Sunday, November 24th 2019
The book that you need to read is Puppy’s First Steps: A proven approach to raising a happy, healthy, well-behaved companion by the faculty of veterinary medicine at Tuft’s University. I cannot count the amount of times that I reference this book. It taught me how to be a dog mom. I read it 7 times cover-to-cover before getting Bumble Bee, and I read certain chapters like Housetraining even more. It is the most thorough and detailed book to read before getting a puppy. Further, it is written by a team of faculty at one of the best schools of veterinary medicine in the U.S. If I could recommend one thing for anyone getting a dog or puppy, it is to read this book. Please read this book.
Puppy’s First Steps: A proven approach to raising a happy, healthy, well-behaved companion is 267 pages long and has 12 chapters sectioned into 5 parts. Below I list the various chapters, and I will discuss why each one is essential to be a dog parent. If you want to know the information provided in the book, please pick up a copy. I hope each of you take as much away from the book as I did.
Chapters
1
This chapter will cover the decision of adoption versus breeding, how to choose a well-intentioned breeder and choosing the right breed for your lifestyle. There is more within the chapter, but those are the larger topics.
2
This chapter will cover how to introduce two pets, the car ride home, crate training, things to have on hand and establishing routine. It will show you how to transition your puppy or dog with ease into their new life.
3
This chapter will cover choosing a vet, picking vaccinations, heartworm, fleas/ticks, pet insurance, at home grooming and spaying/neutering your pet. The information in this chapter will be crucial. As a pet owner, health is your responsibility. This chapter will be part of your guide.
4
There is so much misinformation in the dog food industry. This chapter will debunk a lot of the myths out there regarding pet nutrition. It will also give you a guide on proper nutrition, and it will show you how to monitor your dog’s weight.
5
This is the chapter that convinced me to choose Sunnyside Goldens of Eden as my breeder. This chapter will show you how to maximize the socialization period for your dog. Through proper socialization, you will have a confident and kind dog.
6
As mentioned in previous articles, there is a learning curve of communication with your puppy when you first bring them home. This chapter will show you how to understand your puppy better. It will provide you with the tools to translate a dog’s action into meaning.
7
This chapter did not pertain directly to me and Bee, but I do have a five-year-old sister. It was important to me for Bee to know how to interact with kids. This chapter gave us the tools to prepare both the child and the dog for success.
8
This chapter on general training will be your guide to a well-behaved pup. It will tell you what to look for in a trainer, how to train from home; moreover, the training varies from sit to walking etiquette to walking. It will also guide you on how to speak to your pup in training.
9
Housetraining can be extremely difficult to train; but, if you follow the guide in this chapter, you will be successful. Moreover, the chapter will also show you how to understand potty training from the perspective of your puppy.
10
Prevention is always better than dealing with an existing issue when it comes to bad behavior. This chapter will tell you how to prevent bad behaviors from forming and how to handle them if they do occur. The information in this chapter is based on years of studies in the behavior clinic at Tuft’s.
11
A bored dog is a bad dog. This chapter discusses environmental enrichment. It talks about different toys, and why variety is so crucial. It will also provide you with ideas for enrichment ideas beyond toys such as agility classes or doggy daycare.
12
The scariest part of having a puppy is when you do not know how to help them. Are the symptoms they’re showing an emergency or can wait till tomorrow? This chapter will tell you how to handle emergencies and how to discern the severity of a situation.