Canine Behaviour Foundation Course
Module 1 - Section - 7 - Pup coming home
Module 1 - Section - 7 - Pup coming home
- Plan for a Successful Homecoming
- How to make the home safer.
- Introducing a pup to existing dogs.
1. Plan for a Successful Homecoming
Before the client brings the pup home, they can leave a small blanket with the breeder that the pup can cuddle up on. This will help when the pup is brought home as it will have familiar scents on it of the mom and littermates.
If client is close enough to visitor the breeder, suggest they start to get the pup used to them and being in the car which will eliminate the stress and hopefully the car sickness that so often happens in first time car rides for pups – you have already had some notes on dealing with this condition.
When client visits pup before it comes home, turn this into a training exercise by getting the pup used to the crate or box that will be used to transport it. This can be done by using the same methods as crate training and if you have a really good breeder he may even allow the pup to sleep in the crate for a few days before coming home.
You can show your client some of the basic TTouches and they can start to do this on the pup while visiting, even if it is just Ear work and Noah’s March. If the pup does appear fearful of the car or if the client has not been able to establish this, it is a good idea to have somebody with them to assist during the car ride. Start off doing some TTouches on the pup, then pop the puppy into the crate or box and have it sitting on the friends lap or on the floor in front of them. Turn on the car and slowly drive around to get the pup used to the motion of the car ride. Some short rides such as this will get a pup totally used to the car and the ride home is then normally a pleasure.
An additional thing that can be done is to put newspaper both under the box or crate (helps to deaden the vibrations of the car) and inside the crate or box, in the case of any ‘accidents’. Remember that if driving a long distance to have plenty of ‘pit stops’ to exercise stiff legs and have a small drink of water. I find that if you have a really nice chewy for the pup to get stuck into, this also reduces the stress levels as it keeps the pups mind off the car and chewing helps to release tension.
In order to make the transmission easier for both the pup and the family, plan ahead. Remind your client to have all the equipment needed i.e. collar, lead, bed, crate, chew toys, puppy school etc.
Find out from the breeder what he is currently feeding and have it in the home. Pups often get an upset tummy due to stress when first coming home and you don’t want to make it worse by bringing in a change in food which could cause this or aggravate the condition.
If client does intend to change the food, confer with vet as to which brand will be best for their pup, then make the change slowly over 5-7 days, gradually adding in the new food. This will help client to ascertain if there are any adverse effects to the new food by way of either a runny or loose stools and/or any vomiting. If this does occur, phone vet and do not continue adding in the new food. The vet may make the decision to either go back to original brand, or to bring in new food slower – the vet may also want to examine the pup to determine no illness present.
Client to make an appointment with vet as soon after the pup comes home as possible and if pup comes from a shelter do try and make a stop at the vet on the way home – especially if other dogs in the home. The vet will give the pup a complete health check and make sure the inoculations are up to date.
Until the puppy has settled, isolate it and introduce it to other members of the family bit by bit, as well as other animal members of the family. With other dogs in the family, ensure that the first few introductions are done slowly and of short duration – this will help both the pup and the existing dog cope.
We have already discussed the importance of puppy school and early socialization and also the pup being vaccinated for disease so there is no need to go into this again, but do keep the importance of these two aspects in mind for your clients. It is vital that your client is aware that any signs of the pup being off-colour must not be ignored and the pup taken to the vet immediately for a check-up. Illness can progress very rapidly in a pup and early detection can prevent serious consequences as well as protect any other animals in the family.
Although we want the pup to be as well socialized as possible, suggest not to have visitors for the first few days. Client can take this time to get the pup familiar to its new home, its new routines and to the whole family.
Before the client brings the pup home, they can leave a small blanket with the breeder that the pup can cuddle up on. This will help when the pup is brought home as it will have familiar scents on it of the mom and littermates.
If client is close enough to visitor the breeder, suggest they start to get the pup used to them and being in the car which will eliminate the stress and hopefully the car sickness that so often happens in first time car rides for pups – you have already had some notes on dealing with this condition.
