Putting the right paw forward
Congratulations on making the decision to become a pet owner. Your puppy now depends on you for everything – food, water, exercise, training, good health and above all, love and attention. The following is a pet parent's guide to ensuring a well-mannered puppy.

Leading the way
Puppies are social animals who join our family after leaving their mother and other litter mates. From the moment your puppy enters your family group, it is important that you become your puppy's leader. This means teaching your puppy what is deemed appropriate and acceptable social behaviours, including giving your puppy clear guidelines and boundaries to follow.

Puppy's personal space
Puppies need to get used to their own company and not become attached to us to the point of not wanting to leave our sides. This behaviour can lead to a condition called separation anxiety, where the pup is very anxious, will bark and become destructive when you are not there. Provide your puppy with a bed of their own, this can be inside, outside or both.

Meal times
Growing puppies need good nutrition, but getting it right can be harder than it seems. Your puppy's health and development depends on what you feed them. Super-Premium Commercial puppy and dog foods (such as Hill's Science Diet) are ideal. It is important that you are consistent with meal times and feed your puppy three to four times daily. Get your puppy to 'sit' before every meal and practice handling techniques. Touch his ears, around the eyes, open his mouth, pat his body, tail and feet. To avoid your puppy getting possessive about the food, take the bowl away from him while he is eating, returning it within a few seconds.

Socialisation
Behaviours displayed later in life are mostly learnt during a puppy's socialisation period. This period occurs during three to 12 weeks of age. During this time it is important to introduce your puppy to as many new things as possible. This must be done in a non-threatening way and in a safe, controlled environment. Puppy preschools are the perfect way for your puppy to socialise and experience different people, different dogs and different environments.

Crying in the night
Provide your puppy with a bed of his own, ensure it is lumpy and not smooth. It's important not to pay your pup any attention if he is barking, whining or crying. Ignore this behaviour, as by going to comfort him you are rewarding the undesired behaviour. Your pup will soon learn that this is how to get your attention and will do so for the rest of his life.

Chewing things over
It is unfair to expect your puppy not to chew anything. Puppies are teething up until approximately seven months of age and like young children, they need to exercise their teeth and gums through this stage. Puppies like to chew everything including hands, shoes and furniture. It is important that your puppy learn what is appropriate to chew and what is not by providing appropriate chew toys.

Toilet training
Puppies do not have full bladder and bowel control until 16 weeks of age. So when it comes to toilet training, you need lots of patience! Toilet training needs to be taught – it is not instinctive. Choose a 'toilet' spot in the yard outside and take your puppy to this spot regularly/consistently, praising and rewarding your puppy when this spot is used. Puppies will most likely need to empty their bowels and/or bladder after eating, drinking, sleeping and playing. The most effective way to toilet train your puppy is to take him outside at these times, whenever he starts to circle or sniff, and every one to two hours in between. And yes, this does include during the night!

Putting the right paw forward
Congratulations on making the decision to become a pet owner. Your puppy now depends on you for everything – food, water, exercise, training, good health and above all, love and attention. The following is a pet parent's guide to ensuring a well-mannered puppy.

Leading the way
Puppies are social animals who join our family after leaving their mother and other litter mates. From the moment your puppy enters your family group, it is important that you become your puppy's leader. This means teaching your puppy what is deemed appropriate and acceptable social behaviours, including giving your puppy clear guidelines and boundaries to follow.

Puppy's personal space
Puppies need to get used to their own company and not become attached to us to the point of not wanting to leave our sides. This behaviour can lead to a condition called separation anxiety, where the pup is very anxious, will bark and become destructive when you are not there. Provide your puppy with a bed of their own, this can be inside, outside or both.

Meal times
Growing puppies need good nutrition, but getting it right can be harder than it seems. Your puppy's health and development depends on what you feed them. Super-Premium Commercial puppy and dog foods (such as Hill's Science Diet) are ideal. It is important that you are consistent with meal times and feed your puppy three to four times daily. Get your puppy to 'sit' before every meal and practice handling techniques. Touch his ears, around the eyes, open his mouth, pat his body, tail and feet. To avoid your puppy getting possessive about the food, take the bowl away from him while he is eating, returning it within a few seconds.

Socialisation
Behaviours displayed later in life are mostly learnt during a puppy's socialisation period. This period occurs during three to 12 weeks of age. During this time it is important to introduce your puppy to as many new things as possible. This must be done in a non-threatening way and in a safe, controlled environment. Puppy preschools are the perfect way for your puppy to socialise and experience different people, different dogs and different environments.

Crying in the night
Provide your puppy with a bed of his own, ensure it is lumpy and not smooth. It's important not to pay your pup any attention if he is barking, whining or crying. Ignore this behaviour, as by going to comfort him you are rewarding the undesired behaviour. Your pup will soon learn that this is how to get your attention and will do so for the rest of his life.

Chewing things over
It is unfair to expect your puppy not to chew anything. Puppies are teething up until approximately seven months of age and like young children, they need to exercise their teeth and gums through this stage. Puppies like to chew everything including hands, shoes and furniture. It is important that your puppy learn what is appropriate to chew and what is not by providing appropriate chew toys.

Toilet training
Puppies do not have full bladder and bowel control until 16 weeks of age. So when it comes to toilet training, you need lots of patience! Toilet training needs to be taught – it is not instinctive. Choose a 'toilet' spot in the yard outside and take your puppy to this spot regularly/consistently, praising and rewarding your puppy when this spot is used. Puppies will most likely need to empty their bowels and/or bladder after eating, drinking, sleeping and playing. The most effective way to toilet train your puppy is to take him outside at these times, whenever he starts to circle or sniff, and every one to two hours in between. And yes, this does include during the night!