and without pressure. Don’t jump straight into training tricks or taking them for walks. Do some easy games that involve lots of reward, liki mats, filled bones, and easy ditch the bowl games like magic hand and rolling food, that don’t expect any specific behaviour from your pup except being happy.
B) Fill it with reward
- You want to ensure that your puppy's first experience of you and your home is as rewarding a positive as possible for them. There is a lot of potential for this not to be the case, remember, your pup has been taken for the first time away from their litter mates, mother, father and home, it is a potentially frightening time. So to tackle this we should attempt to fill the day with positive rewarding experience. Be sure to engage them in play and fun rather than targeted training. This means that we are not adding to the pups potentially very full bucket with the pressures of attempting to understand a behaviour or concept. Instead engage them in puzzle toys, snuffle mats, playing with toys and calmness activities.
C) Support and Encourage Calmness
- We think that one of the most important things to remember is to keep your pup calm and below threshold. Engage them in calming activities, like liki mats, chewies and snuffle mats. Encourage them to sleep and create a warm, soft and safe space like a crate were they can go to engage in these activities and relax.
D) ENJOY YOURSELF
- Last but not least ENJOY EVERY MINUTE! At the end of the day these are precious moments, remember that you will have all the time in the world to concentrate on obedience and activity based training. Concentrate your first days on enjoying your pups company, building a positive and loving relationship with them. As this is the most important foundation you can create to everything you will ever want to dream or achieve with your beautiful new family member.
YouTube Videos
Absolute Dogs - What to do in the First 24 Hours With Your Puppy
Great video from our trusted resource Absolute Dogs on what to prioritize in the first 24 hours of bringing home your puppy.
Absolute Dogs - Setting up a Learning Framework for Your Dog
A great video from our trusted training resource Absolute Dogs on how to prioritize your training goals for your new dog.
Absolute Dogs - Teach Your Dog to Chill Out
Brilliant video to help you understand how to help your puppy be calm and relaxed on their first day with you.
Podcast Episodes
