Good Vibes
Ever felt that instant connection with your dog the moment you laid eyes on them? When I saw photos of Vibe's litter on Facebook, one pup stood out (even though they all looked almost the same) - the future Vibe himself. And yes, that's how he got his name! With the uncertainty about which puppy would eventually be mine, I opted to name the three boys, so I'd be ready for whichever pup came home with me. The big boy, now Thriller, carried the moniker Inexorable Forces or simply 'Force'. Then came Twist, who I planned to call Maze, and for the life of me I cannot remember the full name for him. Lastly, the one who would fill my heart completely full – I Gotta Feeling, with the call name of Vibe. Another boy, Frixion, was staying put with his mom.
I know everyone loves puppies, but I really, really, REAAAALLY love puppies! I love all the puppy foundation stuff, but Vibe was the most fun puppy I’ve ever had the pleasure of raising. Oh, how I want those puppy days with him back. Just like all new dog parents, those early puppy-love days with Vibe were so fun but also with some challenges.
We started our days with tons of fun puppy games, flyball recalls, then when he was old enough, walks, hikes, lake and beach trips, and of course lots and lots of photos!
Enough reminiscing, here are my 5 tips to ensure a lifelong bond with your newest family addition.
1. Set a routine that includes fun and bonding time
Routines aren’t just when your pup sleeps, eats, and goes potty. Schedule time for snuggles and fun or a weekly adventure, so togetherness grows as your puppy grows, too.
Where to start? Easy! First thing in the morning starts with potty time. If you'd like your adult dog to use a specific area, use a leash to go out to that spot with your pup. After potty time, it's time for breakfast, which is the perfect time for a few minutes of playtime (aka training).
spend a few minutes of age-appropriate games and training with your pup using his or her breakfast as the 'treats.' Finish with some fun tug or toy play, then a second potty break.
Once your pup is vaccinated and safe to go out for walks, add a walk to your morning routine. While your pup is still not fully vaccinated, it's the perfect time to put the collar and leash on and use that breakfast kibble to teach your pup to be close to you with no tension on the leash.
Remember to finish everything with a potty break, then when you are no longer able to monitor your pup, be sure to have a safe place, like a crate or an Xpen (with a top) where your pup can relax and not learn any bad habits or get into anything dangerous.
If possible you'll want to repeat your morning routine at lunchtime, and dinner time. It may sound crazy to *train your puppy 3 times a day, but it's only for a few minutes each time and you'll be molding your pup into the perfect companion for you. Plus, why get a dog if you don't plan to spend time together? This puppy phase goes by so fast, and you'll never get it back. Enjoy every minute of it.
*training is often still thought of as a rigid forceful activity where you tell your dog you are the boss and jerk its neck. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but I feel the need to mention, training should be fun for both you and your puppy and should be in the form of play and games. If you're unsure where to start, consider your lifestyle and what you plan to do with your adult dog.
Do you plan to enjoy lunch or an outdoor show with your dog by your side? Then maybe leash walking and relaxing on a mat, while ignoring people and loud noises will be a priority for you. Do you travel a lot and need your dog to be comfortable with your dog sitter? Then having your dog eat in different places and be handled by different people might be a good start. Perhaps you have hopes of visiting assisted living homes with your future therapy dog. Then being calm in strange environments and not jumping on people will be important.
My life is different from yours, and yours is different from someone else's, so when you're planning your puppy games, keep in mind your lifestyle. Search for puppy games on YouTube and choose the ones that fit your vision of your future life. If you're still unsure, you don't need to do anything complicated and really each game does not need to have a future purpose. It's just having fun playing with your puppy, building that relationship, and teaching your puppy to think, be confident and trust you. Our lives can change course in a heartbeat, so the overall best thing you can do is raise a well-adjusted dog.
For some cuteness overload, below is a video of View (my counter-surfer) as a puppy. Looking back on this video, I can see so much wrong with it. First, at the beginning, he's biting at the water while swimming. My other Border Collie does the same thing and it's never been an issue. But View and all of his complicatedness is prone to water toxicity, so now I wish I didn't allow that because it makes swim time very stressful for me.
With the yellow square, I could have added better traction. With the tiny box he was getting in and out of, it was slippery and small, and a bit too difficult for him. You can see him get frantic and then frustrated. But, that's the thing, we're human and will always make mistakes. Thankfully, our dogs still put up with us.
2. Always monitor your pup
Puppies are always learning, whether you're teaching or not, they are learning. They are basically play-doh, which is amazing and so fun, but also means you need to be on your toes. For example, I used to prepare my dogs' meals on my kitchen island and let the bowls sit for a little while to allow the kibble to absorb some of the water. Then, when it was time to feed everyone, I had my dogs line up, while I grabbed their bowls one at a time, and called each one to their food. This taught my youngest dog that food comes from the counter. He's now 6 and I still need to block the kitchen off when I have food cooling on the stove. My other dogs would not dare consider counter-surfing. Why didn't my other dogs learn this? I don't remember what my setup was when they were young, but I didn't let it soak back then, so I think I scooped, brought it to the sink for water, then put the bowl down. So to them, the food came from me. View, my youngest, is also my only dog who learned nosework as a puppy and that may have contributed to him using his nose for food, Who knows, but add to that, every dog is different and what one dog will pick up another wouldn't.
So be aware of what your pup is learning and always be ready to interrupt a behavior, learn from the outcome, and change the environment so it doesn't happen again. You don't want to be correcting your pup from doing the 'wrong' thing. You want to provide the 'right' things, and your pup will grow up learning to trust you and in turn, you will learn to trust your pup.
