I'll preface this by saying that a lot of what I'll have to say in this blog will be my personal opinion, and that my way isn't the only way to raise and train a puppy. However I've found that this formula generally results in a well balanced, social, neutral, obedient and stable adult dog whom does not suffer from severe behavioural issues. As always with any animal- you reap what you sow, you get out what you put in.

I think as a bare minimum, I would just like to know my adult dog will not suffer from seperation anxiety (this can cause challenges later on in life) is otherwise social or neutral and does not show unwarranted aggression towards other animals or people.

I want to make sure I cover the important bases when I pick up my new puppy and thankfully I'm in a situation in life where I can do this quite easily. I believe the first 48 hours sets the precedent for the journey ahead with your puppy.

1. Socialisation

I want to socialise my dog, and within the first 48 hours of having Kilo (my new puppy) he had already met a dozen or so people and dogs. Most people's idea of well socialised is an adult dog which has only met a handful of dogs over their lifetime, mine has already surpassed that within two days. As always , it starts with the current dogs I own, whom are all fantastic teachers towards a puppy in their own way. He hasn't been able to meet Juice, the reactive Pitbull, besides when in his crate and vice versa, but this is also ok.

I want to make sure my puppy gets the opportunity to meet or experience dogs of all different breeds, sizes, colours, play styles, ages etc during his formative months, as this results in a confident and social adult dog. Socialising doesn't always have to mean direct interaction, and I make sure to always balance the two. Sometimes observation is more than enough, he can't think every dog we come across is one he should meet.

His father, Anakin, was quite dog social from a young age and didn't gravitate towards people, where as this one is the opposite, and that's ok. I don't enjoy a dog who feels the desire to rush up to strange dogs in public as he HAS to interact.

2. Exposure

Within the first 48 hours of having Kilo he has been to my kennels, my home, my mom's home, the vets for a play session, the local field and the parking lot of the local gym and agri. I like to take my working pups to as many places as I can within the first few weeks of having them. And when I do take them out I make sure to make it positive, include lots of play and reward and keep the dog engaged with me- setting the expectation of what I'd like to see in terms of future behaviour.

Again this results in a confident and focused adult dog who will easily be able to perform tasks in a public setting and not be distracted or frightened.

3. Crate training

This is a NON NEGOTIABLE.

From the moment I arrived to collect him, his crate was in my vehicle ready for him to travel in. He eats most of his meals in his crate (unless delivered from my hand during training) , sleeps in it at night and naps during the day and travels in the crate in my vehicle. I can't stress this aspect enough.

This has resulted in incredibly easy house training for all of my past dogs , lowers the risk of separation anxiety developing (puppy learns how to self soothe and that he isn't the centre of attention 24/7), saves objects in the home from being chewed due to an unsupervised puppy and prevents most behavioural issues from developing such as reactivity in the car due to learning to bark at passing stimuli. Its also helpful to have a crate trained dog when it comes to injury rehab or when you have to leave them at the vet for procedures, as you can have peace of mind they will be calm and relaxed while crated.

4. Obedience training

There are a few things I place importance on in the beginning stages of owning a puppy. Reliable Recall is one of the most difficult behaviours to attain and it's vital to start from young. I've already introduced the concept and show him he will be rewarded EVERY SINGLE TIME he returns to me, even if I don't call.

I alternate between food reward and play with his favourite tug. He didn't understand that he had to target my hand for the food source, so I had to teach this and have just started the foundation of luring, allowing him to follow my hand and shape movements without any verbal cues. I like to try to do a lot of hand feeding with a puppy as this lowers the risk of possessive behaviours around food, increases focus and strengthens our bond. I want Kilo to know I am the source of valuable things and fun times. It's also a great opportunity to tire him out mentally and physically if I use his meal times and food for training. So far he just knows sit and follows me around without a leash quite nicely. I've been building value in a tug toy and value in me as his handler.

Over the next few months I will continue to develop his hunt drive, socialise him further and continue to take him to as many environments as possible, especially those he may be expected to work in. I'm very pleased with the qualities in this puppy thus far and am excited for our journey.

Conclusion

These are my 4 NON NEGOTIABLES with any new puppy and I think they can apply to pet dogs just as much as working dogs, as who wouldn't want their pet to be social, stable and reliable off leash ?

This guide was created in collaboration with Courtney Cuthbert from Echotrack K9 Training Solution, whose expertise was instrumental in its development. Courtney Cuthbert DipCABT, DH5 Sasseta, PSIRA, Diploma in Canine Behaviour and Training (Petsense College 2022).