While we will always recommend a rescue over a puppy, we understand that it isn't always possible. Maybe the situation you are in means a puppy is the only option or maybe you have rescued a puppy in which case we would advise using this rather than the rescue guide.
With a puppy, most lessons you will be using will be in the main starter guide but there will be some differences and that is what we have put to the left. Although your dog may be a puppy for two or even three years, the differences in training aren't noticeable after the first year, so the guides here only cover the first year of puppydom.
We recommend reading the whole guide so you are fully prepared BEFORE your new arrival, as it's much easier to read about bite inhibition while you aren't being bitten.
Before they are here
The Big Day
You've done all your research, your space is all set up and you've barely slept if you are anything like us. Today is the day your new puppy comes to live with you. All the training you've done in theory you'll now be able to put into practice.
It is an exciting day for us but we must remember that it can be a stressful and overwhelming day for them. We also need to remind anyone else of this and keep children calm. The calmer things can be while they have chance to settle in, the easier they will find the adjustment.
Now that isn't to say that everything needs to be walking on egg shells, its a fine line between being overly cautious and not being mindful enough. A good line is that they might not want to be cuddled and fussed for the first few days but you should still go about your daily routine to help them adjust.
We are getting them used to their new environment from the second they step into it. But we will cover that more in the desensitization chapter we have linked.
Toilet training is vitally important to start from the moment you bring them home. Don't wait until they have developed a bad habit to train them to go outside. It's better to have structure now and avoid a mess later on. It's for this reason we don't recommend puppy pads. We feel all training is better when we take a proactive rather than reactive approach, and this is where that really starts.
The First Few Weeks
This is where you start to really go through the starter guide and add in the communication tools that will form the foundations of your relationship.
What you show them will carry on through to adulthood. Are you showing them you are a kind leader who is going to enforce the boundaries or are you going to let them rule you because they are cute?
It's very fun to let them be puppies who charge around the house but it's the fastest way to them going to the toilet in the house after they chew up the sofa. It's time to be strict now so that you can be much softer later when they know the house rules and how to be safe. Vet trips can be costly not only on the wallet but also on the trust you are building.
The Terrible Teens
Yep, dogs have it as well. When your puppy reaches that fun age of pushing boundaries it will feel like all the work you have been doing has been for nothing. It is a completely normal thing for your dog to push their limits when they are reaching adulthood. This is where we have to be firm with those boundaries to set them up well into adulthood. During this time we recommend prioritising leadership and impulse control focused training sessions. They are asking if they only had to listen when they were young- and you are reminding them that they still have to listen even though they are an adult now. This is also an important time to be discussing neutering with your vet.
