Welcoming your puppy home
Your pup will understandably be nervous initially being away from their litter mates and mum probably for the first time. They will be in a new environment which they needs time to get used. They have been on a big epic journey which they needs time to adjust and recover from so for the first few days it’s best to not over stimulate the pup with lots of people visiting. Help your pup to settle in by making sure they have their own bed to retreat to in a quiet area of the house. A crate is ideal for creating a safe, secure area where your pup can also sleep.
If the puppy is nervous, don't let children or adults handle the puppy too much. If the puppy shows signs of distress, sit quietly and comfort them. This first settling-in week is a very exciting time for all the family! During this time you are beginning to teach your puppy who their new family is and they are learning to trust you and bond with you. If there are children in the household it’s best to set boundaries for both the pup and the children which will allow the pup space and respect. Children must be aware they should never disturb a pup while they are sleeping in their own bed as this can startle the pup and cause distress and make them fearful. There is no better relationship than between a dog and children built on mutual respect.
Feeding your pup
Puppies grow 20 times faster than adult dogs and so they require a special diet to aid their physical development. A specially formulated growth food is recommended which needs to be fed at evenly spaced intervals to avoid over stretching a puppy's small stomach.
Feed your puppy four meals a day up until the age of 4 months, and then reduce their feed to three meals a day until they are 6 months old. They can then move to two meals a day, and stay on this routine for the rest of their life.
When the pup first arrives we recommend keeping their diet simple for the first few days with some cooked fish & rice or Chappie and gradually introduce whichever food you decide to feed them. There is a plethora of foods available from moist food, complete dry diets to raw feeding. All we ask is that you do your home work and choose a good quality food appropriate for the dog’s age and avoid such brands as Bakers, Pedigree Chum as these cheap makes are full of additives which can make your pup hyper. Always make sure your pup has access to fresh water.
Toilet training your pup
The key to toilet training is routine and consistency. Start a toilet training routine. When you first wake up, last thing at night and very regularly during the day, take your puppy outside to a place in your garden that you have chosen. Let your puppy walk up and down or run about and sniff the area (both exercise and sniffing help stimulate going to the loo). Use a cue word like “toilet or be busy” and reward the pup when it goes in the right place.
Avoid playing exciting games in the garden before your puppy has toileted, as this is likely to distract them from the main purpose of going outside. If they want to come back inside straight away, or look confused, patiently walk up and down slowly to encourage them to move about and sniff the ground. Stay outside with your puppy until they have done their business at which point you can give gentle praise.
Avoid leaving your puppy outside in the hope that they will eventually go to the toilet, as most puppies will not want to be left alone and will instead concentrate on getting back to you, rather than learning to go to the toilet outside. If they still haven’t gone to the toilet after five minutes, come back inside the house, but keep a very close eye on them. Repeat this process 10 minutes later (and 10 minutes after that if they still haven’t gone) and hopefully your puppy will eventually toilet in the right place.
Set aside lots of time for this and be prepared for several visits to the garden at first. Be patient and your persistence will eventually pay off! Watch for the typical signs that your puppy needs to go to the toilet – these may include sniffing the floor, circling, looking restless or going into a room they have previously toileted in. Take your puppy immediately to your chosen place in the garden and wait patiently until they have done their business and praise gently.
Expect your puppy to have several accidents during the first few months of house training. They have very small bladders, and just like young children who are learning to use a potty, they are easily distracted, especially when excited! It’s important not to punish your puppy if they toilet in the house – this is counterproductive and won’t help them. It will only frighten them and may teach them to avoid toileting in front of you. You may have heard that it is a good idea to rub your puppy’s nose in any mess or take them over to the scene of the crime and tell them off – unfortunately training methods like this are extremely damaging and confusing to a puppy so best avoided entirely!
Socialising and training your pup
After your pup has settled after its journey they will benefit from gaining new positive experiences to get it used to things they will encounter in its life. Make a list of all the things that you think are likely to be part of your dog’s life – everything you can think of that you want your puppy to accept as a normal part of their routine. These experiences need to be totally positive – so if it's a person, they should give the puppy a treat, and if it is an experience (car, traffic, pub etc.) you need to make sure you treat and reward the puppy in that environment by playing a game with them or feeding them their dinner there. The more positive experiences we can expose the pup to the more rounded an adult dog it will become.
Use interactive toys stuffed with food, give them problems to solve, and controlled frustration to deal with. To continue their brain development in their new home, introduce them to tunnels, steps, things to clamber over and different surfaces to walk on.
Teach them about separation. Teach your puppy that part of their new life includes being left alone for short periods of time – or not having constant access to you. Do this from the first day you bring them home. Use a dog crate or a baby gate to separate them from you at least once every day at times when there are positive things happening, like eating dinner. To start with, they should still be able to see you, and so not feel deserted.
Encourage your pup to follow you by rewarding them with a treat or a game when they do. This means keeping a constant supply of treats in your pocket. This will simplify recall training when your puppy is older and will build the bond between you.
We advocate positive reinforcement based training and advice to help with socialisation you take your pup to training classes that support this ethos. Remember that pups should not be over exercised as their bones and joints need time to grow. A pup should only be exercised for 5 minutes per month of life so a 3 month old pup should only be exercised for no more than 15 minutes and for each month of age add an extra 5 minutes on.
Make sure you have a secure collar/harness and lead as your pup will need to get used to walking on a lead and traffic.
Remember Spanish Griffon Rescue offers ongoing support and advise should you need it. Please enjoy your new pup and give them the very best life has to offer.
