Click here to see the list of available dogs for adoption

Newborn Care for puppies and kittens

0-6 weeks

Caring for newborn puppies and kittens can be time-consuming and, at times, difficult work. It is quite a rewarding experience to see them progress from being defenseless babies to more independent, healthy animals.

Determining Age

• Newborn to 1 week: Umbilical cord may still be attached, eyes closed, ears flat.
• 2 weeks: Eyes closed, begin to open day 10-17 usually, scoots on belly, ears begin to open.
• 3 weeks: Eyes open, tooth buds forming, teeth may begin to erupt this week, begins to creep.
• 4 weeks: Teeth erupting, begins to show interest in canned food, suck reflex progresses to lapping, walks.
• 5 weeks: Able to eat canned food. May begin to try dry food, able to lap. Walks well and starts to run.
• 6 weeks: Should be able to eat dry food, playful, runs, and jumps.

Care of Newborn to 4 weeks

Keeping newborns warm: From birth until approximately three weeks of age, puppies and kittens cannot regulate their own body temperatures. Chilling is extremely harmful. They need a constant supply of artificial heat (heating pad) if mom is not available to keep them warm.

Keep the animal(s) indoors in a draft-free room. If outside, they are subject to extreme temperatures, flea/tick/fire ant infestation and other animals that could harm them. For their bed, use an animal transport carrier. Line the inside of the kennel with towels. Place a heating pad under half of the kennel (not inside of the kennel). Turn the heating pad to medium. After 10 minutes half the towels should feel comfortably warm, not too warm or too cool. This allows the animal to move to an area which is most comfortable. For the first two weeks of life, place another towel over the top of the kennel to avoid any drafts. When the animal is four weeks of age, a heating pad is no longer necessary unless the room is chilly or drafty. If the animal has no littermates, place a stuffed animal and/or a ticking clock inside the kennel.

Keeping newborns clean: Mom dogs and cats not only keep their litters warm and fed, but also keep them clean. As they clean, this stimulates the newborn to urinate/defecate. Neonates under two to three weeks of age usually do not spontaneously eliminate on their own. (Some do, but this is not enough to prevent possible stasis which can lead to infection). To help your newborn, use either a cotton ball or Kleenex moistened with warm water. Gently stroke the genital/anal area before and after feedings. If the animal does not go at this time, try again within an hour. Keep bedding clean and dry at all times to prevent chilling. If the animal does need to be bathed, we recommend a mild tear free baby or puppy shampoo. Bathe in warm water, dry with a towel and dry further with an electric hair dryer on low setting. Make sure the animal is completely dry before putting back into the kennel. If fleas are present, bathe as previously described. Do not use flea or tick shampoo as it can be toxic to neonates. If fleas are still present, consult your veterinarian. Anemia caused by fleas can be fatal if left untreated.

Feeding your newborn: Until the animal is four to five weeks old, bottle-feeding is necessary. There are formulas made especially for puppies and kittens. Human milk or formulas made for human babies are not suitable for baby animals. We recommend Esbilac for puppies and KMR for kittens. Baby animals should be fed every three to four hours. To mix dry formula, mix one part formula to three parts water. Microwave the water and then mix. Stir and check temperature. The formula should be lukewarm to warm. Hold the newborn in one hand supporting the animal’s chest and abdomen. Do not feed the animal like a human baby (lying on it’s back). It should be as if the animal was nursing from the mom dog/cat. You may notice that the animal will try to place its front paws on the palm of the hand holding the bottle. It may even “knead” as it feeds. Most animals will pull off the bottle when full or when needing to burp. Burp the animal. It may or may not take more formula. If the formula has cooled, warm it again and offer it to the animal. Most like it when it is warm versus cool.

If at any time there is too much formula being delivered, the animal will begin to choke. Stop feeding, wipe away excess formula from the mouth/nose. Lower the angle of the bottle when feeding so less formula will be delivered. If there is too much air being sucked in, increase the angle of the bottle so more formula can be delivered. Most nipples are not pre-holed. Follow the directions on the nipple box. If it becomes necessary to increase the size of the hole, either use small scissors to create a larger hole or use a hot large diameter needle to increase the hole size. Sometimes, the newborn will not readily take to a bottle. Try to offer the bottle at each feeding. If unsuccessful, use an eyedropper or syringe to give the formula. Slowly give the formula. If too forceful, the formula may be pushed into the lungs. Most baby animals will learn to bottle-feed.

