BY: PAWS AND LEARN TRAINING CENTER
We brought home an 8-week-old yesterday, and I have been flooded with people asking what I’m doing differently. So let me break down the three things I do in those first 24 hours that change everything.
1. I have a safe space ready BEFORE the puppy comes home:
A gated room. A playpen setup. A hallway with barriers. Whatever it is, it’s puppy-proofed, it has everything they need, and it’s theirs.
We spend a lot of time in there bonding those first hours. But here’s the key—it also saves my sanity. I’m not stressed about every move the puppy makes because I know they’re safe. They can’t get into anything dangerous. They can explore without me hovering.
Yes, they get out. Yes, they get held. Yes, they come on the couch with us. But that space? That’s their home base. That’s where they spend most of their time.
2. We start a potty and sleep log immediately:
The first place this puppy went when he arrived? Outside to potty.
I log every potty trip—when we went, whether they went, what happened (pee, poop, or nothing). I log accidents. I log naps.
Because puppies already have a schedule—we just don’t know it yet. This helps me figure it out fast so we can get ahead of accidents instead of constantly cleaning them up.
3. The puppy learns to be alone—starting day one:
I know the temptation is to hold that puppy constantly. And yes, we hold them. We bond. We snuggle.
But we also put them down. We leave the room. We start teaching them that being by themselves is safe.
Someone’s usually nearby for the first 12 hours. But we’re not in their space the whole time. We’re in and out. They learn that we come back. That they’re okay without us right there.
Because if you wait? It gets so much harder.
I get it—you want to soak up every second. And if that makes you happy, do that. But if you want to set yourself up for long-term success? This is how I do it.
More to come on each of these—but if you’re bringing a puppy home soon, start here!