When you first bring your puppy home, it's important that they have somewhere they can snuggle up that makes them feel safe and secure...
(Q) I am about to buy a new puppy and wondered what to get for his first bed? Should I buy something warm and snuggly, or stick to something very basic?
(A) Behaviourist Steve Goward says: There are so many types of bed that you could find yourself spending a fortune only to discover your puppy doesn't like it or prefers to chew it up. My general advice is to offer a variety of beds and preference test to see which type of bed your puppy prefers. Feeling safe and secure is likely to be high on your puppy's list of priorities, and with this in mind the location and warmth of the bed may be the most important factor.
If you decide to use a dog crate, it is important to get your puppy used to spending short periods inside it and to make positive associations with him being in there by feeding him while he is in the crate.
The first few weeks after being taken away from their mum and littermates can be very stressful for puppies, so relieving some of that stress and anxiety will help them to settle.