Lift your puppy’s paws: Lift all four paws, one at a time, and hold each for several seconds. If your puppy tries to pull away, moves your hand with the puppy as she pulls, instead of pulling back. You can reward her with a treat for each paw she allows you to lift.

Tug gently on ears and tail: There’s no need to pull hard, but get your puppy used to have her ears lifted and tugged as well as having her tail pulled in case this ever happens accidentally.

Look inside your puppy’s ears: The vet will want to look inside your dog’s ears during an exam, so it’s a good idea to teach your puppy to be at ease with the experience. It’s also a good way to check to make sure the ears are clean.

Lift your puppy’s lips and look at her teeth: This is another thing done routinely on vet visits, and some dogs will benefit from getting their teeth brushed. If your puppy doesn’t like having his lips lifted, move slowly. First get your puppy comfortable with having his muzzle touched, then gradually work your way to examining teeth.

Grab your puppy’s collar, then give him a treat: We all grab our dogs’ collar at some point in their lives. If you practice with your puppy, the move won’t startle him as an adult.

Brush your puppy’s coat: Pups, especially those with longer hair, will probably require routine brushing. Starting young makes this a more tolerable experience.

Cradle your puppy on her back: Hold your puppy on his back until he stops squirming. As soon as he does, put him back on the ground. This is to teach your puppy to be relaxed and patient if he finds himself in a position he dislikes.

Touch your puppy to wake him, then give him a treat: Dogs who aren’t used to being startled can react with fear if caught off guard. Wake your puppy, but make it worth her while by rewarding her with a desirable treat.

Acclimating your puppy to the leash Begin by letting your puppy drag a leash around the house and your yard. Some puppies are distressed by this new weight around their neck, and it may take several short sessions before they become comfortable. If your puppy seems at ease, lift the leash and hold one end in your hand, then drop it again. If your puppy seems worried, leave the leash be and just give him time to adjust.

When you tether your puppy to you inside, start by using a piece of twine. The lightness will help your puppy adjust to being confined.

Once your puppy is comfortable dragging a leash and being tethered by a piece of twine, begin combining the two and start walking your puppy on a leash. Most make the adjustment fairly quickly.

Teaching good leash manners Young puppies who are just learning to walk on leash don’t yet know the rules. They’re also small and light, which means owners usually let them tug and pull because they’re so easy to control. Unfortunately, as a puppy grows, he will continue to pull, and the larger he becomes, the more problematic pulling will be.

Whenever your young puppy reaches the end of the leash, stop walking. Do not move forward again until the leash becomes slack. Don’t yank on the leash or scold your puppy either; simply wait patiently. If you like, you can say your puppy’s name or make some other noise that will encourage your puppy to move closer to you. As soon as the leash goes slack, start walking again. If you only walk when your puppy’s leash is nice and loose, she will soon learn that in order to go forward, she must not pull. Teach this lesson gently and clearly while your puppy is young, and it will last her entire life.

Some young pups have the opposite issue and always seem to lag behind. Don’t pull or drag a reluctant puppy, as it won’t help his leash manners and it may frighten him. Instead, drop tiny treats whenever your puppy happens to be walking nicely. If you reward him for walking, you’ll find he’ll begin to walk more often. If you puppy refuses to walk or panics when on leash, try to re-acclimate him (as above) before trying to walk him on leash again.

Avoid flexi-leads when training a puppy, as a dog is always on a tight leash when walking on a flexi-lead. Puppies who grow up learning to walk on these leashes often become expert pullers because they get used to always walking on a tight leash.

Elevate or secure all electrical cords: Puppies love playing with cords, and if they bite down too hard, they can electrocute themselves. Make sure all electrical cords are too high for your puppy to reach or placed behind a barrier.

Remove all small objects from the floor: Anything small enough to fit into a puppy’s mouth could accidentally be swallowed.

Secure your garbage: Dogs and puppies love the smell of garbage but many things can be hazardous if ingested. Place your trash in an area your puppy cannot reach or secure it so that it cannot be tipped over.

