Bringing a puppy home is an exciting milestone! To ensure a smooth transition for both you and your new pup, preparation is key. 🏠🐾 Here’s a checklist of essentials to have on hand before your puppy arrives:
🦴 Food and Water Bowls: Invest in sturdy, easy-to-clean bowls for food and water. A good set of bowls ensures your puppy stays hydrated and well-fed, especially during their first few days in their new home.
🛏️ Comfortable Bed: Your puppy needs a cozy space to rest. A soft, washable bed will help them feel comfortable and safe in their new environment. A familiar scent or blanket from their previous home can also provide comfort.
🧸 Toys and Safe Chews: Puppies need mental stimulation, and toys are a great way to keep them busy. Choose durable, puppy-friendly toys that are gentle on their teeth but tough enough to withstand playtime. Safe chew toys help with teething and keep their chewing habits in check.
🐕 Leash and Collar with Tags: Ensure your puppy has a properly fitted collar and leash for walks and training. It’s also important to have identification tags with your contact information in case they get lost.
🧼 Cleaning Supplies: Accidents happen! Be sure to have puppy-safe enzymatic cleaning supplies on hand to tackle any messes.
🚗 Carrier or Crate: If you’re picking up your puppy from a breeder or shelter, a carrier or crate is essential for safe travel. It also helps establish a secure, familiar environment for your puppy when they’re not in your care.
By having these essentials ready, you’ll create a safe, welcoming environment for your puppy as they settle into their new home. 🏡✨ The more prepared you are, the easier it will be for both of you to adjust!
Socializing your puppy is about more than just meeting other dogs and people—it’s about preparing them to thrive in the world around them! 🌍🐾
Expose your puppy to a variety of environments, sounds, textures, and situations. Whether it’s car rides, busy streets, or new places like parks and pet-friendly stores, each new experience builds their confidence and helps them stay calm in different settings. 🚗🌳🏙️
The goal of socialization is to help your puppy become comfortable in any situation, preventing fear or anxiety as they grow. The more positive experiences they have now, the better they will handle the challenges of adulthood, from fireworks to crowded events! 🎉
Don't just focus on basic training—introduce your puppy to a variety of everyday experiences, like vacuum cleaners, doorbells, and different surfaces such as grass, tile, or carpet. The more your puppy encounters now, the more adaptable and confident they’ll become in the future. Always pair these new experiences with something positive, like a tasty treat, to help your puppy associate unfamiliar situations with good things. This will foster positive and neutral associations in the long run and can prevent fear behaviors. Give your puppy the confidence to explore the world with curiosity and ease! 🐕🦺✨
Crate training isn’t just for bedtime—it's one of the most valuable tools for your puppy’s growth! 🏠🐾
When done right, a crate becomes a safe, comfortable space where your puppy can relax and feel secure. It’s an excellent tool for potty training, as most puppies naturally avoid soiling their sleeping area, which helps reinforce good bathroom habits. 🐕💩
But crate training also goes beyond potty training! It’s key in building your puppy's independence and confidence. By spending time in their crate when you're home, your puppy learns to be alone without the stress of separation anxiety. This is an essential skill that helps them cope with being alone later in life. 🛏️✨
Toys and chews are not just for fun—they play an important role in your puppy’s development! 🧸🐾 Choosing the right toys can help satisfy their natural instincts, provide mental stimulation, and even support healthy teeth and gums. Here's what to look for when selecting toys for your puppy:
🦷 Rubber Toys: Durable and gentle on teeth, rubber toys are a great choice for puppies who love to chew. They come in many shapes and sizes, providing different textures for your pup to explore.
🧩 Puzzle Games: Mental stimulation is key to keeping your puppy sharp! Puzzle toys that dispense treats can help with problem-solving skills and can also reduce boredom. These are especially great for high-energy pups who need a little extra challenge.
🦴 Safe Chew Toys: Puppies love to chew, but not all chew toys are created equal. Look for ones made from safe, non-toxic materials that are tough enough to withstand a puppy’s bite but gentle on their growing teeth. Avoid toys that are too hard or small, as they can pose choking hazards or cause tooth damage.
🛑 Avoid Choking Hazards: Make sure the toys are large enough that your puppy can’t swallow them whole. Stay away from small toys, rawhide, or items that break into small, sharp pieces.
