New dog for Christmas
Article Source: examiner.com
Article by: Emily Randolph
If you have decided to get a puppy or adult dog for Christmas, do consider the animal’s welfare above all else. The holidays are a chaotic time, and your new companion will be nervous in his new home.
Boundaries - we all need them!: To help your dog settle in, make sure he does not have the run of the house (for example, keep bedroom doors closed; partition off the dining room; gate off the second floor at the bottom of the stairs, etc.) If he’s a puppy, consider a play pen so you don’t have to watch him while you are doing things that need your full attention, like cooking. It isn’t uncommon for a new dog to be destructive in the house. Help him and you by minimizing his opportunities.
Toys, exercise, & games: Give him lots of exercise and plenty of safe toys to play with both on his own and with you. There are so many fun games to play inside the house and out. My personal favorite with a new puppy or young dog is hide and seek. You hide and call for him, “Buddy, COME!’ letting him find you. Reward him with a treat and a big happy YEAH! Wait to you see the wag of his tail when he finds you! This little game is also helpful in teaching him the ‘come’ command.
Kennel / crate training. Furthermore, to help with his transition, make sure he gets plenty of quiet time. To achieve this, crate training your new dog is ideal. A proper sized kennel with comfortable padding will be a great solace to an animal feeling anxious or unsure. And it will serve him well his whole life. Consider it his hideaway. Everyone needs one.
When introducing a crate to a dog, you want to make it as attractive to him as possible. Make it a HAPPY place! You may need to do it in stages:
Stage 1: Throw a couple of treats into the kennel while he’s watching, saying happily ‘Cookies!’ or something similarly upbeat and wonderful, then walk away. Let him go in and get them and come out again. Do this several times through the course of the day (or several days) until he gets the hang of going in and out on his own.
Stage 2: Next, throw in some treats, say ‘Cookies!’, let him go in and then gently close the door – not locking it, just closing it so he can get out on his own. Again, do this several times over the course of the day or a few days. However long you feel your dog needs. Then, when you think he’s ready, on to Stage 3.
Stage 3: When your dog is happy to go in and out of his crate, the next step is to close and lock the door behind him when he enters to go after his treats. Tell him Good Boy! and walk away. DO NOT open the door if he starts whining. Only open the crate door when he is quiet. Otherwise, he will know that whining gets him released, and then my friend, he is training you!
Bringing a new dog home for the holidays can be a smooth transition with a little preparedness and foresight. Think ahead of all the things your new dog will need BEFORE he comes home, and it will be a happy holiday for all involved.
Tags: christmas, dog for christmas