Categories
Tips & Tricks

Animal rescue dogs – Experience report by Frederike

Out of 900 million dogs worldwide, 700 million of them live on the streets.

This is an enormously high number. Because of this, I as well as numerous animal welfare activists, are happy about every single rescue dog, who finds a great home in a family.

Since a few weeks, I have had a second rescue dog. So I live together with my seven-year-old former street dog Nala from Romania and a five-month-old young dog named Swift from Spain. Both spent their first weeks and months of life in a shelter until they moved in with me.

What it means to take in an animal welfare dog

Adopting a dog from a shelter is a great thing – but it is also not so easy.

First of all, you have to find a suitable animal welfare organization – unfortunately, there are some black sheep here, too. Both of my dogs have special adoption stories and in most cases, it doesn’t work out that you choose any dog and that dog moves in with you right away. With Nala I searched for a long time on the Internet for a suitable dog. She is my first dog and I had no special ideas about what I expect from a dog. Only the chemistry should be right. Something came in between with all dogs. Either the dog was already gone or somehow the gut feeling did not fit. On the Internet, there are various sites such as tiervermittlungen.de and edogs.de , on which I also looked, which bundle the numerous dogs from shelters throughout Europe and on which also a filter can be set. For example, a few months ago I was looking for a male herding dog, preferably a border collie (mixed breed). At some point, I saw Swift and it clicked immediately. However, he was already reserved. By chance, it turned out that of the people interested in him,  jumped off and I could adopt him. With my dog Nala I had expressed interest in another dog at that time, but they suggested Nala to me – a dog that changed my complete life. So the suggestions from the organization can be very helpful and should at least be considered. Check-in any case if the animal welfare organization is serious before you take in a dog. Signs for it are that the mediators are interested in you and your living situation, inform you in detail about the dog, and would take the dog back in an emergency. In addition, in a serious animal welfare organization, no puppies younger than 16 weeks are mediated and the departing dogs are vaccinated, skipped, and dewormed.

I had then in 2014 listened to the advice of the organization and looked at the said dog – Nala was already in a shelter in Germany, so I could visit her. This is super helpful and should definitely be claimed if possible. Swift came directly from Spain. I could not meet him before and it was a much bigger risk. In such cases, however, reputable animal welfare organizations try to give a lot of info about the dogs’ stay and provide you regularly with photos or videos.

After I had decided in each case for the dog, a preliminary control was accomplished with me at home. Thereby it is controlled whether the information about the living environment is really correct and these fit to the dog. Normally a nice conversation develops and I also got some good tips on the way with Swift.

After the preliminary inspection, a protection contract is signed, which is always drawn up by a reputable animal welfare organization. And then the adventure (new) dog begins.

The way to a new home

I picked up Nala at the animal shelter in Germany. Swift was brought to Germany with a transporter and I picked him up at a collection point. It is super important to secure the dog well and make his start into his new life as comfortable as possible. After Swift sat in the transporter for many hours, he now had to travel another 500 kilometers with us to the Ruhr area – an enormous strain on the dog. That’s why you should always have a companion with you when you pick him up – my boyfriend accompanied me and drove us, so I could fully concentrate on Swift. Every hour we took a short break, for this we left the highway and looked for a quiet meadow. Arriving at home, most shelter dogs first experience a culture shock. Nala had never seen a house from the inside before and Swift had only lived in between for a short time on a foster home and then also waited in the shelter for a new life. Depending on how old the dog is, different things now need to be considered.

Familiarization takes time

Nala was about half a year old at that time and Swift four months. The younger the dogs are, the easier and faster they get used to their new home. Attention – also here exceptions confirm the rule! Since each dog is an individual, there are also very big differences here and it depends very much on the experience of the dog owner and on the circumstances. When Nala moved in with me, it took much longer for her to settle in. She was very scared and I was just very awkward, owed to the fact that Nala is my first dog and generally the first dog in our family. But despite the rough start, Nala still turned into a great dog. Swift’s acclimation according to currently is much easier. On the one hand, because he is generally quite a brave puppy, as soon as he has overcome his initial insecurity. In addition, I have much more knowledge about dogs and Nala can teach him a lot as a sovereign first dog.

