NEW PUPPY PARENT?

As a new puppy parent responsibility can be quite overwhelming!

As a new (human) Mum I felt quite alone and anxious when I first came home with my new baby. The internet wasn’t really a thing then so I relied on books, parental input (!) the advice of friends and my health visitor to reassure me that all was well.

It’s quite a responsibility having someone be completely reliant on you for their wellbeing – not dis-similar to being a new puppy parent!

I know through my years of coaching new puppy parents that the feeling of overwhelm is real. With a puppy EVERYONE is an expert about puppy care and will give you chapter and verse about how you should treat your puppy, what you should feed them, what harness, collar, lead you should use, some will advise leaving a puppy to cry for the first few nights, some will tell you to sleep downstairs with them. Toilet training is a whole other subject where I’ve heard everything from ‘rub their nose in it’ to let them pee where they want to.

AARRGGHH...... where do you start?

Building a bond

Well.... the relationship you build with your puppy is the first thing you need to work on. Your puppy needs to see you as their rock, their advocate and their ‘go to’ when things get tough.

You need to become a dog detective and work out what your puppy is struggling with and help them through it.

Getting it right!

Over the past nearly 30 years I have helped hundreds of owners start gentle socialisation with their puppies and learn key points which help them build an awesome bond with their dog. When the bond is solid you are much more likely to achieve your goal of having a well adjusted dog going forward, who is a pleasure to own, who comes back when called, who plays respectfully with other dogs and people and whose world is to revolve around you and your family.

This makes it sound like puppy raising is a breeze – and for lots of people it can be, but for some the road is winding and paved with a few twists and turns. I have puppy parents who come to me saying ‘remind me again why we had a dog’, ‘I thought having a dog was supposed to be fun’ or ‘I have a ‘stubborn’ dog who doesn’t do what he is told’ or in the extreme – ‘this puppy is the devil in dog form’!

Often these puppies are just misunderstood and the relationship between dog and guardian has broken down.

Let’s stop that before it happens!

Learning how to do that

Imagine for a moment what it must be like for your puppy. If he has had a good start in life he will have been raised in an environment where he has his mum and brothers and sisters for support with lots of enrichment and new learning experiences all done in a positive manner. Suddenly he is introduced to his new family, he is removed from all he knows, travelled in a car (possibly for the first time) and there is huge excitement exploring his new home, once the novelty wears off and life kicks in you can see how moving to a new home can be a challenge for puppies emotionally.

This is where I can help!

As a Practitioner of Botanical Self Healing for Dogs I have the awesome power of plants to help your puppy settle in to their new home. A safe, gentle and effective way of helping your puppy deal with the emotional side of life whilst things are a little topsy turvy. We all know what it is like to be ‘the new kid’ right? Let’s help support your puppy to feel confident, settled and a part of your family.

Need more information?

For more information about how I can help YOU, YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR PUPPY send me an email to discuss further: caninesenses@btinternet.com