First Nights Home

So you've been waiting months for this new little bundle of energy to come into your life. Then you bring them home and they poop, pee, and cry!!!! What can I do!?

The first step in successfully bringing a new puppy home is to do your homework BEFORE you pick up your puppy. Read up on training, crate training, puppy care, prepare your home for this new little arrival. It's just like having a human baby! Find out what kind of food your breeder feeds and have it purchased (along with supplies) before the puppy comes home. Ensure you have puppy proofed your home, have a schedule, and a plan. Who will be the primary trainer/care giver (needs to be an adult in the household)? If you work outside the home, who will let the puppy out to potty mid-day? What will your schedule be for crate training? What are the first few commands you should work on before puppy classes start? What type of training treats should you use? Read, plan, and prepare!

On the day you pick up your puppy, it's helpful to take a soft toy to the breeder's to rub on the siblings and/or mother for a comforting scent. There are warm puppy cuddle pals that you can warm in the microwave to give puppy a warm companion to sleep with. It may also be helpful to place something in their crate that you've worn, to comfort them with your scent after a day of bonding.

After dinner, potty time, play time, and last minute potty time again, it's bed time. Puppies sleep in a crate, not your bed. Their needs for food, and potty have been met and they are worn down and sleepy at bed time. Place them in the crate and ignore their cries to be let out and held. After 10-15min if they are still crying, firmly tell them no and ignore them. They will soon quiet down and realize crying doesn't get them out of their crate. Most puppies can hold it in the night for 6-8hrs. Taking a puppy out of the crate upon crying at bedtime teaches them all they have to do is cry, and they trained you to come get them. So as hard as it is, don't let them train you! It may be helpful to place their crate by your bed, so they know where you are.

The first few nights and weeks can be difficult with potty accidents, crying, puppy nipping, and chewing. But hang in there! It gets better! And try to enjoy those sweet snuggly puppies because just like children they grow up all too fast!