Pet insurance - Tips & Advice - Training your pet

If you've not owned a dog before, you may not realise that lots of responsibilities come with helping your puppy grow into a happy and well-behaved dog. You and your pet can benefit from our mini training guide below…

Getting to know puppy

When you first bring your dog or puppy home they may be a bit overwhelmed, especially if you have a large family. It's tempting to be over-sociable with your new pet but try and keep things calm. Introduce people to him or her slowly – especially children who may be overexcited too. If puppy gets scared in any way then retreat for a little while. Once puppy is used to his or her new environment then you can venture out and introduce them to the great outdoors.

Sleeping matters

When a new puppy arrives it can also be tempting to let him or her sleep with you. If possible, try to establish a routine where your dog has his or her own sleeping area. In the long run this will be much better for all concerned as it means your dog's sleeping area never has to change and you always get a good night's sleep. Make your dog's sleeping area as comfortable as possible by placing blankets in a crate or basket. Soon, the blankets will be impregnated with your dog's smell and it will be an even more enticing place to be.

Housetraining

With a dog or puppy you'll need to housetrain them to have good toilet habits inside. A good way to do this is to line an area, with newspaper, where you want them to dispose of their waste. By leading them to this area on a regular basis you can hopefully get them into the habit of using it as a toilet room. Do be aware that your dog or puppy may take a while to establish a routine – and that they might still get things wrong even when they do. Try not to reprimand them, but rather reward good behaviour.

Controlling biting and chewing

Do expect your dog to chew things, especially when at puppy stage and teething. Often, whatever they can find they will chew so if you're precious about items – your favourite shoes or slippers, for example – then keep them out of harm's way. Instead get puppy a selection of chew toys – you can get these in a variety of shapes and sizes from most pet shops. You should also make sure that your dog doesn't eat anything that can harm him or her, so check the floor for potentially dangerous items such as chemical stuffs, tablets or small items they could choke on. Some plants, including common houseplants such as Japanese lily or amaryllis are also toxic to your dog so move them to an unreachable level. If anything should happen, consult your vet – with Direct Line pet insurance, many vet costs you have can be covered under our Advanced or Essential policy.

For more great tips and advice on looking after your dog or cat and how to benefit from our pet insurance check out our products and apply for an online pet insurance quote today.

Visit My Good Pet for more top tips for dog owners from television's Victoria Stilwell.