So you got a new puppy – YAY! – now what? Here are the ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ we recommend you should do right away to start your puppy off on the right paw:
๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐: Puppies thrive on consistency, so establishing a schedule early on for meals, potty breaks, and playtime will help them feel comfortable and bring some stability to your new life with a puppy.
Having a good feeding routine is directly linked to housetraining success. Avoid free-feeding your puppy, as it can make predicting potty time more difficult. Instead, feed your puppy 2-3 times a day and plan for a bathroom break right after.
Set up a โZen Denโ in your home for your new puppy. This can be their crate, a smaller area blocked off by x-pens/gates or a room like a bathroom in your home. This will act as an area where your puppy can relax safely unsupervised between eating, bathroom trips and playing. Puppies shouldnโt be given free rein of the house until their housetraining is rock solid and youโre confident there will be no accidents.
Coming home with you is a huge change for your puppy. Itโs important to remember not to change everything all at once. During those first 1-2 weeks at home, you should focus on the household routine and building the relationship between the new puppy and the individuals who live in the home. Avoid extensive long walks, long outings outside the home or having lots of people over.
๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: People are often eager to start training with their new puppy and will start working on skills like sit, down, and stay as soon as they get home. Skills are important, and they will come (we promise!) but for those first few weeks, itโs better to focus on relationship building and routine. The one skill you can start teaching right away is name attention. This is the foundation for puppy training, as it allows your puppy to learn to respond to their name when you call them. Name attention is the first step in training your puppy to come when called, as well as the basis for all other training, because if your puppy doesnโt know youโre talking to them, they certainly arenโt going to listen to you.
To begin training name attention, start by using your puppy’s name frequently and consistently when you interact with them. Every time you say their name and they look at you (a brief glance counts), mark the behaviour and give them a treat or reward. This will help them associate their name with something positive.
๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ: like sweeping, the dishwasher running, alarm clocks etc. As your puppy becomes more confident you can increase the noise to items like blenders or volumes. Pair these new sounds and experiences with high-value rewards when your puppy remains calm around them. This will help desensitize puppies to regular household occurrences and loud noises. Because itโs cute when a little puppy is chasing your broom, but less cute when itโs a 60lb adult dog and you just want to get the cleaning done!
๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ฅ: when you can, use Toppls, Kongs or feeding toys to feed your puppy. Start easy with loose kibble in the toy (freezing them might be too difficult right off the bat and cause frustration) and offer it to your puppy as a replacement for meal time, or when they are settling in their crate. Offering appropriate chew items like feeding toys, Benebones, or Bully Sticks helps to prevent destructive behaviour while encouraging good chewing habits. Plus, a tired mouth is less likely to nibble on you!
๐๐ง๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ! The first 20 weeks of a puppyโs life are a crucial time for training and socialization. We recommend puppyโs start a training class as soon as possible, around 9-10 weeks old. Even if youโve had a puppy before, enrolling in a training class will help create a strong bond between you and your puppy, as well as continue to expose them to new things, people and animals, and allow you to start working on skills training with them. Proper exposure and training during this prime window can help prevent behaviour challenges such as fearfulness, aggression, or anxiety in adult dogs