You Got a Puppy. Now What?

Tis the season for new puppies! We're so happy to have a few new faces in the Pups & Peaks family! While cute and adorable, puppies are a ton of work, so here are some tips on setting up your puppy for success in the future and to ensure they become a wonderful adult.

Find a force-free trainer and get your puppy signed up for puppy classes immediately.

I highly recommend looking for a trainer before even getting your new puppy. These classes give your puppy crucial socialization and exposure to different people while creating a confident dog. If you are in the Colorado Springs area, I recommend All Breed Rescue & Training and House of Dog.

Don't let your puppy have free run of the house.

It's impossible to have your eyes on your puppy at all times, so I recommend setting up a pen area for them or have them tethered to you (or nearby) with a leash. Doing so will ensure your puppy doesn't have the opportunity to practice unwanted behaviors like chewing or pottying in the house.

Speaking of pottying, start potty training as soon as you bring your puppy home.

Start by bringing your puppy out on a leash to their designated potty spot for 10 minutes (no play - just walking around). If they go, give lots of praise, pets, and treats (if they are old enough to have treats). They can then be off-leash for outside playtime. If they do not go in the 10-minute window, bring them back inside and try again in another 10 minutes.

Start positive reinforcement training.

See your puppy doing something that you love? Treat them for it! These don't necessarily need to be special treats; it can be kibble from their meals. You can also start building a secondary reinforcer so they are ready to go for more advanced training.

Start enriching your puppy with fun, engaging games and toys.

"Find It" is a favorite game of mine that is sure to tire out your pup. Take kibble from your pup's meal and toss it for them to find. Start super easy and increase the difficulty as they get better at it. You can also begin using enrichment toys to feed them their meals. You can find a few of my faves here.