Some tips for your new pup
Its hard not to want to give your cute puppy whatever he wants and do whatever he wants to do but it is so critical that we use this time wisely. Puppies grow up so fast and what they learn as puppies (good or bad) will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Consistency and diligence is the key. Dont let the dog get away with anything. Every time you let let your guard down you will have to start all over again. Don’t wait to teach them manners. Start right away with the basic commands, “sit”, “stay”, “come”, “down”, “out”, “leave it” and of course “potty”! Your puppy is smart enough to learn these commands as early as 8 weeks of age.
Your puppy needs to be socialized as much as possible. Once he has had his puppy shots make sure to take him with you whenever you can. Home Depot and Petsmart are great places to go. Let people touch your puppy and if there are other dogs go make an introduction. The more socialized your puppy is the more confidence he will have which makes for a happier, smarter, easier to train dog.
Make sure you are feeding your puppy a good dog food. Do your research, some breeds seem to respond better to one dog food over another. If you purchased from a reputable breeder they will probably have some good advice as to what to feed them.
Coming back to consistency, make sure you feed your puppy at the same time every day. Try to keep a routine that you follow as close as you can. This will help with many behavioral probems and will be very helpful with potty training.
Don’t forget to have fun!