When client visits pup before it comes home, turn this into a training exercise by getting the pup used to the crate or box that will be used to transport it. This can be done by using the same methods as crate training and if you have a really good breeder he may even allow the pup to sleep in the crate for a few days before coming home.
You can show your client some of the basic TTouches and they can start to do this on the pup while visiting, even if it is just Ear work and Noah’s March. If the pup does appear fearful of the car or if the client has not been able to establish this, it is a good idea to have somebody with them to assist during the car ride. Start off doing some TTouches on the pup, then pop the puppy into the crate or box and have it sitting on the friends lap or on the floor in front of them. Turn on the car and slowly drive around to get the pup used to the motion of the car ride. Some short rides such as this will get a pup totally used to the car and the ride home is then normally a pleasure.
An additional thing that can be done is to put newspaper both under the box or crate (helps to deaden the vibrations of the car) and inside the crate or box, in the case of any ‘accidents’. Remember that if driving a long distance to have plenty of ‘pit stops’ to exercise stiff legs and have a small drink of water. I find that if you have a really nice chewy for the pup to get stuck into, this also reduces the stress levels as it keeps the pups mind off the car and chewing helps to release tension.
In order to make the transmission easier for both the pup and the family, plan ahead. Remind your client to have all the equipment needed i.e. collar, lead, bed, crate, chew toys, puppy school etc.
Find out from the breeder what he is currently feeding and have it in the home. Pups often get an upset tummy due to stress when first coming home and you don’t want to make it worse by bringing in a change in food which could cause this or aggravate the condition.
If client does intend to change the food, confer with vet as to which brand will be best for their pup, then make the change slowly over 5-7 days, gradually adding in the new food. This will help client to ascertain if there are any adverse effects to the new food by way of either a runny or loose stools and/or any vomiting. If this does occur, phone vet and do not continue adding in the new food. The vet may make the decision to either go back to original brand, or to bring in new food slower – the vet may also want to examine the pup to determine no illness present.
Client to make an appointment with vet as soon after the pup comes home as possible and if pup comes from a shelter do try and make a stop at the vet on the way home – especially if other dogs in the home. The vet will give the pup a complete health check and make sure the inoculations are up to date.
Until the puppy has settled, isolate it and introduce it to other members of the family bit by bit, as well as other animal members of the family. With other dogs in the family, ensure that the first few introductions are done slowly and of short duration – this will help both the pup and the existing dog cope.
We have already discussed the importance of puppy school and early socialization and also the pup being vaccinated for disease so there is no need to go into this again, but do keep the importance of these two aspects in mind for your clients. It is vital that your client is aware that any signs of the pup being off-colour must not be ignored and the pup taken to the vet immediately for a check-up. Illness can progress very rapidly in a pup and early detection can prevent serious consequences as well as protect any other animals in the family.
Although we want the pup to be as well socialized as possible, suggest not to have visitors for the first few days. Client can take this time to get the pup familiar to its new home, its new routines and to the whole family.
2. How to make the home safer.
By using a safe place and crate the owner can happily supply the pup with as many chew toys as possible. Remember not to leave any small pieces that the pup can choke on around and take away the chew toy when it gets small.
- Invest in a crate – the difference a crate can make in the pup’s life and your clients has to be seen to be believed! You can close of a section of the kitchen or laundry and place the pups crate there or even invest in a puppy playpen. This provides the pup not only with a safe place to sleep but gives it a little play area where a tray with some grass on it which can be used as the toilet or alternatively an area with newspapers or puppy pads, for when client is not around to take the pup out. Check with breeder what surface/substrate the pup is currently using for elimination surfaces. By utilizing this substrate it will make it easier for pup to adapt. If a pup has been using a substrate such as grass for elimination purposes, provide the same substrate in the new home – failing to do this may result in the pup determining by itself which area should be used for elimination purposes – remember prevention is better than cure, ensure that the pup has easy access to the elimination area.
By using a safe place and crate the owner can happily supply the pup with as many chew toys as possible. Remember not to leave any small pieces that the pup can choke on around and take away the chew toy when it gets small.
- Use management and remove any objects that can be chewed or swallowed – remember the pup is on the floor, so don’t just look at items left on the table – seriously get down to the pups level and crawl around.
