Bringing a New Puppy Home: Ribblebrook Gundogs' Top Tips 🐾

ribblebrook
Mar 31
4 min read

Bringing a new puppy home is an exciting time! It’s the start of a wonderful journey filled with fun, learning, and lots of love. But it’s also a time when the right approach can set the foundation for a happy, well-rounded gundog. Holly from Ribblebrook Gundogs shares her top tips to help you get off to the best start with your new companion.

Building a Strong Bond from Day One

The bond you create with your puppy is the cornerstone of all future training. When you have a strong connection, you can better understand each other, making training smoother and more enjoyable.

To build this bond, try these simple but effective methods:

Hand feeding: Feeding your puppy by hand helps them associate you with something positive and builds trust. It can also be the foundations to teaching a good ‘hold’.
Puppy play: Spend time playing gently with your puppy. Use puppy dummies, tennis balls and games that encourage interaction.
Lots of fuss and calm time: Puppies love attention, so give them plenty of gentle cuddles and quiet moments to relax with you.

This early bonding helps your puppy learn to read your cues and for you to understand their needs and moods. It’s the start of a lifelong partnership!

Fun and Simple Retrieving Games

Retrieving is a key skill for any gundog, whether you have a spaniel, labrador, or HPR puppy. Starting short and fun retrieving games from day one lays the groundwork for a fantastic future working dog.

Here’s how to keep retrieving enjoyable and effective:

Keep sessions short - just 5 to 6 retrieves per day to avoid boredom.
Let your puppy hold the retrieve while you praise them before gently taking it back.
Always end on a positive note. Don’t finish with a retrieve where the puppy runs around and spits the item out.

By making retrieving fun and rewarding, your puppy will stay enthusiastic and eager to learn more.

Mastering Recall Early

Recall is one of the most important commands you can teach your puppy. It’s also surprisingly easy to start from a young age.

Incorporate recall into your daily routine by:

Whistling or calling your puppy’s name clearly.
Rewarding them with praise and fuss when they come to you.

I find that most of the time, just giving lots of praise and affection is enough to encourage a strong recall. It’s a simple way to build trust and reliability.

A simple drill to build trust with recall is by allowing them off the lead from the first day you take them out into the world. As soon as they stray from you, walk in the opposite direction and recall. At a young age, puppies don’t want to be too far away from you, so this hidden training game encourages them to keep close whilst inputting recall.

Feeding Your Puppy a High-Quality Diet

A good diet is essential for your puppy’s growth and development. Puppies grow fast and need all the right nutrients to stay healthy and strong.

I feed my puppies on Cairngryffe, which has always kept them at a perfect weight with healthy skin and coat, bright eyes, plenty of energy, eager to learn and good firm stools. A high-quality diet helps avoid health issues now and in the future.

Make sure to:

Choose a diet formulated specifically for puppies.
Avoid overfeeding to prevent obesity and loose stools.
Ensure the food you’re choosing contains high quality ingredients.

Socialisation: Quality Over Chaos

Socialisation is vital for a well-rounded gundog, but it’s often misunderstood. It’s not about throwing your puppy into chaos but introducing them to new experiences calmly and positively.

Avoid situations where your puppy is overwhelmed, like running wild in busy parks or struggling on the lead. Instead, focus on:

Introducing your puppy to different people, animals, sounds, and environments gradually.
Keeping experiences positive and controlled.
Watching your puppy’s body language to ensure they’re comfortable.

Proper socialisation helps your puppy grow into a confident and happy dog.

De-Sensitising for a Confident Dog

De-sensitising your puppy to handling, noises, and grooming is crucial for their future. It prepares them for vet visits, grooming sessions, and training.

Try these tips:

Handle your puppy gently every day, touching their paws, ears, and mouth.
Expose them to everyday noises like vacuum cleaners, banging sounds and doorbells while they’re eating, so the sounds become background noise.
Remain calm and positive during these exercises to make the experience enjoyable.

This early work helps prevent fear and anxiety later on.

Making Car Travel Comfortable and Routine

From the moment you bring your puppy home, it’s important to make car travel a positive and routine experience.

I always travel my puppies in a secure dog box, ideally with an older ‘nanny’ dog for company. This helps them feel less anxious and generally avoids noisiness.

Remember:

Don’t make a fuss about car travel; keep it calm and matter-of-fact.
Take short trips at first to build confidence.
Reward your puppy after the journey.

By making car travel normal and stress-free, your puppy will be ready for all the road trips ahead.

Bringing a new puppy home is a wonderful experience, and with these tips you can set your puppy up for a happy, healthy, and successful life. Remember, patience and consistency are key, and every small step you take together builds a strong foundation for the future.

For more advice and support, visit Ribblebrook Gundogs and join a community dedicated to developing talented working dogs across the UK!