7 Tips For Surviving The First Week With Your New Puppy

One of the most chaotic times you’ll have with your new puppy is that first week. You’re probably asking yourself what you got yourself into right now, but trust me it will get better.

It’s overwhelming to say the least, but there are a few things to focus on first to make the transition easier. From the importance of setting down a routine to starting the basics of potty training, here’s 7 tips for surviving the first week with your puppy.

Keep Your House Calm

When you bring your puppy home try to keep things as calm as possible to give them a chance to settle in for a few days.

Now I know this might sound counter intuitive because we’ve all been told about the importance of socialization at an early age, but letting your new pup slowly adjust to their new home and family will do wonders for their confidence. It can be quite a shock to their system since they’ve been taken away from everything they’ve ever known, so make it a little easier by keeping things as chill and comfortable as possible.

If you have other pets make sure the introductions are slow and safe. Some animals will take to another pup right away with excitement, others might take some time to get used to the new “intruder.”

Supervise Them At All Times

One of the easiest ways to prevent bad behaviors is to prevent them to begin with, so supervision with your new pup is a must for the first week. They have no clue what’s expected of them and what’s off limits, so it’s up to you to teach them the basics.

If your puppy starts to chew on the rug distract them with a toy instead and lay on the praise; make that toy way more exciting than the rug so they’re more likely to go towards the toy rather than rug in the future.

Get Your New Pup Settled Into a Routine

One of the most important aspects of getting your dog settled into their new home is setting up a routine. Keep their bed time, potty breaks, and meal times consistent to make the transition into their new life easier on them.

It can be scary being in a whole new place with new people, but teaching them what’s going to happen at any given time through a routine will help them adjust.

Reward Good Behavior

One of the best tips for training a well behaved dog is to reward good behavior, and starting that first week with a new pup is the perfect time to start. Young pups might have a short attention span, but it’s never too early to start working on the basics such as rewarding good manners.

The more you praise certain behaviors, the more likely they are to repeat them in the future, so don’t forget to start laying on that praise every time they do something good.

Start With The Potty Training Basics

If you stick to supervising your puppy at all times during the first week you can make really good strides in the potty training basics. The more often you’re able to praise them for going potty outside the quicker that switch will flip in their brain to know outside = potty.

Now that may sound like an over simplification but it’s true; the positive aspects of going potty outside (all that praise you give them for peeing on the grass) will start to kick in, and they’ll begin to understand that’s where the bathroom is. So by taking them out over hour or two you can keep up the ‘every poopy is a party’ mentality they need to learn that going potty outside makes all the good things happen.

And if you’re following the “supervise your pup at all times” step you’ll be able to intervene as soon as they start sniffing around indoors, indicating they might have to go out.

Begin The Socialization Process

Now I know I said to keep your house calm during the first week, but that doesn’t mean you have to cut off all social events. Having a few people over and getting your pup used to having visitors can be a great start to their socialization.

It also teaches them that having people over isn’t a scary thing, and that they can still be safe at home even with unexpected “events.” If you’ve ever had a dog that’s scared when visitors come over or maintenance work is done you’ll know what I mean; getting them used to unexpected visits can help relieve some of that anxiety.

After that first week you can consider enrolling in a puppy socialization class, which is great for teaching your dog not only to get along with others, but also how to focus in new environments.

Start With Some Basic Obedience Training

Along with teaching your pup their routine and potty training schedule it’s a great time to teach them some basic obedience too. Teaching them how to sit is a perfect place to start; grab a treat and raise it above their head to try to encourage them to sit down and look up at it.

During that first week you can also start working on the basics of a good recall. The most important thing to keep in mind when teaching your dog to come here is to make sure you’re making yourself the provider of all good and fun things. They’ll be a lot more likely to come running to you when you call if they know they’re gonna be getting a sweet belly rub or treat.

How Did You Help Your New Pup Settle?

What are your favorite tips for getting your new puppy to settle into their new home? Did I miss any that worked for you? Let me know in the comments below.