Before you even go get a puppy think about what kind of human you are. Are you an active one? Are you a very busy working person with long hours looking for a snuggle puppy? Many people will choose a dog based on cuteness. We are all guilty! Ask your breeder for help on matching your personality to the puppy you will be choosing. If you are a calm laid back couch potato you may not want the loudest and most energetic pup of the litter. Makes sense?

You have chosen your puppy what do you do? You have homework before you even get a puppy so get ready to rumble. I am sure you plan on housebreaking and training so you will need supplies and a budget. Write it all down. Factor in vet expenses, food expenses based on how large your pup will grow and durable toys etc. You will need a crate for potty training (if you skip on a crate, good luck), durable toys, an appropriate leash for puppy at his weight then for adult size, multiple sized collars if your dog will be in growing stages, food and first aid supplies, bathing supplies, safe cleaning supplies to clean accidents, safe chemicals for pest control for your home, food bowls, water bowls that are preferably non destructible, an Elizabethan collar (for injury protection or surgery), a vet, a list with emergency animal hospitals and you may want to appoint a helper to help you with your new puppy the day you pick up.

Your new puppy may get sick in the car on the way home. This will be very tough on the puppy. Remember, you just yanked this puppy from its littermates and mom or you pick it up from a pet store. Regardless, the transition will be tough. If you get lucky your puppy won’t cry much but, expect crying, whining, screaming or barking. Some will get lucky and this won’t happen. Especially if you picked a fine breeder. A great breeder will show you mom and dad and will help match you with a puppy. A puppy store may or may not. You get where I’m going with that right? You have your puppy home now, what do you do? I would take it to the potty spot. Pick a spot and go there for potty time each and every time. Start that process immediately. Your puppy will most likely need to go every 2-4 hours depending on age. Your vet may tell you to leave food and water available for your puppy at all times. They are telling you that to prevent any drops in blood sugar levels that occur in some puppies. Most puppies do not have issues being on a food schedule and if you want to potty train effectively, your pup will need to be on a food schedule. You are going to have to calculate this based on your work schedule and how often are you available to take the dog out for potty breaks. Start by feeding 3 times daily and stopping water 4-5 hours prior to your bed time. Arrange for time off when you get your new puppy or someone to come to let the puppy out for potty breaks.

Your puppy should not free roam at all. When your adult dog isn’t chewing up furniture, counter surfing, urinating or pooping in the house you may allow more free “real estate”. Be careful. You may be setting yourself up for a dangerous situation. One of my board and trains arrived with a sock in his stomach. The dog could’ve died if he wouldn’t have coughed it up or needed an $8,000 surgery. You decide. Right before bed, take you puppy out. Practice doing crate drills. having the puppy going in and out without shutting the door. The first few nights you can have the puppy sleep with you in your bedroom in crate or tethered to the bed. Do what works the first few days. The number one mistake people make is to let the dog out while they are crying or screaming. You must determine if they are screaming to go potty or screaming to get out. This is crucial. The dog will learn, barking, whining etc. earns him a ticket out of the crate. Reading dogs starts early so get used to it. Learn to read your dog from the moment you get him or her. Potty training is a big one so let’s keep it going. Okay so take your puppy out once again to that spot you picked. Take your puppy there every time. I can’t stress that enough. Take a reward with you. I like to do this because it’s an additional positive to reinforce a behavior that you want. Reward the potty outside. If you reward inside the house you just rewarded your dog for coming inside and possibly another behavior. They think in screenshots so the act/thought of a “good potty” is long gone.

All puppies will follow you at this age and sit for a reward. It’s just the way it is until they meet the big bad world and all their senses start teasing them away from the original interest they had in you. At first you are the best person ever until……they grow up. You start losing value quick, I promise lol.

Some people feed in crate, I do. I practice this with all dogs, period. Specially to create positive association with the crate. Also, you can hand feed. Hand feeding a puppy is great and you can teach things at the same time. I would have one of the meal portions in my hand and throw a kibble in the crate and lure the puppy out. Rinse and repeat. You can have a leash on your puppy while you do this in case the run away and for them to get used to it. You’re not really using the leash at this point. Some puppies at just a few weeks old are huge and already showing their personalities so this may or may not apply.

Your puppy will get super tired fast. A sleepy cranky puppy will display naughty behaviors like nipping, jumping up and biting legs may start happening. Do not a jumping, nipping dog by petting it. You will end rewarding a behavior that will cause you grief later. Potty your dog and crate it up for a nap. Puppies sleep a whole lot so crating is perfect for them after a play or training session. A puppy will require a potty break after a session also and after it wakes up for sure. Plan on it.

Puppy socialization is important but, no need to go overboard. Your puppy has little no vaccinations. So, that said be careful which dogs your puppies interacts with. You puppy can socialize with another puppy his age and about same size without worry. Humans can handle him or her for short periods so it will be used to different sexes and different humans. You should acclimate your puppy to being touched everywhere. Rubs his paws, belly etc. You can go for a simple 2-minute ride around the block in the car to the puppy used to the car. Take his bed or a crate. It’s up to you. You can take him to the pet store with you in a crate, where it’s safe from a bite or even disease. You don’t know who’s been there. Some of these stores have animal clinics in them. You’re taking your puppy to a place where potentially could’ve housed a sick animal and your puppy is defenseless without vaccination etc. Kennel cough is potentially fatal. Be smart about how you socialize. There are apps and meetups that you can find socialization groups to socialize your puppy. Puppies interacting with other puppies is important because the other puppies will self-correct each other into appropriate and not appropriate play. It’s natural.

You know I was heading, there right? Corrections. Yes corrections. I would not correct a puppy until at least 12 weeks old. This my personal way of doing things. I just avoid having to correct. Meaning I don’t put a puppy in a situation for him or her to jump on me or nip me. I may use a hissing sound or screech if I am being nipped at. Around 12 weeks or older a water bottle, pet convincer (air can) or a rolled-up towel to stop jumping and biting may work. Stop these behaviors immediately with methods that work. Ignoring them won’t make them go away. If you have an easy dog possibly. Most people don’t. If humans stopped these behaviors early on they wouldn’t be having bigger problems with their adult dog. Practice rewarding a lot as well. Especially when that puppy follows you. If they follow you around in your yard or the area you train at, praise and reward the heck out of that puppy. I have never had a problem with correcting puppies. Never correct out of anger. Ever! You can correct a bad potty with a loud no or a clap in the air. The key here is to catch it in the act. If you did not catch it, you’re too late to say anything about it. If you’re late why weren’t your eyes on that dog? Leash on and attached to you and eyes on that dog at all time. No eyes on dog=crate. The crate is your crib and babysitter. The best one there is when you’re not around or available.