February 17th, 2025

Puppy Training

Congratulations on welcoming home a puppy!

In my opinion, this is the best time of your dog’s life because anything is possible at this stage.

You are the molder of the wet clay that is your puppy. You shape their future and what they will accomplish in life.

You are responsible for helping your dog understand the world they will grow up in and the environment they see every day.

Here are my quick training tips for welcoming home your puppy:

Use the critical window wisely. You only have until 16 weeks of age before the most critical period passes. Expose your puppy to everyday life’s dangers, friends, and experiences.
Crate training. Crate training will be your saving grace—and your breaking point. Before asking your puppy to stay in the crate for a couple of hours, ensure they’ve had potty breaks, exercise, food, water, and entertainment.
Two-hour limit. A puppy’s bladder can’t hold much longer than two hours, so follow this rule for the first week or so of crate training.
Cry it out. Don’t offer distractions when your puppy cries in their crate. During the day, I add bones to chew on, but at night, remove everything except their bedding.
Limited access to the house. Your puppy is essentially a baby. You wouldn’t let your baby roam a house full of cords to chew, so keep puppy access limited to safe areas.

Happy Training!

Addi and her girls