Hi everyone,
I am 4 weeks away from getting my first puppy - a purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback! I am a first time dog owner, but my husband has had 2 dogs in the past.
I want to do a really good job at raising a well-balanced, social and obedient dog - am I asking too much?! Haha...
I am committed to spending the time and effort into training and have spent time on YouTube getting lots of tips & tricks.
I'm after any advice you have in regards to:
settling in/first few nights
night time settling
potty training
behavioural training/socialisation; (I've heard Ridegbacks can be a bit rambunctious with other dogs and not "play nice"?)
destruction around the home/destructive chewing/digging
crate training
what age to de-sex male puppy
anything else you think is important!
I am realistic in my expectations - I know we will have many accidents inside, I know he will cry at night for the first while, I know he will chew and dig - he is a dog after all. But any advice on ways to make it smoother for both of us would be appreciated. I thought it would be great to go into this with a bit of preparation so my husband and I have a game plan to stick to, instead of trying to make it up on the run! (Eg: a rule from Day 1 that we never respond to whining at night time).
Basically - if you had your time over again, what would you do from Day 1 of puppy ownership?
Thanks in advance!
Nicola
