SUMMARY



• Make a safe home den for your puppy.

• Choosing a crate has house-training advantages, but don’t keep him in it for too long.

• Feeding him in his den will encourage him to accept it readily.

• Make sure the crate is the right size.

• Expect to get up in the night to begin with.

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Doggy day-care

If you intend to go back to work full time during your dog’s lifetime, you will need to consider in advance how you will make arrangements for his comfort and welfare. It is beyond the scope of this book to advise you on whether you should or should not own a dog. But remember that a crate is not a suitable long-term solution for a dog left alone during the day on a regular basis. Other than at night, you cannot crate a small puppy for hours at a time. He will simply become miserable and/or learn to mess in his crate. If you have to leave your puppy on a regular basis, you have two alternatives. You can arrange for someone else to attend to his needs while you are away, or you can provide him with a proper outdoor kennel with a run. A properly constructed kennel has a place where a dog can stretch his legs, a place where he can relieve himself, and a sleeping area where he has shelter from the wind, sun and rain. There are, however, major drawbacks to kennelling a puppy on his own. Dog...
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What to take with you

If you are buying a pedigree puppy, make sure that the breeder gives you the registration certificate, and the pedigree certificate, and make sure that they are for the same puppy! Check that the KC registration numbers match. Your breeder has probably registered several puppies and it is an easy mistake to mix up documents. If the puppies have had their first vaccination, you will need your puppy’s vaccination certificate, too. Many puppies will not have been vaccinated at all, and that is perfectly alright. You can read up on vaccinations in Part One if you haven’t done so already. Don’t forget to check the relevant health certificates if you haven’t seen them already. Some breeders will give you a little piece of blanket or vetbed to take with you so that the puppy has something with the smell of home on it. Don’t forget to take some of the puppies familar food with you. Breeders normally give you enough for several days. Some breeders will give you a puppy pack with food sample...
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What to expect on the journey home

The chances are that your puppy has never been in a car before. He has also never been away from the home where he was born and where he feels safe. If you put your puppy in a crate in the back of your car and drive home with him shut in there, one or all of the following three things may happen. He will scream very loudly most of the way. He will be sick. He will empty his bowels.  This reinforces your position as pack leader and is just good manners! This is simply because the puppy is stressed and feels abandoned. He may be perfectly safe in the crate in the event of an accident, but your driving is likely to be adversely affected by the noise and the smell. All in all, it is not a very good start to his new life. For this reason, when I collect a puppy, I always take an adult passenger with me, or get someone else to drive. Then the puppy can sit in the footwell on the passenger side of the car. Pressed up against someone’s legs, he will feel safe and won’t scream with fear. I...
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