Welcome Home New Puppy!
So you just picked up your adorable, lovable, sleepy new baby dog. Now what?
So many people, myself included, are so excited to bring home their new best friend that they forget a lot of the important details… Where will puppy sleep? How much exercise should puppy get? What do I do when they have an accident in the house? When should I start training puppy? Can I take my puppy places? What is this thing called socialization?
New puppies do require time and energy from us, but getting off to a solid start will make everyone’s lives that much easier. I want to help all you new puppy parents (and your new puppy parent friends) get it nearly right from day one! My biggest tip for surviving your new baby dog is; don’t sweat the small stuff! Take life one day at a time, focus on the positives, and move on from the negatives. I’m a firm believer in “if no one died, then we are good!”.
Here are some other useful tips and ideas to make your transition to dog parent a smooth one.
Management is crucial! We all want to let our puppy explore their new home, but you have now created a recipe for disaster… so many cords to chew and those lovely rugs could use some urine. Instead of giving your puppy freedom to make mistakes, set them up for success by teaching them that their crate is a magical place and the playpen in the kitchen is a fun playland! As your puppy learns their house-manners they can gradually earn more freedom in the house, under your supervision of course!
Sleep is needed (by everyone!). Get your puppy on a regular nap schedule. It is important to give our baby dogs the time they need to rest and recharge their growing bodies. Have a designated nap area (crate or playpen) in a fairly low traffic area of the house for your puppy to get their ZZZ’s in. When it comes to sleeping through the night, set up your bedtime crate near the side of your bed. Dogs are social beings and they thrive off your presence. Puppies need 16-20 hours of sleep a day, let them get it!
House-training can be a chore…but it doesn’t have to be! Take your puppy outside for regular potty breaks about every 30 minutes for the first couple weeks. That may sound like a lot, but I would much rather take them outside every 30 minutes than be cleaning up a mess in the house every 30 minutes. Now here is the most IMPORTANT part of house-training - when you take your puppy outside, they must be ON LEASH! You may have the best fenced in back yard, but that yard is full of distractions and we need our puppy to potty quickly and completely when we take them out. Once they have eliminated fully, they can have that fun off leash playtime in your fenced yard. If you do find an accident in the house, do not scold your baby dog, instead place them in a confined area while you clean up with an enzymatic cleaner (follow their instructions for use).
Exercise, it’s good for us and our dogs! Puppies will need less exercise than your adolescent or adult dog, only because they do need a lot of sleep. Get them up and moving their body and brain for at least 2 hours a day. With your baby dog, avoid high intensity activities such as chasing a frisbee or ball, running, and jumping. Their bodies are still developing and we want to avoid injuries. Instead opt for walks with lots of time to sniff (avoid high dog traffic areas), brain games, and training!
Training, When should you start? Well you are training your puppy nearly every second they are awake, so why not start on a path to teach them what you do want from their first day home? Keep training short and fun! Play games that get your puppy rewarded for engaging with you in the beginning and save the obedience for later on (I would much rather have a dog who give me attention when I ask, than a dog who sits ten times in a row). As long as you and your puppy are having fun and they are learning what you would like from them, it is never to early to start training!
Socialization - it’s not all about dogs! Focus on getting your puppy seeing new people (tall, short, old, young, with a cane, in a stroller, wearing a hat, etc.), hearing new sounds, and exploring new surfaces! The more we can make all these new experience a positive encounter for your baby dog, the more success they will have in their adolescent and adult years. Puppies should not be meeting every dog they come across. If you want your puppy to meet other dogs, choose puppies near their same age or adult dogs who LOVE puppies and are well vaccinated. Avoid dog parks and other areas that are frequented by dogs.
I hope this has got you thinking all things puppy! Don’t get overwhelmed with too much information though. When in doubt, have fun with your puppy, reinforce what you like, and enjoy those baby dog weeks - they sure go by fast!
