Puppy Care

Dog puberty usually occurs when your pup is between 6 months and 2 years old and as with humans, it can bring a whole load of behavioural and physical changes. Find out everything you need to know about the signs of puberty in puppies and what you can expect in this handy guide. There is one thing that all puppy owners can rely on – and that is that their lovely cute, biddable puppy will one day grow up to be a canine adolescent, which brings with it both behavioural and physical changes.

Exercising isn't just about daily walks. Discover games and activities that provide mental stimulation for puppies and improve the bond between you. It’s easy to get into the habit of thinking that exercising our puppies is just about regular daily walks – and there is no doubt that our dogs need these to stay happy and healthy, but exercise time isn’t just about stimulating the body. As your puppy grows up, they are developing their mind as well as their body. The more chances they have to engage in puppy brain games and activities where they have to problem-solve and work with you to achieve success, the better developed their brains will become. Use it or lose it! The opportunity to exercise your puppy’s brain helps in their development and builds the bond between you. This is a fun and interactive way to have a positive impact on their behaviour and future learning – and will help with the rest of your training. Keep reading to discover some brain games for dogs you could try!

Have you ever wondered what breed you'd be if you were a dog? Well now you can find out! Take our quiz to discover which dog breed matches your personality here. Everyone has a favourite breed of dog, one that they've dreamt of owning for as long as they can remember. But have you ever wondered what dog breed you would be? All dog breeds are unique and possess characteristics that make them just as individual as different people. Want to find out what dog breed you are? Take our dog breed quiz below to find out which dog breed most closely matches your personality! Simply add up your answers and find out what dog breed you are at the end. Good luck!

There are so many benefits of having a dog. Of course, there's the obvious benefits like extra exercise and a best friend for life, but they can also improve your physical and mental health! All this greatness also comes with some lifestyle changes, however. It's known far and wide that dogs are man's best friend. Their adorable faces and happy go lucky attitudes fill our lives with such joy, but did you know that there's actually numerous benefits of having a dog? Along with the benefits, you’ll want to find out how having a dog changes your life! From helping you to get fit to meeting new people to getting you up early, your puppy can actually help to improve your health and social life with their presence Want to find out more? Keep reading to discover the benefits of dogs and the big life changes to expect!

Adopting a new puppy or dog can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but what can you expect from the entire process? There are so many dogs in animal shelters all over the world looking for their forever homes, including both puppies and older dogs. These adorable dogs may have come to a rescue centre because they've had a rough start to life or their previous owners may no longer have been able to care for them. One thing's for sure though, rescue dogs just need someone who can offer them plenty of love and understanding. If you think you could offer a rescue dog or puppy a warm and happy home, keep reading and we'll answer all your questions, including how to adopt a dog and where to find a rescue centre.

There are only certain times during the development of your puppy’s brain when you can help them become a friendly and outgoing companion. This is how to manage their first encounters with adults, kids, dogs and anything else life throws at them. Puppy socialisation is just one of the many things to think about when you get your puppy. You suddenly find you have a huge shopping list, you have to ensure your house and garden are ‘puppy safe’, and of course you will be thinking about how to ensure your new arrival grows up to be a happy, healthy, well-behaved dog. Too often however people forget about helping their puppy learn the most important thing – how to fit into our crazy lives. This is where puppy socialisation comes in – and while most people know that puppies need to be socialised, few understand what that really means, when to do it and how to do it properly. However, with the state of the world at the moment, puppy owners are facing a new challenge when it comes to socialising their puppy – lockdown. Of course, despite the social distancing rules and limited exercise restrictions, we still want to ensure that our puppies emerge from the other side of this happy and ready for the world. That’s why at Purina, we’ve enlisted our in-house behaviourist to give us some essential tips on socialising your puppy during lockdown too. What is puppy socialisation? Puppy socialisation is a training process that helps puppies learn how to behave properly when they interact with humans, other dogs and other animals. Puppy socialisation can also help puppies have a better relationship with their owners and become used to being in a range of environments and scenarios. Puppy socialisation is one of the best tools we have to prevent future behaviour problems in dogs, and it’s also how we can ensure we have a dog who we can take everywhere with us and share the bond that we dream of having when we bring our puppy home. Puppy socialisation in lockdown Between the ages of 3 – 14 weeks puppies are at a critical stage in their development when they learn to get used to people, other animals and objects (socialisation and habituation). This is so they can be more at ease with the world around them. It means that we have be to creative for puppies under lockdown to ensure they are having as many opportunities as possible to experience new things.

Bringing home a new puppy is such an exciting moment and one you’ll never forget! Although there’s a lot to learn, one thing you’ll want to teach them as soon as they step paws into your home is house training. You won’t have to wait long to discover that puppies pee a lot – sometimes up to 12 times a day! It’s your job to work out when they need to go outside, and teach them what to do once they get there. Keep reading to discover how to house train a puppy and learn how to notice the warning signs of when nature calls. How long does it take to toilet train a puppy? It will take between four to six months for your puppy to be fully house trained, but it will depend on their size, age and ability to learn. Some puppies can be toilet trained really quickly in a few weeks, whereas for some dogs it may take longer and could be up to a year. How to tell when your puppy needs to go to the toilet

Turn your new puppy into an excellent travel companion. You’ve got a new pup and you can’t wait to show them the world. We know the feeling! But before you start planning that amazing road trip together (or even getting ready to drive to the vet’s), you have to remember that a car can be a very strange thing to a puppy. The closed space, the car movement and even the engine sound can trigger alarm bells for a puppy not used to travelling. But there are a few things you can do to make car trips easier to bear for your pup. Who knows, maybe they will even start looking forward to them! Here are the basics of car travelling for puppies.

Find out everything you need to know about puppies and their grooming needs.

In all the excitement of bringing your new puppy home, it’s important to remember to start their training right away. The sooner you introduce good habits, the better it will be for both of you as your puppy beings to understand basic commands and gets to grips with your house rules. Puppy training doesn’t just improve their manners; it’s a fun and rewarding way for you to spend quality time together and really helps you strengthen your bond. Most dogs love training – it’s a chance for them to challenge their brains, earn rewards and get lots of praise and attention!

Playing with your puppy is a huge part of your relationship, and it has loads of benefits too! Games help keep your playful puppy active and healthy, and it gives you the chance to get to know one another better.

Puppy diarrhoea can be unpleasant to deal with, especially when you’re already working on house-training your puppy. Aside from the difficulty for you, no owner wants to see their puppy suffer. It can also be tricky to recognise when puppy diarrhoea is a sign of something serious, and when it can be easily dealt with. This article gives you some information about puppy diarrhoea, plus practical advice on treating it. What gives a puppy diarrhoea? There are a number of different triggers for diarrhoea in puppies. The majority of these triggers are not serious and can be easily addressed in order to stop your puppy suffering.