Four-week old kittens will still need to be bottle-fed although some may start eating canned kitten food mixed with a little kitten milk replacer (see instructions for bottle feeding). Most 5 week-olds can eat canned kitten food and usually they start on dry kitten food at 6 weeks.     

Once the animal is approximately four weeks old, teeth begin to erupt. Once the teeth are present, and it is taking a full bottle at each feeding, or if it is chewing on the nipple rather than sucking, it is usually ready to begin taking solid food.

4 to 6 weeks of age

Bedding: Refer to “Keeping Newborns Warm”. By age 4 weeks, the puppies and kittens are able to regulate their own body temperatures. Therefore, a heating pad is no longer needed. Continue to use the kennel for their beds. If space permits, place the kennel in an area where they may get out of their bed to play and exercise. (Usually a utility room, bathroom, kitchen). Beginning about this age, baby kittens will begin to use a litter box. Most cat litters are acceptable to use except for the scoopable brands which can be too easily inhaled or ingested. For puppies, place newspaper on the floor outside of their kennel. Puppies do not like to soil in their bed.

Feeding: Once the teeth have erupted at about four weeks of age, puppies and kittens may begin to eat solid foods. At age four to five weeks, offer either canned puppy/kitten food mixed with formula or human baby food (chicken or beef) mixed with formula. Serve warm. Feed four to five times a day if not taking a bottle. If still bottle-feeding, offer this at first 2 times a day and continue to bottle-feed at the other feedings. Slowly progress to feeding solid mixture more often, less bottle-feeding. At this age, the animal needs to have its face cleaned with a warm moistened cloth after feedings. Kittens usually begin to clean themselves after feedings when they are 5 weeks old.

At age five to six weeks, the animal should begin to lap. Offer either canned kitten/puppy food or moistened kitten/puppy chow. Feed four times a day. Have dry kitten/puppy chow and a bowl of shallow water available at all times.

By six weeks of age, most puppies are able to eat dry food.

Subscribe to our newsletter to join thousands of readers.

Socialization - PUPPY & KITTEN DEVELOPMENT

The brain is an amazing organ, in pets as in people. It goes through stages in development and certain things are best learned at certain times. Think about how easy it is for a child to pick up language skills at a young age but how difficult it is for a grown person to learn a new language. The brains of pets go through developmental stages too.

The first period in puppy or kitten development is the Neonatal Period. This period lasts for the first two weeks of life. At this stage, they are completely dependent on the bitch or queen (mother dog or cat). They cannot see or hear so most of their sensory input is from smell and touch. Their brain wave patterns are very slow and flat – not much thinking going on yet!

Dramatic changes occur from 15 to 21 days of age, the Transition Period. This stage provides the beginning of sensory, motor, and psychological capacities common in adult behavior. This transition varies from a state of complete dependence upon the bitch to one of relative independence. The eyes and ears become functional, while the motor system matures sufficiently to permit standing, walking and chewing. At the end of the transition period, the rudiments of adult social behavior patterns emerge, i.e. a puppy wags its tail at the sight of people or other animals. The young animal also develops control of urination and defecation and begins to eliminate outside the nest area.

Compared to puppies, kittens develop more rapidly. Their eyes and ears are functional at an earlier age, allowing them to observe the environment and respond at a younger age than the puppy. However, motor skills necessary for the refined movements of tree climbing, prey catching, and running take longer to develop. The period of time that the queen devotes to her kittens is prolonged compared to that of a dog mommy and her puppies.

The experiences of the young puppy or kitten during the Socialization Period, from age four to eight weeks in kittens and four to sixteen weeks in puppies, will have the most dramatic effect on ultimate adult behavior.

Early in the socialization period, behavior is related to care-seeking activities, including a search for food, warmth, and comfort. Young animals may show a fear response to strange objects or people during the first week of the socialization period, and may hide, growl or spit, or run away. They begin chewing and biting one another in playful fighting activities, sometimes growling at one another in mock battle play or when in competition for food or play objects. This competitive behavior plays an important role in the establishment of a social hierarchy or dominance order. The owners of puppies can recognize which puppies will be the dominant and/or aggressive ones and which ones will be timid and/or submissive.

