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New puppy

970 views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Jenny720 
#1 ·
Hi, This is my first puppy ever and he's 7 weeks old and I want to raise him right, so what do I need to do to do that please if you can tell me everything you would do to raise him thanks
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the site....

The most information you can gather will assist you in raising your pup, so read read read.

Patience will also come in handy, they go though some interesting stages.

Get us some pic's when you can....lookin forward to to them....
 
#3 · (Edited)
You must share some photos when you get a chance of your new pup. I will just add is a good time to look for a recommended trainer/puppy class I prefer trainers who have German shepherds. Your pup is to young for puppy class now but good idea to have an idea where you will go. Also if you have found a vet yet I assume you have but if not time to get find a reputable vet and have your pup seen is first and foremost. Pet insurance. I have learned the hard way and the first thing we did was get puppy insurance as soon as we brought our pup home. We have trupanion but there are others people are very happy with on this forum. So much about foods here also I found my favorite food to feed on this forum. Lots of great puppy Info here in the puppy section - gunny mentioned.
 
#4 ·
Socialize and obedience training!

Take your pup anywhere you safely can. Expose him to all kinds of people, from elderly to babies and crazy, hyper small children. Expose him to other animals if you can, such as cats or chickens. When my puppy was too young to go for a walk I would actually put her in my double stroller next to the baby while my 3 year old rode her bike. So at 9 weeks she was seeing geese (we live by a lake), people on bikes, cars, blowing leaves (she thought those were fascinating), other dogs, garbage trucks, delivery trucks - all great stuff! Expose him to different surfaces such as tile, wood, stairs, etc. The more you can get him used to before 16 weeks, the better. You can also start doing some basic training for 1-2 minutes at a time. Use a few bites of his food or some training treats and practice sit, down, and come. I would walk around the living room or my house and say "C'mon Ripley!" And when she followed, I would praise and treat. So she learned very early on that "C'mon" means, follow me. It's easy stuff that young pups can do! Also, start crate training.
 
#5 ·
Here is a really good blog on socializing. You don't need to immerse him in society. Just let him sit back and observe the world. So many people have issues because they think the puppy needs to meet all these people and dogs and every other creature on earth. Allow him to explore safely and securely. Don't bombard him with information.

Socializing Your Puppy: how it should look | Naughty Dogge - Monique Anstee


And don't worry about any Alpha hooey. It's very rare to for a truly dominant dog to even exist. 99.9% of dogs don't care about who walks thru doors first, who is sitting on the couch vs. the floor. What they care about is fair and consistent leadership and respect.
 
#7 ·
Read all the puppy sections of this forum. Try not to have silly outrageous human expectations. You have a puppy, they don't magically become trained. You can have high expectations about you becoming the best handler ever. So you need to invest in your skills by reading, practicing, and getting the help of really good trainers that understand this breed and can work with you. Get ready to invest in yourself and your dog for the next 2-3 years.
 
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