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Preparing your puppy for the outside world
15th January 2020
Your puppy will love exploring the great outdoors with so many exciting new sounds, sights and smells to enjoy. Here are some things to consider to help prepare them for exploring outside.
Identification
In the UK it is compulsory for all dogs to be microchipped. This is a simple procedure that can be performed by a vet without the need for an anaesthetic. Your dog should also wear a collar and tag with your phone number so that if your puppy becomes lost, anyone who finds them can contact you straight away.
Your garden
Introduce your puppy to your garden for toilet training and accompany them to help them to feel secure. Set aside areas of the garden specifically for your dog to toilet in or dig so that you can discourage them from causing damage to your flowerbeds.
Vaccinations & Worming
Your puppy can go into your garden for toilet training, but you should make sure they are vaccinated and wormed before taking them on walks away from the house. Vaccinations can protect your puppy from very harmful diseases such as canine distemper and canine parvovirus.
Training
When taking your puppy for a walk for the first time, you will want to train them to walk to heel, to wait before crossing the road and to return to you when they are let off the lead. Decide how you wish to train your puppy. Using a clicker and treats work well. Start the training process indoors so that your puppy is used to some simple commands before you go outside where there are more distractions.
Socializing
The outside world is full of other people and dogs. Prepare your puppy for interactions with others by inviting lots of different types of people into your home. If you know people with fully vaccinated, calm dogs invite them round too so that your puppy can experience other dogs. Keep a close watch in case you need to step in if any interactions get out of hand. This will start to develop their socialization skills in a controlled, calm environment in preparation for interactions with strangers when you do let them outside.
