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Recently we welcomed a new puppy into our home from Kane’s K9s & Animal Rescue in San Diego. Boy, has our world been turned upside down! We named her Peggy and she’s stolen our hearts. But, I forgot that puppies require a lot of attention and interaction. So, I’ve compiled 5 helpful tips for bringing a new puppy home.
Crate Train Your Puppy
First and foremost, the most important step is to crate train your puppy. Some people think confining a puppy is cruel. However, you can create positive associations with the crate so your puppy feels safe. You should never use a crate as punishment. Crate training helps with potty training and keeps your puppy safe from harm. Also, it’s less likely that your puppy will develop separation anxiety if they are crate trained. If you need help with this step, check out this Crate Games program. Susan Garrett is brilliant and you’ll have your puppy loving their crate in no time!
Puppies Need a Balance of Sleep and Exercise
Creating a good balance with sleep and exercise is key in puppy development. Puppies require 15 – 20 hours of sleep per day. Without sleep, they can get mouthy and their zoomies will be a lot. Those puppy bites are painful! Also, exercise should be limited to 5 minutes per month of age up to twice per day. Until your puppy is fully vaccinated, only exercise them in your yard. Inside you can create an obstacle course with furniture to walk around too. Finally, don’t be too predictable with your routine. This can create anxiety in puppies over time.
Hire a Dog Walker in San Diego
Away from home more than 3-4 hours at a time? Then, hire Paws Play in San Diego to help with your dog walking needs. Puppies can only hold their bladder for 1 hour per month of age. We understand your puppy may not be fully vaccinated and will keep them safe. We only allow them to potty in your backyard or a safe spot outside. Then, time for play and interaction for the remainder of our visit. There are several dog walking services to choose from to tire out your puppy. You can even book multiple visits each day if needed. Choose us and you choose the very best dog walkers in San Diego!
Enrichment Activities for Puppies Provides Mental Stimulation
Puppies need mental stimulation just as much as they do exercise. Enrichment activities for puppies help to stimulate their minds and develop healthy behaviors. Puzzle toys for puppies develop their problem-solving skills. They also help them learn to cope with delayed gratification. Snuffle mats put puppy’s noses to work providing mental stimulation. Also, they can help your puppy eat slower if they’re a food hound. If your puppy gets bored easily, treat releasing toys can give them independent play time. This way you can take a break from entertaining your new puppy. Finally, DIY puppy enrichment activities can be made with simple items you probably already have! It’s an important part of your puppy’s development to provide enrichment activities.
Positive Reinforcement Training for Puppies in San Diego
I am a big fan of training puppies with positive reinforcement methods. It’s a great way to help them gain clarity on how they should behave. Plus, it’s really fun playing choice-based games with them! One of my favorite San Diego positive reinforcement dog trainers is Julie at Out N’ About Dog Training. Julie has been a professional dog trainer for over 25 years. She is a certified fear free dog trainer in San Diego. Another favorite is Ashley at Family Dog Consulting. Her goals in dog training are happy, loved dogs with confident, knowledgeable owners. She also carries several dog training certifications. And Susan Garrett is an online dog trainer who has an amazing Homeschool the Dogs Program. This program will develop some solid foundations for your puppy.
I hope you find these 5 helpful tips for bringing a new puppy home valuable. There is so much you can do to ensure you have a happy, healthy and balanced puppy. With these tips, your puppy will grow into a confident and well-rounded dog. If you know someone who recently adopted a new puppy, please share this post with them through the links below to set them up for success!
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