What you should consider when moving in a shelter dog

In general, however, when adopting a dog from animal welfare, some things are always to be considered. First, you should make sure that the dog is always well secured. Most dogs do not know cars, bicycles, and other things that are common for us. So that the newly moved in dog does not immediately end up on the wanted list, it should always be secured either with a safety harness or with the combination harness and collar. Additionally, you should allow your new family member enough time to settle in and not expect too much from him. It is a masterpiece for every rescue dog to get used to his new life and the dog needs time as well as many positive experiences with unknown people, dogs, and the environment. You should also intensively deal with the theory around dog and dog training and at best organize professional support in the form of a dog school or a dog trainer. We also provide tips and training assistance in the Pupy app, guiding you and your dog on your journey together to become a great human-dog team.

It also took us a few months with Nala until we really found each other. A common hobby helped us. Every dog benefits from having a task and I can only recommend finding something with the dog that is fun for both of you. In the next few years, there will always be small and larger problems, but you face these challenges with every dog – no matter where his origin lies. It is important not to get discouraged and to keep looking for new solutions. By the intensive occupation with his dog, one is then rewarded with beautiful moments. I don’t want to imagine my life without my two great rescue dogs Nala and Swift.

Categories
Tips & Tricks

Single dog or multiple dogs?

Many dog lovers want second or more dogs after a while. But what is better? Keeping a single dog or multiple dogs?

What will a second dog bring with it?

If only one dog lives in a household, there is more time and attention available for this dog. Especially if there are many dogs in a household, it is difficult to do justice to all the dogs and to exercise them according to their individual needs. With a single dog, it is also easier to react to problems and manage them. If two or more dogs pull on the leash or show other undesirable behavior, it is much more difficult to keep the situation under control. If vacation care is needed for the vacations or if one is dependent on help in case of illness, it is also much easier for a dog to get support. In addition, it must not be forgotten that a dog is significantly cheaper to care for. Food, veterinary costs, etc. double or multiply with several dogs. In addition, single dogs usually bond more closely to humans and have more intense relationships.

The factors in favor of multiple dog ownership.

Every dog is different and can enrich your life in a different context. For example, each dog can be trained for specific tasks based on its individual strengths, such as a particular dog sport or therapy dog work. In addition, the different characters of the dogs offer an interesting and deep insight into the dog world and intra-species communication. With a second (or more) dog(s), the dogs always have a friend available – be it for playing or just so that the single dog is not alone. A confident first dog can also teach the newcomer a lot. But beware! Undesirable behavior gets also copied.

Now, what is better?

It can not be said in general, whether keeping a single dog or multiple dogs is better. It depends entirely on the type of man and on the idea of his life. The more dogs are added, the more limited are the freedoms and the more time the dogs need. It is the same as the costs. It should be considered in any case just as with the acquisition of a first dog, well, whether one or more additional dogs fit into the life and whether one can do justice to these. It should also be noted that not every dog benefits from another dog, so it should also be looked at whether you really do the existing dog a favor with another dog. If the conditions are right and you have a lot of fun and joy in the intensive interaction with several dogs, keeping multiple dogs can be an enrichment. Equally, however, keeping a single dog can also be more advantageous.

If you are unsure whether a second dog is right for you and your dog, you can get advice from our professional dog trainers in the Trainer Chat.

Categories
Tips & Tricks

Your summer with dog – The best tips

Finally, it is summer. Many people are looking forward to this season all year round. For dog owners with their four-legged friends, however, the summer has some challenges in store. In this article, the most important aspects are addressed so that you can experience an unforgettable summer together with your dog.

Before introducing all the great things you can do with your dog in the summer, there are some important dog safety things to consider.

Attention to heat!

In summer, you must never leave your dog alone in the car. The car heats up so much within minutes that it becomes life-threatening for your dog. From 20 degrees it quickly becomes dangerous for all dogs in the car, for short-nosed dogs even earlier. Due to the fact that the internal temperature of the car rises extremely quickly, the dog must not be left alone in the car even for a few minutes.

