Tips for Your Puppy's First Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is almost here! We’re sharing some safety tips and of course, food ideas for your puppy to ensure you have a happy and worry-free Thanksgiving!

@herbie.doodle

Ah, Thanksgiving! It’s a day many of us look forward to for weeks with mouth-watering anticipation. One of those holidays when you can really kick back and enjoy spending time with family. And our puppies are no exception to the excitement that Thanksgiving has to offer! Think about it from a little puppy’s perspective: new people, lots of movement and sounds, and...the smells! But as exciting as it is, it can also be a time that can cause distress for your puppy. New situations always present risk factors but with our helpful puppy training and Thanksgiving safety tips, the only thing you need to worry about this Thanksgiving is enjoying a feast and feeling grateful!

Can My Puppy Eat Thanksgiving Dinner?

So it’s your puppy’s first Thanksgiving with the family! With the holidays, it’s easy to want to spoil your puppy - they’re your furbaby after all! Knowing what’s safe for your puppy to eat and what isn’t, is the crucial factor between celebrating an enjoyable day with family or ending up with a sick puppy. 

But if you’re like us, chances are you don’t know all the different foods from Thanksgiving dinner that your puppy can enjoy right off hand. Here’s a handy graph you can save and reference in the future!

“Don’t let guests feed human food to your puppy because it can make them very sick!”

— Tip from The Puppy Academy Trainer, Bethany

Making Sure Your Puppy is Safe

With so much prep work that goes into Thanksgiving dinner, it’s super easy to forget that your puppy’s needs aren’t on hold just for the holiday. They need care, attention, and above all security! 

Ask for Help!

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, chances are you will be running around with a million things on your list to get done. Avoid finding yourself in a situation where you can’t tend to your attention-seeking puppy and instead enlist the help of a trusted family member or friend to watch over your puppy while you are prepping dinner!

Keep Your Puppy’s Crate Readily Available

The crate is your puppy’s safety zone. With so many people coming and going, loud talking, loud music, new smells, all that stimulation can get overwhelming for a little puppy. Make sure their crate is somewhere they can get to easily and in a quiet, stress-free area of your home.

Be Aware of Your Puppy’s Safety

If you are hosting and plan to be receiving a lot of guests, chances are some of them may forget to close the door at some given point. 

Kindly remind family there's a new puppy present and to shut the door, watch where they step, and be mindful of where they leave their food and drinks. Using a playpen or crate while guests are over will help give you added peace of mind that your puppy is happy and safe over the holiday.

“It’s tempting to have your pup hang out and join in on the fun, but the best way to keep them from eating something they shouldn’t or getting into trouble is to use the crate! It’ll keep your pup relaxed even with the chaos of family events!”

— Tip from The Puppy Academy Trainer, Josh

Mindfulness also goes for food preparation and dinner time. While prepping food, you’re probably doing two or even three things at once in the kitchen. That spells the perfect time for your puppy to get into something that they shouldn’t. Be careful not to leave anything like knives, forks, corks, food, alcohol, etc., anywhere within your puppy’s reach. An unattended and curious puppy is a recipe for disaster in the kitchen. 

Puppy Training Doesn’t Stop Over Thanksgiving

Puppy training shouldn't take a break for Thanksgiving! Instead, use it as a great opportunity to reinforce your pup's good manners by enlisting your guests to help. For example, have your guests greet your puppy when they're (both!) in a calmer state, and remind them to only pet your pup when all four paws are on the floor. Giving attention and affection while your puppy is jumping all over them will only encourage more of that behavior, and make training more difficult, even if it's just for one day!

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No Table Scraps!

Another important situation to watch out for is family and friends giving into the begging “puppy eyes” for table scraps! Of course, we want our puppy to celebrate along with us, but it’s important to remember that their tummies are sensitive. Richly seasoned foods can cause them to get upset, but more so, they could accidentally ingest food that is not safe for them and can be harmful to their health. The last thing you want is to make an emergency vet visit on Thanksgiving! Make sure to save the infographic with safe and not safe Thanksgiving Day foods for your puppy!

“If you’re concerned about your puppy eating table scraps during dinner, use this time to practice crate work. Crating during mealtime is a wonderful and safe choice.”

— Tip from The Puppy Academy Trainers, Sparky

@wufers @blue_the_sherpador

From our family of pups to our yours, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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How to Socialize Your New Puppy!

It’s your pawrent responsibility to socialize your puppy while they are still young. Here are 5 things you can do!

