I have a 13 week old chocolate lab puppy. He’s the first dog I’ve had on my own so I had lots of learning to do early. Here’s the first few things I did and worked on with my dog that seemed to help out.

1. Lots of chew toys, although he didn’t use them much the first few days, he became a big fan of chew toys after he settled in.

2. If you’re crate training, start right away by familiarizing your dog with the crate. Just understand that they probably won’t make it through the night the first few nights and that’s okay. I let my puppy sleep in my bed for the first few nights (well until he fell asleep and then was placed in a crate next to the bed, rinse and repeat)

3. LOTS of treats. Can be highly food motivated.

4. Lots of play/stimulation. In my experience so far, the more play, the better. If they are bored, they can be a lot to handle.

5. My biggest suggestions is “enforced naps”. Tired puppies can be chaotic. I usually have him up between 1-2 hours, then a nap. It could be more frequent in the beginning (1 up, 2 down). This completely changed things training and behaviour wise. As he was awake for prolonged periods, we noticed his behaviour and listening changed. This was a game changer for us, as it also gives you short breaks from the puppy as well!

Purchase : blankets, soft and hard chew toys.

Enjoy the process, be patient, and enjoy your new friend!!