The danger of the heat trap in the car is now known to many dog owners, another major danger that far more dog owners very underestimate is that of hot asphalt. At an outside temperature of 25 degrees Celcius, the asphalt is already over 50 degrees Celcius hot! To make sure that the surface is not too hot for your dog, you can put the back of your hand on the ground for seven seconds. If the ground is too hot for your hand, it will be for your dog’s paws. Even if your dog walks across the asphalt without any problems, it does not mean that he is not in pain. Often dogs have no choice but to walk, and over time they burn the pads of their paws. A good rule of thumb is to test any surface briefly with the back of your hand before your dog steps on it, starting at 25 degrees Celcius outside.

But what can you do if the asphalt is too hot?

Small dogs can be carried to the nearest meadow. Medium and larger dogs can be driven in a dog buggy to the nearest meadow or taken by car to the nearest forest. For all dogs, however, it is advisable to do the dog walks in the morning and evening hours and during the day to take the dogs only to the garden or to the nearest meadow to do their business.

In addition to moving dog walks to the morning and evening hours, all sporting activities should also be moved to the morning or evening. On particularly hot days or when it does not cool down at night, sporting activities should be stopped completely.

Also, make sure your dog always has enough water and a cool place to stay.

Watch out for foxtails!

Another danger that lurks in the summer is that of foxtails. Foxtails grow on roadsides and can be very dangerous for the dog. The foxtail gets stuck in the dog’s fur and bores through the skin into the inside of the dog. Due to their small barbs, the foxtails can then only be removed surgically. In summer, you should avoid roadsides with foxtails with your dog, and when it‘s not possible check his paws and fur after the walk.

Have fun in the water!

But in addition to some of the dangers, you should be aware of as a dog owner in the summer, this time of year also offers some fun.

For example, many dogs love water and enjoy a trip to a lake. Summer is the perfect time of year for a variety of water activities. How about stand-up paddling with a dog? If you don’t have the opportunity to go to a lake, maybe a dog splash pool is a great way for your dog to cool off. Some dogs also have a lot of fun having a water fight with the garden hose. With all activities with or near water, just make sure your dog doesn’t swallow too much water – then you risk water poisoning!

Alternatives for water-shy dogs:

If your dog is not a water rat, then you can keep him busy indoors with various exercises. How about practicing a new trick from our Pupy app or making a dog toy for the dog? Or you can hide treats for your dog in the apartment. Chewables can also keep your dog busy in the summer. Just make sure it’s cool enough or that the dog takes breaks to pant in between to cool down.

Also, your dog will be happy about a dog ice cream. You can easily make dog ice cream on your own; various recipes are available on the Internet or you visit an ice cream parlor, which also offers varieties for the dog (a scoop of vanilla is also a possibility from time to time).

Your dog will also be happy about a dog ice cream. You can easily make this yourself, there are many recipes on the Internet or you can visit an ice cream parlor, which also offers varieties for the dog (a scoop of vanilla is also a possibility from time to time).

And what about traveling?

The summer is also a popular travel season. Unfortunately, this leads to the fact that especially in the summer vacations very many dogs are abandoned. Please take care early enough for a caregiver for your dog, if you do not want to take him with you on vacation. If you decide to go on vacation together with your dog, please also organize everything important early. Then, however, the joint vacation with dog can bring wonderful memories.

Ultimate tip list for a great dog summer:

  • Attention hot asphalt!
  • No dog stays alone in the car!
  • Walks in the morning and evening
  • Attention foxtails!
  • Enough drinking water and a cool place
  • Trip to the lake: swimming, stand up paddling, and more
  • Dog paddling pool or water hose
  • In the apartment or house with mental stimulation
  • Make your own dog ice cream
  • Organize dog care for vacation early or plan a vacation with dog
Categories
Training

How to use a long leash in training my dog?

A long leash is a great tool in dog training – provided it is used correctly! In this blog post, you will learn for whom the long leash training is suitable, which long leash is the right one for your dog, and how to use the long leash in practice.

