Settling a rescue puppy

Mastering toilet training where they learn where and when are the appropriate times and places to eliminate is a crucial part of puppy training. Most puppies will have a few accidents inside and some learn faster than others which can cause some issues for their carers who have to clean up after them. Toilet training is easily done by taking your puppy into the garden immediately after waking, eating or a play session, waiting until your pup eliminates, then rewarding. If you add a cue word, your dog will soon start to make a connection. 


Problems can occur if pups are scolded for accidents as they understand they have done wrong and can develop anxieties around toileting, feeling the need to hide somewhere to do it, so they go off to another room where they won’t be spotted. It is also important to remove any urine scent from the house as puppies will return to the same location if they make that association.

Puppies have sharp baby teeth and particularly when they start to grow their adult teeth they like to chew. Unless redirected to appropriate chew toys, puppies can be prone to chewing anything left in their vicinity including furniture, tv remote controls, children’s toys or shoes left lying around tend to be a particular favourite. You need to manage your environment to ensure your puppy cannot chew inappropriate objects and make sure you have plenty of chew toys of their own. Buffalo horns, nyla bones, natural chews are all great for puppy teeth.

Learning bite inhibition comes from play fighting with puppy siblings and their mother. If puppies are taken away too early from their litter they may not learn who and how hard it is appropriate to bite which can cause issues for carers who get mouthed or nipped by their puppies. Any sign of nipping needs to signal the end of the game so that puppies soon learn that the fun ends when they use their teeth inappropriately. Turn your back on your pup and walk away as soon as any biting starts.

It is vitally important for puppies to learn how to politely greet and play with other dogs. Adolescent or adult dogs that lacked appropriate socialisation as puppies often display inappropriate behaviours such as rushing in, playing too rough and are likely to be chastised by other adult dogs. Puppy socialisation training classes are perfect for this.

Puppies need to be gently introduced to new life experiences, such as meeting other people, seeing cars, motorbikes, horses, sheep, bikes, prams, children as well has new hearing associated sounds and smells. All of these new events should be introduced with confidence and lots of praise if the puppy stays calm. However puppies can easily develop a fear of new experiences, if they are rushed and feel overwhelmed by the strange noises, movements or smells that are involved. Bad experiences can stay with a dog into adulthood and lack of appropriate socialising can lead to dogs displaying fear of everything outside of the home or their everyday life. So take your time and go slowly for your puppy.