Other social activities are seen at about four weeks of age in the form of early pack or group-coordinated behavior. If one puppy or kitten leaves the home area, the others will usually follow. The puppies begin to explore and investigate their environment.

They will first approach objects cautiously and may give a startled response to strange objects. They will gradually become accustomed to their new environment and will venture further from the home area. This process is also seen in eliminative behavior. As the puppy or kitten matures, it gradually goes farther from the cage and eliminates in specific spots or the litter box. When a puppy needs to defecate, he will usually run to an area, wander around with his nose to the ground, and then circle rapidly. This is the ideal time to housebreak a puppy.

As the socialization process progresses, there is a gradual change in social interactions. In the fourth week, the puppy or kitten interacts primarily with the mother and to a limited extent his littermates. Taking a puppy away from its mother at this time is certain to cause poor socialization. By the fifth week of age, the puppy or kitten has increased social interactions with littermates as evidenced by play behavior, running together and fighting or dominance behavior. This type of behavioral activity is seen from the fifth through the seventh week of life. In a sense, the puppy or kitten must learn to be a dog or cat.

Young animals isolated from their littermates during this interval frequently have difficulty later in life socializing with other animals and may show abnormal sexual behavior as adults. Play activity is an extremely important part of the behavioral development of a puppy or kitten. A pet deprived of play activity tends to be easily upset and does not seem to learn as readily as does the puppy or kitten that has had ample opportunity for social play when it was young.

Coinciding with this time of socialization is an increasing responsiveness towards humans, usually beginning around six weeks of age. This is also the time when the puppy’s or kitten’s nervous system reaches the structural and functional capacities of the adult. In other words, they are ready to learn and will do so quite readily. Eight weeks of age is an ideal time to place them in their new home so further socialization with humans and subsequent housebreaking and training can occur.

Unfortunately, many dog breeders and potential dog owners fail to realize the importance of obtaining a pet at this age. Puppies and kittens socialized between six and eight weeks respond to human beings much better as adults than those allowed to socialize before or after that time. Dogs and cats that do not receive any socialization with man until after this time are essentially unapproachable and untrainable. On the other hand, pets weaned and adopted by humans at too young an age don’t have normal brain development either, and may end up aggressive or fearful with humans.

In dogs, the next part of the socialization period, from 8 to 10 weeks, is the time the puppy learns to speak “dog.” This means he learns “body language” and how to respond to other dogs in a normal way. Without this development, the puppy will be fearful or aggressive towards other dogs and does not show the normal greeting and sniffing that goes into saying “hello” in dog. Dogs also use a complicated set of behaviors to say “I’m dominant,” "This is my territory,” “I’m submissive,” “I’m in heat,” “Let’s play” and so on. Without this learning process taking place, dogs will be illiterate in their own language.

The final phase of the socialization period of dogs, lasting from about 10 to 12 weeks of age, is when pups learn to speak "human". They learn not to fear the touch and embrace of a human or human speech. If puppies are not raised with human interaction during this period, it is unlikely they will ever trust a human. If they receive lots of handling, including being picked up, having their mouth opened, their feet touched and their ears combed they will tolerate these things all their lives. If they are not handled at all, these pets will be wild and “dog oriented”.

In kittens, the socialization period is shorter and they are not as social with other animals as adults. However, they do need lots of human contact to bond best with their humans. Studies have shown that kittens who receive attention from lots of different people are more friendly and outgoing, even to their own owners, then those that only interacted with a few humans when they were young.

The time from twelve weeks of age until sexual maturity defines the Juvenile Period in the dog. Behavioral activities and further socialization of the young dog depend largely on his environment. The young dog left in the kennel or pet store cage develops quite differently from the dog that matures and grows with a human family.

During the juvenile period, the young dog will try to establish its dominance. A young dog left in a kennel with several littermates or other dogs of similar size or age may fight over food, water, or play objects. A dominance hierarchy is established. The young puppy that is placed in a home becomes a part of the social organization of the family and will try to achieve social independence.

