Puppy 101

First, what breed of pup is the best for you?

We can help you decide and walk you through the emotional and financial commitment of pet ownership. You have various avenues to find your new family member including shelters, rescues, a pet store, a breeder, or a stray.

You want to keep in mind the breed, size, temperament, activity level, lifetime costs, and pet care services when deciding the right pup for your home. A good rule of thumb is the larger the dog, the larger the cost!

We walk many pups from breeders, and they are awesome! We love the new designer golden doodle breed and their contagious goofy energy. However, please keep in mind to find your new pup from a legitimate breeder because they usually treat their pups with high quality standards of care. If you are looking for a specific breed, with specific traits, and are ready for the larger cost then a breeder is the best location for your new pup.

If specific traits are not needed and financial cost is a concern than a shelter or rescue is your best place for your new pup. According to the ASPCA, due to the overpopulation of dogs and cats more than 7.6 million of them enter shelters. But only 2.7 million animals are adopted every year! Shelters are a great place because they adopt pets out with all their medical needs covered. And you can save some startup costs and adopt a pup for their new forever home 🙂

Dogs are omnivorous compared to cats and can eat a wider variety of foods. Please keep in mind that there is minimal regulation to many pet food claims and sometimes words like “All Natural” and “Premium” are more marketing than anything. We recommend foods where meat is the first ingredient, no corn or soy fillers, and a brand with no history of recalls. Please check out the research conducted over 2,219 dog formulas and only 115 formulas were found satisfactory. Reviews.com is the place to learn about the top 25 brands of dog food found to be the best for your pup!

Dogs are omnivorous compared to cats and can eat a wider variety of foods. Please keep in mind that there is minimal regulation to many pet food claims and sometimes words like “All Natural” and “Premium” are more marketing than anything. We recommend foods where meat is the first ingredient, no corn or soy fillers, and a brand with no history of recalls. Please check out the research conducted over 2,219 dog formulas and only 115 formulas were found satisfactory. Reviews.com is the place to learn about the top 25 brands of dog food found to be the best for your pup!

Did you know that neutered male dogs tend to feel threatened by intact males? Sometimes the friendliest pup can make a potential friend uneasy just by not being neutered! It might not be every case, but it is definitely a contributing factor in aggressive encounters.

Spaying your female pup before the first heat helps to prevent uterine infections and mammary tumors according to the ASPCA. Neutering your male pup helps prevent testicular cancer and some prostate problems.

Strut Your Pup sitter can help you structure a routine for your puppy if you have a busy work schedule.

We help break up your puppy day with 2-3 visits a day to make sure potty training is progressing while you attend to human duties.

We can help ease you into the information overload on puppies and help guide you on the best path.

We personalize our service to the best of our abilities to help you achieve the goals you have in

mind for your new puppy.

We slowly introduce your puppy (after vaccination) to new friends and ensure proper socialization.

We slowly introduce your puppy to different stimuli to avoid any fearful aggression.

We help with:

Crate Training and progression as puppy develops.

Difference between potty outside or inside.

Biting, jumping, and accidents.

Ensuring proper equipment is used.

Focus on positive reinforcement

Don’t forget to leave a kong or toy!

During our Meet and Greet, we agree on a schedule whether 2 or 3 visits a day to ensure enough breaks within the workday for your pup to master potty outside. A Strut Your Pup puppy sitter will stick to the schedule and routine with updates every visits. We are happy to feed your pup since puppies tend to eat 3-4 times day.

There are many different training styles. We recommend some research if you need a trainer to change your dog’s behavior.

We focus only on basic skills training to make walking your dog easier! Positive Training is essential for long-term good results and good relations. Harsh owners who punish their pup’s mistakes are likely to quash their pup’s enthusiasm and end up with a pup who is less motivated to try out new behaviors. If aversive techniques are used by their handlers, then it can give rise to behavioral issues involving aggression or extreme fear.

We help with:

Getting past distractions like wildlife, children and other dogs.

Getting and keeping your dog’s attention.

The peace of mind of having a strong recall.

To ensure a calm and responsive dog during your walk.

Teaching basic commands like, “sit,” “wait,” “come,” “let’s go,” “recall,” and “touch”.