Creating a ‘Safe’ space for your puppy.

A safe place is great for puppy to learn that that is your puppy’s own space that is safe from being disturbed, a space where your puppy can sleep and relax. A space where if something scary happens, like fireworks or builders, or visitors – your puppy can choose to take himself there which is a known place that they feel safe and relaxed in. Ideally it should be away from doors and windows, not in hallways or somewhere cold. Choose a quiet area of the home that is easy for puppy to access, warm and cosy.

Setting up up your puppy’s space: It can include a puppy gated area or pen, and inside a warm cosy bed, or a cosy crate with an open door. Inside the ‘den’ leave puppy some water ( not deep bowl ) , puppy safe chews / toys. This is a place to rest and relax, and keep this place special by giving your dog long lasting puppy safe chew. You can also scatter treats in their safe place when they are not looking to make it extra special. I personally never shut my dog in their crate- it’s just a cosy place for puppy to rest, relax and feel safe in a ‘den’. If you do decode to close the crate door – seek advice from a qualified dog trainer and crate train slowly to ensure you are caring for your puppy’s emotional wellbeing and safety and not creating problems for you or your puppy’s development.

Overtiredness in puppies is very common and can manifest in behaviour issues such as biting, hyperactive behaviour so try to make sure puppy is getting 18-20 hours of sleep a day.

Dog ownership essentials overview

Your dog must be micro-chipped.

You must keep these microchip details up to date.

• Check the law about having your dog off-lead in certain areas – this varies depending on where you are walking.

• Your dog must have an ID tag with at least your surname, first line of your address, and your postcode. I would add a phone number too!

• Have a look at pet insurance. Good pet insurance is great to help with regular health care, preventative care and to have in place for the unexpected times your puppy or dog may need to see a vet. They can also cover behaviourist services if your dog develops a behaviour issue which can be expensive.

• Speak to your vets about vaccinations.

• Keep up to date with the worming and flea treatments. There are holistic alternatives, if you would like a consultation with our Barks & Splendour experts hop over to our concierge page.

• Know the number for the out of hours vets and keep it in an easy to find place for anyone who cares for your dog or puppy.

• Have an action plan in case you get stuck away from your puppy.

• Check out local dog walkers and areas to walk.

Utilise a Puppy Planner

Barks & Splendour puppy planner is the perfect planner and expert guide to help you through your puppy first night and beyond. There can be a lot to remember and keep a track of as a new puppy parent. Our EXPERT designed Barks & Splendour puppy planner makes it all super easy for you. From your first night, to toilet training, behavior prevention and tracking so that you have a record of puppy’s days and assurance that if you do reach out for a 1-1 trainer’s session it is very easy to look at each area and quickly spot what might need adjusting, as well as spot the huge congratulations to you as a puppy parent for doing an amazing job! It is peace of mind, wrapped up in a beautiful puppy planner for your peace of mind and future-proofing your puppy as he grows into a dog.

Puppy Nipping and Biting

It is a natural part of puppy development, and usually stops at around 5 months, however this is different for each puppy and also depends on other behaviour and environmental factors. Understanding why your puppy may be nipping and biting is key in helping them. Below you will find 5 key areas of why puppy nipping may be occurring:

Playful puppy nipping: In the litter,

Playfighting is how dogs learn those natural hunting skills- when you watch puppies play with toys or together teeth are always involved. If you have a pup that is prone to nipping during play, try playing with a long toy. Keep these to hand in all areas of your home hidden but within easy reach, and even hidden on your person such as in a jakey or trouser pocket ready to use. The pup will get the satisfaction of digging their teeth into something but your hands are saved! If there are certain games that get too much, avoid playing them all together or keeping the game short.

Excitement: We often find the more excited a puppy is, the more likely they are to nip- like after a walk or when you get home from work! Our puppy planner has a section on nipping to help you identify and track puppy nipping. Most puppies and even dogs can feel excited after a walk, so having some calm time with a chew on a cosy bed can help settle them. This is especially important to do if you are about to leave them – spend some time helping them relax and settle first.

