Your puppy is here
From now on, everything will be different!

Der erste Tag

It's finally here. The big day you've been waiting for. Now you can pick up your puppy from the breeder. But one thing is for sure: once a puppy comes into your home, nothing will ever be the same again. Because a puppy loves everything that's unfamiliar and new. It wants to experience, learn, and grow up... and that's a good thing.

To ensure your new family member gets off to a great start, there are a few things you should consider beforehand. In the following paragraphs, I'll give you helpful tips (which were important for us) for the first days and weeks with your puppy and show you how to puppy-proof your home.

An important basic rule: Take your puppy seriously, see him as a real dog, not a cuddly toy. From the very beginning, the same rules must apply to him as to an adult dog. How will he understand later if he's suddenly no longer allowed in your bed or on the couch? He doesn't realize that he's small today but will weigh 15 kilos in a year. Furthermore, preferential treatment gives him a false impression of his rank and leads to misunderstandings in your life together. And one more thing: Yes, puppies are cute. There's a reason for this: In a pack, they need their adorable appearance to trigger protective instincts in adult dogs. However, I've never observed puppies being spoiled by their mother. Only those who adhere to the hierarchy and integrate into the group can survive.

My advice: Make it easy for yourself and your puppy by raising him consistently – just like his mother would.

To prevent this from becoming a traumatic experience, you should plan well and not leave even the smallest decision to the puppy – the same would be done by its mother.

The most important rule for the first few hours in his new home: Don't overwhelm him, don't show him everything at once! For the rest of the day, only contact with his own family! The little one is exhausted from all the excitement and will sleep a lot. Don't have any visitors, keep strange children, cuddly aunts, and the neighbor's dog away from him. Distract him if he whines, but let him explore everything in peace.



Preperation

For a smooth start, your puppy will need a few things from day one in its new home, which should be purchased beforehand. I've compiled a handy list which you can find under "My first Lagotto moves in".
In addition, you should have plenty of kitchen roll on hand for any little mishaps that occur in between.

Transport from Breeder to your Home

In order to transport the puppy safely home, a stable and well-crafted dog transport box is recommended. So that he then feels comfortable in his first moments without his mother and siblings and directly experiences a familiar smell, there is a simple trick:
Leave a small blanket or towel to your breeder during a previous visit. The puppy and the rest of the throw can be odorously immortalized on this. Place the blanket or towel in the basket and the puppy will feel in good hands there.
Important for the ride is a bowl (preferably foldable) and water so that it can drink during breaks. If the journey time is less than three to four hours, the puppy usually does not need to be fed. If a meal is absolutely necessary on a longer journey home, some dry food is recommended. Here you get food from the breeder for the first days in the new home.
If a small “malheur” happens, it is good to have a roll of kitchen paper and a spare blanket for the transport box in your luggage.

Is your home "Puppy safe"

These sources of danger should be inaccessible to your puppy in the new home:

   Power cables, power sources such as sockets
   Household and cleaning agents
   Medications
   Toxic plants and food 
   Other toxic liquids (including gel-filled cooling or heat cushions)
   Plastic bags
   Water points such as Ponds, pools
   Children's toys or other small parts

(separate list of toxic foods/plants below)

roommate cat

Introducing the puppy to the existing cat(s) should definitely be done with two people present. This makes the whole process much easier. The atmosphere should be stress-free and free from disturbing noises.
It's important to be patient and empathetic. Keep in mind that getting your pet used to someone new can be tiring and time-consuming. Setbacks are normal, and the animals always determine the pace of the adjustment period. Therefore, don't overreact to mock attacks, but clearly communicate that such behavior is unacceptable. Offering extra treats can help ease the tension and make the whole process a positive experience.
Once a suitable meeting place has been chosen, the dog should be leashed or restrained. Under no circumstances should a chase ensue, as this would make the task significantly more difficult.
Now let the cat into the room. She will determine her own distance from the dog! Seeing him and smelling him "from afar" is perfectly sufficient for the first encounter. You shouldn't put her in a carrier, as she won't have any way to escape.
An elevated vantage point is beneficial, as it allows the cat to be safe and observe calmly. While the animals are getting acquainted, one person should focus on each, petting it, speaking to it soothingly, and reinforcing positive behavior with treats. If all goes well, end the encounter after a few minutes. Afterward, praise both animals extensively and play with them or take them outside.
Important: The cat should always have the option to leave the room. Never leave them unattended, as a cat can seriously injure an unsuspecting puppy. Therefore, never leave them unsupervised together in the same room.