- This is a good time to re-educate children (and husbands!) and insist that doors are closed and rooms kept tidy or at least there is nothing left lying on the floor such as shoes, socks etc.
- If client has low coffee tables, keep items off them for the time being. It is incredible how easily pups manage to get hold of items on low surfaces.
- If client is in the habit of keeping poisons, cleaning equipment, pool chemicals, medicines, rat poisons etc, in a cupboard close to the floor, change these to a place higher up where a pup can’t reach. A cupboard door just has to be left open a few centimetres and an inquisitive nose or paw can easily open the cupboard enough to get hold of the items there. A pup being poisoned in this way is a very common occurrence so please pay close attention. My own dog Brady, discovered at three months of age how to open cupboards all by himself and promptly started to eat a packet of firelighters, which was not only could have proved to be fatal, it turned out to be very expensive as well!
- If the puppy is going to be allowed to roam by itself (which is not recommended), protect wooden table legs and similar surfaces by spraying them with a spray bottle of water to which about 10 drops of pure Citronella oil is added. The majority of dogs do not like the smell of this and a bonus is that you don’t get mosquitoes either! Another alternative is to use of one the ‘pet off’ products sold at vets and pet shops. Make sure that your pup does not have access to any wires around the house. As mentioned above, remember to look at your home from the pups height, not your own!
- Ensure that dustbins (both inside and out) is out of reach of your pup. Once again so many pups end up with tummy troubles, choking, obstructions or worse from getting into these.
- Check up on plants that can be poisonous to dogs simply by typing in ‘plants poisonous to dogs’ and doing a South Africa search on the internet. There really are a lot of them. Tell them also to check with their local garden centre if the fertilizer or compost you are using is pet friendly. Some of them, such as those containing ‘tobacco dust’ are poisonous to dogs.
- Choose the place that will be pups permanent place for its food and water bowl to stay. The location chosen should be in an easily accessible place, but not in a hallway where there is a large volume of people and perhaps pets coming and going. Buy a bowl with rubber at the bottom so that it doesn’t go skidding all over the place and have a responsible person to pick it up, wash it and put it away when it is not feeding time. This will help prevent possible food guarding problems if another dog is introduced at a later stage.
- When pup first comes home, area such as stairs, security gates and balconies with bars can prove to be dangerous. Simply block these off from the pup or alternatively put up some plastic mesh to keep the pups safe. I myself used a baby gate to keep the pup out of areas that I did not want it to go into.
- Suggest getting pup over a weekend so that client can spend some time with it, or take a few days off work. This will allow them to put pups schedule into place, start toilet training and feeding schedules. The sooner they get pup into a schedule the easier life with a new pup will become. Remember client not to be with the pups on a 24/7 basis, or the pup will stress when the owners go back to work.
- Read the section on Introducing a Pup to Existing dogs if not already done, and remember that the pup is the bottom of the canine pack – don’t pay too much attention to it (although very hard) or client will put older dogs nose out of joint and create the possibility of upsetting the existing canine hierarchy.
- Lastly the garden needs to be checked for gaps in the corners and under walls, holes in fences, as well as make sure that garden ponds and swimming pools are not assessable. With items such as these it is a good idea to get pup used to them as soon as possible.
- All pups should be taught to swim, but not at such a young age. Teaching a pup to swim is dealt with in an earlier section - make the pool puppy safe.
Introducing a pup to existing dogs.
Any existing behaviour problems with existing dogs must be sorted out first! Ensure that all existing dogs are up to date with de-worming and inoculations.
If the existing dog in the home has issues with other dogs where reactive behaviour is concerned, then I would not recommend that the family adopts a pup at all. An ‘incident’ of aggression can take a few seconds and the result can be a dead or badly injured puppy – best case scenario being that the pup becomes fearful of other dogs! If there is any doubt at all as to whether the existing dog will accept a pup into the family, then I would suggest that client contact an accredited behaviourist to assist you with this situation. Do request that you are present at the consult so that you can improve your own knowledge.