The long leash training is suitable for:

  • Training puppy and young dogs
  • Dogs that do not know you yet
  • fear dogs
  • Anti-hunting training
  • hunting dog training
  • recall training
  • Training of different signals at distance
  • Dogs, with emotional and/or social support needs

Which long leash is the right one?

You can find long leashes in different lengths between 3 to well over 15 meters. If you want to practice certain aspects of behavior with your dog, such as recall or orientation to you, less is always more. The reason for this is that we are in a training situation. So the further your dog can move away from you, the more difficult it will be for you to lead him over the leash.

The type of leash is also crucial and depends on what you want to train with your dog. Especially popular are the currently leashes made of biothane, which is a water-repellent material, but depending on the provider also very slippery in the hand. So if you have a dog that tends to have impulsive reactions and also likes to jump into the leash, it is better to take a material that is non-slip in the hand. Many long leashes also have a hand loop. This loop may seem practical at first look, that you can put it around your wrist, but in most cases, it carries a high risk of injury. It is not uncommon that either your hand gets caught in the loop when your dog runs off or your dog runs off with the leash and gets caught somewhere with the loop.

Our recommendations for a suitable long leash:

  • 5 meters length
  • No hand loop
  • Part rubberized

How to use the long leash in dog training.

Getting your dog used to the long leash.

Before you even start training your dog must get to know the long leash. The long leash should always be attached to a harness to prevent injury to the neck vertebrae. When you put your dog on the long leash, give him a little more leash at first until your dog reaches the final length. It is best to tie a knot at the end of the leash to give yourself a fixed point. Praise your dog verbally as long as the end of the leash is not yet reached and, if you like, reward your dog’s eye contact with some food. When your dog reaches the end of the leash, say “Slow down” and gently tug on the leash until your dog responds with a step back or eye contact. As soon as your dog loosens the leash, you stop gently tugging and verbally praise your dog. If your dog makes eye contact, you can also reward him with some food, a social game, or something similar.

Gradually, your dog will learn the limits of the leash and, if the leash length remains the same, he will even be able to keep the distance independently without pulling. Stay fair and give your dog the signal “Slow down” ready just before he runs into the leash. Mark for it with a knot in the leash (approx. 20 cm before line end), the distance, where you give your dog the signal.

Use the long leash in recall training.

Especially in recall training, it pays to take your dog on a long leash. For a successful recall, your dog must understand that he must run to you on the recall signal “Here”, no matter what stimuli have previously taken his attention. For this, it is important at the beginning that the word signal “Here” is conditioned at a relatively short distance. Once your dog understands what to do with this signal, you can gradually increase the distance and incorporate distractions into your training. If your dog does not listen to your recall signal, you can remind him by gently tugging on the leash that the command is valid, even if the distraction seems exciting. So for recall, it’s not only your will but also your way of demanding the command consequently that is important to train a reliable command.

Do you need help with training with the long leash or recall training? Then download the Pupy app now. Train with our step-by-step video instructions or chat with our professional dog trainers and find a personalized way for your human-dog team.

We hope you have fun training with your dog!

Your Pupy Team

Categories
Tips & Tricks

Dog in the car – How to drive with your dog relaxed on tour.

The car is a popular way of transportation with a dog. Especially those who want to go on vacation with their dog appreciate the comfort of their own car. For a relaxed and safe transport of your dog in the car, there are a few basic rules to follow, which we present to you today.

Accustom your dog to the transport in the car.

Before you drive long distances with your dog, your dog should be used to the transport in the car. This includes getting used to the ride itself as well as getting used to the safety devices, e.g. the placement in a transport box or the fixation by a safety belt.

In our app, you will find exercises on how to get your dog used to both the car and the dog crate.

Avoid nausea during the car ride.

If your dog is prone to nausea and vomiting during the car ride, you can prevent it by giving your dog very little to eat before the ride or, depending on the severity of nausea, discuss the situation with your vet beforehand.

Breaks

Sufficient breaks during the journey are important not only for you as a driver, but also for your dog! Full rest areas on the highway, you should avoid with your dog, especially anxious dogs can be quickly stressed by the noise of the highway. Use the breaks to get off the highway and go for a walk, especially on long stretches. A picnic together with your dog is also a great idea.

