Dog ownership, or more accurately guardianship, is one of life’s great joys, and as you begin your life with your new friend I wish you many years of joy, love and companionship.

Having a new dog in the home is a fun and exciting experience for all, but in between it all, there’s work to do. There are puppy supplies to be bought, training to be done and of course, puppy poop to be cleaned up.

In this article, we’ll talk about 5 things you need to do to raise a happy, healthy puppy.

1.Crate Training Basics

By the time you bring your puppy home you should already have bought a dog crate. This plastic holder is just about the most useful piece of doggy equipment money can buy. It serves as an indoor kennel, a dog carrier, and a tool for potty training.

You’ll want to get your puppy familiar with the crate from day one, and it should be your pup’s home in the early weeks. It will also come in handy later for potty training.

2. Vaccinations

Puppy vaccinations are extremely important to protect your puppy from common diseases. Most of these are deadly, especially to a pup with an underdeveloped immune system, so don’t take any chances.

3. House Training

A common piece of advice is to start house training right away, but normally this won’t work. A puppy coming into a new environment where he is bewildered and frightened by his surroundings is hardly going to be open to learning.

For the first couple of weeks you should be crate training your puppy instead. He should pick this up quickly, as it is natural dog behavior to seek out a “den”.

Within two weeks, the pup will have settled in nicely, and you can now begin house training him. The good news is, that if he is used to the crate, he’ll practically be house trained already.

4. Socialization Training

Socialization serves two purposes, it introduces the puppy to a wide array of people and animals, and it teaches him how to behave towards others. Introduce your pup to as many people as you can, both inside and outside the family. Also introduce him to other animals in the household, but always supervise these introductions, and keep the puppy on a leash.

5. Bonding With Your Dog

If all of this sounds like hard work, it shouldn’t be, raising a puppy is fun. Take time to play with your puppy, as this is important to building a bond. As you play, gently correct any bad behavior, like biting.

Puppies can be a lot of work and responsibility, but they’re also a joy to have in your life. You’ll want to enjoy these early weeks and months you spend with your pup because, before you know it, he’ll be all grown up. And if you followed the suggestions above, chances are he’ll be a happy, well-adjusted adult.

Click here to learn more about dog training tips, dog care, facts about dogs and other interesting dog advice at dogsanddogtraining.com

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