New puppy daytime schedule

[firsttimewoofy]

Hello - first time dog owner and I I’m a new pup on Friday!

Ive read they needs lots if sleep, stimulation etc. So I’ve put this schedule together. Would you tell me what you think or if I’m being too optimistic? I plan on taking him out every hour for toilet breaks as well as the ones scheduled in.

8am - take pup out to potty

8:15 - pop in crate with some toys

8:45 - training session with food

9:15 - toilet break

9:30 - put in crate for nap

11 - play time in pen

12 - training session with food

2 - pop in crate for nap

3 - play time

5 - take out and about for socialisation

8 - meal

10 - crate for bed

You need to add an extra thing about 5pm/6pm mad zoomy craziness for about four hours.

Hahaha yes of course! I’d heard about those

Well to me that looks like a dog spending too much time in a cage but each to their own . When ours was a puppy he was with us all the time and only got put in his puppy pen if we needed to keep him somewhere contained for a few minutes to open the door or something and then overnight .

Your pup needs 3 meals a day, and assuming you are crating them overnight, then you plan on putting them back in 15 minutes later? They need to be spending time just hanging out with you, and when awake, going out to toilet every 15 min- 30 minutes.
You want to be taking them out to see the world as much as possible, but in short bursts so it isn't overwhelming.

Well to me that looks like a dog spending too much time in a cage but each to their own
Yep, seems far too much timecin a cage or pen to me. Mine as a new pup stuck to me like glue and slept at my feet. I didn't crate train though. They need 3 to 4 meals a day as well

I admire your optimism but we got our first puppy in October and I have to say, any strict schedule would have gone out the window by about day 2. It's good to get into a routine but for the first couple of weeks our days consisted of sleep when she did (about 2 hours at a time max, even overnight), try to grab food/shower when possible, and spend the rest of the time trying to entertain her enough to stop her chewing the skirting boards and biting our legs! She didn't have the attention span for formal training until about 11 weeks. They grow up fast though and I think we had an unusually difficult puppy so I don't mean to discourage you. But I think you need to be prepared to be led by the puppy's needs to an extent. Also 10 hours overnight in a crate straight away? Unheard of. You'll be out at least a couple of times a night and pup might wake early.

Ah ok. Thanks! I plan on having the crate in a pen type area so when I say pop in crate I really mean in that area.

Happy to be told if that’s too much though. I actually did the schedule because I was worried that I might not allow it enough time to sleep during the day and also to help with separation anxiety.

Do I not need to worry about giving it naps?

Why have you written a schedule? Surely most people just go with the flow? I never had a schedule when I got mine, I didn't realise that was a thing.

I didn’t want to overtire it.

Do I not need to worry about giving it naps?
They literally just lie down and sleep wherever and whenever, no need to schedule anything . They sleep most of the day when they are that little.

That's far too much time in a pen on its own.

Puppies need to be with you, especially when they're very young. Why do you want to put it in a crate for most of the day?

How much research have you done? I’m a new dog owner too this past year so no expert and not trying to be unkind but it’s worrying you don’t seem to be aware of critical things like how often a small puppy should eat.

The Happy Puppy Handbook by pippa Mattinson is very helpful

They sleep when they want to , after a few days you will be able to tell if they are over tired and then act accordingly . You don’t need to leave a puppy alone to stop separation anxiety they are like babies they need to be with their ‘parent’ , they then learn to be confident well rounded individuals who can deal with things like being left alone for a while and entertaining themselves .

Your pup needs 3-4 meals per day.

Training sessions should be no more than 5-10 minutes (short sessions frequently repeated are best)

I think if you go on Absolute Dogs website there’s a free new puppy plan which shows you games to play with your pup.

We are still woken at 6am everyday to take our six month old out. And about once a week in the night. When she was tiny she needed to go out at about 3am as well for a few months.n
Once jabs have been done we took her for three short walks a day. We are now out about 2 or 3 hours a day over two or three walks.
She wanted to play all the time when awake so lots of toys/Kong's etc.
You to schedule in taking out for a wee every 20 minutes for the first 2 weeks at least and then every hour after that. Depending on the dog this can last longer.

Thanks so much everyone.

Re the pp about food - I thought they had to bed 3 x a day which I scheduled in for.

Ive read that it’s best to use their food allowance to train them so they don’t become overweight so I might just do that over the day rather that attempt it at set neal times.

I don't think my puppy would have stuck with any plan . Some things like 3-4 meals can be planned but otherwise it was a matter of going with the flow including toilet breaks throughout the night.

Enforcing nap time, encouraging down time is good, also leaving on own a little. But play with them lots, they learn so much from play, bite inhibition (really important) bonding.

They need way more sleep than they think they do.

The happy puppy book is great. Also the Facebook site Dog Training Advice and Support.

The best advice I got was from the vet. Praise the good, ignore the bad, and remember they are a dog.

Don’t encourage behaviour that you don’t want when they are older. So if you don’t want the on the bed, sofa etc start from the beginning.

@firsttimewoofy

Thanks so much everyone.

Re the pp about food - I thought they had to bed 3 x a day which I scheduled in for.

Ive read that it’s best to use their food allowance to train them so they don’t become overweight so I might just do that over the day rather that attempt it at set neal times.

At 8-9 weeks old your pup needs to bond with you and form a relationship. Training is good but in reality they're learning all of the time, not just when you train them. And you need to feed your pup regardless of whether he/she cooperates with training. An 8-9 week old puppy isn't going to get overweight because you gave him 3 meals/day

We are up 6am to take puppy out. She's almost 5 months old....you have to be prepared for this.

She just naps wherever she likes during the day. Lots of interaction with family when awake, playing, grooming and cuddles etc.

Best going with the flow tbh. Only crated for sleeping overnight and also when I go out to nursery with two wee ones each morning ( 30 minutes max). She hardly spends any time in her crate - mainly lounges out on the decking 😂

You also need to think more about socialisation - it's not just going out and about.
Google the Sophia yin socialisation checklist

Pee trip in garden after playing, eating, grooming, training, etc. Takes up a lot of your day.

To be honest the only things I'd schedule would be regular small mealtimes - 3-4 - and taking out for a wee every half hour during the day and every couple of hours at night. Everything else is them being with you and napping when they want (ours napped on our laps mostly!) We used a crate for night times and when we had to pop out but that was it, just until she was toilet trained then we got rid of it.