Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: An Owner’s Guide. Nick Mays

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       Playtime together in the garden can also be used for some light training, such as learning to retrieve and give up a toy or item on command. When your puppy does this, always be sure to praise and reward him.

      All the time, talk to him gently, using his name. This has a practical purpose, as he needs to associate with his name and respond to it. Never shout or scold your puppy while using his name as an admonishment, or he will associate his name with something bad.

       Bedtime

      Puppies are, of course, babies, so they tire very easily. One minute they may be playing madly; the next, they may be sound asleep. So when your puppy has explored your house, maybe had a little bit to eat and hopefully, gone outside to toilet, encourage him to use his new bed. Again, do not shout or get impatient if he climbs out of his bed; if he flops down to sleep somewhere else, gently pick him up and put him in his own bed, so that he gets used to it.

      One trick to help settle him down to sleep is to put an old clock in his bed, perhaps wrapped in a blanket. The ticking will remind him of his mother’s heartbeat and reassure him. As he gets older and more confident, you will be able to remove the clock without causing him any upset. Sometimes keeping a radio switched on nearby (but not too loud) will help to reassure him further.

       The first night

      Expect your puppy to be fretful on his first night – he will be alone for the first time in a strange house. You could leave a small nightlight on in the kitchen or the room where he sleeps for the first few nights. Some owners don’t mind having a dog in their bedroom, so if you want to take your puppy up to bed with you that’s fine – but make him sleep in his own bed, not on yours. Not only is it safer – a fall from a bed could injure a small puppy – but it also gives the dog the wrong message to allow him to sleep on your bed, as it elevates him mentally in his perceived ‘pack hierarchy’. Your dog is lower than you in the pack – you are the pack leader – so he should expect to sleep in his own bed, not in yours.