YOUR NEW PUPPY AND THE FIRST FEW NIGHTS
The first night that your puppy is away from his litter mates he will be very sad. Provide him with a chewable toy for comfort and, if you are willing, place the crate in your bedroom, preferably a kitten crate on top of a large dog crate so the puppy is reassured by your presence and can actually see you through the night and you will be able to put your fingers through the crate door for him to smell and lick.Find an old blanket, towel or toy, take it to the breeder the week before you pick up your pup to get the litter scent on it, this will help sooth him during the night.You may want to be ready with a radio turned on low, or a ticking clock which can help to soothe your puppy to sleep.A hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and a stuffed animal the same size as his littermates, with the litter scent on it is also very soothing to him.
The dog crate is a good place for your puppy to rest and sleep. A wire mesh or fiberglass crate helps your family by keeping your puppy confined while the family is busy or when the puppy is left alone. Crates also provide a haven for the puppy when he is tired or wants the security of being out from underfoot. The crate is the best way to house train and we cannot stress this enough.
Potty Training
Do not respond to plaintive cries by letting him out or you will unwittingly train your puppy to whine for attention.When you do let him out, do so only when there is a break in his barking/whining.When you use the small kitten crate there will not be room enough for your puppy to find a place to potty so she will wait until you let her out. When you do let her out pick her up, do not let her walk to the door or she will potty right there. Take her out quickly to the place you want her to potty and praise her there.
Your puppy will usually want to eliminate after walking, eating, drinking and exercising. He may signal this by putting its nose down and sniffing or whining while walking around in circles, sometimes backwards. Quickly pick him up and take him out side where you want him to go and praise him when he urinates or defecates. It is pointless to punish your puppy after an accident. If you catch him in the act, however, say “NO!” in a stern, loud tone to teach him that he is doing something wrong.
Crate Training
This is the best way to potty train your puppy. The first night and for the first few weeks, stay up as late as possible and take the puppy out one last time before you go to bed, hopefully around 11 or 12 pm; get up as early as possible 5:30 or 6am and carry the puppy outside to potty. If you remember to not let him eat or drink past 5pm, your puppy should be able to wait 5 or 6 hours before having to potty again. He doesn’t like wetting himself anymore than a baby. If this happens just take him out of his crate, clean up the mess and the puppy, and then take him outside to walk around. He will probably not go again, but this is what you need to do. Put him back in his crate and ignore the whining. I know this is difficult but it is the only way to train him. Take him or her out of the crate over and over again as often as you like, every hour if you like, but only when there is a break in the whining. If your puppy has diarrhea, first make sure you are still on Life’s Abundance because it contains healthy bacterium, to keep his stool firm. If the diarrhea persists, try adding yogurt or plain pumpkin to his food, you may also try an infant’s amount of anti diarrhea human medication.