How exciting, you have a new puppy! You would like to eat your dinner calmly and harmoniously without your puppy wanting attention. Your thought and question would be “What to do with your puppy while you are eating”.
Have you thought about how you would resolve this issue? This can be an issue if you have not thought it through and made some plans beforehand. After all, it is nice to sit at your table with a nice meal that has been prepared and enjoy this sit-down time together with your family, or even, relax in your thoughts and daydream if you live by yourself.
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I have been known when having a meal by myself, to read a book, so a puppy wanting my attention would not work in my favour, or the puppy’s favour for that matter.
I help my new puppy to learn to love his or her crate and/or pen.
My new puppy sleeps in a crate during the night and during the day. For other quiet times to unwind and relax, I also put my puppy in a pen to play or rest, as a pen provides more room to move about.
I always keep the crate or pen within view so that my new puppy does not feel alone, after all, dogs are pack animals and need your company. I know what you may be thinking, “If my puppy needs my company, how am I even going to be able to go out and leave my puppy alone?”
That is another issue that we need to chat about, however, our present question is “What to do with your puppy while you are eating?”
I have prepared my puppy to love his or her crate and/or pen by offering yummy treats when in this space and providing fun toys and a comfortable bed or pillow to rest upon.
We also play games going in and out of the pen or crate, for example, I throw into the crate a treat, the puppy scampers in to collect the treat, and then I call my puppy to come back out for another treat from my hand. This is a fun game and provides confidence for my puppy that the crate or pen is fun. I also feed my puppy in the crate or pen, again this builds up confidence.
Once I have built up a history of treats and games for being in the crate, this becomes an easy transition for my new puppy to have some time in the crate whilst I eat my dinner. You can still talk to your puppy whilst you are having your meal, even if it is simply to tell them what a good puppy they are.
Puppies learn from our body language and voice tone that we can be trusted so this helps to build a lasting relationship right from the initial stages of being a member in our home.
This way of helping your puppy understand what happens when you need to eat becomes a routine that they are quite happy and relaxed about.
Whilst your puppy is in their crate or pen, when you have finished your meal, you can calmly leave the room for a short time and calmly return, without making any fuss about your puppy.
This way your puppy learns to be calm when you leave for a time, and calmly return. I need my puppy to learn that as their leader I can leave and return without any fuss on my or their part. This makes it so much easier to start preparing your puppy that you will be absent from time to time and that you will return.
This simple and calm process answers “What to do with your puppy while you are eating”.
Would You Like to Learn Some Training Tips for Your Dog?
For Your Three FREE Training Videos Use This Link.
Until next time…
With Love, Success and Inspiration,
Robin Oliver
Robin Oliver Pet Dog Training
www.robinoliveronline.com/blog