Make sure to offer your dog enough liquid.

Drinking enough is super important for your dog especially in the summer, so keep offering him water during your trip. There are bowls that you can also put in your dog’s crate during the trip, for example, without spilling water.

Attention in the heat!

For the trip to the summer vacation, you pay attention best to the fact that you start in the early morning hours or late evening hours. Always keep in mind that your car can heat up in traffic jams or even during a long drive. Air conditioning should only be turned on in moderation to prevent eye irritation or a cold in your dog. Open windows can also irritate your dog’s eyes and cause inflammation.

We wish you a safe trip with your dog!

Your Pupy Team

Categories
Tips & Tricks

Can dogs sweat? Tips for your dog in the summer!

Summer is finally here! Temperatures are rising and we love spending time outdoors. But even though we can quickly cool off with cool ice cream or a dip in the pool, we shouldn’t forget our beloved little furry friend in the process. We at Pupy show you how to enjoy the long summer days with your dog.

Can dogs sweat?

Dogs have a few sweat glands on their paws, but they are not primarily used to regulate body temperature in the summer, but much more to leave scents. The thermoregulation in dogs is done by panting. Through breathing, air reaches the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth and cools the dog by evaporative cooling, so that the body temperature remains stable.

Drink Drink Drink!

Especially on hot days, make sure that your dog drinks enough water. About 50 ml per kg body weight is necessary under normal conditions, on hot days it can be more than double that amount! Many dogs drink sufficiently as far as water is available to them. If your dog does not drink enough, you can add a little taste to the water by mixing liverwurst paste, curd, or similar into the water or by moistening your dog’s food. Please also remember to ALWAYS take fresh water with you when you are on the road.

Never leave your dog alone in the car when the sun is shining!

Even at lower temperatures, the car can become an oven. Even at 20 degrees, the car can heat up to 27 degrees within 10 minutes, at 30 minutes the car already reaches a critical value of 36 degrees. After an hour, it is up to 46 degrees!!!

On a normal summer day, the temperatures rise to about 25-30 degrees, at these temperatures we already reach critical temperatures of about 40 degrees at 10 minutes. This is no place for your dog to be in the car! Leave him during the shopping best in the cool home!

Move the walks to the early morning and late evening hours.

Especially at lunchtime, the temperatures in the summer rise sharply and not only the ambient temperature but also the heated asphalt can harm your dog.

If you have to go outside with your dog at noon, please always stay on meadows or forest ground. You can also test the tolerance of the asphalt by holding your hand flat on the ground for about 2 minutes. Can you stand it or are you already burning your fingers?

Offer your dog plenty of cooldowns.

Whether it’s dog ice cream, a shady spot, or a dip in the dog pool. All of these things you can offer your dog to help him cool down. Special cooling mats can also be accepted by dogs. Just make sure that your dog does not lie on the mat for too long (10-20 minutes maximum) to prevent hypothermia. Also, the coat of your dog should be brushed out regularly or be shortened with certain races if necessary with the dog hairdresser according to the temperatures.

Trust your dog!

Download the Pupy app now to make small daily progress in training your dog!If your dog doesn’t want to walk, exercise, or play on a hot day, that’s perfectly fine. We are also sluggish on hot days. Let your dog decide for himself if he wants to be active or not. Offer him one of our cooldowns, but don’t force him to do one or the other.

We wish you great summer days with your dog and hope you enjoy the tips!

Your Pupy Team

Categories
Tips & Tricks Training

Dog Training – How to set gentle boundaries for your dog

Do these situations sound familiar to you? The doorbell rings and your dog immediately rushes to the front door? Does your dog immediately jump into the leash at a dog encounter? Or just won’t stay in his basket, even though you sent him there?
All these problems can be solved by setting gently boundaries. We at Pupy would like to explain to you today what a boundary is, why it is important to set boundaries, and how you can gently and successfully set boundaries for your dog.


