Settling Them In
Settling them in
What can we do to make our home friendlier for our new puppy?
Bringing your new puppy home away from their mother and siblings can be a stressful time for them but there are few things you can do to help make the change a more pleasant experience.
– Bringing home a piece of clothing or material that has been in with their mother and siblings can comfort them by having a familiar smell.
– Dog Appeasing Pheromone (or DAP) plug-in diffusers and collars have been proven to reduce stress in young puppies and improve their learning speed as a result. DAP is a natural chemical emitted by mothers when they have a litter of puppies to keep them calm and maternally bonds them. Contact us or ask one of our vets about how to use the ‘Adaptil’ (DAP) range.
– Giving your puppy their own space or crate in your house can give them a place to hide if they are scared and can see it as a place of comfort. Spraying the crate with Adaptil (DAP) spray or putting the piece of material that smells like their mother in will help your puppy make this association.
Should we use their crate or bed as a place of punishment?
Never! This will undo all your hard work to make their crate or bed become a place of comfort. If you need to exclude your puppy for any reason, try to use another room.
How can we make our puppy confident and happy in new situations?
There is a special window between 8-16 weeks of age where your puppy will be learning at an amazing rate. This is the best time to get your puppy used to new and potentially stressful situations. Such stressful situations might include:
Download our free puppy guide below for more information.
Want to know more?
Click on the link below to download the Puppy Healthcare Guide
