Mehmet Hamdi Bol- November 2006

First of all I assume that you have selected the right breed for you and your lifestyle.At last you have met your 4x4 friend.You have always wanted a puppy but your parents did not or your house was not suitable,you couldnt afford or you just did not feel ready, now its time for the great union.

If It's your first puppy then let me list you some tips that most people miss and what will ease your  life.These are answers for frequently asked questions of new puppy owners and as I have always answered and it seems  that I'm going to do so in the future so I decided to form  this list .Please share your  opinions and your experiences.

To keep the writing voluble and enjoyable I have made a list of the topics, here we go;

RE-ORGANIZING YOUR HOUSE
This is the first and the most important issue.Insecticides.naftelene,some plants and detergents are  dangerous and often cause harm  to your puppy.All cables lying around should be removed hidden or 
isolated into the cable canals because they could try to scratch their itching teeth with them. Don't  leave things around that he can chew and tear off like plastic bags,kilims and towels.You should remove objects and furnitures with pointed corners.I highly recommend water proof floor pads specially designed for dogs, they are best for securing you parquets and carpets.Make sure that puppy has a place to sleep.

GET A UTILITY BOX
I prefer big transparent plastic boxes with lock systems for the lid ( L48 cms x W35 cms x D35 cms).They  are easy to find and cheap .You can put everything inside like toys,brushes,biscuits except for the  food.For food I always recommend  the plastic buckets that all good brands give for free as well as  they are handy than paper bags they have good lids that keeps the aroma,scent and freshness of the food  that drives puppies crazy.Well I hear some of you saying ' OK but what am I going to put into the box?' Lets start with listing the needs of puppy.
-A dog bowl: I recommend stainless steel ones, buy the best for the first and the last time.
-A suitable harness and collar for the puppy: please don't forget they have a sensitive neck.
-A suitable food: I'm not going to recommend a brand please consult with your vet.
-Bone and chewing toys: Dont forget they need to chew during teeth growth and It's also good for your furniture.If you dont give something to scratch their teeth they will find anything.
Choosing toys is an important issue. Dont give toys that can easily break or  they can swallow the pieces and choke. Dont forget that it is the puppy who's going to play with the  toy, alot of things we like may not mean anything to them, try to choose functional ones rather than good  looking ones. Sounding toys can be attractive for dogs but soon it will be very disturbing for you and they are not very durable. Limiting the play period with these kind of toys can be a solution.
-A brush: Choose a brush or a comb suitable to hair length.  As well as massage It's a fine way to remove  the dead hair, the more you brush the less you sweep. 
-Bedding:At first they may not pay attention or they can even pull into pieces, later on they will posses and rest -think its like your favourite chair- while choosing a bed dont forget that they grow very quick, try to choose the biggest size for your breed, my choice is the dog houses made of durable hard plastic  that can be splitted and washable. You should also consider your puppys grown up size when you are buying one. This type of bedding may not be suitable for your house but it is best for their comfort. It is in their instinct soon  they will posses it as its their burrow and will feel safe and comfortable. You can use carriers for the same  purpose by removing their doors, by this way when you use it in future there will be no problem. For their comfort and safety in the car I carry my dogs in carriers, by this way they wont be affected from  surrounding but unfourtunately they don not fit into every car trunk.

-Shampoo:Dont bath your dog without your vets approval. Never use regular shampoo, ask your vet for shampoo brand.
-Lots of small plastic bags.
 Now everything is ready and the nicest puppy of the world has arrived. I would take the photo of the moment of arrival if I were you because they grow so fast that you cannot realize. Take photos as much as you  can, it is not going to be a puppy once more. Take a notebook and record every behaviour and happy moments.
It is amazing to see the progress in the future. Never forget: training begins at the first days of arrival. I'm not talking about hard and long trainings but lets say it is important to draw the lines at the very  beginning. Dont expect them to learn at once and dont force and never forget: everything is just a game  for them. Make sure that everybody agrees the rules about the time of the feeding, going out for a walk, your reactions to their behaviours. You should decide what to do with your puppy at the very beginning; a friend,  schutzhund, sar. You should plan this training and even determine the games for this purpose. If you want a working dog (sar,schutzhund), it is useful to plan training. You will need professional aid and you will be more  successful if you place training on a right basis. Whatever the purpose is, you should read a lot. Articles  on internet are as useful as books. Dont forget that dog acts the way you teach so you should be very  careful with that, if a dog takes protection of the house as a duty, it would perceive your guests as an intruder. Never forget that puppies are little balls of energy and they should spend this energy the right  way,HOW? by playing games.
Feelings are infectious. Your puppy is happy when you are happy and it is disturbed and nervous when
you are.
Puppies need to go out for toilet more than adults especially after feeding. I am not going to mention about toilet training because its a subject of its own. Your puppy should get used to bathing and getting wet. Ask for advice from your vet about the period and timing. Make sure you socialize your dog with   people and other dogs the right way. Your puppy should often meet with people and and other dogs under  control otherwise he would  behave aggressive later.
You should visit  your vet sometimes, make sure your puppy enjoys these visits, by this way he will be familiar to scents and enviroment. Otherwise puppy will think vet=injection=pain and will behave  aggressive and disturbed in your future visits. Dont forget that you are going to live at least ten years  with this newcomer. He loves you very much try to understand him and love him too. Unfortunately there  are many owners that harm their friends because they lack of information although they love them. You can us ask about every subject.