When you aren't able to monitor your pup, provide a safe spot where there is no option to learn behaviors you don't want. An XPen or a crate is a place where your pup can learn to settle.
3. Handle your pup
Now is the time to teach your puppy that having his feet touched and teeth looked at is okay and comes with treats. start simple and reward often.
It's also a good time to teach your puppy that there are times when being calm is necessary.
If you have a breed that will need to be groomed as an adult, it's even more important that your pup learns to be calm while being touched. Otherwise, grooms may turn into stressful situations that your adult dog struggles through their entire life.
If you don't know where to start, Youtube to the rescue. Just search cooperative care. One popular method for teaching your dog to be calm during exams and also to monitor your dog for stress when being touched is teaching a chin rest. If you're not sure how to teach it, here's a YouTube video.
4. Introduce new experiences
Before you head out into the big scary world with your puppy, you can introduce so much at home. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, you want your puppy to be vaccinated. Parvo is all over Vegas, and it can live in grass and dirt for something like 5 years. Not worth taking chances. But your puppy needs to experience things, right? Yes! And you have so much you can do in your own home that will prepare your pup for those first adventures out. By introducing things to your pup's environment, then when your pup goes out for the first time, it won't be so much of a sensory overload.
How can you do this? Simple little things. You want to make it almost unnoticeable for your puppy that anything is different.
introduce noise, by giving your pup some food from a metal bowl on tile. As the bowl moves around, your pup will be getting rewarded without even noticing the noise. then you can add a spoon or two to the bowl, or put the bowl on a baking pan the next time. It can all happen slowly and comfortably.
Have people over, while your pup is relaxing in their own space. Then have people over again, and let your pup visit with them for a bit, then give your pup something to do and put them up.
Wear a hat sometimes. Move things around your house, have an open umbrella.
If your puppy is in an Xpen, then be sure to have different textures and surfaces in there, like a balance pod or wobble board, etc. mix is up every day or so. I recommend putting a crate in the XPen too. My dogs, generally learn to go sleep in their crate that way. I've also put the crate on top of a big balance pod, so that they adjust to movement.
You can tie a treat dispensing toy to the top of the xpen, so it hangs down low enough for your pup to learn that paw at the toys makes kibble fall out.
Use an old phone or the TV to play various sounds.
And of course, dogs like to sniff, so make sure your pup gets plenty of time to sniff around your yard, and hide some treats to be sniffed out.
If you have safe places to take your puppy, a friend's house with no other dogs, a safe indoor training facility, etc. add those to your adventure list.
The list is endless, be creative and come up with things that work for you and your pup.
5. Get out and discover the world
Now that your pup has experienced so many things in your home and yard, and you have your vet's okay to venture out, get out there and enjoy life! Tiny little adventures as often as possible, where your pup isn't approached by any people or dogs and no crazy loud sounds, is a good way to start your pup off on the right foot. Ideally, your pup can take in the environment, without being overwhelmed. Less is more in the beginning.
Be prepared to abort the mission at any given moment. If your pup shows any signs of stress or inability to handle everything going on, it's time to get to a calmer place and take that as information that you'll need to take things much slower.
Don't be afraid to tell someone that they cannot pet your puppy. Sure puppies love attention and people, but when you're out and there are people walking by, automatic doors moving, smells galore, nearby traffic, just all the things. It's a LOT for a puppy, and by saying no, you'll be reducing the risk of a bad or stressful experience. You want to build confidence not squash it by overwhelming your puppy.
In time your pup will be able to handle more and more. But my personal opinion and my chosen hill to die on, is the more your pup grows up learning to ignore people and the environment, the more places you will be able to enjoy with your grown-up dog.
Regular adventures help your puppy grow into a happy, comfortable adult and build your own lifelong habit of seeking out new experiences together.
6. Bonus tip! Capture sweet moments with your smartphone
One of my favorite photos of Vibe as a puppy is him at Lake Mead, staring at his ball a couple of feet away in the water. I took the photo from behind him, so it's the back of him, and you can see his puppy ear fuzz, his gangly long legs, his long tail with the white tip, and the endless lake in front of him. The photograph itself is nothing special, but I love it because I love the story that it shows.
Don't miss those moments, even if they seem small at the time. Take photos and videos of your adventures.
Another fun project is to take a photo in the same spot or next to the same object once a week for the first year, then every year on birthdays if you still have that spot available.
7. Extra Bonus tip because I just can't stop writing about puppies: Schedule a portrait session with a professional pet photographer
I don't say this because I want to play with puppies. I mean, I do, but your puppy is only a puppy for such a brief moment. You'll want amazing images of all that cuteness to cherish. You will definitely never regret getting those photos done.
I will leave you with this quote, from me. Which is why it doesn't flow as well as a famous quote:
whatever activities you make fun for your puppy during those first bonding months will become your dog's favorite activities for life. ~ me
6 Comments
Aug 22, 2023, 12:40:16 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thanks, Elaine. I agree! My thought is, if you don't see your pup, there's some trouble brewing. lol
Aug 22, 2023, 11:15:19 AM
Elaine - "Always Monitor Your Pup" and "Introduce to New Experiences" I believe are the hallmarks of great puppy ownership. Great blog!
Aug 20, 2023, 2:12:59 PM
Nicole Hrustyk - It is! Thank you, Darlene.
Aug 20, 2023, 6:00:27 AM
Darlene - Wonderful tips! Love the play-doh analogy lol! Introducing new experiences is so important!
Aug 18, 2023, 8:45:24 AM
Nicole Hrustyk - Thank you, Kim. I kind of went longer than planned with my post. haha
Aug 18, 2023, 6:33:34 AM
Kim Hollis - These are all great tips!