Matt Whittaker manager of Oets at Home Swindon writes about our pets

Training a new puppy and welcoming them into your home is a crucial part of their development and it will strengthen the bond between yourself and your beloved new dog.

At around 12 to 18 weeks old, most puppies will have settled into their own unique habits but it’s always important to know how puppies respond to training. Most will pick up their training pretty quickly but they also won’t understand why they are being rewarded or scolded for particular behaviours or actions unless it is immediate. Therefore, it is very important that you, as a responsible owner, are training them correctly and reinforcing the right messages.

When toilet training your puppy, it’s important to reinforce the importance of going to the loo outside. If they make a mess indoors, it’s important not to scold them. Instead, clap your hands to interrupt them and carry them outside to finish.

Giving your puppy lots of encouragement and praise will remind them that they are doing the correct thing by going outside to use the toilet.

Pets at Home offer a variety of training aids such as pee posts and puppy pads to help you whilst you’re toilet training your pup.

Most puppies will wake up, eat and play at the same times throughout the day, so this will help you establish a routine to make house training your puppy that little bit easier.

For more advice or if you’ve any questions about owning a puppy, pop in to our store and one of our friendly in-store colleagues will be happy to help.