  Sleeping Place

When it gets dark, the puppy misses the siblings the most. However, it makes sense if the dog box is in the bedroom or at least near the caregiver. Choose a quiet, little-traffic place, make it tasty by combining it with pleasant things: here it gets treats, is cared for and picked up for play. On the first few nights, it helps to put the box next to the bed. After a few days, he has mostly got used to his new environment and will sleep alone without protest.
The box also has an advantage, because if it gets restless at night, it is a sign that it has to be released. So you can take it quickly and walk out the door. After that, he comes back to the box to sleep. Even if he whines, please do not take out of the box again. – see room purity

Food

Food is given regularly. Even with young dogs, fixed feeding times should be avoided. A simple formula: the better the dog obeys commands and the more effort it puts into learning, the easier it will be for it to get food. Once the puppy has finished eating, the bowl is emptied. No exceptions!

training be clean

A puppy does not become house-clean by itself. To make this work as quickly as possible, you need to actively help your four-legged friend and be very attentive. Especially the first nights in the new home. At the latest with five months, with some support, every dog is house-clean.
 And so it goes →
Take him out about every two hours at the beginning, even at night. Wear him on his arm so he doesn't do his business on the way. A puppy has to after eating, after playing, after every nap and when he was once alone for a short time. When he gets restless, searching and sniffing around, spinning in small circles, it's the highest railway.
 Always visit the same place in the garden, or outside, so that the emergency is automated at some point. According to the motto: When I am in this place, peeing is always done. Ideally, this reflex can be reinforced with any “magic word” /seek a word here: Once this word falls, it is time for the need. If it works: praise in detail – and as soon as the dog begins to loosen.
 The sidewalk is inappropriate, because here you are often under observation and can quickly close the anger of the neighbors.
And if there's a mishap? No way scold or punish: The little one has long forgotten it and could no longer understand what he did wrong. My tip: Ignore the gifting on the carpet first. If you pay too much attention to the matter, the puppy could evaluate and repeat this positively. Simply remove with hot water and a smell killer so that the scent brand does not attract the little one again.
How does the puppy get house-clean at night?
At night, you will be faced with special challenges during training in the room cleaning. It is dark and you may also have a deep sleep, so you will not notice a quiet message from your puppy. You can take advantage of the fact that dogs usually do not soil their nest: If you take away your puppy the opportunity to leave his sleeping place independently (e.g. by letting him sleep in a closed transport box), he will report loudly if he has to leave his sleeping place independently and you can react quickly. If you do not have a transport box, place your dog bed in a large carton or a playpen/spout that the puppy cannot leave. This gives you the same effect and can thus also help at night to ensure that your dog does not go to the apartment and becomes house-cleaning as soon as possible.
Take all the decisions from your puppy. Where, when and how he eats, sleeps, plays or does his need – leave none of it to chance! Start all the games yourself, determines the end and controls who wins in wrangling: Sometimes the puppy is on top, sometimes you – but in the end always the human.

Staying alone

In everyday life, it's unavoidable that a dog will occasionally be left unattended. You don't need to feel guilty about this, as even the mother dog leaves her puppies alone from time to time, if only to explore the area. Start training on the second day. The crucial thing is to disappear from the puppy's sight – the next room with the door open is sufficient for now. Before he can realize your absence and form a negative impression, return. Gradually increase the time spent alone for a few minutes at a time until you eventually leave the apartment. If the puppy whines, wait a moment until he's quiet again. Otherwise, he'll think he can bring about your return. At around 16 weeks old, a puppy can certainly stay alone for up to an hour, provided all his needs have been met beforehand.

