Whether you are preparing for a new puppy or you already have one in your home: congratulations! Raising a puppy can be an incredibly rewarding adventure, and the recompense of doing it well is an unbreakable lifetime bond with your dog.
As anyone who has raised a puppy knows, they can be a LOT. It’s amazing how such a little being can be so active, have so many needs, and bring so much joy, frustration, and a few laughs, too. There’s no way around it, raising a puppy well is hard work. But it doesn’t have to be all hard work if you follow our expert tips, plans, tricks, and priorities. So whether you’re reading in the high-highs of puppy raising, or you’re having a bit of the puppy-blues, frustrated or unsure of how to move forward, we’ve been there, and we’ve designed this guide to help.
Focus on socialization
No matter how intense the puppy period is, it will be over before you know it! Puppies are technically only puppies until around 16 weeks, or four months of age. And that cut-off isn’t just a formality: it marks a significant change in your dog’s ability to adapt to her world. Young puppies have a special superpower: they're primed to explore and don't have an automatic or intense fear response to new things. This period is called the socialization period, and once it closes (at around that 16-week mark), it will never open up again. That doesn’t mean you cannot work on socializing your older puppy, adolescent, or adult dog! But it does mean this:
If you have a puppy under 16 weeks of age and you want to give her and yourself the best life together long term, your number one goal should be effective socialization.
Don’t wait! This period of your dog’s life is your golden opportunity to shape who he will grow up to be. Though many new puppy guardians know this is important, there are so many messages about how to do it out there it can feel confusing, overwhelming, or impossible. But socializing well is actually much more achievable and easier than you might think. Learning a few key skills and guidelines for how to socialize your puppy is the best investment you can make in your future together.
Housetraining can be a breeze
Yes, we'll say it again, socialization is a top priority for your puppy, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be teaching him some essentials as well! Number one on most family’s list for their new puppy is teaching him proper housetraining skills. Because your puppy is physiologically immature, new to your home, and, well, because he’s a dog, housetraining is something that we must teach him – it doesn’t come naturally with the puppy package. But it doesn’t have to involve tears, even though we know how frustrating it can feel to find yet another accident (this time on your favorite rug).
All successful housetraining requires is a puppy-appropriate plan, a bit of management, and a few deep breaths.
You and your puppy will get there, we’re sure of it. We’ll lay out the real deal decisions, plans, and tips that get puppies housetrained efficiently and effectively, without any gimmicks. Plus, we’ll tell you how we deal with puppy whining at night, as this is part of effective housetraining, too!
Become your puppy’s favorite person, her teacher
Ok, we’ll say it once more, socialization is the priority for all puppies under 16 weeks. And socialization is about teaching your puppy to become a confident, relaxed, and joyful member of our shared world. Along with introducing your puppy to her larger world, your first weeks with your puppy are her introduction to you. Positive training is the way you can teach her the skills she needs to thrive in your world, and to build your lifetime bond with one another. It's the way you can learn to talk to her, and hear what she's saying to you. And it's also the way you can support her as she bravely encounters all the bewildering parts of our human-centric world, complete with our human-centric expectations for her behavior.
Training can wait (though it doesn’t have to!), but building the bond with your puppy can't. Teach your puppy the foundational skills of a lifetime of training and enjoying one another with games, play, and puppy-appropriate sessions.
When it’s done correctly, training shouldn’t be a chore, and it doesn’t require a formal setup or special time. As your puppy’s teacher, your goal is to become her favorite person, her safe harbor, and her preferred playmate. Whether we mean to or not each interaction you’re already having with your puppy is training. So, the way we see it, we might as well do it mindfully and reap the benefits! That’s the real puppy training, the behaviors you teach are just the icing on the cake.
Tame the piranha
If you find you aren’t able to play with your puppy because he's constantly nipping or mouthing you, or you keep finding things that are not for him to chew in his mouth, you're not alone! One of a puppy’s normal responses during his early life is to explore, and since he has no hands, he primarily uses his mouth to learn about his world. But anyone who has been on the receiving end of those needle-sharp little teeth knows that they hurt! So, while mouthing is normal, it's not possible to ignore (nor should you).
Teaching your puppy what to bite and chew and what not to is a prime lesson that you can and should teach your young dog. Doing it positively is not only possible, it produces better behavior and better results. Welcome to the wonderful world of puppy guardianship, we’ll help you enjoy the ride.
Preventing problems
It might seem overwhelming to bring home a new puppy and wonder where to begin. Puppies do require a bit of time, effort and understanding but that process will be much easier, as will your life throughout your time with your dog, if you take some preventive steps early on. By being proactive about training, socializing, and seeing to your puppy’s needs, you can help prevent common behavioral problems from ever developing. Get started on the right track and set you and your puppy up for success. What you invest in learning about your puppy today will pay dividends for your lifetime with your new dog. After all, we hope you have many joyful years together ahead, and building the relationships today through wise, patient and empathic interactions is the key to enjoying your puppy today and thriving with her for the rest of your life together.