Your pup will understandably be nervous initially being away from their litter mates and mum probably for the first time. They will be in a new environment which they needs time to get used. They have been on a big epic journey which they needs time to adjust and recover from so for the first few days it’s best to not over stimulate the pup with lots of people visiting. Help your pup to settle in by making sure they have their own bed to retreat to in a quiet area of the house. A crate is ideal for creating a safe, secure area where your pup can also sleep.
If the puppy is nervous, don't let children or adults handle the puppy too much. If the puppy shows signs of distress, sit quietly and comfort them. This first settling-in week is a very exciting time for all the family! During this time you are beginning to teach your puppy who their new family is and they are learning to trust you and bond with you. If there are children in the household it’s best to set boundaries for both the pup and the children which will allow the pup space and respect. Children must be aware they should never disturb a pup while they are sleeping in their own bed as this can startle the pup and cause distress and make them fearful. There is no better relationship than between a dog and children built on mutual respect.
Feeding your pup
Puppies grow 20 times faster than adult dogs and so they require a special diet to aid their physical development. A specially formulated growth food is recommended which needs to be fed at evenly spaced intervals to avoid over stretching a puppy's small stomach.
Feed your puppy four meals a day up until the age of 4 months, and then reduce their feed to three meals a day until they are 6 months old. They can then move to two meals a day, and stay on this routine for the rest of their life.
When the pup first arrives we recommend keeping their diet simple for the first few days with some cooked fish & rice or Chappie and gradually introduce whichever food you decide to feed them. There is a plethora of foods available from moist food, complete dry diets to raw feeding. All we ask is that you do your home work and choose a good quality food appropriate for the dog’s age and avoid such brands as Bakers, Pedigree Chum as these cheap makes are full of additives which can make your pup hyper. Always make sure your pup has access to fresh water.
Toilet training your pup
The key to toilet training is routine and consistency. Start a toilet training routine. When you first wake up, last thing at night and very regularly during the day, take your puppy outside to a place in your garden that you have chosen. Let your puppy walk up and down or run about and sniff the area (both exercise and sniffing help stimulate going to the loo). Use a cue word like “toilet or be busy” and reward the pup when it goes in the right place.
Avoid playing exciting games in the garden before your puppy has toileted, as this is likely to distract them from the main purpose of going outside. If they want to come back inside straight away, or look confused, patiently walk up and down slowly to encourage them to move about and sniff the ground. Stay outside with your puppy until they have done their business at which point you can give gentle praise.
Avoid leaving your puppy outside in the hope that they will eventually go to the toilet, as most puppies will not want to be left alone and will instead concentrate on getting back to you, rather than learning to go to the toilet outside. If they still haven’t gone to the toilet after five minutes, come back inside the house, but keep a very close eye on them. Repeat this process 10 minutes later (and 10 minutes after that if they still haven’t gone) and hopefully your puppy will eventually toilet in the right place.
Set aside lots of time for this and be prepared for several visits to the garden at first. Be patient and your persistence will eventually pay off! Watch for the typical signs that your puppy needs to go to the toilet – these may include sniffing the floor, circling, looking restless or going into a room they have previously toileted in. Take your puppy immediately to your chosen place in the garden and wait patiently until they have done their business and praise gently.
Expect your puppy to have several accidents during the first few months of house training. They have very small bladders, and just like young children who are learning to use a potty, they are easily distracted, especially when excited! It’s important not to punish your puppy if they toilet in the house – this is counterproductive and won’t help them. It will only frighten them and may teach them to avoid toileting in front of you. You may have heard that it is a good idea to rub your puppy’s nose in any mess or take them over to the scene of the crime and tell them off – unfortunately training methods like this are extremely damaging and confusing to a puppy so best avoided entirely!
Socialising and training your pup
After your pup has settled after its journey they will benefit from gaining new positive experiences to get it used to things they will encounter in its life. Make a list of all the things that you think are likely to be part of your dog’s life – everything you can think of that you want your puppy to accept as a normal part of their routine. These experiences need to be totally positive – so if it's a person, they should give the puppy a treat, and if it is an experience (car, traffic, pub etc.) you need to make sure you treat and reward the puppy in that environment by playing a game with them or feeding them their dinner there. The more positive experiences we can expose the pup to the more rounded an adult dog it will become.
Use interactive toys stuffed with food, give them problems to solve, and controlled frustration to deal with. To continue their brain development in their new home, introduce them to tunnels, steps, things to clamber over and different surfaces to walk on.
Teach them about separation. Teach your puppy that part of their new life includes being left alone for short periods of time – or not having constant access to you. Do this from the first day you bring them home. Use a dog crate or a baby gate to separate them from you at least once every day at times when there are positive things happening, like eating dinner. To start with, they should still be able to see you, and so not feel deserted.
Encourage your pup to follow you by rewarding them with a treat or a game when they do. This means keeping a constant supply of treats in your pocket. This will simplify recall training when your puppy is older and will build the bond between you.
We advocate positive reinforcement based training and advice to help with socialisation you take your pup to training classes that support this ethos. Remember that pups should not be over exercised as their bones and joints need time to grow. A pup should only be exercised for 5 minutes per month of life so a 3 month old pup should only be exercised for no more than 15 minutes and for each month of age add an extra 5 minutes on.
Make sure you have a secure collar/harness and lead as your pup will need to get used to walking on a lead and traffic.
Remember Spanish Griffon Rescue offers ongoing support and advise should you need it. Please enjoy your new pup and give them the very best life has to offer.