Care

Checks your pup's ears, eyes, fur and teeth daily. For this I would put him on a shearing table/table. He might not like it. So don't be irritated when the little one is kicking and squeaking. A little curd or something delicious like sausage or cheese can help here. Simply gently hold and loosen the handle as soon as it becomes calm. Only when he completely relaxes, he is allowed to go back to the ground. This exercise works well when the puppy is already a little tired, just before sleeping.
If this works very well, you can go one step further. A hair clipper/beard cutter – if there is no shearing machine yet, turn on and run at a distance to get it used to the noise, because it will soon come the day when it should be shorn. And to prepare him well for this, these exercises are important.
If he no longer has any problems with the cutting machine, you can get the noise bit by bit closer until the machine is on his body. If you have done this and the dog is still calm and kind to be afraid. Can you be proud of yourself and the little one.

shower

Here I recommend a child's bathtub or a large washing-up bowl (like a camping one). To get the dog used to having its paws washed, fill a child's bathtub with a little water each day and clean the dog's paws by hand. Depending on how well it tolerates this, you can gradually move on to washing its legs. If this goes well, you can turn on the shower head and place it next to the dog so it gets used to the sound. Please don't pour water over its head with the shower head yet. If the puppy is so dirty that it needs a full bath, take a cup and very slowly pour water over the dog from back to front. Always remain calm and collected. These exercises are best done with two people. Also, be sure to praise the dog sufficiently when it remains calm.

Appear on call

Dog children are extremely curious and easily lured. But do not call his name until the puppy comes to you. Only in this way can he connect your call with his coming. And only call once! If he overhears this: Ignore and walk away, by no means run after the dog. Instead, get attention with a toy or noise and wait until it appears by itself. If your dog is only about a meter away from you, call him: so you make sure that he does what you want, and not the other way around. If it has worked out, it is extensively praised, stroked and rewarded with food. The puppy has to burn himself into the brain: When I come, something wonderful happens. I have had good experiences with the conditioning by a pipe. The sound of the pipe will be from the 4. Week associated with feeding the puppies and so the dog can't help it: Once he hears the whistle in connection with his name, he will come automatically. (The pipe on which the puppies are conditioned from 3-4 weeks – there is at the pick-up)

Kids

Dogs see children as a special species. They move strangely, smell, speak and react differently. From a puppy, they are accepted as equals – nothing more. This has an advantage: Dogs will ignore small parenting mistakes of the children. Call your child a hundred times “Come!” even though a call should be enough? It doesn't matter, the puppy will still listen to his adult. The disadvantage: A puppy grows faster than a child. In the case of fights, injuries can occur later. In general, however, puppies do not belong in children's hands. The dog's place to sleep and eat are taboo for children, and conversely, the puppy is not allowed to enter the children's room. Existential needs such as feeding and need are satisfied exclusively by the adult, so that no irritations about the ranking arise. Playing and romping together is only allowed under the supervision of an adult. As soon as the puppy snaps for limbs, a taboo word is interrupted, a taboo word is pronounced and the puppy continues. That he is no longer allowed to play is punishment enough, especially at his age.

Go outside

To train a dog to be a reliable social partner, you should expose it to as many impressions of your everyday world as possible. Start very slowly in the first week by taking your little four-legged friend outside your front door. Sit and play on the grass for about fifteen to twenty minutes – after that, the barrage of unfamiliar stimuli will probably have exhausted it.
If your puppy dislikes the leash: Try conditioning. Don't wait until walks to put the leash on; introduce it beforehand for playing, feeding, and petting. The dog will then generalize: When the leash is present, something very pleasant happens. Sometimes puppies refuse to leave their home. My tip: Pick them up and carry them for the first bit. Then put them down again until they are in unfamiliar territory. They will instinctively follow you – it's their nature. Gradually, over the next four weeks, you can increase their exposure to the outside world: After the first walk, take a second one with your child, then a bus ride, a trip to the woods, a visit to a restaurant, and so on.

