A Guide Puppy Training
Puppies. They are cute for good reason, aren’t they?! Every time I get a puppy I somehow seem to forget how much work they are! Quite literally a full-time job! Puppies require a lot of attention, and that can make things very hard especially when juggling all of life’s responsibilities outside of that. Here’s a comprehensive guide to how I raise a picture-perfect puppy!
Step one is making sure you are finding a breed or personality that fits you and your lifestyle well. Talk with others who have experienced the breed, and ask them all the characteristics, good and bad so you can be prepared! Knowing the breed and their history will give you good insight to what they might need. It’s important to look into their energy needs, and drives, outside of just how cute they look!
Okay, you have your eight-week-old puppy! What’s next? Many people want to jump right into teaching the basics, sit, down, etc. Although there’s nothing wrong with this, it is not my first priority. Starting to build a relationship with a new puppy and developing a routine is critical! Soak up the puppy cuteness! I like to spend lots of time playing with toys, seeing what their preferences are in toys and how they like to play. This will change with age, but starting to identify your dog’s interests and engaging with them will help build a relationship.
Next is feeding. Young puppies need to be fed 3-4 times a day. This is a great time to use treats to start training. I never give young puppies treats, as they can have pretty sensitive stomachs, so for meals instead of ploping a bowl on the ground, hand feed them! Simply having them eat out of your hand is beneficial to relationship building, and you can have them do some training as well! I would spend the most time introducing puppies to new objects, such as plastic bags, getting them to walk over them, or anything else that may be scary or odd to your new pup. Confidence building is best done during developmental periods, verses basic obedience can be easily taught at all ages. The other thing I would be focusing on during mealtimes is crate games! The crate is critical to potty training, and I also want to build a positive association with the crate, so feeding inside the kennel, tossing treats in there, and anything else to make it fun (more on making the crate fun in an upcoming blog!).
Pottying! Depending on breed and size, puppies need frequent potty breaks. One of the key rules to remember is potty after everything! Done playing for a bit? Take a potty break. Just fed them? Take a potty break. Just woke up from a nap? Take a potty break. After every activity there should be a potty break! Young puppies need to potty every hour, some even more than that. If you notice your puppy wandering around and sniffing that can be a signal they need to go! The best way to teach them to go outside is to only let them go outside! Of course you won’t be perfect, and that’s okay, but do your best!
I recommend kenneling puppies overnight, to avoid any accidents, and this helps make the crate a comfortable safe space for them. Keeping the crate in your bedroom is helpful, as they are used to sleeping with all their littermates. Make sure your kennel is just big enough for them to turn around and lay down comfortably. This is very important to stop them from pottying in their crate. Dogs are generally very clean, and do not want to sleep where they go to the bathroom. Two to three potty breaks throughout the night is a good rule to start with. If you work eight hour days and are unable to stop home, having a friend or dog sitter to come let them out, feed them, and get some playtime in is super beneficial.
There is so much more that can be said for puppies, but hopefully these tips help you get started. Soak up puppy time, although it’s frustrating you will miss puppyhood before you know it!