Remember, appropriate toys not only help with teething, but they also prevent destructive behavior by keeping your puppy occupied and engaged! 🐶💪
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends taking every SAFE opportunity to expose puppies to different experiences during their critical socialization period (8-16 weeks). 🐾
During this time, puppies’ brains are most receptive to new sights, sounds, and interactions. Early socialization helps prevent fearful and aggressive behavior later in life, acting as a "vaccination" against future behavioral issues! 💪
At LOMA Dog Training, our certified puppy trainers start socializing puppies as early as 8 weeks in a safe, sanitized environment to minimize illness risk. This foundation helps your puppy grow into a confident, well-adjusted dog. 🏠✨
Start socializing early for a calm, well-rounded pup! 🌟
Did you know that sometimes cats need training too? A best way to introduce cats to each other is to start slow, with separation. We often start cats in different rooms, or separated by barriers or even crates. Once they begin showing interest and affection to each other, the barriers can be removed. Patience pays off and they will develop friendship. Call us if you have a cat behavior problem and need help. We know that changing your cat’s behavior can seem overwhelming. But it is possible and we can get you there.
Astro is a unique client as they came to us from McAllen, Texas where his owner couldn't find a positive reinforcement trainer locally.
Luckily she found LOMA and we were able to help them 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 via Zoom!
Astro is a trained therapy dog who visits different locations to provide comfort and companionship to people who could use it, however, he started chasing cats while out on walks. Being 90lbs this was a problem for his petite owner!
Using strictly positive training techniques, we were able to not only curb Astro's habit of cat chasing, but he was also able to learn some new tricks to have fun with his therapy clients like how to spin, crawl, and high-five.
Let LOMA help you and your pet in person or online!
Call/Text 210-560-3642
#SanAntonioDogMom #DogsOfSanAntonio #SanAntonioDogs #FearFreeCertifiedProfessional
Meet Nacho!
Nacho has always had some trouble learning basic behaviors and can resource guard around his little brother Maverick.
Nacho has been working with our trainer Sarah (CBCC-KA) for two months, and he has since learned how to touch, stay, leave it, walk on leash, and to go to a spot while his parents are eating.
Here he is with an obstacle course of brand-new toys he had to leave alone, and he did great!
If your dog needs the basics, look no further than LOMA!
Call/Text 210-560-3642 #SanAntonioDogs
Our Puppy Social class has found a new home!
Thank you, Pet's Barn, for hosting us!
Puppy Social is a class meant to help puppies have positive exposure to new experiences, including other dogs, sights, and sounds.
Bringing a new puppy into your home? Look into our Puppy Preschool Program!
Call/Text 210-560-3642
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Co-existing isn't always easy, but it is possible!
Look at our friend Wishbone -
Wishbone used to chase and bark at his feline housemates any time he could find them. This was very stressful for all parties involved, including their human.
Through a lot of hard work and management, Wishbone and his kitties are learning how to exist together calmly. We are so proud of the progress we made!
Need help integrating your pets?
Call/Text (210) 560-3642
#DogsOfSanAntonio #SanAntonioDogMom #SanAntonioDogs #FearFreeCertifiedProfessional
If you are having issues with your dogs existing together in the home, that can be really stressful.
How do you keep everyone safe?
Watch this clip from our How to Keep Your Dog Comfortable and Your Family Safe Webinar for some tips on how to keep your dogs separated safely to avoid future issues between dogs.
Need Help?
Call/Text (210) 560-3642
#FearFreeProfessionals #positivereinforcementtraining #sanantoniodogs #reactivedogs #dogtrainingnearme #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #fearfreetraining #sanantoniodogtrainer
Have you ever felt like there will never be peace in your home?
When you have dogs who fight, it can be very upsetting and disheartening. Many different sources are telling you different things about how to deal with that situation, which can be confusing and frustrating.
Well, we have the solution! We are here to help your household by figuring out the root cause of your pet's fights and providing a clear plan to help bring harmony back to your home.
Take our friends, Maz and Jyn. When we began working with these little Yorkies, they often had fights triggered by food, toys, and sudden excitement (like a doorbell).
After working with our trainers, their humans learned how to manage both of their dog's big personalities in situations that were known to cause issues. This allowed us to help mend their relationship. After following our recommendations, we are happy to report that Maz and Jyn have even started to play with each other, which they had never done before!
Need help with your dog?
Call/Text (210) 560-3642
#fearfreeprofessionals #dogtrainingnearme #sanantoniodogtrainer #positivereinforcementtraining #sadogmom #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #reactivedogs
