Tell me about your puppy’s routine!

[VanGoSunflowers]

I have a 9 week old lab pup. He’s bloody lovely if I do say so myself. I’ve only had him a week but I’m finding the most stressful part is my own brain 🤦‍♀️

So I spend a lot of time worrying that I am not doing the right things, or enough of the right things, or the wrong things and in order to gather my thoughts and make things a little easier for myself and bring a bit more structure to both of our days, I wanted to create a ‘routine’ for him. I may be a little ashamed to say that I asked ChatGPT but it seemed to contradict itself! How much of his awake time should be structured and occupied and how much should be just letting him be a pup and explore? How do you fit all of the things you’re supposed to be doing (socialising, training, toilet training, bonding) in to the few hours he is awake? I don’t want to over stimulate him but I don’t want to just leave him to his own devices either.

i would be so grateful for any advice or a rough hour by hour routine you have in place!

Thanks in advance!

Handsome boy 😀

I didn't use a long line with any of my puppies. They all went off lead from day one. Theory is little puppies want to be with you, so don't stray far. Work on recall whilst they are little and it's already ingrained before they start to wander further away.

Then they hit adolescence and it all goes out the window. 😂

Yes my puppies are off the lead, as soon as they can run free. They stick to you like glue. You can practice your recall with them, knowing they won’t go far.

It’s a mistake to wait. I see dogs every day who are still on the lead because the owner is afraid to let them off. Poor dogs.

Thank you all!
There are some excellent, enclosed fields around here so I will take him there first and let him off lead. I guess it’s always going to be scary the first time you do it but I have two weeks still to prepare and he does know his name and comes when called. And after all, one of the reasons I got him was because I love being out walking so much and want to be able to let him off lead!

I think you will be pleasantly surprised how close he will stick to you.

Not tripping over puppies is a more likely issue as they run around your feet.

He’s my shadow in the house! He will have a wander around but if I’m on the move he wants to follow me and see what I am doing. Already very used to looking at my feet nearly all day 😂

There you go… he won’t suddenly want to let you out of his sight just because you’re at the park.

Lots great advice from the first poster onwards..all I would add, is absolutely socialising from day one,yes pack pack on the front,yup me holding the bum! Been going to the same vet 25 years,we mainly have border collies, they can be so reactive to certain sound and our youngest sites. I put some stuff on a conservatory chair on Sunday, she went out there,did an emergency stop, the fur went up,all 4 feet firmly planted and she barked furiously at the items! We crated her, first at 7 weeks, she was the runt of the litter. Tiny cat size crate,by the bed, then a bigger crate outside the bedroom door, the other dog has a bed on the bedroom floor. She was a few months old, toilet trained, went and jumped on our bed,that's hers now.shes crated when we out of she chews! She doesn't see it as punishment, I say "crate" in she goes

Yes you’re right. My apologies, I’m coming across as worrying about every little thing and maybe that’s because I am! I tend to me a bit over an overthinker and definitely think I need to relax more and try and go with the flow. Thanks again for taking the time to post advice. I appreciate it x

You aren't coming across like that at all. You are coming across as a loving Mummy who wants to do the best she can for her baby.
I was nervous letting puppy off lead for the first time, even though she's my fourth puppy. We went deep into the woods, well away from the road before I let her loose. She barely went more than 5 feet away from me.

This advice is super helpful. Not sure I mentioned but I have a week off once we get pup so I am going to focus that time on settling and first training (toilet, recall and stay).

For socialisation, would you say a sling or forward facing rucksack type carrier is best?

Forward facing! If only because you do not want a dog charging up behind you and you not seeing it and them jumping up at your young puppy. They might not even do it 'nastily' but more out of excitement.

Plus, forward facing means you can have a hand under their bum to support them, and they can slightly turn their head to glance up at you and seek reassurance if they need it 😊

Aw you’re very welcome ❤️

Hi @Twiglets1 hope you don’t mind me asking you on here (didn’t want to derail the other thread) but just saw you saying you are raising a puppy for guide dogs for the blind? Just wanted to say wow! What does that entail if you don’t mind me asking? How long do you keep them for and do you have to start training them when they’re with you?

No problem!

We got him at 8.5 weeks old and will have kept him for just over a year when he moves to “big school” at about 14/15 months of age.

We’re doing the puppy socialisation bit so we get him house trained and comfortable with meeting other dogs/people etc plus work on good recall. We take him out & about to pubs, cafes, shops, buses, trains etc.

The organisation pay for all his expenses like food & vet bills. We pay for all his many teddies & toys. He’s a little sweetheart.

I bet that‘s such a rewarding thing to do! It sounds daft but I never considered how a guide dog spends its puppy year(s)
Have you done it before?

No he is our first one, though we had a pet Labrador before who was not so well behaved!

The organisation puts on puppy classes and gives advice with lots of issues. Al the guide dogs puppies I’ve met this year have been lovely.

Only about half of them pass the second stage of training so who knows? We may get him back one day! Though obviously we hope he graduates as a proper guide dog. He certainly has the right temperament- very calm for a Lab.

What does a calm lab puppy look like? Asking for a friend 😂😂

Haha he was nuts up until about 6 months but then just seemed to become more mature whereas my previous Lab didn't show maturity until he was several years old! It must be the breeding, we didn't treat him very differently.

Ah that’s interesting! I guess they have specific breeders for guide dogs and breed based on temperament?

When I first met my puppy at 6 weeks to pick him out, he was so calm unlike the others. I remember sending a video of him to my mom and she remarked that he was too shy. I wish she could see him when he has the zoomies 😂

I took my puppy out every day in a sling, did some training and playing every day but also lots of time for rest.

I did use a crate in the early weeks, it was a safe base for him and reassurance for me if I needed to pop out.

The book Easey Peasey Puppy Squeezy is a good starting point.