What is a boundary? A boundary is the occupation of a space that your dog is temporarily or always (it’s up to you) not allowed to enter. The point is not to punish your dog but to establish a very clear rule.


Why are boundaries so important? Through set gentle boundaries, you give your dog orientation and security. He does not have to decide for himself how to behave in different situations, e.g. when visitors come. This ensures that your dog has less stress. In addition, boundaries can avoid conflict situations. A good example is given by dogs among themselves: If a dog lays claim to space opposite the other, e.g. his own basket, he usually makes himself big, fixes and growls at the other dog if necessary, if he approaches too close to his resting place. The other dog has now two possibilities, either he accepts the boundary and goes out of the way of the conflict or he crosses it and triggers a conflict. Most dogs will avoid the conflict and accept the other dog’s boundary. This is usually followed by an appeasing behavior e.g. licking the muzzle and turning away the dog, which is now looking for another place to rest.
How do I set gentle boundaries for my dog? Of course, we humans communicate somewhat differently than dogs, nevertheless, we can imitate certain behaviors successfully so that our dog also understands us.


Small exercise:

  1. Stand in front of your dog.
  2. Make yourself tall and walk towards him.

What happens?

  • Most dogs, now take a step back or even sit down.
  • Now turn away from your dog again and take the tension out of the situation.

What happens?

  • If your dog stays on the spot, he has understood the boundary.
  • If your dog approaches you again, you go towards him again, this time until he sits down. Then you turn away again.
  • If your dog has accepted the boundary, you can now dissolve it again by crouching down and calling your dog to you in a friendly manner and praising him verbally, and playing with him if necessary (food is not necessary here!).

Congratulations! You’ve just successfully set a boundary for your dog and also dissolved it.


How can I use this technique in everyday life? You can use this technique of setting boundaries in everyday life whenever you want to separate a certain space from your dog. This can be a real room, such as the kitchen, or a certain area, such as the area in front of the front door when visitors come, or the area in front of your feet when your dog should walk on the lax leash.


As you can see, boundaries can help you with a variety of concerns with your dog. The important thing to remember here is that there are dogs that like to test and question their boundaries. If your dog growls at you when you set boundaries, or shows any other behavior that seems unusual to you, you should definitely discuss this issue with a competent dog trainer. Feel free to contact us about this in our trainer chat in the Pupy app.

If you have any questions about this or any other topic regarding your dog, you can always contact us via our trainer chat. We look forward to getting to know you and your dog!
Have fun training with your dog!


Your Pupy Team

Categories
Training

3 reasons why your dog doesn’t want to stay in his basket.

” Go to the basket!” – and your dog jumps into the basket and stays there until you allow him to go out again.

“I wish!” you may be thinking.

Many dog owners only know the basket as a quick place to go when there’s a chew toy, or as a forcing measure when there’s a visitor, or as a punishment for unwanted behavior. And here is already the first problem why your dog does not stay long in his basket. The basket was never seen as a place of relaxation, but always in the context of an event (food, visit, punishment). However, the basket should be one thing in the first place, a place of rest and retreat. Your dog should perceive the basket positively, feel safe and be able to relax. Your dog should like to visit his basket, and voluntarily.

To help your dog learn to love his basket from the start, we have revealed the top 3 mistakes in basket training and how you can do it better.

1. the treat mistake

Most basket training exercises start with luring over food. Also in our app, we start the training this way. This is where the first mistake can happen. If you send your dog into the basket with a piece of food or chew bone and he gets up shortly afterward, you must block your dog or if he has already completely disappeared from the basket, take him by the harness or a house leash and lead him back. Back in the basket you can repeat the command “basket” and wait until your dog lies down. If your dog lies down in his basket for a while, you can throw a few pieces of dry food between his legs to reinforce the lying down.

2. rest and activity are not in balance

If we want to teach our dog to rest, at the same time it is also important to fulfill the need for exercise and mental activity. Starting the basket training without first satisfying your dog’s other needs is unfair. Who is relaxed when they are hungry, need to go to the bathroom, or haven’t moved all day? This doesn’t mean that your dog needs to be completely exhausted beforehand. You should just make sure that your dog is satisfied and has been a little physically occupied to need the rest in the basket as well.

