Puppy Parenting Done Right

Puppies – the word itself brings joy and happiness to us. Everyone just loves puppies, but pet                      parents often don’t realise that just loving puppies is not enough. It’s important that we understand          them so that we are able enough to care for them properly. We must be able to make the most of              this holy human and dog relationship. 

This article will give you an insight about the right way of raising a puppy and its benefits that you              will reap in the future.   

Table of Contents 

• The right age for getting a puppy 
• Bite inhibition & its importance 
• Teething & how to avoid it 
• How puppies learn 
• Socialization is crucial 

The Right Age for Getting a Puppy Home

We all love pups – they are cute little bundles of joy. But do you know what is the right age of separating a pup from the mother and getting him home? The most common opinion in India about this is 30 to 45 days. This is not just a common opinion but a common practice too. Most of the breeders try to get rid of the puppies ASAP. However, the right age of separating a pup from the mother is minimum 8 weeks, i.e., 2 months. The perfect age, as per us, is between 10 – 12 weeks. It is important for the puppy to spend this time with the siblings and the mother as it teaches them a lot of social skills. To top it, the mother’s milk helps in boosting immunity. During the said period, the first round of vaccination must also be completed.   

Bite Inhibition & Its Importance 

Bite Inhibition – sounds a bit too technical, but it’s not. Bite inhibition is the ability of a dog/puppy to understand different kinds of bites, i.e., play, love, and aggression. This ability is passed on to the puppy by the parents. The mother plays with them, scolds them and loves them as well – all of it using her mouth. This teaches the puppy the power of biting. Bite inhibition is one of the most important skills that a puppy needs to learn to become a good dogizen. Unfortunately, this skill can’t be taught at a later stage by a human. Hence, coming back to our first point: puppies should not be separated from the mothers before the completion of this learning. 

Teething & How to Avoid It 

Puppies love to BITE, at least that’s what all of us think. But that’s not the case. Puppy biting is called teething. It’s a phase that every puppy passes through. You must’ve observed that puppies love playing with everything they can find, and it becomes even better if it moves and is soft to chew. Naturally, your body becomes the first target, followed by sofa, slippers, and the like, because they have your odour. In simple terms, teething is an unavoidable natural process. As a matter of fact, one can make the most of it by teaching the pup some techniques that involves adequate usage of his teething drive. Use just one soft and small toy, possibly a rope, to play with the pup. As soon as he seems tired, take the toy out of his sight. Don’t let the puppy get hold of it easily, else it wouldn’t be a fun activity. The trick is to tease the pup with the toy and make it interesting. They usually find our hands interesting during this stage because we react when they bite us. This reaction is what drives them more towards biting us again and again. So, we must learn to not react in such situations. As a result, it will become uninteresting for the dog thereby making the toy more interesting. Remember, don’t tease him with the toy more than 3 – 4 times. Let him win in the process. This sense of achievement will make the pup more inclined towards teething on the toy instead of you.  

How Puppies Learn  

All dogs learn through muscle memory and conditioning. The result of any stimulus that is inflicted upon a dog can either be rewarding or painful. The consequence decides whether a pup will repeat the behaviour or not. 2 most common techniques to know here are Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning. These 2 methods combined will teach you the skill to master any kind of animal training. Remember, we often keep scolding our pups for things they do that we don’t like, but we hardly reward them for the things they do right. Such small rewards at the end of correct behaviour will enable the dog to only learn the right kind of behaviours. 

Socialization Is Crucial 

When we talk about puppy socialization, the first thought that comes to our mind is that of puppies and dogs playing with each-other. This is only partly true. Puppy socialization involves environmental socialization as well as socialization with humans of different age groups. A puppy can grasp the most till 8 months of age. If we positively attach maximum number of stimuli to a dog in this duration, we will succeed in conditioning him to a majority of things in his surroundings, such as different kinds of noise and odours.  

The adorable eyes of a puppy will plead in front of you for absolutely anything. They will look uber-cute running around and will melt your heart in seconds. But, don’t give in to the pupper-pressure. Take matters in your hands. Make them socialize with other puppies and humans, feed them well and learn their gestures. If you are training them to learn the way you want them to behave, it’s imperative for you to learn what they are trying to communicate as well. Be a good pet parent and make them an even better dogizen.   

   FAQ’s

     1.  How can I raise my puppy in the best possible way? 

• Start housetraining as soon as possible. 
• Keep things calm. 

• Establish a routine. 
• Establish general guidelines & train your puppy to follow them. 
• Create a private area for the puppy to relax in. 
• At least for the first few nights, stay in the same room to sleep. 
• Give them a nutritious, well-balanced dietog food. 

      2.  At what age are puppies the naughtiest? 

            The reality is that raising a sociable, well-behaved, and trouble-free adult dog requires patience,                  hard work, and active engagement from every member of the household. Unwanted behaviours                  including unnecessary barking, chewing on things, surfing the counter, house-soiling, and leaping              up frequently, start to happen at roughly 3 to 6 months of age. 

     3.  Which stage of a puppy is the hardest? 

            Adolescence (6 – 18 months) might be the most challenging stage in a puppy’s development. Your              adorable puppy is growing up and starting to produce hormones, which could cause behavioural                changes. 

      4.  What is the duration of puppy blues? 

             Puppy blues refer to the emotional stage where you start feeling sad, depressed, anxious and                       pressured after getting a puppy home. Generally, this happens because puppy parents tend to feel               overwhelmed as they feel the pressure from within, wanting to give the best life to the puppy and               raise him well.  

             According to anecdotal data, the three weeks immediately following the onset of puppy blues are                 typically when they are most severe. After then, symptoms could still be present but feel easier to               control. Usually, this happens within three months. ergergwergwergsregwerg

      5.   How long does it take for a puppy and owner to become close? 

             Puppies typically bond with their owners more quickly than adult dogs because they have fewer                   attachments to their histories with the previous owners. If you have purchased a puppy from a                     breeder, it typically takes 3–3 months to form a bond with your dog.            

       6.   What indicates that your dog has your trust? 

• In your presence, they exhibit comfortable and tranquil body language. 
• A relaxed, lolling tongue and a slightly open mouth. 
• Turning over to rub one’s stomach (this shows that they trust you and feel safe in your presence) 
• Face with a calm, relaxed look. 

• Eye blinking 
• Tail wagging in both directions. 
• A “bow” to welcome and promote play. 

      7.   What does nervousness in a dog look like? 

             Anxious actions while you’re away or as you get ready to depart, such as pacing, whining, or                         shivering, howling or barking too much. They may also display loving behaviour to attract your                   attention. You might also get to see dDestructive behaviours, especially near doors or windows,                   including chewing or digging. accidents involving urinating or defecating inside the home.