Important - playing with other dogs

In nature, your puppy would still be with its siblings, playing and romping with them, learning how to behave properly within the pack. You've taken it away from them, abruptly interrupting its socialization training – now you need to provide a substitute. The best solution is puppy socialization classes at a dog training school. I truly recommend enrolling your puppy there as soon as possible. Puppies need contact and establishing their hierarchy to react calmly and appropriately when meeting other dogs later on. If a dog learns canine communication early, misunderstandings and fights are less likely to occur later on the street. After the socialization phase ends – usually around 16 weeks of age – it becomes difficult to make up for the experiences of puppy socialization classes.

“Passion is at the beginning of every success.”

We wish you lots of passion and the resulting success!

If you have any questions, you can always contact us with confidence!


Le avventure della vita


List of toxic foods

In the following you will find a list of which everyday foods can become a real danger for your dog.


Chocolate
This sweet seduction, which seems delicious and seemingly harmless, is life-threatening for your dog. When consumed, the ingredient “Theobromin” causes poisoning, which manifests itself in the form of shortness of breath, circulatory problems, pulse turf, diarrhea and cramps. Even a dose of 100 to 200 milligrams can be too much. For example, for a dog weighing 10 kilos, a single bar of chocolate can be fatal.


Cocoa
Because of the contained theobromine, the poison is for the dog.


Macadamia Nuts
Nuts generally tolerate dogs very badly. Yet the most dangerous nut for the four-legged friend is the Macadamia Nut. The ingredient damages not only the digestive, but also the nervous system, which can lead to acute neurological damage. Even a quantity of 200 grams can lead to fever and vomiting in a 10 kilo dog.


Raw pork
In the case of raw pork, it is not the meat or bone itself that is dangerous for the four-legged friends, but the possibly contained Aujetzky virus. In case of infection, the dog may die within a few days from a brain and spinal cord inflammation. The symptoms of this disease are similar to rabies, which is why the virus is also called a “pseudowut.”


Chicken bones
Chicken bones of any kind are prohibited for dogs. Especially in the cooked state, poulet bones can be deadly for the four-legged friends. Due to the brittleness, the bone can quickly splinter and lead to injuries in the throat, esophagus or gastrointestinal tract.


Avocado
Many people love guacamole. For our four-legged friends, however, the delicious avocados are forbidden, because they contain the poisonous persin. Above all, the core contains high amounts of it. This is exactly why, and of course, because of the risk of suffocation, owners should never feed their dogs avocado.


Cherries
The stones are especially poisonous. The hydrocyanic acid contained in it can be fatal for a dog. Small amounts are already harmful. Possible symptoms of poisoning are reflected in shortness of breath, vomiting, diarrhea and cramps. Of course, dogs should not be fed other stone fruit, because here too the risk of suffocation is very high.


Grapes
There is a lot of discussion about the toxic effect of grapes, since it is not possible for all dogs to have poisoning. Nevertheless, you should never feed your dogs grapes or raisins. In the case of possible poisoning by the oxalic acid, it can lead to fatal kidney failure.


Raisins
Since raisins are dried grapes, they are also dangerous in a dried state. Drying makes the concentration of the harmful active ingredients even higher. A grape-nut chocolate is such a real poison cocktail for the pet.


Garlic
Garlic never feed the dog. The ingredients of the garlic destroy the red blood cells of the dogs.


Onions
Onions, just like garlic, destroy the red blood cells in dogs. Therefore, they should not be fed raw or cooked. Even a medium-sized onion can be fatal for a 5 kilo dog. Other possible consequences are bleeding and jaundice.


Raw egg
Raw eggs can affect digestion and lead to deficiency. The ingredients are avidin and trypsin inhibitors. If you want to feed your dog an egg, remember to cook the egg in advance.


