Bringing A New Puppy Home!

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Bringing A New Puppy Home…

When you bring your puppy home for the first time, first introduce them to the front yard to see if they have to go potty after the trip home. This is also a great time to introduce your new puppy to your other dogs. If you have more than one adult dog then it’s best to do it one at a time and preferably, on common ground, like the front yard.

Once you bring your puppy inside, try to keep the whole vibe in the house as calm as possible.

This isn’t the best time to invite over all the neighbors to meet your new baby, there will be plenty of time for introductions and something I also highly recommend! Socialize them with as many new people as possible during the first few months home and getting friendly with the neighbors is a great way to socialize your puppy – just not the first day home. Give it a couple days.

I know this is hard especially for kids because… they’re so proud of their new puppy and they want to show them off to all their friends (totally understandable) but try to remind your children why it’s important to let their new puppy get accustomed to their new environment and also to start developing a special bond with their new family members first.

TIP: Discuss these things before bringing your new puppy home.

Buying Puppy Supplies!

GETTING PREPARED FOR A PUPPY IS ALWAYS STEP ONE.

Make sure you have a nice cozy and safe enclosure for your new puppy like a crate or x-pen setup.

Get all your puppy supplies ordered before bringing them home, so you can focus your time on enjoying your new puppy and you’re not running around trying to figure out what they need or where to get it.

If you plan on shopping online for the best deal then I recommend you visit my puppy supply page linked below:

Why do puppies cry the first night home?

Labradoodle Puppies prefer the safety and comfort of their family company and really don’t like to be separated from them.

When you bring a puppy home, keep in mind this is a baby animal and spent their whole life up until today surrounded by the warm bodies of their mother and littermates.

Dogs and Puppies are natural pack animals and being alone feels unnatural at first.

Being comfortable alone is something puppies need to be trained. The best way to train a puppy to remain calm while alone is crate training. The crate training teaches your puppy to self-soothe, to respect your boundaries, and also how to trust you, and follow your directions. It’s also a great foundation for more advanced training.

No doubt, your new puppies’ first couple nights home might be hard. Prepare for this.

Humans tend to feel guilty because their new puppy is sad! We take it to heart and we assume “my puppy doesn’t like me” or on the flip side they’ll become overwhelmed, irritated, or frustrated. Try not to do any of the above.

Prepare for the challenge and just keep in mind… this will pass.

Some puppies do really well the first night home, but I’d say most puppies will be a little stressed.

Some whining and crying is expected and also totally normal.

Try not to judge your puppy.

How your puppy turns out as an adult depends on you, how much time you put into bonding with them, socialization, and training is up to you.

DO NOT PANIC.

Take advantage of my free tips and advice on this website! I’ve raised LOTS of puppies and dogs and I’m here to help you if you’re willing.

Helping Puppy feel safe in their crate.

The first week home:

Puppies need crates like babies need cribs! Don’t feel guilty about teaching your puppy.

Crate Training should be done in a series of small steps. Don’t try to move too fast.
The first step is to start feeding them on a strict feeding/sleeping/eliminating schedule starting from day one. This is key to potty training.
Find Crate Training Schedules here!!
The Crate needs to be the right size for a good reason. It should only be big enough so they can stand up, turn around and stretch out laying down. No Bigger.
If a crate is too big, they can start peeing on one side and sleeping on the other.
Some puppies prefer plastic crates maybe because it’s more of an enclosed feeling but other puppies do prefer the black wire ones. If they really hate their crate. You can try both to try to figure it out. You can also try putting a blanket over the wire ones.
The crate should always be associated with something pleasant like a chew stick, toy, or better yet, dinner!
For the first couple of weeks of crate training feed your puppy in their crate
Keep the crate next to your bed at first so they can at least hear and smell you. They might cry a little, but they’ll get over it quickly when they know you’re close by, you don’t want your puppy to feel abandoned and alone on their first night home.
Under no circumstances should you take the puppy to bed with you at least not before they’ve completed potty training. I know it’s tempting but puppies won’t miss what they’ve never experienced… puppies are also notorious bedwetters! Give the puppy a fluffy stuffed animal to snuggle instead and get one for yourself too if you must! Just keep the puppy out of your bed!

Getting Puppy to sleep through the night:

Make sure your puppy is getting plenty of exercise during their time out of the crate.
Try to wear your puppy out by playing games, tossing a toy, and getting them to bring it back, take a run around the yard after a potty break.
Work on training simple hand commands like sit and down.
An hour or so before bedtime should be time for winding down time and should become part of their new nightly bedtime routine.
Take them outdoors several times after dinner and make sure they’ve gone both pee and poop before putting them to bed for the night.

ALL THE PUPPY SUPPLIES!

Buying puppy supplies can be overwhelming and expensive but you don’t need to break the bank buying expensive toys and fancy beds – a lot of stuff can wait until you have a better idea about what your puppy REALLY needs and likes and some things can REALLY wait for example expensive dog beds!

Puppies are notorious for peeing on and chewing up dog beds chew them up.