Attention nipping. This is a big one. Loads of puppies will nip at you to get attention. This is a learnt behaviour. When your pup nips you what do puppy owners naturally do is say ‘ouch’, push our dog off, or occasionally have a moan at them. This can be rewarding for our puppy hearing squeal noises or physically engaging with them, and any behaviour that gets rewarded gets repeated. If your pup nips at you for attention, he may have learned that is how he gets attention. Often young puppies teeth do not hurt when we bring them home, so people allow puppies to chew on hands. BUT, when those teeth get sharp and it hurts us, puppies are suddenly not allowed. This is a confusing message for puppies so remember to have a no teeth on skin rule from the start. Use our puppy planner to help you manage puppy teething phase in a simple and easy way.

Witching Hour ( Puppy biting in evenings )

---

Does your puppy get particularly nippy in the evening- the puppy witching hour? It’s often caused by tiredness! Your pups have had a very exciting day – so are quite excitable, and then on top of that are exhausted, and it all comes out as nipping and chewing.

Make sure your pup gets enough sleep throughout the day, around 18-22 hours for younger pups (8 weeks) and 16-18 hours at 12 weeks. Create lots of nice quite moments throughout the day.

• Sleepy Puppies
• Playful Puppies
• Teething / Exploring Puppies

Herding Puppies

A lot of dogs will nip at your heels. It’s understandable behaviour as your feet are moving just at their eye sight, and the behaviour is rewarded by those heels moving away even quicker. Nipping can be particularly bad in herding breeds. Dogs like Border Collies and particularly our little Corgis have been bred to herd sheep sometimes by nipping at cattle’s heels to get them moving. If your pup nips at your heels stand still- then you know you are not rewarding the behaviour in anyway.

Prevention is better than cure.

There are other important key areas as a new puppy owner that are essential to gain professional help with to help prevent the following behaviour issues developing. But please note, puppies are complex and there are factors that will affect your puppy even before you bring them home, as well as genetics, epi genetics and more. It is still best to work with a professional on key prevention and confidence building to help you have your puppy have the best lifestyle together.

Key areas – that are more important than learning cue’s – these are VERY important to focus on preventing:

1. Separation Anxiety / Separation Distress Prevention
2. Resource Guarding Prevention
3. Socialisation guidance including learning canine body language & communication
4. Reactivity prevention
5. Meeting your dogs needs – which help avoid many common dog problem behaviours
6. Handling – Getting used to vets, grooming and medication practice training.

This is where we are different at Barks & Splendour. While most will go straight into a puppy class learning cue’s such as sit, down, stay, eye contact and more, we know that these are not the first priority for your puppy. We love supporting puppy owners and equipping puppy owners with knowledge that will support through a dog’s lifetime.

For example, knowing that a puppy or dog has not had enough sleep could be presenting in behaviour issues, but behind that is a dog or puppy who is overtired and not getting enough sleep. Rather than jumping straight into training, it is essential to check that needs are being met first, before anyone ever starts with training.

Your dog’s 5 Key Needs:

Sleep Needs – From 18+ Hours a day

Health Needs – From Diet to potential health issues which are often underlying and unknown, and can appear as an unwanted behaviour. For example a dog who growls when he is nudged, or who is refusing to jump in and out of the car, or who has suddenly had a behaviour change. These are all red flags that need vet check. Knowing what to tell your vet is something we support you with at Barks & Splendour within our dog owners lifestyle & wellness club.

Breed Needs – Dog’s were bred for a ‘job’ years ago. It is in their DNA. Now, life is very different with many breeds living in homes and not working’. Giving your dog Congratulations on your new puppy!

Your dog has a need to practice outlets for their breed needs. These will often help or solve some training and unwanted behaviour problems that dog owners may be experiencing. Before you reach for dog training solutions this is another crucial part to consider in your dog’s life.

Other essential needs that will impact a dog’s behaviour and training, and that should be looked at prior to starting any training are diet, emotional and relationship needs, environmental needs. Read more here on our dogs needs blog post.

Barks & Splendour Shop | Lifestyle Coaching | Dog Owner Retreats & Events