The kids have been nagging you for ages. You can’t look at dog food adverts without your heart skipping a beat. Is it time you finally took the plunge and bought that long-awaited puppy?
But before you give in, remember that while puppies are cute, they can be a lot of work and they are a big commitment. Your children may have promised faithfully that they’ll feed, walk and take care of him. But when that tiny bundle of fur is whining because he needs a wee in the middle of the night, guess who will be standing in the garden in her pyjamas? It won’t be your six-year-old, that’s for sure.
With today’s busy family and work lives, it’s all too easy to put training your dog as low down on your list of priorities as cleaning the skirting boards. But it should be a major concern, as a properly trained dog will be far more of a pleasure to own. A puppy that nips may not seem too much of a problem now, but it won’t be so much fun if an adult dog bites your ankles, even in play.
An untrained dogcan also be a danger to itself and others. If your dog won’t come back when called, it could easily run out of the park and onto the road, potentially injuring itself, or worse, causing an accident that injures others.
You could even find yourself being prosecuted under the Dangerous Dogs Act if your dog is out of control in a public place in this way. Pet insurance can cover you for any legal fees incurred by your animal, but you’ll obviously want to do all you can to avoid any incident that might lead to making a claim.
So when should you start training? Immediately, say the experts. According to advice from the Kennel Club, puppies need to learn good doggy manners as soon as they arrive in your home. It advises that a puppy should learn how to respond to its name, allow itself to be groomed and come back when it’s called.
Puppies should also be ‘socialised’ – that is, exposed to as many different sights, smells and sounds as possible. If you manage to do this by the time they are a year old, they’ll be much less likely to become frightened or aggressive when faced with new situations. So important is socialisation as a form of training that the charity Dogs for the Disabled even has a dedicated team of puppy socialisers. And you should be able to find a puppy socialisation class in your neighbourhood; the noticeboard at your veterinary surgery should have information.
If you don’t know quite how to go about it, the Dog’s Trust has a great fact sheet full of tips. For example, it states that to introduce your puppy to noisy roads, you should stand calmly on the pavement, letting him watch the cars go by. If he shows no reaction, give him a treat.
After that, you have a choice, either to go for one of the organised behavioural training classes – highly recommended, if you have the time – or decide to take on the training yourself. Whichever one you choose, you will find that working with your dog in this way keeps her happierand more content, and will only increase the bond between you both.
Remember to take out pet insurance, which could cover your pet cat or dog against loss, theft, accident and illness; vet fees can be extremely expensive especially if your animal is diagnosed with a chronic condition or needs surgery.’
Issued by Sainsbury’s Finance
Sainsbury’s Finance is a trading name of Sainsbury’s Bank plc. All information correct at time of publication, but may be subject to change. Any views or opinions expressed in this article are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of any part of the Sainsbury’s Group of companies.
