New Puppy Behaviors
Care, Training, and Development Milestones for Your New Sugardoodles Puppy
Welcoming a new puppy into your home is a whirlwind of joy, excitement, and, admittedly, a little bit of chaos. This comprehensive guide will navigate you through the delightful world of puppy parenthood, combining crucial aspects of puppy care, training, and their growth schedule for the first 18 months.
The First Day & Night
As you bring your furry bundle of joy home, creating a calm environment will pave the way for a smooth transition. Limit access to the entire house, introduce your puppy to their designated potty spot, and gradually present them to family members. This initial period also includes starting to enforce house rules and scheduling a vet appointment for a full check-up, vaccinations, and fecal analysis. The first night may be challenging as some puppies may cry or need midnight potty breaks. At bedtime, create a quiet, comfortable environment using a dog crate near your bed as it can provide reassurance and foster healthy sleep patterns.
The First Month
During the first month, establish a structured routine for meals, potty breaks, playtime, and sleep. This will help your pup understand what's expected and feel secure in their new home. An essential accessory in your arsenal should be a crate, which provides a safe space and aids in managing anxiety triggers like thunderstorms and social gatherings.
Arm yourself with patience, and remember that a well-behaved adult dog is the result of early training, consistent guidance, and lots of love. Attend your first vet appointment and ensure your puppies receives it's remaining puppy shots. Additionally, here are a few reading recommendations for you if you're interested in learning more:
Lastly, new owners may benefit from understanding the following aspects of puppy ownership:
1. Socialization: Early exposure to various people, animals, places, and situations is pivotal in your puppy's development. The critical socialization period begins at three weeks and continues through twelve weeks of age. An optimal way to socialize your pup is enrolling them in a puppy socialization class, which helps in shaping their social behavior and reducing the risk of fear-based aggression.
2. Basic Potty Training: Start your puppy's potty-training protocol immediately. Remember, a young pup can only "hold it" for an hour per each month of their age, making frequent potty breaks essential.
3. Crate Training: Crate training provides your pup with a safe space in your home where they can feel at ease. It's especially useful during events that may trigger anxiety, such as social gatherings or thunderstorms.
4. Puppy Teeth: Just like people, puppies lose their baby teeth. These baby teeth can be razor sharp, but they should all fall out to make way for adult teeth within the first 6 months of the puppies life.
5. Managing the Mouthy Pup: Puppies naturally explore their environment with their mouths. While some mouthiness is normal, excessive or painful biting needs to be curbed. Avoid aggressive play, provide suitable chew toys, practice a high-pitched "ouch" if bitten, ignore your pup when they become mouthy, and teach them to "sit" for attention.
6. Welcoming Adolescence: Your puppy's adolescence stage will begin around six months and continue until about 18 months to 2.5 years, depending on the breed. This time can be challenging as your pup becomes less dependent and their adult dog interests emerge. It's crucial to continue socialization and positive reinforcement training during this period.
7. Establish a Routine: Structured schedules for meals, potty breaks, playtime, and sleep can help your pup feel secure and understand what's expected.
Understanding Your Puppy's Development Stages
From the day your cuddly Sugardoodles puppy comes home, expect significant changes and growth. Like human toddlers, puppies go through various stages of physical and emotional development.
Stage One: The "Fear Period" (Eight to Twelve Weeks)
This is the golden opportunity to positively introduce your puppy to new people, animals, and situations. This stage is crucial for fostering strong attachments and setting the tone for future behavior.
Stage Two: Pre-Adolescence (12 to 24 Weeks)
At this stage, your puppy becomes more curious and starts showing signs of independence and they will lose their puppy teeth. Personality traits emerge, and this is the ideal time to start basic training like 'come,' potty training, and enrolling in puppy socialization classes.
Stage Three: Teenaged Dog Life (Six to Twelve Months)
Here, your puppy begins to assert themselves, testing boundaries and challenging other pets and humans. Keep up with training, exercise, and play activities to cope with their elevated energy levels and ensure learning.
Stage Four: Emotional Maturity (12 to 18 Months)
Most dogs reach emotional maturity during this stage. While some puppy-like behaviors may persist, they generally begin to reflect the temperament they'll carry into adulthood.
Training and Behavioral Guidance
Remember, start your puppy's potty-training protocol immediately, and provide suitable chew toys to manage their natural inclination to explore with their mouths and most of all provide your puppy with as much love as possible. As your puppy transitions into adolescence, continue socialization and positive reinforcement training.
To ensure a happy, healthy life for your new furry friend, arm yourself with patience and consistency. Remember, every puppy is unique and grows at its own pace, but understanding their development stages will allow you to provide the right care and training, nurturing them into a well-adjusted adult dog.