The next step would be to provide the breeder or shelter with a blanket for the puppy to lie on for a few days before coming home, and the day before introducing the dogs, bring the blanket back to the existing dogs to scent and sniff.
The adult dog should have had a good walk first so that it is not excited. Prevention is always better than cure, and a long walk will help to balance serotonin levels and result in a much calmer dog. I would never introduce an excited dog who seldom gets out to a pup in this situation. It would be too excited and totally ‘over the top’.
I would definitely bring in the use of the Avalon Pure for Dogs General Anxiety spray, just to lower stress levels.
The very first step is that the pup is introduced to your existing dog away from the home at the breeder’s yard, with the breeder or even a trainer or behaviourist present.
If the pup is purchased from a shelter, then organize with the shelter to bring existing dog to an area of neutral territory. The introduction is never done initially on home ground. This could lead to resource guarding of the property by the existing dog/dogs.
An area that is smaller and secure where the pup or dog cannot escape is preferable. Make sure there are no food bowls or toys lying around. Always have somebody to help you with this and make sure both dogs are on lead or in a harness. If the pup has not yet been trained to be on collar and lead, then have somebody hold the puppy – kneeling down and with the pup either on their lap or being contained gently on the floor – do not pick the pup up. This will lead to the pup being ‘higher’ than the existing dogs and could lead to jumping up behaviour occurring and the existing dog getting over excited and the pup receiving a fright. Remember this is a very important stage of the pups learning and a fright could do a lot of harm have a long term impact.
Under no circumstances is the introduction procedure to be forced in any way by getting the adult dog to say hello to the pup, this will end in disaster. If the adult dog ignores the pup and goes to lie down, just ignore it and when you see it glancing at the pup, praise and reward this behaviour. You will find that the adult will then start to glance more, may crawl forward a little and start to sniff from a distance. The adult dog is unsure and perhaps nervous of the addition and it is important to go very slowly and with ‘where the adult dog is at’.
Allow your existing dog to walk up to the pup and smell and investigate it, if it wants too. If it chooses to ignore it instead, then just follow your existing dogs lead. You may find that gradually your existing dog may creep forward to sniff and smell the puppy. If all goes well at this stage, then the pup is placed on the ground for further smelling and investigation to take place, but is still gently contained by the person holding it. It is essential that the person holding the existing dog is calm and relaxed, as tension will travel down the lead, which could make the existing dog nervous. The same situation applies to the person holding the puppy.
Continually monitor the existing dogs Calming and Stress Signals to ensure that the situation is not becoming too much. Invitations to play such as play bows, yawning, lip licking, rolling over onto the back, are all positive signs. Although the owner may desperately want a new addition to their family, it has to be remembered that their loyalty is to the existing dog, not the puppy!
Lead the existing dog away from the pup on a regular basis, only allowing the interactions to be very short, and praise existing dog for the behaviour you do like i.e. accepting the pup. This will help to keep tension levels down. As mentioned above this is a situation that can never be rushed and the speed with which you take the interaction forward will depend on the reaction from the existing dog. On average, and if the existing dog has been socialized, the majority of dogs will accept a pup, it just takes a bit of time for them to accept the new arrival.
When you have passed this phase, allow the pup to walk around and investigate and let your own dog decide how much actual interaction takes place. If the pup gets too bouncy, just remove it for a few minutes and then start again. It is crucial that the existing dog is given time alone.
When you are happy with the above interactions, don’t take the lead off the existing dog, rather drop it on the floor to allow the dog to investigate further. Having the lead still attached will allow you to intervene safely if you feel the interaction is getting out of hand. Call your existing dog back on a regular basis and praise.
If all is going well and the pup has been trained to go on a collar then the next step is to take the two of them for a short walk together. Dogs that walk together tend to bond together. Remember the pup is very young, so a short walk, full of interesting smells of about 5 minutes duration is perfect. If the pup has not been collar trained, then keep existing dog on lead, and walk around the area you are currently in, with the pup running free.
If there are more than one existing dogs in the family, this has to be undertaken with each dog separately. If the interactions go well, then the procedure is repeated with the two existing dogs and if there is a third dog – then with the three existing dogs together with the puppy.
