First time getting a puppy, AND you’ve committed to a Weimaraner?! Congratulations!!! And may the odds be in your favor. LOL. In all seriousness though, properly raising a puppy requires a lot of effort, time, and energy, but the rewards are worth it for the next 12-15 years with your constant companion. Fortunately, if you’re about to bring home a Barrett Weimaraner, your breeder will be there for you for the next couple of decades. In the meantime, here are a few tips to get you started on the right track:
Read Up. Here are a few articles specifically written for first-time dog owners:
- Are You Ready For a Dog? A Guide for First-Time Dog Owners (Orvis)
- 75 Ways to Be a Responsible Dog Owner (AKC)
- These Are The Biggest Mistakes First-Time Dog Owners Make (It’s Rosy)
- Common Mistakes of First-Time Dog Owners (Cesar’s Way)
- Dogs 101: Your Starter Guide for Getting a Dog (The Dog People)
- Dog 101: 9 Tips for First Time Dog Owners (Monster K9)
- I’m a First-Time Dog Owner, And I Wish I Knew This (Forbes)
- 13 Tips for Every First-Time Dog Owner (Daily Paws)
- Tips for First Time Dog Owners (The Spruce Pets)
- Bringing Home a New Dog: 10 Tips for First-Time Dog Parents (Chewy)
Listen to Podcasts. One of the best free resources out there are Podcasts. Download them to your iPhone or Android, and give it a listen when you have a few moments to spare. Don’t do more than an episode or two at a time so you don’t burn out on absorbing lessons. Complete one Podcast before moving onto another. Re-listen after you bring your puppy home if you need to. A few of my favorite podcasts are:
- The Puppy Training Podcast
- Amy Jensen is a professional puppy trainer, service dog trainer and creator of Baxter & Bella’s Puppy Prep – The Online Puppy School. She spends her free time training dogs to be calm, well-mannered household members as well as service & therapy dogs. After receiving many requests to train dogs for people, Amy decided to roll out a comprehensive how-to online training program to help you train your own dog. On this podcast, she shares training tips aimed at helping you be successful on your own puppy training journey.
- Your New Puppy: Dog Training and Dog Behavior Lessons to Help You Turn Your New Puppy into a Well-Behaved Dog
- The host, Debbie (owner of Playtime Paws), is a positive trainer with a passion for dogs, their behavior and helping you create a well-behaved dog. This is a dog training and behavior podcast that with help you and your new puppy build good healthy habits right from the start. It will also help you understand your dog’s behavior and build a strong, fulfilling, and fun relationship for years to come.
- Creative Dog Training Podcast
- Creative Dog Training is all about taking our over 30 years of experience and passing it on to you! Are you tired of difficult or non-practical advice on how to help you dog? Then our casts are for you! Our casts are short to the point information sessions designed to give you PRACTICAL tools for not just training your dog, but having the dog you’ve always wanted!
Watch some YouTube videos. In addition to Podcasts, there are some great dog training YouTube videos out there. Here’s our current favorite:
- Simpawtico Dog Training.
- Simpawtico Dog Training is committed to bringing you creative and intelligent techniques to manage, motivate, and learn about our beloved canine family members. Here you will find training tips and tutorials, product and book reviews, and oblique strategies you’ve never dreamed of. Ian’s passion is to help you learn to communicate with your dog, expand your knowledge, and create real joy in your relationship with your pet. (378,000 subscribers)
Prepare for Your New Puppy. While you’re waiting for your new puppy to come home, please take a look at the information in this article. Verify the kind of dog food your puppy is currently eating, and buy some to have ready when you bring him/her home. Here are also three podcasts that speak to preparing for your new puppy:
- Getting Ready (The Puppy Training Podcast)
- Your Brand New Puppy (The Puppy Training Podcast)
- Tips on Raising a Puppy in an Apartment (Podcast by Your New Puppy)
Download WhatsApp. Intensive training and socialization is mandatory in the first few months for your puppy to acclimate well into your home, routine, and lifestyle. A puppy socialization checklist can be downloaded here. Puppy training resources are also available for reference here at any time. We’ll also set-up a WhatsApp Puppy Group, which is a quick and secure way of sending messages, photos and videos among group members who own littermates to your puppy. (Kim lives in a remote area and standard texts and photos don’t always work from home.) If you don’t use WhatsApp already, please download this free app for your Android or iPhone, and we’ll add you in to connect you. Please feel free to ask any question, anytime, through this App. Answers will be shared to the whole group so everyone benefits from the Q&A. You may opt out of this group at any time by simply exiting the group chat.
Best wishes on raising your new Weimaraner Puppy!!! – Kim and Stacy
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