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Kimble has now been with us for nearly 2 months and how time flies! He has settled in so well and learning everyday. We are also learning lots!
Every dog is so different and Kimble is the complete opposite to Nova - he is confident, inquisitive and not afraid of anything!
I love working with puppies and Kimble is no different - I have had to adjust my training to suit his needs.
Kimble is great with toys but we have spent a lot of time playing with him and finding the right toys to suit his needs!
Puppy Play
- With puppies its best to use long, soft toys - long toys mean that they have lots to bite on to and avoid your fingers! Puppies have delicate mouths so soft toys are best to begin with.
- Don't force your puppy to play! Wiggle the toy around on the floor and have a fun game - if your puppy sees you having fun then they will want to join in with you.
- We love tug-e-nuff toys! You can get free delivery through this link: http://tug-e-nuff.co.uk?rfsn=1408039.06fd7&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=1408039.06fd7.
Puppies can get over-aroused easily so watch for signs that you need to stop playing such as biting on you, zooming around, becoming unfocused. In this case, I would stop the play, direct your puppy onto something calming such as a chew.
In the last two months, we have also experienced the dreaded teething phase!! Teething can be really difficult as your puppy may chew on anything and everything!! By playing lots with Kimble and having a living room full of toys and chews, we have been really lucky with Kimbles chewing however, he has tried the wooden chairs a few times!
How to cope with teething:
- Provide lots of toys and chews for your puppy - find the toys that work best.
- Some puppies love harder toys, others softer. With chews, make sure they are all natural (avoid rawhide). Frozen carrots work really well or even ice cubes!
- Don't tell your puppy off for chewing things - they can't help it as there mouths are hurting and they need to chew. Focus their attention onto something else.
We are getting through this stage with Kimble and he's doing really well! We have also spent the last two months out and about meeting lots of new dogs and people. Kimble can be quite cautious with meeting new dogs so we have allowed introductions slowly and built his confidence. As stated in another post, socialisation is not about putting your puppy into new situations and just allowing them to be okay with it but working with your puppy so they are happy.
Yesterday, Kimble went on his first group walk - it was full of different breeds both small and large and a few were barking too. This was a lot for him to take in as he usually only meets one or two dogs at a time. I watched his body language which showed he was a little unsure and chose to walk at the back of the group for a while until he was more confident. By allowing Kimble time to take it all in and going at his pace, by the end of the walk he was walking within the group and even initiating play with dogs!
Thanks for following progress! Let us know if you want us to cover anything in our blog :)