If there are any problems at any of the above stages, then the procedure to be stopped and a behaviourist called in to see if there is a chance of the dogs interacting happily in future.
If time does allow, I would suggest that owner takes the existing dog to visit the puppy for a few days in a row, before it comes home.
When the puppy does come home, the same procedure as above is repeated outside the home environment, a dog at a time if multiple dogs. When all dogs are successfully interacting, then walk all of them into the home together.
Before this occurs ensure that any objects such as food bowls, toys, favourite beds etc, have been put away – prevention is always better than cure!
A pup can be an extremely tiring addition, not just for the family, but also for the existing dogs. Make sure that existing dogs get time alone and that the puppy does not spend all its time with them – it is not a play thing to entertain your existing dogs.
Initially all interactions must be supervised and each dog should have be allowed its own food bowl which should be picked up afterwards. Introduce toys and prized possessions slowly in the presence of the puppy and be aware of any possible resource guarding of items.
Some points to bear in mind:-
Any existing behaviour problems with existing dogs must be sorted out first! Ensure that all existing dogs are up to date with de-worming and inoculations.
If the existing dog in the home has issues with other dogs where reactive behaviour is concerned, then I would not recommend that the family adopts a pup at all. An ‘incident’ of aggression can take a few seconds and the result can be a dead or badly injured puppy – best case scenario being that the pup becomes fearful of other dogs! If there is any doubt at all as to whether the existing dog will accept a pup into the family, then I would suggest that client contact an accredited behaviourist to assist you with this situation. Do request that you are present at the consult so that you can improve your own knowledge.
The next step would be to provide the breeder or shelter with a blanket for the puppy to lie on for a few days before coming home, and the day before introducing the dogs, bring the blanket back to the existing dogs to scent and sniff.
The adult dog should have had a good walk first so that it is not excited. Prevention is always better than cure, and a long walk will help to balance serotonin levels and result in a much calmer dog. I would never introduce an excited dog who seldom gets out to a pup in this situation. It would be too excited and totally ‘over the top’.
I would definitely bring in the use of the Avalon Pure for Dogs General Anxiety spray, just to lower stress levels.
The very first step is that the pup is introduced to your existing dog away from the home at the breeder’s yard, with the breeder or even a trainer or behaviourist present.
If the pup is purchased from a shelter, then organize with the shelter to bring existing dog to an area of neutral territory. The introduction is never done initially on home ground. This could lead to resource guarding of the property by the existing dog/dogs.
An area that is smaller and secure where the pup or dog cannot escape is preferable. Make sure there are no food bowls or toys lying around. Always have somebody to help you with this and make sure both dogs are on lead or in a harness. If the pup has not yet been trained to be on collar and lead, then have somebody hold the puppy – kneeling down and with the pup either on their lap or being contained gently on the floor – do not pick the pup up. This will lead to the pup being ‘higher’ than the existing dogs and could lead to jumping up behaviour occurring and the existing dog getting over excited and the pup receiving a fright. Remember this is a very important stage of the pups learning and a fright could do a lot of harm have a long term impact.
Under no circumstances is the introduction procedure to be forced in any way by getting the adult dog to say hello to the pup, this will end in disaster. If the adult dog ignores the pup and goes to lie down, just ignore it and when you see it glancing at the pup, praise and reward this behaviour. You will find that the adult will then start to glance more, may crawl forward a little and start to sniff from a distance. The adult dog is unsure and perhaps nervous of the addition and it is important to go very slowly and with ‘where the adult dog is at’.
Allow your existing dog to walk up to the pup and smell and investigate it, if it wants too. If it chooses to ignore it instead, then just follow your existing dogs lead. You may find that gradually your existing dog may creep forward to sniff and smell the puppy. If all goes well at this stage, then the pup is placed on the ground for further smelling and investigation to take place, but is still gently contained by the person holding it. It is essential that the person holding the existing dog is calm and relaxed, as tension will travel down the lead, which could make the existing dog nervous. The same situation applies to the person holding the puppy.