The young dog in a household situation will test the members of the family until he finds his place in the home. This is when many behavioral problems arise. This may lead the novice dog owner to abuse or mistreat the puppy, or deposit their new pet at the city pound or dog shelter. It is normal for puppies, like teenagers, to “act out.” Pet owners need to take the time to learn humane and effective training techniques to get through this developmental stage. The human/companion animal bond suffers greatly from misunderstanding and miscommunication during this period.

Our recommendations are:

• Puppies and kittens should stay with their litter until they are eight weeks of age.
• Litters should have human interaction beginning at week three.
• They should be placed in a human home environment shortly after leaving the litter to prevent “kennelosis”, and they should receive lots of varied stimuli during this time.
• Hand raised puppies, or puppies removed from their litter before 8 weeks of age, should interact with other puppies in some way (puppy day care or socialization class) so they can better socialize to dogs and people. 

Getting a new pet is incredibly exciting for all the family, but it can be quite scary for your new pup. Find out how to deal with your puppy’s first day home.

Your pet’s first day home is an exciting one for all the family! You are starting out your new life together with the best friend you have always dreamt of. Everything is ready to welcome the new pet and help them settle in straight away.

But there is something many new owners don’t realise. While everyone in the house may be bursting with excitement and desperate to have a play with the newest member of the family, your pet’s first day home may look completely different to them. After all, they’re on their own in a strange place with people they don’t know. It can be overwhelming for the animal, and may be stressful or frightening for them.

Here’s how to help your pet make an easy transition to family life.

1. Take things slowly on your pet’s first day home

No matter how excited everyone is about the pet’s arrival, keep their homecoming low-key. It’s so easy to shower the new pet with affection, particularly for the younger members of the family. While the new pet is getting used to their surroundings, always supervise excited children and give your pet some much-needed time out from all the excitement.

Start off by having them in one room and let them explore in their own time discovering the scents, sights and sounds of this new world. Allow your pet to settle in gradually and in their own time. This is far better than overwhelming them with enthusiastic games, cuddles and play while they are still trying to find their paws.

2. Make things familiar for the new pet

Up until now their whole life has been spent in one place, a comfortable environment or the shelter, close to their mother, their littermates or friends for company. All the sounds, sights, and smells that were once familiar are gone. This is why it’s so important to try and make things feel familiar right from your pet’s first day home. Bringing a piece of veterinary bedding or a blanket back from the breeder that smells of the pet’s mum, littermates or friends can be comforting and provide them with a touch of home.

3. Allow the pet to dictate the pace of your interactions

Some pets might be super-friendly and enthusiastic and want to climb all over you, others may start off more standoffish and prefer to get to know you more slowly.

During the first day, you can stroke them and touch them, but let them decide how much contact they want. Don’t chase your pet around, and absolutely no grabbing or holding them if they want to be let go. You want your pet to begin their life with you the way you want them to go on – trusting you, trusting your hands, and trusting everyone in the family. Sit on the floor with them, allowing them to dictate the pace of your interactions.

4. Create a list of rules for your pet’s first day at home

Before bringing your pet home it’s useful to agree a list of house rules with your family. It’s important that each member of the family is consistent with the training. A pet will get easily confused if they are allowed on furniture by one member of the family but not by another.

Plus, new pets won’t lose time developing very cheeky habits if left unchecked. Let them beg at the table once and expect to be pestered at every mealtime! There are also some rules to establish for the human members of the family. If you know you’ve got a pet who likes to chew things for example, you’re asking for trouble if you leave an expensive pair of trainers within their reach.

5. Don’t worry if they are a bit wary on their first day

Don’t expect your pet to come through the door confident and playful. They may do, but far more likely they will be tentative, wary and uncertain as they try to discover what the next phase of their life is going to bring. On your puppy’s first day home everything changes for them. Their new life may seem strange, different and potentially scary. You know that your pet has ‘come home’, that you will love your new pet and give them everything you can to keep them happy and healthy but right now, your pet doesn’t know that. Be patient and your pet will settle in much faster.

6. Keep an eye out during the first interactions between children and the pet

When bringing your pet home, make sure children have an understanding of how to handle the new pet with care and respect. The arrival of a pet is a really exciting thing – but clinging onto the new arrival or playing rough games can make the pet worried or fearful.

