My brother has been looking for a puppy for a long time. He asked me for my help which of course I was glad to give. We did a lot of research and eventually decided on a Golden Retriever. I had some good breeder contacts for Goldens and we looked at multiple litters. On Saturday we found the perfect puppy. Or should I say she found us.

The breeder knew what we were looking for and thought she had the perfect candidate. We did find the perfect puppy but it wasnt the one she had in mind. It was unbelievable how this puppy seemed to connect with us right away. Her eyes wouldnt leave ours as if she was trying to will us with everthing she had to take her home. If my brother didnt take her I dont think I could have resisted.

My brother has 8 kids and this is their first dog. As you can imagine, his wife wasnt sure she was ready to add the extra work of a puppy. They just got a bigger property and have animal lovers that just needed a dog. Puppies can definitely be a lot of work and I wanted to make sure they were prepared for what they should expect. I think they were prepared as you can be and my sister in law still gave the green light. Her kids are lucky to have a mom that loves them so much to take on the extra work. I know she will not regret it. The puppy really is perfect.

It has been so fun for me helping pick out the right puppy, giving puppy and dog training tips, helping them have all the tools necessary to make this a positive experience for the puppy and my brothers family. Of course we have already covered potty training and crate training. I am meeting with all the family tonight to go over basic obedience and how to stay consistent with commands, praise and discipline. I really am enjoying this and am as excited to see that puppy tonight as I am my nieces and nephews.

This is a topic that I get so many questions on so I thought I could give a few more tips here. Of course I go in much more detail in my book and videos here.

The best thing to remember is that your puppy can “hold it” for about 1 hour for every month of age. So your new puppy (usually 8 weeks) should be able to go about 2 hours before needing a potty break. This is good information to know so you can plan accordingly.

You want to set your new puppy up for success. With the right planning and some diligence on your part you can have the puppy potty trained without it ever having an accident in your home. Of course there may be accidents that you just cant catch. Make sure to clean the area with white vinegar solution or a good pet stain cleaner. If there is a scent left over the puppy will want to use the spot again.

I know pee or poop on your beautiful carpet can be very frustrating but please remember that the puppy will always learn and respond so much better to praise than discipline. If you didnt catch the puppy in the act than there is nothing you can do…the little stinker wont know what he did wrong and any discipline will just confuse the heck out of him. If you do catch him in the act give him a frm “no” or “ah! ah!” or whatever correction you like to use..and scoop him up, take him outside to finish releaving himself. If he does finish outside praise like crazy!

Dont give up, stay consistent and this phase will be over soon. You are well on your way to a wonderfully trained dog. If only kids were this easy!

What is there not to love about a puppy. They are so stinking cute. I have had to show extreme will power not to walk away with many of the puppies I have gone to see. Its especially tempting when the puppies have been well cared for and socialized. The personalities are more developed and I know they are going to make great dogs. Training is so much easier with a puppy that has been handled and socialized well from birth.

I am always asked how young to start training my puppy. The answer is there are things that can be done from birth that will help in your dogs obedience. Handling the puppies when they are very young to get them used to human touch. Introducing verbal commands and praise at just weeks old. These are some of the reasons why it is so important to get a puppy from a reputable breeder.

You wont be able to start working with your new puppy until about 8 wks (avg age puppies are safe to leave momma). This is all critical time to start teaching a puppy what is expected to live in a human world. I love going and seeing a litter of puppies where it is obvious how much time and love has been given to those puppies. Dont be offended if they ask you a bunch of questions regarding your past with dogs and current living conditions. They ask because they do love these puppies so much and want to make sure they are going to good home.