It’s extremely common for new puppy owners to load up their shopping carts with all the adorable items they believe they will need to equip themselves with in order to raise their new furry family member. I am about to save you a lot of money and an incredible amount of time and heartache by suggesting the two most important tools you will ever need for your new puppy. You will use these tools from the very first day you bring your puppy home and you will continue to use them for the rest of their lives. Are you ready?
A leash and a crate, let me explain…
These two tools will help with potty training, keeping your puppy from chewing unwanted items, keep your puppy from jumping on you, from running off or playing keep away, they will protect your puppy from ingesting dangerous items, soiling in unwanted areas, and so much more. Essentially, with these two items, you can solve almost every “problem” behavior that may arise and even prevent unwanted behaviors from happening completely.
What we have to consider is that while dogs may mature at a faster rate than humans (thank goodness!), we have still opted to bring a baby dog into our home who is not just young and doesn’t know any better…they are equipped with genetic needs that is only natural to a dog – think sniffing, licking and chewing! Pottying where they want is absolutely ok in the wild. Using their teeth to explore is actually relaxing for a dog. Chewing on your wood baseboards can be soothing for achy gums. So while we never want to allow or promote these unwanted and sometimes dangerous behaviors, we have to have a way to manage them.
Sometimes the absolute best training is preventing unwanted behaviors from ever being allowed to be rehearsed at all. We will get to the obedience stuff…I promise! If I can ask you to trust me on one thing it is this – you have a wonderful long lifetime to teach your puppy obedience, but obedience behaviors (sit, down, heel, etc), will not do you any good if you have a puppy who is soiling the house, too scared to venture into the world, chews up your belongings or is generally pushy, jumpy and bitey. So how will these tools change your entire puppy raising life for the better? Let’s discuss.
For now, your number one goal should be spacial management. What I mean by that is that you never want to leave your baby dog unattended outside the crate. This is a temporary solution during these baby months and as we can teach our baby dog additional skills and as they mentally mature, they will earn more and more freedom. Until then, safety is number 1! When you are UNABLE to supervise your puppy (yes, even for 30 seconds) you want to put your puppy in the crate. When you ARE ABLE to supervise your puppy, you want them to be connected to a leash and you want to be connected to the other end of the leash. This means that you will be putting them in and out of the crate and attaching them to the leash every time they come out of the crate. Side note: if we HAD to pick a third (optional) tool, we would also use an x-pen…more on this later, but for now, let’s just assume that we don’t have the space or means for this additional tool.
Quality tools matter and we want to help you figure out where to invest your money and where not to.
Here’s what you want out of a leash: a 6 foot leash. That’s it. The best ones at this age are just the cheapy nylon leashes. Do not get anything with bungee, stretch, chains, or anything of the sort. Just your cheapest 6 foot nylon leash with a clasp. It is going to get dirty, chewed on, stepped on, etc. Don’t worry about any of that right now. You can get a nicer or longer leash later.
Here’s what you want out of a crate: a small, plastic, enclosed crate, just large enough for your puppy to be able to go in, turn around and lie down. Again, do not invest a lot in a crate FOR NOW. This crate is going to help us with potty training (more on that next time), so you don’t want your puppy to have a lot of space, essentially so they can not potty in one area of the crate and rest in another. As your puppy grows, you will also be replacing this crate with something larger, so my suggestion is just to go get the cheapest plastic enclosed crate you can buy on marketplace, sanitize it, then sell it later. Wire crates are not ideal for many reasons. They are too visually stimulating, can allow potty accidents to flow out the slots, and can also allow our puppy to pull unwanted items inside the crate. They are also easy to come apart, which can allow a determined puppy to discover accidentally and then become a way to escape when you least expect it. Plastic, enclosed kennels encourage rest and ultimately, your baby dog needs lots of that! Don’t believe me? Ever seen a small child have everything they need and still be fussy? Our puppies, while genetically different, are still quickly growing beings who need lots and lots of rest.
So there you have it – a proper crate and leash will have you solving 95% of the potential problems you would ever encounter as a new dog owner. Stay tuned for how to implement these two crucial tools into your training!
