Congratulations on the new addition to your family! For thousands of years man has enjoyed a special relationship with his canine companion. First, no doubt for utilitarian purposes. But as he moved into our households, he stole our hearts. And today for many people, the dog has become a cherished member of the family. Your new puppy can add laughter, comfort, and joy to your life. But, like any major change, there can be growing pains. Whether those pains pass quickly or become unbearable will depend on well you have prepared for your new arrival and the steps you take to insure that he/she grows to be a healthy, happy, obedient companion.

An estimated 52.5 million dogs live in U.S. homes (36.5% of all U.S. homes own at least one dog)*. However, each year 12 million pets (dogs and cats) enter animal shelters. Eight million never make it out.** The numbers speak volumes about our culture - the idea of owning a pet is too often more appealing than the reality! To make sure your new puppy doesn't become a statistic takes commitment and hard work. Many of us remember the great old dog we had as a kid, but we forget that first difficult year. Plus, in our ever increasing urbanized society, we've lost our ability to talk to the animals. (This article assumes that, as a new puppy owner, you have done your homework, evaluated your lifestyle and carefully selected a puppy that suits your household. If you are currently in that process, I recommend reading the book The Puppy Report ?1992 Larry Shook, Lyons & Burford Publishers.)

The purpose of this article is to help you get started on the right foot. When you add good nutrition, proper veterinarian care, and a good training course, and combine them with lots of love and attention, you have the absolute best tried and true recipe for a successful dog/person relationship!

First Things First

There are several things you should do before your puppy arrives. One of them is to select a qualified veterinarian that you feel comfortable with and schedule an appointment for a physical examination and to update his vaccinations if needed. Next, puppy-proof your house. Your new puppy may seem carefree and independent - smart enough to know better. But he is still a baby and should be treated like one. Your home should be puppy-proofed to safeguard your puppy from potential household hazards. And your home should be safeguarded from your puppy to help minimize the accidents that are likely to occur and which tend to spoil a relationship. Get down on the floor to get a puppy's eye view of your home. Remove or store items such as nails, knives, or other sharp objects as well as items that may be chewed, swallowed, or eaten. Make sure your puppy does not have access to poisonous items. Antifreeze is especially deadly to pets even in very small quantities (enough to fill a crack in the driveway) and dogs find the taste enticing. Ask your vet for a list of poisonous items. Some poisons, like Chocolate and English Ivy, may surprise you.

Part of your pre-puppy preparation should include equipement and arrangements for sleeping, grooming, playing, feeding, and elimination. Provide a variety of age and size appropriate toys, age appropriate-feed, access to water, grooming equipment, leash, collar, license, etc. For elimination (yes, that's part of the puppy package), choose a spot in the yard you would like to train the puppy to use for a bathroom. Provide a safe, dry, comfortable resting area. When your puppy arrives, you will have to arrange your schedule to meet your puppy's needs, but as he matures, you may gradually adjust his schedule to meet yours. One of the nicest things you can do for your new puppy (and for yourself) is to get a crate for your puppy. When used properly, your puppy gets a safe, secure place of his own and you get peace of mind. Many people may think confining a dog to a crate is cruel, but dogs feel secure in small semi-enclosed areas. If you have owned a dog before, you may recall that when frightened, he would dash under the bed or a desk, into a closet, or hop into the bathtub - he felt most secure in a small enclosed area. Housebreaking and house manners are more easily taught to a crate trained puppy. You and your puppy can develop and maintain a positive schedule of playing, sleeping, eating, eliminating, training, housetime, etc. And, your puppy will not need to endure countless scoldings for things he cannot yet understand.

Creating the Right Environment

From the time a puppy is only a few weeks old, he starts learning. What and how much he learns is determined first by genetics then by his environment. It would behoove you then to select a genetically superior puppy then to make sure he learns what you wish to teach him. "We have the old saying `?You cannot teach an old dog new tricks.? This old adage could well be reworded to read, ?An old dog, if he has never been taught anything, cannot begin to learn when he is old.? For we are now finding out that a dog who has learned to learn when he was the right age can always be taught other things later." The New Knowledge of Dog Behavior. Clarence Pfaffenberger. ?1963.

You and the members of your household (both human and animal) will become your puppy's new pack. Your puppy must learn the rules the pack. His sense of well-being depends on it. Clear, consistent, and fair rules enforced firmly but lovingly will give your puppy a sense of belonging, his security blanket. A good relationship between puppy and owner is one of understanding, respect, and obedience - not fear! Your puppy should grow up to be willingly obedient, not neurotically submissive. If he cringes when you come near or if he rules the home with your family catering to his every whim, something has gone wrong.

Playing games with your puppy, will build a solid foundation for learning. (See articles on Dog Play on this site as well as www.do-behave.com.) The puppy is "set up" to succeed by conditioning him to adopt behaviors consistent with future training - you will have taught him how to learn! But obedience alone is not enough.

For the rest of this article, please read Developing Your Puppy's Social Skills Part II by Lori Rodriguez DO-BEHAVE.COM. In Part II, you will learn how to introduce your new puppy to the other members of your home as well as the world at large.

* The Veterinarian Service Market for Companion Animals 1992.

** The Humane Society of the United States. (202) 452-1100.