As the pet begins to settle, this respect and thoughtful handling should continue from all the family. You want your pet to grow up wanting to be close to you and be touched by you, so set clear rules for everyone early on.

7. Spend as much time together as possible on your pet’s first day home

Make sure you can dedicate time to your new arrival to help them acclimatise to their new surroundings and to establish an everyday routine. Working from home or booking a few days of holiday will allow you to spend important quality time with your new pet. These early weeks of life are a time when pets are learning about the world around them, what people are like and who to trust. Make sure you are there to guide them every step of the way.

Make sure that they’re left home alone for short but steadily increasing periods of time throughout the first week. And if they do seem to find your absence difficult, find out more about how to deal with pet separation anxiety (Link).

It doesn’t take much to make a pet feel secure and happy in their new life. But by just taking a step back from the excitement of bringing a new pet home and realising that for them their whole world has changed and everything is unfamiliar, you can make their homecoming the fun and wonderful event that you want it to be.

All you’ll have to do now is enjoy getting to know each other, playing, training, socialising, having fun and watching your pet grow up to be your best friend!

Subscribe to our newsletter to join thousands of readers.

Whether you’ve recently adopted a pet or you’re considering it, one of the most important health decisions you’ll make is to spay or neuter your cat or dog.

Spaying-removing the ovaries and uterus of a female pet-is a veterinary procedure that requires minimal hospitalization and offers lifelong health benefits.

Neutering-removing the testicles of your male dog or cat-will vastly improve your pet’s behavior and keep him close to home.

Not convinced yet? Check out our handy-and persuasive-list of the top 10 reasons to spay or neuter your pet!

1. Your female pet will live a longer, healthier life

Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 50 percent of dogs and 90 percent of cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.

2. Neutering provides major health benefits for your male

Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male companion prevents testicular cancer.

3. Your spayed female won't go into heat

While cycles can vary, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently-sometimes all over the house!

4. Your male dog won't want to roam away from home

An intact male will do just about anything to find a mate! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.

5. Your neutered male will be much better behaved

Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.

6. Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat

Don’t use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds-not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.

7. It is highly cost-effective

The cost of your pet's spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with the neighborhood stray!

8. Spaying and neutering your pet is good for the community

Stray animals pose a real problem in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause car accidents, damage the local fauna and frighten children. Spaying and neutering packs a powerful punch in reducing the number of animals on the streets.

9. Your pet doesn't need to have a litter for your children to learn about the miracle of birth

Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping is not a good lesson for your children-especially when so many unwanted animals end up in shelters. There are tons of books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a more responsible way.

10. Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation

Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.

Subscribe to our newsletter to join thousands of readers.

Check out our 5 tips on how pets can teach responsibility.

1. Chores teach responsibility

Giving your children age appropriate tasks for your four legged family member helps build their self-confidence and is a perfect opportunity to reinforce their independence. As parents, we know enthusiasm can dwindle when it comes to any chore so don’t be afraid to pull out the sticker chart to help! 

2. Live an active life

Walking a dog is a fabulous hands-on experience for kids who love pets. With parental accompaniment to ensure their safety, a daily walk can be a rewarding time together with the added benefit of getting some fresh air and exercise for the whole family.

3. Companionship beyond the physical

Pets can fulfill so many psychological needs for children. The unconditional love and affection that pets give children not only boosts their self-esteem but it also helps them make emotional connections of their own. Studies of school-age children in fact have shown those with a pet, tended to be more empathetic and altruistic than those children without a pet, making dogs the perfect teachers of kindness.

4. Understanding the world

Having children care for pets provides the opportunity to discuss emotions that children often struggle to understand such as growth, accidents and death. Children often surprise us with their resilience but for most kids, the loss of a pet is often their first encounter with death and can be a devastating heartache. Discussing these moments with them helps them not only process the grief but also teaches them emotional skills far greater than their age.  

5. Teaching dog safety

Pets are treasured members of our families and having a pet can teach a child respect by knowing how to treat their own dog and with parental help, this can then be further built on to ensure kids on how to approach dogs safely, read their body language and how to behave around pets to ensure safety at all times. 

Subscribe to our newsletter to join thousands of readers.

Pulling on the lead - Follow these simple steps that make life easier for you and your dog.

