Getting Ready For Your Aussie

Bringing home a puppy is like bringing home a baby. You have to puppy proof your house, and you have to lock down a solid routine. While this blog is aimed for Australian Shepherds, all puppies require the same things.

Step One: Puppy proofing

So, you’ve decided to bring home a fur baby; buckle up because you’re about to be busy. First things first, you need to put everything you care about away, seriously, if you even slightly care about something put it away. Puppies will chew anything and everything. All shoes need to be in a place your puppy cannot get to them.  Along with chewing, your sweet puppy will have accidents, probably everywhere in the house so pick up rugs that are important to you.

I have a two year old Australian Shepherd and have taken many emergency trips to the veterinarian. One of my biggest tips is to keep doors closed and always know where your pup is. Your puppy is curious, they want to explore every last inch of their new home. When my Aussie was a puppy, he snuck into the bathroom and chewed a razor that was in the trashcan. He didn’t need any stitches, but it could’ve been a lot worse if he hadn’t been caught when he did. Getting a puppy is a huge responsibility, they require a lot of time and supervision.

Once your puppy passes through the phase of chewing everything in sight, you won’t have to worry about picking everything up and closing every door. I can now leave my phone charger on the coffee table and know Captain won’t touch it. However, when he was a puppy this was not the case. It is always better to be safe rather than sorry when it comes to your sweet new addition to your life.

For more tips on how to puppy proof your house, check out this article: Puppy Proofing Basics

Step Two: Routine

Once your house is all ready for your bundle of joy, its time to set a schedule. Routines are vital to training your pup, this is the foundation for the rest of their life. ‘

Lets start with the morning, right off the bat you need to take your pup out. Don’t take too long getting them outside because they will get excited and have an accident. Once they do their business, reward them with a treat. This is important because they don’t know where they’re supposed to do their business. Once they’ve gone outside a few times they will start to associate doing their business outside to treats, causing there to be fewer accidents inside.

After their morning potty break, give them fresh water and some breakfast. Every breed of dog requires a different kind of food and a different amount. You can feed your pup a little bit for lunch, and then again for dinner. Be careful with the food because your puppy can get sick. That was yet another reason for an emergency trip to the veterinarian. My Aussie loved his puppy food, but I switched it to a different brand and he refused to eat. I had no idea why he was refusing to eat, so I took him to the vet. The doctor then explained to me that my Aussie is stubborn and wants his brand back. So I switched back to his original brand and haven’t had a problem since. Like I have mentioned in previous blogs, Aussies will let you know when they’re displeased.

A little bit after breakfast you’re going to want to take your puppy out again. Get used to this because puppies require a lot of bathroom breaks. Puppies also require lots of naps. Growing big and strong is hard work, so don’t be surprised if your puppy sleeps 16 to 18 hours a day. If you have small children, make sure they don’t wake him too much.

Evening time is perfect for lots of play. You want your puppy to get out as much energy as possible so they can sleep through the night. But you still have to get up in the middle of the night to let him do his business outside.

A big question is should your puppy sleep in a crate or can he sleep in bed with you. For the first few weeks, your puppy should sleep in his crate. You can’t watch him during the night so you don’t want him to explore too much and get in trouble. Having a crate is also nice because its their own space. Straight out of the gate, make it clear to your pup that their crate is their own space and its a safe place for them. Don’t make the crate a punishment. Be careful with how you crate train, you don’t want your puppy to be scared of it. You want them to feel safe in it.

For how to properly use a crate rad this article: Crate Training

Speaking of puppies, check out this time-lapse of Aussie pups growing! You’ll see a lot of playing and sleeping, which basically sums up puppy life.