Beans
The bitter substances in beans and other legumes can cause cramps and liver damage. Therefore, never feed legumes, even when cooked.


Cabbage vegetables
Cabbage vegetables may not be fatal to our four-legged friends, but they cause heavy bloating. So do not feed you and of course your pet for the sake of you.


Aubergine
Eggplants should only be fed to dogs in the overripe state, as the green spots of the fruit contain the poisonous substance solanine, which is toxic to dogs.


Mushrooms
Mushrooms are already a risk for people. We already don't tolerate many varieties, but for our four-legged friends, mushrooms should not be on the meal schedule. In the event of intolerance, kidney and liver damage as well as a change in blood counts are threatened.


Potatoes
Nightshadow plants in general should never be fed raw to dogs. Of course, potatoes and tomatoes are in principle not dog food, even if they were cooked before, because alkaloids in nightshadoped plants damage the nervous system and have a very toxic effect on dogs.
Caffeinated drinks and energy drinks
 are dangerous due to the methylxanthin contained in the caffeine. From accelerated pulse, increased blood pressure, seizures, cardiac arrhythmias, vomiting and diarrhea, all symptoms are possible depending on the dosage. Some dogs quickly show addictions after a gift of caffeinated drinks.

Alcohol
Alcohol can be fatal for the animals, depending on the amount given. Administering alcoholic beverages to a four-legged friend is equivalent to a poison attack on his health. The consequences of alcohol poisoning are vomiting, coordination disorders, shortness of breath, coma to death. The alcohol is particularly harmful to the liver. For a dog, only fresh water is the right drink.

Cigarettes and cigarette butts
Tobacco products act as a nerve agent when they are eaten by the animals, and can lead to collapse. Therefore, cigarettes or ashtrays should never be reachable for the four-legged friends.

Medications
Medications must always be cleared away well so that the dog cannot eat them. The dog owner must also take care that no tablet falls to the ground unnoticed, because this can put his four-legged friend in danger of his life.

Coffee and black tea
contain both caffeine and are therefore not suitable for the pet.

Sweetener
usually contains xylitol as an active ingredient, which can damage the liver in the dog and lead to hypoglycemia. The fabric is also found in many diet products.


Caution - In larger quantities
Liver is a natural vitamin A supplier. In small quantities, feeding is thus harmless. When giving larger amounts of the liver or cod liver oil, it can lead to coat loss, skin problems, bone changes and vomiting.

List of poisonous plants

You can find these plants in gardens or in the wild. Even if you don't have them in your own garden, you should keep an eye out for them when you go for a walk. They mainly grow along roadsides or in meadows.
• Blue monkshood
• Brunfelsia
• Boxwood
• Wood anemone
• Datura
• Ivy
• Yew
• Monkshood
• Angel's Trumpet
• Foxglove
• Honeysuckle
• Golden Rain
• Autumn crocus
• Hydrangea
• Hyacinths
• Cherry laurel
• Lily of the valley
• Mistletoe
• Oleander
• Passionflower
• Rhododendron
• Larkspur
• Hemlock
• Pine needles
• Thuja
• Deadly nightshade
• Tulips
• Juniper
• Cedar

These plants should ideally not be kept in the same room as your pet. If you absolutely must keep some of them, they should be placed out of reach.
• Agave
• Cyclamen
• Amaryllis (Knight's Star)
• Aralie
• Azalea
• Snake plant (Baynet plant)
• Variegated leaf
• Christ thorn, Christ star
• Chrysanthemum
• Clivie
• Dieffenbachia
• Dragon tree, dragon lily
• Single leaf
• Elephant tree
• Window leaf
• Ficus (rubber tree) and other ficus species
• Flamingo flower
• Geranium
• Heartthrob
• Piston thread
• Lilies, all types
• Orchids, all types
• Philodendron
• Poinsettia

This list includes only the most well-known poisonous houseplants and garden plants and is by no means exhaustive. Given the enormous variety of flowers, shrubs, and other plants, it is impossible to list them all.