What should you ACTUALLY be teaching your 8-12 week old puppy?

The first month with a new puppy is so fun. It's full of so much initial bonding and getting to know each other, companionship and cuddles, but it's also pretty hands on, because they're essentially an untrained infant but with naughty capabilities, lol. In this first month you and your puppy will tackle crate training and potty training, and those are big lessons in themselves! However, if you're wondering what else may be a good idea to focus on, here are the 5 main things we would suggest...

1. How to be content in their crate or pen

“I want the calmest puppy” – starts with teaching them to be content when you’re not giving them attention & affection (which they neeeed).

Crate training is the number 1 thing you should focus on in the first year. Calm & neutral behaviour surrounding times of separation & boundaries is so important. Plus, puppies need a lot of sleep. 

Practice during the day, practice at night. Practice when you’re home as well as when you’re gone. Don’t rush to get out of separation training. It’s always relevant. Here's a little video tutorial of how we suggest you introduce kennel training to a pup!

2. How to sit

Surprisingly, this is really the only command that matters in the beginning.

You want to teach your puppy to sit, because that’s the position of a waiting puppy. A puppy that isn’t just TAKING what it wants, but is controlled enough to not be in motion (which is a hard enough lesson for an active puppy, trust me). A puppy that’s still can focus better. And a little bit of focus is all you need to be able to learn and grow more. Here's a video tutorial of how to teach the command "sit".

3. How to wait for food

It’s surprising how many little habits actually spill over into “the big stuff”, and waiting calmly for food is one of those things. It’s a sneaky way of teaching a young puppy the important concept of impulse control, as well as how to focus on YOU. Practice at meal time, when they’re exiting their kennel in the morning, when you leave the house for walks, etc. Waiting for permission / checking in is very important to teach a puppy early on. Here's how we teach an 8-week old puppy this.

4. How to not be the centre of attention

Though much of the first few months with a puppy are realistically hands on, that doesn’t mean they need to be the centre of the universe. Teach them how to okay being in the background by having structured time on ‘place’ or in the pen when people are around. This confronts fomo (fear of missing out), as well as teaches them to be content observing activity without getting to BE the activity. Practice this throughout every day, best timed after they've gotten to run/play around.

5. Calm & continual desensitization

Nothing is “too small” when it comes to desensitization.

Car rides, walks in new places (area’s with construction are great), sports games, going to pet-friendly stores, people-watching, etc – having them gradually tackle new challenges like these (with your calm & confident “parenting” leading the experience) really helps them developmentally. Remember, desensitization is largely exposure + observation. They do not need to be pet & make “dog friends” everywhere they go to be a "socialized" dog ;)

And lastly, a note for every new puppy parent...

Be a confident decision maker for them.

Your puppy shouldn’t be making their own decisions. They’re not mature or wise enough for that.

That is YOUR role as their person. Be a calm and confident guide in the direction you want them to go. Don’t leave their exposure, socialization, training, and overall shaping--up to chance. Make good decisions that will benefit you both in the long run, even if they are inconvenient and take more of your time. It always pays off.

Happy 1st month with your new friend!!

-The RLD Team