Where to start? Completely overwhelmed

[CleverQuacks]

So my puppy is coming home at the end of July. In preparation I have been reading loads of books on new puppies, training, socialisation etc etc and I think maybe I have done to much reading. I feel completely overwhelmed with all the things I should be doing with a new puppy. Obviously toilet training will be a priority when I get pup home but after that what should I be focussing on? Which behaviours are most important initially? I have puppy classes booked for the end of august because she will be vaccinated then but I feel completely lost. I really don’t want to get this wrong and screw up the dog for life. I have read about how important the first weeks are for socialisation and it just feels overwhelming! Any hints or tips on what to start with?

I’ve had mine 3 weeks. The biggest thing for me was selecting the breeder. She had done puppy culture and had dedicated lots of time and energy. My pup arrived toilet trained at 8 weeks. Very confident and has slotted in well since.

i Read Louise glazebrook book which I found great for a first time pup owner. Helps you to understand them which has really helped me.

im only 3 weeks in and it could go horribly wrong (it might well do… my breeder was amazing but I’m a novice) but so far so good.

were trying to be consistent with commands and when he nips or jumps we say no and turn away. He doesn’t really jump up now. We did recall from day 1 and clicker training. Lead walking we used the puppy culture method and I’ve only just started taking him out the past couple of days but it has gone really well (touchwood).

again… it’s only early days for me but for me the real key was the selection of breed and breeder.

…… just wait I’ll be on here within the week asking for advice because I can’t control my pup😂.

Make sure that you can get a vet appointment for vaccinations - see if you can book one now if you haven't already.

Between vaccs, take the puppy out in the car, and sit somewhere with the boot open and let him watch the world go by ('socialisation' really means 'just getting the puppy used to different things'). If you have friends with vaccinated dogs that are okay with puppies, they can come to your garden (or he to their's if they're okay like that).

Don't be afraid of making a noise around the house. I drop pan lids onto a hard floor when the puppy is a few rooms way, gradually reducing the distance and upping the noise as the puppy gets used to it (you're looking for a very quick recovery from the startle at the noise). Party poppers are also good for this - plus you can encourage play with the streamers. This is good for getting dogs used to fireworks, thunder, backfiring cars and (if you live rurally or walk them in the countryside) gas guns and gunshots.

As soon as you can get your puppy out and about, go somewhere safe and let him off the lead (or if that feels like too big a risk, use a longline and drop it). He should recall really easily - young puppies are highly unlikely to bugger off.

Teach him to settle and sleep. Be very boring when you want him to rest - put him back in his bed with minimal interaction, as often as it takes.

And play with your puppy, build the bond, lots of fuss and cuddles. Have lots of fun.

Pippa Mattinson's book The Happy Puppy sets things out very clearly. It has tick lists for socialisation! Yes, there is a lot to do simultaneously but it's only a few minutes at a time. And he will need a phenomenal amount of sleep. We have never had the dreaded zoomies because I ensured he got regular periods of sleep.

I was the exact same as you with the obsessive reading in advance- was so nervous prior to collecting our boy!

I stuck a socialisation list on the fridge and aimed to get a few ticks for each item within the “window”. Socialising was my biggest priority. Breeder had done great work on that already.

Then toileting- again breeder had him well on the way so that was relatively straightforward.

Also taught him his name, lots of treating for being settled and four paws on the floor, and worked on recall each day.

Early weeks are intense (as you’ll know from your research!) and I definitely had periods of puppy blues (big time), but having found a fantastic breeder and having placed a big focus on socialising really paid off. We have a fabulous dog- gentle, friendly and chilled. Love him so much😍

Best of luck with it all! They are the best pets in the world.

Agree with poster above me- lots of sleep and downtime are really important. Training is literally just for a few minutes each day, or saying “good” and dropping a treat between paws when they’re lying down nice and settled.

I'd really recommend downloading the free app Pupford which has a very easy to follow training programme for puppies teaching you how to train them in all the basics.

Cuts out all the millions of sources of info...

The training programme on the Pupford app has videos too...it's really great!

It’s so much easier than everyone says, like having children I think people focus on the negatives

Just ensure you have lots of forced naps / downtime and be consistent in your approach and commands and you’ll be absolutely fine

We have never had the dreaded zoomies because I ensured he got regular periods of sleep.

Do you actually mean zoomies? Zoomies are perfectly normal, mad bursts of energy. It's not the crazy, bitey, overstimulated behavior you get if pup is over tired

Our breeder handed over loads of notes and talked us through what she had been doing, what the routine was, how to adapt it over the following months, so we just followed that. Our pup was already toilet trained and was fine settling down at night, so we had it pretty easy. Just to reiterate what everyone else is saying - don't under estimate the importance of sleep. Puppies need lots and lots of rest. We enjoyed her falling asleep in our arms but equally we made sure she had undisturbed quality sleep in her bed. We practiced leaving her for short bursts early on. I think that helped as she is a very loving dog but doesn't suffer from separation anxiety. Enjoy your new pup. You don't need to be an expert before she arrives. You can learn together.

You can also book the trainer to come and do a home visit early on if you want.

the more time you spend on toilet training in the early days the quicker it happens so it’s well worth putting in the time.

barket place on Facebook have a good set of puppy videos at the moment that talk though the important bits