Our puppy, Jolene, is about 10 weeks old. It’s remarkable to watch her grow right before my eyes. She used to fit in the palm of my hand. Now, she’s about four times larger.
She’s definitely a Fijian sausage dog, by the way; as I hoped she’d be!
She’s been with us around 6 weeks, and she is progressing in wanted behaviors, although there were moments of one step forward, two steps back (like when I tried feeding her carrot pulp to get her to like veggies, and that backfired with her developing diarrhea).
Here are 3 tips for working on puppy behaviors at this stage:
1. Stay Consistent
It’s essential to potty train your pup so it learns when and where it’s appropriate to do its business. I take Jolene out to our yard at the start of the day and right after every meal.
Because she’s very young, additionally, I take her out to the yard every couple hours or so during my waking hours.
You should pay attention to your puppy’s signs, too. When Jolene whimpers, that usually indicates that she needs to go.
Jolene now strongly associates the grass with doing her business. She’s even learned to go to our front or back door to signal us.
2. Crate Training
It’s good to get your puppy used to being in a crate, particularly at night. Being in a crate creates boundaries and contains mess if your pup has accidents.
The sooner you start crate training, the quicker your pup will take to its crate as a place of comfort.
I recommend a gridded crate so your pup can see its surroundings easily. Just put down a blanket on one side, newspaper on the other, add some toys, and you’re good to go.
When I open the door to Jolene’s crate, she’s become so comfortable in there that she sometimes stays put. But when it’s feeding time, she bolts out!
3. Encourage Play and Exploration
Puppies are naturally curious creatures, and I encourage Jolene to move around our house and yard while keeping my eye on her. She loves to play with our other dog, Guthrie. They run around the house together and engage in tug of war with a rope toy. It’s a good energy release for both of them.
Note that after a lot of running around in the house, you should take your pup out to do its business because all the excitement can lead to accidents if you don’t get ahead of them.
ATB 