Put away medication: Keep all medicine out of your puppy’s reach. Never leave individual pills or containers on low, accessible surfaces where they could be found and swallowed. Even vitamins can make puppies ill.

Secure household chemicals and cleaners: Often cleaners are kept in cabinets that are low to the ground and within puppy range. Make certain these cabinets are always closed. It is a good idea to use child-safety latches so the cabinet cannot be nosed open. Better yet, move any chemicals or cleaners high out of reach. Some common household items that can be toxic include oven cleaners, floor products and waxes, bathroom cleansers, makeup items, paint removers, plant fertilizers or sprays, laundry products, insect traps or sprays and rodent poisons. Cigarettes and felt-tip pens can also be toxic.

Check your home for poisonous plants: We often have plants in or around our home that could make a puppy ill if eaten. There is a complete list of poisonous plants in your adoption packet, but here are some of the most common ones. Indoors, make sure your puppy cannot gain access to cactus, dumbcane, mistletoe, philodendron or poinsettia. Outdoors, keep your puppy away from azalea, boxwood, cherry seeds, daffodil blooms, honeysuckle, horse chestnut, holly, lily of the valley, morning glory, rhododendron, rhubarb, skunk cabbage, tulip bulbs and wild mushroom.

What is socialization? Socialization is the process of introducing your puppy to a variety of different stimuli, environments, and living beings to help him become comfortable and confident in a variety of situations. It’s important to expose your puppy to many different people, places, animals, and objects so that as an adult, he is comfortable around change. Socialization should always be fun and safe for your puppy. If your puppy is showing signs of fear, slow down and make the situation less overwhelming. If your puppy doesn’t enjoy socialization, he’ll learn to be afraid of the world rather than curious about it.

What makes socializing so important? Young puppies are hardwired to learn about the world, and what they learn from the ages of five to sixteen weeks will form their decisions for the rest of their lives. Animals can respond to change with fear, especially if they haven’t had previous exposure to new things. Introducing your puppy to different people, places and pets at the critical age of five to sixteen weeks helps build the foundation for a calmer and more tolerant dog.

Is it really necessary to do all this before my puppy is sixteen weeks? Yes! Puppies under sixteen weeks of age are learning very rapidly and are at a stage where they are generally able to be comfortable and confident in any situation. Just as it is hard for adults to change habits and beliefs that are ingrained, the socialization window for dogs starts to close at sixteen weeks.

What about vaccinations? This is a tricky question, as you’ll get different answers depending on who you ask. Most trainers and behaviorists will encourage you to introduce your puppy to the world only after she’s gotten two DHPP vaccinations. This usually places a puppy between the ages of eight to eleven weeks, or in the middle of the socialization period. However, many vets will tell you to wait until your puppy has gotten her DHLPP vaccination at the age of sixteen weeks, which is the end of the socialization period. The safest thing to do medically is to keep your puppy in familiar environments until he’s fully vaccinated, but from a behavioral standpoint, earlier is better. As a puppy owner, you should get as much information as you can then make an informed decision about how and when you will socialize your puppy.

If your puppy has only one DHPP vaccination or you are worried about exposing him to illness before he’s fully vaccinated, there are still ways to socialize your pup:

Throw Puppy Parties! Invite many people over to meet your puppy. Take turns passing your puppy around and having them give him yummy treats.

Carry your puppy. Just because your puppy can’t walk on the ground doesn’t mean she can’t go with you. Carry your puppy places or secure her in a children’s wagon so she can encounter new places and situations.

What sorts of things should a socialization plan include?

Meeting new people: All kinds--old, young, male, female, bearded, with canes or wheelchairs etc. The more people your puppy meets now, the better behaved she’ll be around people as she matures.

Being touched: Get your puppy used to having his body touched and handled. Pay special attention to ears, tail, paws, and mouth, as these are areas that many dogs dislike having touched unless they are handled from a young age.

Other dogs that are dog friendly and appropriate with their body language: It’s a good idea to let your puppy meet some dogs that DON’T want to play so he can learn that it’s okay to be ignored and not every dog will want to wrestle.

Other animals such as cats, rabbits, birds, reptiles: Anything you’d want your dog to be able to live with peacefully.