Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: How to properly lift and hold your puppy
• Method 2 of 4: Hand Train Your Puppy
• Method 3 of 4: Adopting a puppy at a shelter or store
• Method 4 of 4: Prepare your home for the puppy's arrival

If you want to have a puppy to live in your home, you have to be gentle and caring. Puppies, like babies, are fragile and vulnerable creatures. Before you take a puppy and bring home to live with you, you should learn how to better prepare for this. This article will help you with this.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: How to properly lift and hold your puppy

1. 1 Place your hand under the puppy's chest. First, grab the puppy's chest under the ribs. You can use not only the hand, but also the forearm. Walk up to the side of the puppy and stick your hand between its front paws.
2. 2 Support the puppy from behind. As you lift the puppy, support it from the back with your other hand. Your hand or forearm should be under the puppy's hind legs and bottom.
3. 3 Raise the puppy. When the arms are in the correct position, lift the puppy. Make sure your arms are still supporting the puppy in both the front and back. You can also place one hand under the croup and grab the puppy by the torso with the other, hugging him at chest level.Hold the puppy tightly to you. Do not hold it up or it might wriggle out of your hands.
4. 4 Place the puppy on the floor in the same way. As you lower the puppy down, make sure that your hands support his chest and back. Never leave your puppy. Lower it gently to the floor.
5. 5 Never grab your puppy by the neck or tail. You may be aware not to grab a puppy by the tail. But you cannot take him by the neck, even if you are holding him by the scruff of the neck. Otherwise, you can injure or even kill him. Also, you cannot lift the puppy by the leg, you can damage it.

Method 2 of 4: Hand Train Your Puppy

1. 1 Sit down and take the puppy on your lap. A good way to train your puppy is to sit on the floor and take him into your lap. If you can't sit on the floor, sit in a chair and take the puppy on your lap.
   • Hold on to the collar to prevent it from escaping. You can just stick your finger into the collar.
2. 2 Calm down the puppy, scratch his head. Stroke it gently, softly, all over the head. Scratch his chest gently. It is also good to scratch behind the ears.
   • Talk to your puppy in a soothing tone, tell him that everything is fine, that he is in a safe and comfortable place.
   • Continue patting and talking to the puppy until he is completely calm.
3. 3 Flip it over on its back. When the puppy is relaxed, you can turn him over on his back, still holding on his lap. Gently scratch his tummy in a circular motion, making sure they are not rough. You can also scratch your hip area.
   • At first, such exercises should be short-term, no longer than five minutes. Let the puppy get used to the hands.
   • As your puppy learns to relax, start gradually lengthening the time he spends on your lap over and over again.
4. 4 Let other people pick up the puppy. You don't want the puppy not to communicate with anyone but you. You need to accustom him to other family members as well. Also, try to get your guests to interact with your puppy too. Offer to take it in your arms for a couple of minutes, and then lower it to the floor.
   • Show them how to calm the puppy so that he feels safe in human hands.
   • If you teach your puppy to communicate with different people, it will come in handy when the time comes to appear with him in public, so that he is not afraid of strangers. It will also help during your vet visits.
5. 5 Hold your puppy firmly, even if it breaks loose. If you let go of him when he starts to struggle, he will understand that in this way he can free himself. Therefore, if the puppy is struggling with you when you try to hug him, hold him. Press it with your back against your belly to prevent the puppy from biting your face. Place your hand on his stomach, press it to you, and hold the collar with your other hand.
   • Hold the puppy in this position until he calms down. Then pet him again.
   • At the same time, don't put your friends or family members at risk of fighting your puppy.
6. 6 Use treats. Another way to train your puppy to communicate is to reward him with treats. When it's time to feed your puppy, have someone touch his ear or paw, and then give him food. The puppy will develop an association between touch and reward.

Method 3 of 4: Adopting a puppy at a shelter or store

1. 1 Take a leash and collar with you. Get an address label with information about you. Find the right collar. When you go to pick up the puppy, you can immediately put on a collar with your address. If the puppy runs away from you on the way, at least it will have information about you.
2. 2 Take a carrying container with you. Of course, it's tempting to just pick up your puppy and keep him in your lap, but the puppy will be safer in a carrier or cage. If you can install a crate in your car and take your puppy home in it, take this opportunity. If not, get a small carrier to keep your puppy safe in the car.
   • Take a towel or blanket for your puppy in your car. The puppy needs to be comfortable, so make sure the puppy can go to the bathroom on the way home.
3. 3 Take someone else with you. On the way back, the presence of another person will be a good help. In this case, one of you will be able to sit in the back seat instead of with the puppy.
4. 4 Ask how and when to feed your puppy. Where you will be taking your puppy, you need to ask when he is used to eating and how much food he needs. Also ask what food the puppy is accustomed to. When you bring your puppy home, try to follow the same feeding schedule and feed the same food so that the puppy is not stressed by the sudden change of environment.
5. 5 Fill out the paperwork. In case you take or buy a dog from the kennel, you need to fill out some documents. It may be necessary to pay a certain fee for the dog before leaving.
6. 6 Place the puppy in the carrier. Once you have completed all the paperwork, it is time to take your puppy home. Place him in the carrier that you brought with you, make sure he can sit or stand in it.
7. 7 Have someone sit in the back seat next to the puppy. Keep calm. Do not turn on loud music, let everything be quiet and calm.
   • If the puppy whines, the person sitting next to him should put his hand on the carrier grate or speak to the puppy in a quiet, calm voice.
8. 8 Place the carrier securely in the car. The small carrier is best placed on the floor behind your seat, as seat belts can cause problems in an accident. If the carrier is larger, place it in the back seat. The luggage compartment of an SUV is not the safest place to be, as it is often referred to as the "crumple zone" during an accident. It is understood that manufacturers expect this part of the vehicle to be crushed during an accident to protect occupants.

Method 4 of 4: Prepare your home for the puppy's arrival

1. 1 Prepare your home for the puppy's arrival. Puppies can climb everywhere, and yours will definitely do it, so the house must be prepared for the appearance of a dog in it. This will save both your home and your puppy.
   • For example, you can fence off the place where the puppy will initially be. To do this, you can use the playpen. Chances are, you won't want to let your puppy out on the carpeted floor until he is toilet trained.
   • Move all dangerous items out of the puppy's reach. Throw away any chemicals the puppy might eat, or put them upstairs so the puppy can't get to them. Remove all plants, carpets, and anything the puppy might or might hurt the puppy.
   • Attach the electrical wires to prevent the puppy from chewing on them.
2. 2 Prepare everything you need for your puppy. Before bringing your dog home, make sure you have everything you need. You will need a food bowl, water bowl, leash, toys, and a cage or aviary if you are going to train your dog. It is also helpful to prepare a bed or blanket for the dog.
3. 3 Discuss grooming rules with your household. Agree on who will feed the puppy and when, who will take him for walks and clean up after him. Also discuss which rooms the puppy will be able to enter and which will not.
   • It is also important to decide what commands you will give the puppy. For example, if you tell the puppy to "sit" and the other members of your family say "sit down," the puppy will be confused. Make and print a list of commands, place it on the refrigerator for everyone to remember.
4. 4 Make a dog house or aviary. Provide a space for your dog to feel his territory. In addition, the aviary is useful in dog training. If you decide to make an aviary, set it up before the puppy arrives at the house.
   • The aviary should be large enough for the puppy to grow in. When the puppy grows up, he should be able to get up, stretch and sit in this enclosure.