3. giving up too quickly and not resolving the command

Really the most common mistake in basket training is that although the dog successfully goes into the basket on command and stays there for a while. But he never knows how long “basket” actually applies. Thus, your dog independently dissolves the command and will simply get up and leave the basket in case of a distraction or after a certain time. To avoid this mistake, you should teach your dog a release command, e.g. “Ok”. This command gives your dog permission to leave the basket. If you are just starting training, it is important to start with a few minutes and give the release after about 5-10 minutes. If this works well, you can extend the time to 20-30 minutes and then to 1 hour. We recommend that you always release the basket command after 1 hour at the latest.

We hope these tips will help you and that your dog’s basket will soon become his favorite place! If you want to start with the basket training right now, download the Pupy App here and watch the first training session right away!

We wish you lots of fun with your dog!

Your Pupy Team 🐶

Categories
Tips & Tricks Training

How do I spend the first days with my puppy?

Finally, the day has come. Finally, your new family member moves in with you! From now on, your life and the life of your puppy will change. You will become a family, a team and nothing will be the way it was before! Are you ready for this new life? – Then go for it!

To help you get started on the right way with your puppy, and to help you get through the first few days like a real dog pro, we at Pupy will give you all the tips you need to know for the first few days with your new furry little friend.

What do you need to prepare?

Preparation is in every situation in life, the basis for relaxation. We’ve made you a list here of everything that should be done before your puppy moves in:

Shopping List:

Also important:

  • Secure all objects, plants, chemicals, and electrical outlets from your puppy.
  • Find a good veterinarian in your area.
  • Write down the number of the veterinarian and the nearest veterinary clinic in your area.
  • Find out about the breed of your dog.
  • Find a small puppy group (max. 6 human-dog teams) and download the Pupy App to train with your dog daily and discuss your individual questions with our professional dog trainers.

The first day with your puppy:

Now the time has come and your puppy is sitting safely in his dog crate in the car next to you. Don’t worry if your little friend gets a little nauseous on the ride to his new home (it happens to even the bravest puppies!). You’re hopefully stocked up on kitchen roll by now, too. In time, your puppy will associate many great things with the car ride e.g. exciting walks, visiting his dog friends, outings, etc. If the drive to the new home takes longer than 1 hour, we recommend you take a short pee break on the way, so that no mishap happens during the drive.

When you get home, your first stop should be your dog’s new pee place. This is the place where your puppy will do his business in the future. Choose a piece of meadow that is easily accessible and where your dog can do his business undisturbed.

Now it is so far! Your puppy enters his new world. You have already checked your home the day before for its puppy safety one last time, so you can now let your puppy explore its new home with a clear conscience. It is best to take him to the room where you spend most of your time and where your dog’s basket is located. The best thing to do is to hide some welcome treats in the basket the day before. This will teach your puppy that it’s worth exploring the room and that his basket is a great place to be.

Take your time now to just watch your puppy, get to know each other, and enjoy this new beginning!

After about 2 hours, it’s time to head back to the pee place so that maybe you both can spend this day without any mishaps. If it has already happened, you know where to find your kitchen roll and the odor remover. But be careful: even if your puppy has already peed in the apartment, you should once again go with him to his peeing place.

For your puppy and also for you, this first day is especially exciting but also exhausting. Therefore, give yourself and your puppy enough space to calm down. Let your puppy sleep and rest when he retires and reflects during this time, your first impression of this exciting day. Are you proud of your puppy? What do you like most about it? Have you noticed any little peculiarities?

The first night:

At some point, even the most beautiful day comes to an end and the first night together is coming up for you and your puppy. It’s best to walk your puppy to his pee place before going to bed. Even if you don’t want your dog to sleep next to your bed, it’s important in the first few days that your puppy is allowed to sleep near you so that you can notice when your puppy needs to get loose again to release. It is best to place your dog box next to your bed (by the way, transport boxes with a roof opening https://tidd.ly/3bBo8Vd are well suited). Put your puppy in the box and give him a small treat before you go to sleep – this will become your ritual in the future and will signal to your puppy that it is now bedtime. If you notice that your puppy is getting restless at night, lift him out of the box and carry him (if possible) to the pee place of release, so that no mishap happens on the way. If something should happen – you know where the kitchen roll and the odor remover are!

