A puppy in his initial stages is always in the company of his mother and littermates. Once the puppy reaches your home, he accepts your family as his new pack and expects to learn the ways of life from his new “pack” — your family. The first step before bringing the puppy home is to puppy-proof the apartment. Management is the simplest way to avoid accidents. All puppies, like human infants, need constant supervision. They are curious and explore the world around them using their noses and mouths.
It is quite unnatural for a puppy to remain away from his own pack. If you need to step out to the nearby store or attend to someone at home, find a safe spot for your puppy to leave him alone. A crate (only if the puppy is positively trained and introduced to his crate), puppy-proof room can be used. Train and prepare the puppy well before to remain calm and occupied in its safe spot. Make sure that in the safe spot, the puppy has access to his favourite toys, chew toys, bones, water (in a shallow bowl) and his bed to take a nap. These toys should be brought out only when the pup is left alone. By doing so, the value of these toys go up in the pup’s mind. This spot should make the puppy feel safe and secure. While you are present around the house, teach the puppy to stay in this area for at least two minutes and slowly work it up to an hour or so. Now go out of sight from the puppy and repeat the above.
So in future, you can be assured that the puppy will keep himself busy in his safe spot. Once your work is done, you may come back and lead your puppy to his toileting area and then keep him near you as usual. And remember that no puppy should be left unsupervised for more than two hours at a time.
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