Weds 2nd March: The pros and cons of puppy adoption

Puppies like Edward are staying in foster homes

 One of the things I'm really noticing about puppy adoptions during this period is that since all puppies are in foster homes the adopters don't have the benefit of being able to ask questions, or discuss basic care directly with our experienced staff.  It seems like a long time ago that I was at Whiskers N Paws every Sunday with the puppies, and almost all potential adopters would have many questions so I would spend the three hours talking non-stop about normal puppy behaviour and what to expect.  Now so much has changed, and it's falling on our trainer, Cactus, to follow up with all adopters, most of whom are asking the same questions and facing the same challenges.

Of course there's an upside to the foster home situation, and that is that puppies are used to living in a home environment and are usually already toilet trained (barring accidents) by the time they're adopted.  Many have already got the hang of basic commands, like these two adorable youngsters, Zippy and Zak: https://www.facebook.com/hkdogrescue/videos/242484308081585

One of the first things that I always remind adopters about is that all puppies bite.  It doesn't make a difference if they're large or small, pure or mixed breed, this play biting with very sharp baby teeth is an essential part of their learning process.  It had nothing to do with aggression but it does hurt, and families with young children need to remember that.  This is why we recommend slightly older puppies if there are young children in the home.  Puppies lose their milk teeth in the same way that humans do, and by six months of age there should be a full set of adult teeth in place.

Puppies go through other stages of growth, during which not only will they get bigger (obviously) but their personality and behaviour may also change as the hormones race through their bodies.  They may become inexplicably scared at certain stages, unlearn previous training, become challenging towards their best (dog) friends and so on.  All of these changes are normal and part of the growing process, and again, if you want to skip all of these more difficult stages then choosing a young adult is a better option.  In the long term there's very little difference, only a matter of a few months, between a puppy and a young adult.

One thing that puppies need is companionship, as in nature the litter would be together with the mother not only as babies, but also as adolescents.  It's not natural for a very young puppy to be alone, and if this happens it will affect the development and behaviour for life.  Puppies also need the freedom to explore, not to be locked in a cage or crate just because it's easier and more convenient for the humans. If you don't want your rugs to be peed on, take them up until the puppy is fully trained, and likewise remove everything that you don't want to be chewed.  Don't expect adult behaviour from a puppy.

For general training we recommend these videos from Dogs Trust which are short and easy to follow.  
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5nvaKq4_l25et0ysZByaig/videos  Please watch them together with everyone who lives in the home so you are all following the same training principles and not confusing the puppy with mixed messages.  Most of all, don't punish your puppy for accidents or mistakes, as they are only babies trying to learn what it is you want of them.