For those of you who have had the delight of having a puppy, what is one of your top tips once they step foot into your house.....maybe it's textbook stuff, or maybe it's something unwritten but has been invaluable to you when bringing up your pup.

Would love to know

Make sure you lift anything and everything chewable (including tea towels :rolleyes: ) from within reach :D :D

To remember that dogs don't speak English! :)

They respond to tone of voice, not the meaning that we have given to certain sounds. The sound made by the letters S, I and T don't actually mean 'put your bottom down' until you've been taught that - yes, even we as children had to learn what words meant! A dog can be taught to perfom the 'sit' action (for example) in response to any command - 'banana', or 'ring', or 'green' - they need to learn which particular sound corresponds to each behaviour. (It's just easiest for us if we give a command word that means something to us! ;) )
:)

Toilet training and all basic training should start as soon as it arrives home - reward based of course.

Have somewhere you can put it when you cannot watch it that is safe, be this a crate or a room with nothing chewable. There will be times when you cannot watch it and times when you need to be seperated for the sake of your sanity! 

Dont spend loads of money on toys - a pup can have just as much fun with a clean empty milk carton or toilet roll inner.

Cardboard boxes make great beds for young pups, they're warm, just the right size and it doesn't matter if they get chewed, disposable so they're hygienic.  :D

Bio washing powder/liquid is your best friend :D :D  Dilute it and use to clean floors/bedding/the yard after wees/poos/sicks - all smell is removed and won't attract the pup back :D :D   I keep it in a small sprayer for the purpose :D :D

Kitchen roll & Lots of it!!! :) For use with the bio washing solution as suggested by Dill :D :D

But never flush kitchen roll down the loo. (Unless you actually enjoy rodding the drains - voice of experience!)

Remember that, like children, they do get to those milestones eventually :D You just have to be patient and persevere :D

Daisy

Dont paper train -- instead be vigilant, take the pup out EVERY half an hour, after EVERY meal, game, sleep etc.

Be consistant.

Reward every good behaviour and reward it well.

Em

Be super tidy if its small and on the floor it will get eaten!!!

and remember puppies grow - fast, and they will be clearing your worktops before you realise they can :)

If a puppy does start to chew your table legs etc smear some vicks vapour rub on them (or anything they can chew), they hate the smell and it nips chewing in the bud.  Instead give them a nice filled kong.

I use Vicks too.  My 9mth old pup was chewing my bird table and has since stopped so it def. works :D

Like ClaireyS remember they grow fast- if you don't want them on the settee when they're bigger/older- don't let them on now :-)

Stacey x

Another one to remember - don't let the "dry clean puppy" on your furniture and then shout at the "wet and muddy" one for doing the same thing..... :)

I have found alot of good advice on a site called "takingthelead.com"  sorry i dont know how to post links onto here,havent really spoken much,usually just read. They also have a forum on that site which is very friendly and there is always experienced people ready to help,as i'm sure there is on here too!
it also tells you how dogs think and what they see which is quite interesting, although i think it all comes down to the same basic rule as somebody said on here already,start now what u expect later (i learnt this myself the hard way) my first pup i mollycoddled,did let her on the couch for cuddles etc,then when she got bigger i realised i had no right to tell her to get off!! so from then on, no pups are allowed on the couch