The pup at home -
Home Raised Pup

A new family member: The arrival of a pup is always a cause of excitement. During the first days you will have to pay a lot of attention and start teaching it the basic rules of behavior. It is very important for all of the family to know these rules, so the conduct of all of the members of your family seems coherent to the dog. Try and keep the list of rules short and clear, so it is easier for the pup to learn them. If one of your family members lets the dog get on a couch or a bed, then teach it the opposite will be extremely difficult.

Praising and punishing: Sometimes, when the dog acts wrongly a family member tells it off, and then another one feels sorry and comforts it. These behaviors confuse the dog, which feels punished and praised at the same time. This, most of the time, causes discussions. In spite of this, punishment, if pertinent and moderate, is necessary. If they don't cause pain, the dog won't consider them cruelty and won't have any negative feelings towards you. Some people think hitting the dog on the face with a newspaper is an effective punishment. This is a direct punishment, and we are totally against it. Direct punishment are not recommended, for the animal associates them to its owner and, sooner or latter, it will respond to this aggression. You must make sure punishments seem alien to us, for that way the dog will trust and see the owner as a loyal friend, who will make sure nothing bad is going to happen.

What to do when the pup protests? If a pup is used to or demand attention, it can become a little tiring that, in any moment, will try and fight the owner for leadership. In spite of the barking, it must be ignored. It will probably get tired and desist. If it persists, you should reply with an energetic "No!", and throw an object to distract it.

A fixed schedule: It is very important to give the dog food at specific times. This day the dog will not be asking you for food all the time. You must take the dog's plate away when it is not mealtime, but it is necessary for the dog to always have a bowl full of fresh, clean water. Try and make the dog get used to you patting it on the head, or touching its food. Do not allow it to growl or get violent, even if it seems funny at first. You mustn't give water or food right after intense exercising, or when it is too hot. In these cases you have to wait for a while until the dog calms down. Huffing is normal, it is the way dogs use to go back to a right temperature. If you give food or water to soon, consequences could be fatal. If the dog's a "bad eater" you can give it 10-20 minutes. Once this period of time has passed, take the plate away, and don't feed it until the next mealtime. This way the animal will understand it is supposed to eat at specific times of the day.

Dog Droppings: Both constipation and diarrhea are terrible problems for a dog. You will know if your dog is all right by having a look at its droppings. This way you will also know if your dog's diet is healthy or if it has parasites. Sometimes, it is good to have the dog fast for a couple of days. Don't be afraid if you see it eating grass, this is a natural way of purging.