Continually monitor the existing dogs Calming and Stress Signals to ensure that the situation is not becoming too much. Invitations to play such as play bows, yawning, lip licking, rolling over onto the back, are all positive signs. Although the owner may desperately want a new addition to their family, it has to be remembered that their loyalty is to the existing dog, not the puppy!
Lead the existing dog away from the pup on a regular basis, only allowing the interactions to be very short, and praise existing dog for the behaviour you do like i.e. accepting the pup. This will help to keep tension levels down. As mentioned above this is a situation that can never be rushed and the speed with which you take the interaction forward will depend on the reaction from the existing dog. On average, and if the existing dog has been socialized, the majority of dogs will accept a pup, it just takes a bit of time for them to accept the new arrival.
When you have passed this phase, allow the pup to walk around and investigate and let your own dog decide how much actual interaction takes place. If the pup gets too bouncy, just remove it for a few minutes and then start again. It is crucial that the existing dog is given time alone.
When you are happy with the above interactions, don’t take the lead off the existing dog, rather drop it on the floor to allow the dog to investigate further. Having the lead still attached will allow you to intervene safely if you feel the interaction is getting out of hand. Call your existing dog back on a regular basis and praise.
If all is going well and the pup has been trained to go on a collar then the next step is to take the two of them for a short walk together. Dogs that walk together tend to bond together. Remember the pup is very young, so a short walk, full of interesting smells of about 5 minutes duration is perfect. If the pup has not been collar trained, then keep existing dog on lead, and walk around the area you are currently in, with the pup running free.
If there are more than one existing dogs in the family, this has to be undertaken with each dog separately. If the interactions go well, then the procedure is repeated with the two existing dogs and if there is a third dog – then with the three existing dogs together with the puppy.
If there are any problems at any of the above stages, then the procedure to be stopped and a behaviourist called in to see if there is a chance of the dogs interacting happily in future.
If time does allow, I would suggest that owner takes the existing dog to visit the puppy for a few days in a row, before it comes home.
When the puppy does come home, the same procedure as above is repeated outside the home environment, a dog at a time if multiple dogs. When all dogs are successfully interacting, then walk all of them into the home together.
Before this occurs ensure that any objects such as food bowls, toys, favourite beds etc, have been put away – prevention is always better than cure!
A pup can be an extremely tiring addition, not just for the family, but also for the existing dogs. Make sure that existing dogs get time alone and that the puppy does not spend all its time with them – it is not a play thing to entertain your existing dogs.
Initially all interactions must be supervised and each dog should have be allowed its own food bowl which should be picked up afterwards. Introduce toys and prized possessions slowly in the presence of the puppy and be aware of any possible resource guarding of items.
Some points to bear in mind:-
- Always greet the adult dogs first – the pup is the lowest ranking.
- Feed the adult dog first and feed separately
- Be vigilant when chew bones or toys are involved and until you are certain that there will be no reaction from the existing dog, rather keep toys, chewies etc out of the situation completely when dogs are together.
- Spend quality time with the adult dog and don’t give the pup too much attention and don’t pick it up around the older dog if possible.
- Be vigilant when coming home with the pup from puppy school, at mealtimes, when preparing for walks, around the adult dogs bed etc. I normally tell clients at times such as this, rather leave the existing dog with a nice bone to chew on in an area where the puppy has no access too, having had a walk previously if possible. Put the pup in the garden, for example, go and take the bone away from existing dog and greet it, and allow them to come together again in the garden. As you will learn in the section on reactive behaviour, areas such as doorways, arriving home, food bowls are area’s where fights often break out.
- Don’t interfere when the adult dog reprimands the puppy unless absolutely necessary. An adult dog snapping at the pup and the pup running away whining or yelping, may sound as if the pup is being murdered – it seldom is. Don’t be over protective towards the pup – check that no damage has been done and then leave it alone. With my own dog Brady, when he was a pup he pushed the limits with a friend’s dog which resulted in the dog snapping at him. He took off at the speed of knots yelping dramatically. I checked if he was ok and then left him alone – from that moment on he respected the older dogs warning signals and there was never a repeat occurrence.
- Supervise all play sessions and interactions and terminate them before the excitement levels get too high.
