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Nell – My Puppy: Creating a Bond

May 8, 2018

nell the dogWeighing in at 12.8kg and now aged 5 months; Nell is growing exactly as I would want her to. She is still having three meals a day. Puppies grow so fast in the early stages and I want Nell to reach her full growth potential. Once she has fully grown her food will be adjusted to enable her to maintain her ideal weight. Nell will then have 2 meals per day for the rest of her life.

Nell’s world is opening up, she joins me on some group walks and also has solo walks, she has had a weekend away in our camper, and I have taken her on a bus into Bristol City Centre. I want her to be familiar with the hustle and bustle of city life. After these excursions Nell is very tired there is a lot to process after all!! She took everything in her stride and that bodes well for the future adventures that await us.

It is important that you get your puppy to have life experiences but quality over quantity is always best. One good positive experience with something out weighs 50 rushed experiences that could have been negative.

 

Nell has had a trip to the groomers especially important for all the breeds who don’t shed their coats: any of the Poodle mixes will need to be regularly groomed. Failure to have these types of dogs groomed regularly groomed will result in matting fur especially round the joints and feet it not only provides a good hiding place for pests, seeds etc they also make the dog uncomfortable, imagine having a matt of hair under your armpit!! Long/matted coats are difficult to trim and result in the dog having to be clipped short. It can also cause the dog pain as it is removed it pulls the skin. So Nell being happy at the groomers is very important as she will visiting there every 6 weeks for the rest of her life.

 

nell on the busWe would advise taking your puppy to the groomers once a month whilst they are young even if they don’t have much done at all, just to stay there and get used to being there and having some positives whilst they are there. This will set them up positively for a lifetime of grooming sessions. Alongside trips to the groomers it’s so important that your puppy is used to being brushed and handled at home. Again introduce them to this little and often, making sure they are fully relaxed the whole time, if you are unsure how much grooming you should be doing speak to your groomer they should be able to advise on products too!

Nell is developing a deep attachment to me and my family I have noticed this when we are walking out and something scares her she comes to me and stands close, it is vital that Nell knows I have her back and that she is safe with me. This ensures in the future if something really frightens her she comes to me and doesn’t bolt away, this would put her into danger of running into roads or getting lost.

 

nell on workingThe bond with your puppy will set you and your pup up for life. Your dog must know that if anything bad happens you will be there for support, if they are scared by something, comfort them and let them know you will help overcome those issues and fears. Many people with a new dog or puppy want to go out and walk really far burning off their extra energy, but doing low key relaxed walks with plenty of stops and watching the world go by will be a much better mix of socialisation. Communicating with your dog and understanding the basics of body language will help you with this one. You can see when your dog is uneasy and easily remove them from the situation or make the situation easier for them to cope with.