Inspired by a recent post in a puppy group that I frequent on Facebook and by the looks on any of my puppy club members faces when they get to class – I thought it would worthwhile to mention that “The Puppy Blues” Phase of puppy ownership is completely normal and I guarantee that the majority of other small puppy owners are feeling the same way or have done over the past 6 months. I know this because it’s a constant topic online and amongst my own puppy class members who tend to bond over stories of their own puppy blues- it’s exhausting having a puppy but please remember this too shall pass- if you ever make it to a formal puppy class you will notice that it slightly resembles an AA meeting but for young puppy owners. They recall tales of hands that are beaten and bruised by puppy gnashers and bleary eyed first time owners recall how they haven’t really slept for the past three weeks whilst everyone else in the group nods and agrees it’s true in some form or another for them all.
It’s real “The Puppy Blues” they tend to set in when it dawns on you that this going to be harder and take longer than you thought but I’m here to tell you that its gets easier and we’ve all been there I promise.
Dogs transitions vary with age breed and their personality but as a rule I say stick to a 3 day protocol anything you implement please allow three days for your pup to get used to it – chopping and changing will not help you – don’t be afraid to pop your pup in a crate or play pen in your room so you are at arms length for the first few nights – I promise you are not going to ruin your dog – it’s just come from 8 weeks of mum and siblings on tap and physical comfort at all times so bare this in mind when we are in a hurry to get puppy into a routine
Being at arms length allows your puppy to feel safe if he cry’s but allows him to settle when he can- further tips and advice can found on my previous post- here
Then you can start to move the crate/pen etc every three days to the next spot (I assume here that you eventually want your puppy to sleep downstairs) so every 3 days move the crate/pen to the end of the room then just outside the door then downstairs then in the room that you want them in – be prepared to reassure puppy and go back a step if they are really getting very worked up – unfortunately with some dog s(breed and personality have a lot to say in this) letting your dog self soothe as a blanket piece of advice may mean 1/ your create a dog with separation anxiety or 2/ you ruin any crate training you are working on (crate training requires gradual exposure and all positive experiences happen in the crate with the door open and closed) this can’t happen if he starts to associate the crate with scary bedtimes
Also be prepared to go out (physically scoop up your pup if you have too to begin with) on the hour every hour until you have mastered toilet training because puppies cry not only for attention but because they often don’t want to soil their bedding
A good rule here is let them out/physically take them out after eating sleeping playing – they have tiny bodies and tiny bladders for the next 6 months
If you prepared well you would be writing off the next 6 weeks a bit like new parents don’t see the light of day for about 6-12 months new puppy owners are likely going to need about 6 weeks minimum to get that pup into some sort of routine and so much training and visiting happens during this time not to mention that your pup is likely not going to be allowed out for the first 3 weeks that have them at home due to the gaps required between their first and second and potentially third vaccinations (unless your puppies breeder was an absolute gem and got your pup vaccinated whilst they were still with them)
⭐️Side Bar – Breeders you get extra superstar status if you – as standard- keep the puppies for an extra 2 weeks with mum and do some beginners handling socialisation and rudimentary toilet training in those first 4/5 weeks with mum – I would be grabbing your hand off for details to pass onto potential new puppy clients😍
I digress…. that happens here and even when pup is eventually allowed out your going to be working on toilet training socialisation and potentially going to puppy classes (I highly recommend that you do😍) even if you’ve had lots of dogs in the past – techniques have changed and there’s about a hundred different ways to train simple things so you are most definite going to pick up tricks and tips) even if it’s how to mark and rewards quickly and efficiently, how to use the three predominant ways of getting initial behaviours and how to look out for puppy body language you may not have noticed before) and SO MUCH more, I know that I want people to learn as much I can teach them with my limited 6 hours that I spend with them because I believe it’s a “hit the ground running” scenario and your window of opportunity is definitely slim – of course you can train older dogs there’s no time limit on training, but your puppy is small and manageable and like a sponge up until about 6 months old so I highly recommend training FOR a scenario rather than when you are IN a scenario.
This means that there’s no point in panicking and hoping your puppy will recall away from another dog in the park instead you should anticipate things that might happen whilst you are out and stay vigilant knowing that you can distract and recall your pup for example BEFORE it’s too late and your puppies attention is lost and you have to scramble to go and get them back – you can manage and mitigate in a scenario but hopefully you’ve put in some solid foundations in the garden in the house or in low distractions whilst you build up and try the same training but in the real world scenarios, understanding that a puppy with lots of repetitions under his belt and a solid “What’s this” (what’s this gets attention and is followed by a high reward) encourages quick responses so you can put them back on areas or move them around or turn in a different direction until the distracting thing has moved on or you get an opportunity to greet the other dog whilst yours is under control (let’s practice polite quick greetings and move on) unfortunately I see too often owners scramble to recall or grab treats from pouches knowing full well that their dog should really be on a long line but that’s an inconvenience so I will just wing it and hope for the best – unfortunately hoping for the best and getting lucky isn’t best practice – train frequently and repeat is a better course of action – practicing at every opportunity is so much more fun for your dog anyway and you will end up with a dog that constantly keeps an eye on you instead of a wayward pup.
So really the point of the post is to persevere because everyone has to go through this phase albeit with a new puppy a teenage dog (see my post on this topic – which will ultimately end up being a secondary puppy blues phase for you) or a newly rescued dog – I will also note here that if it really doesn’t seem to be getting any better for you past the 6 – 8 week mark of puppy ownership I would highly recommend you get in contact with a professional training to help you work through potential training plateaus that might be occurring or something else that might need intervention for you or your pup- I’m not promoting that you struggle just that you allow enough time for your pup to cope before you get some intervention.
If you would like to work with me – please don’t hesitate to contact me HERE
Sara @ About Town Pets 🐶🐾
Ps If you appreciated this post you might also like my previous blog post on Tips & Training Advice For Dogs With Suspected Separation Anxiety
And Also This One- Learn About My Number One Training Tip
About Town Pets 
Published by