You need the basics at the very least and to have everything setup and ready to go so you can focus your attention on the puppy not shopping.

If you want to spend your money wisely then only buy the things you need like lots and lots of chew toys, your dog food, collar, leash, dog tag, food dishes, and a crate and/or an x-pen.

Luckily, I’ve spent years putting together a VERY long list of all the BEST puppy stuff!

The stuff I’ve personally purchased for my own puppies and recommend to our puppy families!

Save yourself money and time and check it out.

CHECK OUT OUR PUPPY SHOPPING LIST FOR NEW PUPPIES!

Crate Training Do’s and Don’ts

Crate training is a method for teaching puppies. The crate provides a safe and comfortable space to chill during the housebreaking process.

If you simply follow these crate training Do’s and Don’ts, it can be more of a positive and successful process for you both.

The Crate Training Do’s:

Introduce the crate gradually: Start by allowing your puppy to explore the crate on their own without closing the door. Encourage them to enter the crate by placing treats or toys inside.
Make the crate comfortable: Add soft bedding and blankets to the crate to make it a cozy and inviting space. Add a stuffed animal to cuddle and chew toys to keep them entertained.
Use positive reinforcement: Reward your puppy with treats and praise when they enter the crate voluntarily. This will help them to associate their crate with positive experiences.
Start with short periods: Begin by leaving your puppy in the crate for a pretty short period of time, you can gradually increase the duration as they become more comfortable.
Provide plenty of exercise and attention: Make sure your puppy gets plenty of exercise and attention outside of the crate to prevent them from becoming restless or anxious in the crate.

The Crate Training Don’ts:

Don’t Use the crate as punishment: Never use the crate as a form of punishment or isolation. This can cause your puppy to develop negative associations with their crate and make crate training even more difficult.
Don’t Leave your puppy in the crate for too long: Avoid leaving your puppy in the crate for extended periods of time, leading to anxiety. Puppies should not be left in a crate for more than a few hours at a time.
Don’t Neglect your puppy’s needs: Make sure your puppy has access to water, food, and has relieved themselves fully before putting them in the crate. I do not recommend leaving foor or water dishes in the crate during the potty/crate training process.
Don’t Force your puppy into the crate: Never force your puppy into the crate, as this can cause them to become fearful or resistant to the training process. Instead, use positive reinforcement and encourage them to walk in themselves. You want the crate to become their cozy space.
Don’t Ignore your puppy’s distress signals: Pay attention to your puppy’s behavior. If they start showing signs of distress or anxiety or panic. Then take a step back in the process, slow down and make adjustments to the schedule as necessary.

In conclusion, puppy crate training can be a VERY effective method for teaching your puppy good behavior and providing them with a safe and comfortable space.

A GOOD CHEW STICK OR TOY CAN BE REALLY HELPFUL DURING CRATE TRAINING!

Our puppies recommend the Beef Gullet sticks on Chewy.com! Half the price of the ones you get at Pet Stores!

How you talk to your Puppy Matters!

Your puppy hears tone and volume more than actual words when you speak to them. They respond to changes in intonation and volume, and can detect changes from soft to loud, happy to demanding, or sad to cheerful.

Before your puppy learns word associations, your dog basically hears “yadda, yadda, yadda”. So, It’s not what you say, but how you say it.

If your tone reflects pleasure, love, sadness, disappointment, or worry, your dog will pick up on it.

If your volume changes from soft to loud, he will pick up on that, too.

For example, if you speak at a regular volume, then suddenly shout, your dog knows something is up and to pay attention. Similarly, your dog detects tonal changes from happy to demanding, or sad to cheerful.

There are five common tones dog trainers and owners use that dogs can understand.

Cheerful tones, show approval and playfulness
Disappointed tones, convey disapproval.
Soft and reassuring tones, express affection
Firm tones, get a dog’s attention.
The Caution tone, is used in emergencies to stop a dog in its tracks.

Separation Stress and Seperation anxiety – When you bring home a puppy you are separating them from the only family they’ve ever known, so you may see some signs of anxiety but this will passrat her quickly, usually a few days.

There will be a transition period for every puppy in a new home. Some do take it harder then others, doesn’t mean they have seperation anxiety even if they cry and hollar when left alone… it just means they’re normal young puppies going through some seperation stress, which is only temporary.

Signs of Puppy Stress and How to Help your Puppy get Past it…

Some signs of Puppy stress may include acting shy or timid at first, not being interested? Max. All puppies deal with stress differently, some may pant alot the first night, some may sleep alot or just seem down and out and kinda sad.

Especially considering what a big change it is for them. Separation discomfort is a normal part of acclimating to a new home and family, and gentle patience and awareness is called for. Keep them busy and give them lots of reassuring praise and cuddles and they’ll be bouncing around in no time.

It is this natural instinct that still prompts puppies to whine, howl, squeal and demonstrate restlessness when they’re separated from their families.

For the first few days, or weeks, it is natural for a puppy to have trouble falling asleep in their new environment or crate, because it’s natural for the puppy to feel vulnerable and afraid as she adjusts to the absence their littermates and fluffy puppy piles and it can be a big transition for them to learn to feel safe in a new environment and to being alone.