Some puppies won’t stop pulling on the lead. This can be extremely tiring for both you and your pup and can turn a simple walk into a complete nightmare.

If your dog is straining at the lead, or your puppy refuses to walk without pulling with all their strength, it means that you are only controlling them with physical restraint, rather than with the training that should keep them happily trotting at your side.

Not only that, but as they get older, the physical effort involved in controlling your dog could be overwhelming, especially if your canine friend is one of the larger, stronger breeds.

To make life easier for you and your dog, all it takes is a little training and they’ll be overjoyed at the sight of their lead in no time.

Keep reading to find out how to leash train a puppy!

WHY LEAD TRAINING PUPPIES IS IMPORTANT?

1. Exercise

Being able to walk your puppy on a lead provides an opportunity to exercise your dog and keep them healthy while they grow and mature.

2. Mental stimulation

Exposing your puppy to new environments is essential to their growth and development, and walking on a lead is essential to exploring many new places. The act of training itself is also great mental stimulation for your dog!

3. Further training

Lead training also improves responsiveness to overall obedience training, and it may become easier to teach other commands such as ‘sit’ or ‘stay’ once your puppy has learned to be walked on a lead.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED BEFORE YOU START PUPPY LEAD TRAINING.

1. A collar or harness

Buy a collar or harness that fits your puppy appropriately, never too loose or too tight – you should be able to fit two fingers between the collar and your puppy’s neck.

2. A lead

Buy a lead that’s of a suitable length to be able to walk comfortably. Make sure that the lead can be attached securely to your puppy’s collar or harness. This is so they are always safe during walks but there is enough slack so your puppy isn’t always pulling.

3. Treats

Use treats to reward them for good behaviour on the lead.

How to train a puppy to walk on a lead?

To train your puppy to successfully walk on the lead, follow these steps:

1. Get them used to wearing a collar

You’ll probably be wondering how to leash train a puppy and when and where you should even start. It’s important that you begin training when they’re young, that way they’ll be much happier and easy to walk with right into adulthood. Whether you’re teaching a puppy or starting with an adult dog, the best place to start isn’t with a lead at all – but with their smart new collar! 

When leash training your puppy, they need to be comfortable in their collar, so start with one that's lightweight with nylon webbing so it won’t feel like it’s weighing them down. Make sure it is fitted correctly, with just enough room for you to get two fingers underneath it. Check their collar daily and adjust it to make them more comfortable if you need to.

Does your dog try to wriggle out of their collar? They probably won’t even notice they’re wearing it if you put it on and then immediately distract them with treats or a fun game! If they scratch their collar, distract them. When they’re not paying their collar any attention, remove it again. Over the course of a couple of days, slowly increase the length of time that your dog or puppy wears the collar until they stop noticing it – and you’ll be well on the way to a happy, well behaved pup!

2. Attach the lead to their collar and practice walking around the garden

Before walking your puppy, the first step is to attach the lead to their collar. Being on a lead is another sensation your dog or puppy will need to get used to gradually, but when they do, there will be so much more of the world to explore!

Attach a lead to their collar and follow your dog around the garden, making sure the lead is kept slack. That way, they’ll barely notice it’s there, making puppy leash training a lot easier! After a couple of minutes, remove the lead and play a game together, before reattaching the lead and walking wherever they wander, all the time keeping the lead loose so they feel no resistance. 

3. Associate the lead with playtime

It’s important to make the lead seem fun, otherwise your puppy might tense up every time you put it on. Once the lead is on, you can use treats or toys to entertain your puppy. By association, your puppy should anticipate fun once you put on the lead and will be much more likely to co-operate.

4. Take your puppy outside

Once your puppy has learned to accept the lead and doesn’t become agitated or stressed when it is put on, it’s time to venture outside. Again, keep in mind that this will be a new experience for your puppy. There will be lots of new sights, sounds and smells. If your puppy seems overwhelmed or over-stimulated at first, don’t worry, this is normal given the circumstances. Over time they will become used to the experience as it becomes a new part of their routine.

5. Carry treats with you

Use dog treats to reward them for good behaviour on the lead.

