New Puppy Home Visits
Welcome Home Puppy!
New Puppy Home Visits have been designed to support you in planning for your new puppy's arrival, and in learning how to understand, and successfully provide for your puppy's needs within your unique household once they have arrived.
Like humans, dogs have essential needs which must be satisfied on a daily basis in order for them to feel physically, psychologically and emotionally fulfilled. When a dog guardian finds themselves being presented with undesirable behaviours from their dog, it is usually because the guardian is not providing adequately and / or appropriately for one or more of their dog's core needs. By making meeting your puppy's needs your number one priority, they will be better able to relax (meaning you will see a reduction in undesirable behaviour), and better able to learn (meaning that your attempts to train your puppy to want to engage in behaviours that you prefer, are likely to be more successful).
Puppies have a LOT of learning to do in a VERY short space of time. A critical period for learning and development in your puppy's life starts at around 2 weeks old, then quickly tapers off after about 12 weeks of age (up to around 16 weeks of age for larger breeds), which is often before most puppies arrive at their first training class. Your puppy’s life experiences during this early window of opportunity can have long-lasting influences on their confidence and expectations, and shape their behaviour well into adulthood, therefore it is crucial that they are exposed to multiple positive experiences with a range of different people, dogs, and other animals, as well as with a variety of novel objects and environments, during this time.
By providing you with one-to-one advice and coaching prior to and / or soon after your puppy arrives in your home, I can help you to:
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Prepare your home in advance of your puppy's arrival, for example, establishing an appropriate, safe and inviting area for your puppy to rest, sleep and spend time alone
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Plan the 'handover' day to ensure that your puppy's transition from the breeder's / fosterer's home or rescue centre to your home is as stress-free as possible
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Introduce your puppy successfully to other family members, including children, existing dogs in the home and any other pets
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Create a structured routine for your puppy, and house rules for the whole family to follow, to promote clarity, calmness and confidence amongst everyone in the home
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Implement a successful house-training plan
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Develop your puppy's confidence when spending time alone
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Avoid common pitfalls that can lead to your puppy developing undesirable / unsafe behaviours
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Identify opportunities for providing your puppy with physical, psychological and social enrichment to meet their needs and ensure wellbeing
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Understand how to protect your puppy’s body with appropriate exercise and management of their daily physical activities
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Create opportunities for socialising and habituating your puppy
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Put together a shopping list of things that you and your puppy are likely to need for satisfying basic needs, enrichment, management and training
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Embark on your shared journey of developing understanding and communication through basic training
Thoughtful planning and implementation of activities during your puppy’s first weeks, can help to ensure that your life together starts with minimal stress and maximum opportunity for you to develop a strong, secure bond with one another, and for your puppy to develop into a relaxed, confident and adaptable adult dog.
A New Puppy Home Visit comprises 2 x 45 minute consultation sessions with Sara via video call (typically Zoom however other platforms are available), plus an emailed copy of our New Puppy Guide reference document.
Price:
£50.00 - 2 x 45 minute video call consultation sessions + an emailed copy of our 'New Puppy Guide' reference document
To register your interest in booking a New Puppy Home Visit, please complete the Registration Form on the Booking Information page.
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