There are two things new dog owners should do on the first day of getting their puppy, according to a dog training expert.
Canine behaviourist Will Atherton boasts around 900,000 followers on both YouTube and TikTok, where he regularly dispenses dog training tips and advice on which breeds are suitable for which people.
Will recently picked up a new puppy, an adorable German Shepherd named Reggie, and has been using the pooch to demonstrate what dog owners should be doing when they get a new pet.
In a YouTube video titled ‘How To Survive The First 24 Hours With Your New Puppy!’, Will explained there are two things new owners should be focusing on – crate training and toilet training.
He said: “If that’s all you do in the first 24 hours, that is a massive success. Especially when it comes to crate training. If you can get your dog crate trained, or most of the way there, it’s going to mean the first night is more successful.
“If you can get a dog well crate trained, it means that separation anxiety doesn’t become a problem, you remove destructive behaviours, and it goes a massive way towards your toilet training.”
Explaining first how he would go about toilet training a new puppy, Will said he would take the dog outside on the hour every hour if it is awake, as well as after it has something to eat and drink, or if it has just woken up from a nap.
In the clip, he is then seen praising and cuddling Reggie after the puppy goes to the toilet outside. Will also explained this behaviour can be rewarded with food further down the line.
With regards to crate training, Will explained it is important to get a new puppy in its crate throughout the day, slowly building up the time it spends there. He got up to 15 minutes with Reggie in the first session before the pup fell asleep.
He used a blanket that was with the litter Reggie came from, placing that in the crate for him. Will also recommended giving puppies their meals in their crates, and said it is vital to ensure they “never sleep anywhere other than in the crate”.
