The right toys will help occupy your puppy and give him something appropriate to chew on. A crate will keep your puppy out of trouble when you can't watch him.
Learn for success
Chadwick strongly recommends attending puppy classes, which usually start when your pup is between eight and 12 weeks of age. Classes give you and your puppy a chance to socialize with other pups and their owners. "Everybody looks like they're sleep-deprived, everybody is covered in nicks and bruises from their puppies," Chadwick says. "It makes it more fun to have good support."
Do the right thing
"Spaying or neutering is an essential part of being a responsible pet owner and it also prevents some behaviour problems and a lot of medical problems. It can mean a longer life for your dog," advises Chadwick.
Are some puppies worse than others? While Chadwick doesn't like to classify any puppy as 'difficult', she says there's no doubt some are more energetic than others and puppies with certain personalities definitely fit better into particular types of households.
"Like people, puppies are all individuals with different needs and different temperaments," says Chadwick. "There may be some that, at first, you don't feel like you're connected with. But puppies are malleable. They change. You teach them. It's all about being patient and having realistic expectations."
And while there's no universal age when puppies settle down, it is realistic to expect that eventually they all will. Chadwick says the work you put in early on will pay off. "Starting them off with good basic manners makes them much easier to live with," she says.
Read more:
• 5 reasons to walk your dog more often
• How owning a pet is good for your health
• Photo gallery: Cute Canadian pets
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