By the way, it is quite normal if your puppy is a bit restless in his box at first. If he doesn’t settle down at all and you can’t even think about sleeping at some point, here’s what you can do:

  • Open the top opening of your box and hold your hand inside.
  • Keep stroking your puppy until he calms down.
  • Put yourself to sleep, leaving the top door of the box open if necessary.

Tip: If you really want to get your dog used to sleep in another room from the beginning, you will have no choice but to move your own sleeping space to where your dog sleeps for the first 1-2 weeks.

That’s it! Your first day as a human-dog team is behind you! Tomorrow is a new exciting day with lots of new impressions for your puppy. Want to know how to make this day great, download the Pupy app now and let our professional dog trainers create your personalized training plan for your pup.

We look forward to meeting you and your pup!

Your Pupy Team

Categories
Tips & Tricks

How do I become my dog’s best friend?

The dog is the best friend of humans. But how can you also be your dog’s best friend? Even if we look at dogs and humans purely objectively, we quickly notice that we are very different. But not only externally there are differences, especially in communication, dog and human speak different languages. How you can still become your dog’s best friend, we show you in this blog post.

Express yourself consistently and clearly.

Dogs understand nonverbal (body language) cues better than verbal (spoken language) ones. This is also why a dog doesn’t understand what we mean by “sit” or “down” from the start. Dogs, however, have a sense of our body language from the start. Studies have shown that dogs, compared to all other canids, have the greatest interest in humans and like to give them their attention. They want to learn to understand us! And this is exactly what we should use when living with our dog.

Pointing gestures are particularly well understood by our dogs. This is probably because dogs have learned that hands are a reliable source of positive things e.g. food, reaching for the leash announcing the walk, playing together, or the like. Puppies can respond to our pointing gestures from a very young age and even interpret them correctly most of the time. Therefore, you should be especially careful when using your hands with your puppy. Show your puppy exciting and great things that are worth following your hand for. This will be of great use to you later in training!

It is important that you consciously use pointing gestures when interacting with your dog and do not “waste” them by carelessly pointing at something that does not interest or even harm your dog. Any bad experience your dog has with your hands can contribute to your dog becoming hand shy.

Meet your dog with kindness.

We, humans, are usually taller than our dogs because of our upright gait. Dogs know full well that height and weight can determine who is the stronger and so they also assess threats. If we approach our dog by being upright and leaning forward at the same time, we present quite a threatening figure. Also, sticking out our hands from above is not a very friendly gesture to our dog. Your hand is the first human body part to fall below the individual distance (that is, the distance your dog perceives as comfortable). Some dogs resist such a gesture, threaten or even bite you. Therefore, it is important that this especially the first contact between you and your dog is on one level. Make yourself small by crouching down, slowly offer your hand to your dog and let him take the last step towards you. This is exactly what expresses respect and is considered very polite by our dogs.

Excursus Recall: We also tend to lean forward when recalling. However, it is better if we lean back slightly and even take a few steps back when we call our dog to us. This looks inviting to our dog and he feels less threatened by our height.

Stay Fair!

Dogs don’t understand exceptions! Today “yes” and tomorrow “no” your dog will not understand. Once your dog has learned what he is allowed to do and what he is not allowed to do, it is important to keep this way of education. Otherwise, you will become untrustworthy to your dog and jeopardize your relationship with each other. Some dogs even react physically to the constantly changing opinion of their human with the learned helplessness. So if your dog experiences constant failure, this failure leads to a build-up of stress hormones and can affect his ability to learn and concentrate. Therefore, consider early enough whether your dog should be allowed to cuddle with you on the sofa or whether he should lie in his basket. By the way, we are real sofa fans ☺️.

Become your dog’s best friend now!

We hope these tips help you out! For more tips and tricks, download the Pupy app now and learn exciting exercises with your dog today!