Teaching them to feel safe alone as a puppy can help to avoid true “seperation anxiety” issues and unwanted behaviors as adults.

Crate training puppies is invaluable for helping to avoid seperation anxiety in adults!

Read our blog post on How to Stop Puppy Whining and Crying in the Crate Blog Post!

PUPPY ENCLOSURE SOLUTIONS AND SETUPS

Day one in the new home will be the most frightful for the puppy, and the most challenging for you to lay the groundwork for your relationship with your puppy.

READ OUR POST ON CRATE AND PUPPY PEN SETUPS!

I recommend a crate and x-pen setup if you work or can’t let them in and out of the crate every 2 hours during the crate training schedulecrate training schedule. You can put these almost anywhere in your house but it’s best to put it on hardwood or tile flooring and on a tarp I use the large poly tarps under our playpens (below).

You can buy the Waterproof Poly tarps on Amazon (8′ X 10′) they’re easy to clean and hard to destroy. You wanna get one that is not too big and not too small. You should have at least an inch all the way around that is outside of the pen to avoid the tarp slipping, leaking or allows the puppy to pull up the sides while playing. You can use strong tape like duct tape to tape them down to your floor, so they don’t slide around, because believe me they’ll slide around if you don’t tape them down.

You can find all the best puppies supplies that I recommend for new puppy families on our Puppy Supplies page and on Amazon!

Honestly, just having the right tools and the right puppy setup can make raising a puppy 100% easier!!

CHECK OUT OUR Recommended Puppy Supplies Page or our Puppy Crate and X-Pen Setups Blog post.

Most everything on that page is linked to Amazon Prime for free 2 day shipping!

YOUR PUPPY AND CRATE SIZES

You need a crate big enough so that the puppy can at stand up and turn around without hitting their head on top of the crate and long enough for them to sprawl out because puppies do love to sprawl!!… but NO bigger.

Buying a crate with “room to grow” is NOT always a good idea UNLESS you’re going to use the divider that comes with the metal crates if you don’t want to use the divider then get a smaller crate.

If the crate is too big then your puppy will create a bathroom on one side and a bedroom on the other. During potty training going potty in their crate is exactly what you want to avoid and really defeats the whole purpose of crate training… The crate works so well for potty training because dogs and puppies don’t like to eliminate where they sleep… so we’re using a dogs instincts to be clean den animals to our advantage and so you need to give them just enough room to sleep – not pee and 💩 poop.

TO BED OR NOT TO BED… That tis the question?

Potty training puppies do not NEED big fluffy pillows, blankets or dog beds yet! Save those for AFTER potty training. IF they can handle having a bed without using it as a pee pad then great go ahead and make it as comfy as they want!

BUT if your puppy continues to go potty in the crate and on their bedding then remove all the bedding – just until they’re consistently potty trained and no longer having accidents in the crate.

The more accidents they’re allowed to make in the crate the longer potty training will take and the less likely you’ll be able to use their natural instincts as clean den animals to your advantage. Puppies can do just fine without bedding as long as the room is kept warm enough. Remember these are still dogs, they are animals, not humans. They’ll gladly sleep and snuggle in a big pile of dirt or even a mud puddle if you let them.

A bed is a human necessity, not a dogs. *smile

DOG BED REPLACEMENTS?

Replace the doggy beds, blankets, and towels with a soft decent-sized Teddy Bear or a few small beanie baby-size bears to keep them company and something comfy to snuggle.

MORE X-PEN PUPPY ENCLOSURE EXAMPLES

Every puppy is different and every puppy will have their own unique quirks and issues.. just be consistent with your puppy’s training schedule, don’t sweat the small stuff, and enjoy the puppy-raising process.

You are essentially raising a family member, best friend, and life companion and I think that deserves some real commitment, and if there are a few challenges along the way… don’t worry it’s gonna be worth it in the end!

I Picked the Wrong Puppy… Nothing Works with this Puppy!

If your puppy doesn’t seem to be “getting it”… first you REALLY need to be honest with yourself about how consistently you’ve been training them so far and maybe cut them a break… because more often than not… it’s not the puppy’s fault and has a whole lot more to do with you…..

Have you been moving too fast, for example, how much time did you take to introduce them to the crate so they have a positive association to the crate?
Do you have them on a feeding/sleeping/eliminating schedule yet?
How much time have you spent on training them some basic obedience commands like “watch me”, “leave it” and “quiet”?
Have you been training them to “go potty” on command?
Have you set realistic expectations for their age and the amount of time you’ve spent consistently training them?

If you can answer all those questions honestly and you’ve done everything right… then maybe you do need a professional one-on-one trainer to come and help you but based on my experience, if most people are truly honest – then they KNOW they have not taken enough time and are probably judging their puppy unfairly… the best thing you can do is start from scratch.

The more challenging parts are usually quickly forgotten and before you know it the family is starting to talk about getting another new puppy! *smile*

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Tags: crate training, new puppy, Potty Training, puppy first night