You will need something that is referred to as an “ex-pen” if your puppy cannot be confined to the kitchen or other safe area by means of doors or gates. The exercise-pen will keep your puppy safe and in one place, but it also allows him room to play, have access to water and use newspapers if he is a latchkey puppy with no one home during the day to take him outside. The “gate” mentioned is the good old baby gate which is now sold online and in pet stores as a “pet gate.” Choose one that fits your doorway securely, is high enough that the pup cannot easily jump over it, and is constructed so the pup will not be encouraged to try his climbing techniques.

Many objects are irresistibly chewable, but not if first sprayed with a deterrent such as Grannick’s Bitter Apple. The puppy will only accept…

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After arriving to his new home, your new puppy will need high-quality puppy food. He needs a feeding dish and a separate water bowl, both made preferably of unbreakable material. He will also need a collar that fits him right now, not one to be grown into, and a leash from the moment you bring him home. Both should be an appropriate weight and type for his size. You can go to any pet supply shop or online catalogs and find an interesting assortment of these and other accessories from which you can choose from. Next, you will need grooming tools that are suitable for your puppy’s type of coat.

You should have a few toys available as soon as your puppy arrives. Toys will help make him feel comfortable in his new surroundings and will keep him busy for hours. One of the best toys is a beef bone,…

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Every dog, whether shorthaired or longhaired, needs to be groomed on a regular basis. Dogs also need to be bathed regularly. They love to be clean and groomed, evidenced by how playful they become after their grooming sessions. They enjoy being told how beautiful they look, and a clean dog is a lot more fun to train than a dirty dog.

In bathing your dog, the general guideline in bathing is this: When your dog smells like a dog, bathe him. Some dogs’ coats repel dirt and pollution more effectively than others. Dogs live in a variety of environments, and his environment, as well as how much your dog is exposed to dirt or how dirty your dog becomes just eating his food, will dictate how often to bathe.

The easiest way to bathe your dog is in the bathtub because you need hot and cold water to get the shampoo out…

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A scale is one of the dog owner’s most useful piece of equipment. Throughout a dog’s life his body weight is a constant and accurate reflection of his nutritional state. By frequent weighing at regular intervals, a dog owner can keep a running check on how well he is doing his job of supplying his pet with good nourishment. In fact, with nothing more than a set of scales, a notebook, pencils, a balanced food, and a suitable container, a complete feeding program can be tailored to every dog.

In addition to weighing the dog, a dog owner also uses scales for weighing food. The simplest, yet most accurate, way for the average dog owner to measure and control the amount of food he feeds is to weigh that food. In cases where highly accurate measurements of the dog’s actual intake are desired, the scales are used to weigh the…

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Collars come in a wide variety of styles, colors, and materials. The two common types of collars are training collars and buckle collars.

The purpose of a training collar is for you to be able to guide your dog or to check your dog if necessary. (A check is a tug on the leash followed by an immediate release of tension on the leash.) A check is used when you want your dog to stop doing something. However, the check is a form of negative reinforcement and an unpleasant experience for any dog.

Collars for the trained dog are called buckle collars. They are either leather, nylon, or canvas. For the untrained dog, buckle collars are virtually useless. Trying to control a dog with a buckle collar would be difficult. Some dog owners prefer to use a harness, which is perfectly fine for dogs that do not pull or for small…

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Though many new dog owners are initially horrified at the prospect of using a crate for their puppies, their attitude changes once they understands the use of it from a dog’s perspective. All canines are den animals; they naturally seek out spots for rest that are sheltered and secure. This is why family dogs often lie under dining room tables, underneath beds, or in dark closets: they are simply following a deep-seated den instinct. By using a crate, you provide your puppy with his own den which would be his sanctuary.

This is why house-training with a crate is highly recommended. A puppy kept in his den for a reasonable length of time, which is no more than three hours at a time during the day, will refrain from soiling and will learn to hold himself until you let him out. Consistently doing this helps your pup quickly acquire a regular…

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