Helpful Tips

​​Sometimes after you arrive home with your "Forever Friend", you might have a few questions on how to raise your new puppy. Here we have some helpful tips on potty training, feeding, and obedience so your new companion fits right in at home!

Spend as much time with them as possible, crate train with the crate close.  When they cry, I put my hands close to their door and they can smell you and be reassured. 

Puppies pee more than what the books say, take them outside every time after they eat, when they wake up and before they go to sleep, and additionally every hour.   We also watch them and try and pick up their cues, do they circle or sniff around before they go.  If you learn their cues then you can head them off at the pass and hurry them outside. 

At 16 weeks it becomes way easier to house train.  I train my dogs with a bell.  So every time we go outside, I ring a bell that is on the door.  Eventually the dog will ring the bell to go outside.  The blessing and the curse with the bell is that you must let them out EVERY time they ring the bell.  So sometimes, they want out to play even though they don't need to go.  Even if they ring it 5 times in an hour, you have to let them out. 

Feed them only a high quality dog food, no table scraps.  If they are eating the same food every day then you can eliminate many tummy problems.  No people food.

Grocery store dog food is usually not the freshest or best food.  Take time to visit a pet store or feed store to get high quality dog food. 

Don’t diagnose your pet and treat them with human medications, if your puppy has problems contact your vet. 

We know you may run into issues as you begin to acclimate your puppy into your world.  Please feel free to keep in touch and we'll help you as best we can!