The phrase “it takes a village” has never been truer than when it comes to introducing your new puppy to different places, people and, you guessed it, puppies! And while you may think you have plenty of time to bring your puppy around certain relatives and friends, the window for early socialization isn’t as wide as you think! 

Whether you have already started to try your hand at puppy socialization or don’t know where to start, getting educated around puppy socialization is key! There are a lot of different factors that you may not be aware of when it comes to proper socialization. It’s important to understand why socialization for your puppy is imperative but also know the proper methods to follow to make sure you are giving your puppy the best experience possible.

These 5 tactics are designed to help you reduce stress, anxieties, and fears through proper coping mechanisms by helping your puppy gain experience through different environments and situations!

#1 Timing is Everything!

The first few days with your puppy are full of excitement. You probably want to cuddle, take a million+ photos and just obsess over the little ball of fuzz. But did you know that your puppy’s socialization clock is already ticking?

@indi.countryside

In general, many breeders start the socialization process as early as 4-6 weeks old. Chances are you are receiving your puppy anywhere from 8-12 weeks which means you’ll need to start exposing your puppy to different people, sounds, and surfaces under their paws ASAP! We can’t stress enough: This early period of their lives is crucial for them to have these interactions!

“Be mindful of your puppy’s vaccination schedule, as well as the status of other pups’ vaccinations they interact with, outside of their littermates, to ensure their optimal health and safety. Your vet can help answer questions around this!”

— Tips from The Puppy Academy Trainers

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#2 Remember: Stay Positive!

No matter what, stay positive! Ok, what we really mean without making you nervous about things going array is that it’s important to create a positive experience for your puppy while socializing. They imprint moments quickly and you want them to associate a happy experience with meeting new people and dogs. Every time they have a good interaction with a new person or dog, you should give them a reward in the form of praise such as “Good boy!”, a food reward with kibble, or even petting them.

@thepuppyacademy

But rewarding comes with a special balance. Here at The Puppy Academy, we have a saying: “What you pet is what you get!" Think about it like this, if your puppy gets excited and jumps all over you, and you pet your puppy in their excited frenzy, you’ve actually just affirmed to him that’s good behavior. A general rule of thumb is to only pet a pup when they're calm!

“Not all social scenarios are the best for your puppy. Pick quality over quantity when it comes to interactions!”

— Tips from The Puppy Academy Trainers

#3 Switch it Up!

For successful puppy socialization, think about all the instances you’d want your puppy to be exposed to. Depending on where you plan to bring your puppy along with you, it may be a good idea to introduce them to those environments. If allowed: the beach, a cafe, a department store, festivals, etc. are all possible dog-friendly locations you’ll want to start to incorporate your puppy!

@whinnie_gram

But before you start taking your puppy for ride alongs everywhere, take into account their confidence level.

Put yourself in their paws, their young and the world is really big! Confident pups can go into busier areas while nervous pups should start in calm areas and work their way up.

#4 Older Dogs Can Make Great Teachers!

Think about it as a type of mentorship of sorts. Dogs are pack animals and learn about hierarchy and boundaries through interactions with other dogs. The same can be said for puppies, but one key learning experience is that it teaches them behavior through play.

@dog_lovers_1

With adult dog interactions we like to recommend using caution in certain instances. For starters, observe the potential adult dog playmate behavior. Are they rough players? Do they nip? All of these behaviors, some of which can be breed-specific, may not be things that you want to expose your puppy to. And of course, we can’t stress enough, apply supervision to these play dates! Short meetings work in the beginning and can gradually extend, but always be aware if your puppy becomes uncomfortable and needs a breather from their older playmate. And vice versa! Sometimes older dogs can only deal with young puppy energy for short spurts before they’ve had enough and need a break, too!

“Join a group puppy training class where your puppy will be able to interact with other pups around the same age and in a safe, controlled environment. BONUS -  When you see who your pup is making friends with, you can even exchange numbers with their owner so you can set up more socialization dates together outside of class!”

— Tips from The Puppy Academy Trainers

#5 Opt for Puppy Training Classes Early on!

Puppy training is never a bad idea, especially when it comes to socialization for your puppy. It’s a safe and controlled environment where they can learn about sensory stimulators, coping mechanisms, and of course play!

For all our puppies undergoing The Puppy Academy puppy training curriculum, we developed a "Desensitization and Familiarization Class" where puppies can be comfortably exposed to a variety of everyday situations. The scary noises from vacuums, hairdryers, doorbells, construction, car honks, etc. all debunked for puppies so they can go home with confidence! 

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