Your new dog may be a puppy or you may have chosen to adopt your pet from an Animal Welfare organization but in either case, the first few days in your dogs new home will be an adventure of exploration. He will want to explore every aspect of your home so you have to decide the rules and restrictions. All dogs are pack animals and need leadership so you can be certain that if you don’t set the rules in the first few days, he will! Make sure that you spend as much time as possible with the dog during the first week or so allowing him to get to know you and at the same time monitoring his behavior.

You may want to keep the dog on a leash during the first day or allow him to wander freely around the house but you must be with the dog when he is sniffing around and adjusting to his new environment. If the dog does something inappropriate decide which word you are going to use to stop this behavior. It can be a firm no, a growl or if you keep the dog on the leash a combination of the word and a gentle tug. Dogs have an excellent sense of smell and will remember items more through sniffing than by sight. Puppies are like children, absorbing and wanting to touch everything that is new and exciting, so keep anything dangerous or valuable out of reach.

When your dog does something good praise him and use his name. If used consistently the dog will learn his name quickly and will associate his name with good behavior or things that he enjoys such as food, going out for a walk or playing. Your job is to teach your dog the rules - what he must avoid, what is off limits and what he is allowed to do. By using short commands the dog will learn simple words and associate them appropriately. If you say dinner several times whilst preparing your dogs food he will know that it is time for him to eat. If you say walkies before taking him out he will soon learn that he is going out for a trip. This method of training uses one or two syllable words that are consistently applied to defined actions.

The first exploration of your house will teach your dog where things are, new smells, new sounds, how to get from one room to another but most importantly who is the pack leader - you. If you do not adopt this role from day one, your dog or puppy will which is something you cannot allow.

Having completed the guided tour of your home, you will need to show your dog where his food and water bowls are and where he is going to sleep. Give him some time to sniff around these areas and then take him out, on a leash, to the place you have chosen as his toilet area. You may have to wait some time for him to relieve himself but when he does make sure to praise him. After this take him for a walk around the garden. It is quite likely that he will want to mark his territory so if you don’t want him to relieve himself in your flower beds say no and march him back to his toilet area. Remember that a few accidents may happen during the first week. This does not mean that your dog is not housebroken. If the dog is male he may just want to mark his territory and in the first few days accidents can happen through excitement. When your dog has settled in he will become more relaxed and modify his behavior. If you don’t have a garden go to the nearest park or a special place you know where he can relieve himself but make sure that your dog has been vaccinated before walking him outside.

If you live in a city or town your dog may not be accustomed to noise, traffic or large vehicles. Take your dog, on a leash, to a quiet zone and walk along the sidewalk with him. Practice the word sit at the curb, wait for the traffic to pass and then cross the road. The more times you do this the quicker he will learn how to behave in busy areas becoming less confused and accustomed to the speed and noise of traffic and people.