6. Find a quiet area

Since most puppies are very excitable and full of energy, it’s best to find a quiet area to teach your puppy how to walk on a lead in the initial stages. Once your puppy has become more used to the idea, only then should you move into busier places (e.g. parks with other dog walkers).

7. Use commands

Throughout puppy lead training, use consistent commands such as ‘heel’, ‘sit’, or ‘stay’. You can learn about teaching your puppy to sit or stay here. It is important to be consistent with the commands or you run the risk of confusing your puppy and slowing down the learning process.

8. Start teaching them how to heel on the lead

Once you’ve taught your dog how to sit, it’s time to think about how training can help you when walking your dog on a lead. First of all, teach them to walk to heel on the lead and get your dog’s attention by saying their name and showing them a treat – this will be exciting enough to make any training worth the effort and is the first step to teaching your dog to not pull on a lead. 

Then lean forward and take a few steps, encouraging your dog to walk forward too. Your dog should be rewarded and praised for any steps forward at this point, as they’re learning something new. 

Encourage your dog to take the ‘sit’ position next to you, and then step forward again. Practice walking forwards in many short on-lead training sessions, and when your dog walks alongside you, without putting any pressure on the lead by surging ahead or lagging behind, say “heel” so they associate walking next to you with the request.

If your dog lags behind, be more animated in your actions and use a more excited tone of voice – just like you, your dog can get bored, and something that seems exciting is much easier to focus on!

If your dog pulls ahead whilst walking on a lead, it’s because they want to get somewhere fast. Simply stand still (or even start walking backwards), call them back to your side, and start again. Your training sessions are so exciting, especially to a young dog, that walking might involve a bit of puppy pulling. Puppy training will get easier, though - your dog will quickly understand that pulling on a lead is counterproductive to getting anywhere. 

9. Be patient

Remember that walking on a lead will be a new experience for your puppy and, for this reason, it’s important to be patient during puppy lead training. If your puppy stops, don’t be tempted to ‘pull’ them along. Instead, do everything calmly and gently. It can be good idea to just stop and kneel until your puppy figures out what’s going on and what the lead is for. Only reward good behaviour, and discourage other behaviour (such as pulling) by calmly ignoring them. The important thing is to stay collected. By doing this, your puppy will gain confidence in you and is likely to accept walking on the lead more quickly.

New encounters when dog walking.

Once your dog is walking on a lead and to heel in your garden (and they have had all of their puppy vaccinations), begin taking them to other areas. Walking a dog on a lead isn’t always plain sailing – remember that they will want to investigate new sights, sounds smells and other dogs – this is where good puppy socialization is really key – so don’t expect too much too soon. You will have to work harder when faced with competition for your dog’s attention so take some special treats (either a small proportion of their daily food allowance or their favourite toy) and teach them that focusing on you is worth it! Keep training sessions short and positive, always ending on a success, and then have a fun play session together.

Meeting people and other dogs.

Ask your vet or local training club about training classes that can teach you how to train a puppy to walk on a lead. They’re one of the best ways to prepare you for walking your dog and for trips into the wider world together. Walking a puppy or adult dog isn’t always straightforward - many dogs get very excited when they see another person or dog walking towards them and start pulling on the lead to greet them! It is important to pre-empt this behaviour so that it doesn’t occur. (It’s also where spending so much time puppy training pays off!) If you see someone approaching, get a treat from your pocket, say your dog’s name to get their attention and then calmly show them the treat, which they should focus on. As they walk past the person, give them lots of praise and then stop and give them the reward. They will soon learn good manners if they are rewarded like this.

Random rewards

Once your dog is happily and reliably walking on a loose lead, reduce their rewards and only give them the occasional treat for especially good lead-walking (such as calmly passing an exciting distraction like a cat). Don’t stop giving rewards altogether – a random reward will keep your dog’s interest and concentration far better than either constant rewards or none at all! If you need further help and advice on walking your dog on a lead, enrol with a local dog training club.

Training should always be a positive, reward-based experience that encourages bonding between you, not punish them in a way that may inspire fear – this is usually counter-productive in the end!

That’s our guide for how to train a puppy to walk on a lead. No matter what point you’re starting from, with a little love, encouragement and patience, you will be able to go on some truly memorable and special journeys when walking your dog.

Subscribe to our newsletter to join thousands of readers.