You did it. You brought home your first puppy.
The tiny paws. The puppy smell. The fluffy face. For the first few hours, you probably can’t stop looking at your new best friend.
And then reality kicks in.
Now what?!
From our own experience, bringing home an 8-week-old puppy is just as fantastic as it is overwhelming. Suddenly, you are responsible for this tiny creature that pees on the floor, bites everything in sight and somehow goes from sleeping angel to complete chaos in seconds.
When we brought home our puppy, Bas, we had a lot to learn.
Bas is a very active, high-spirited dog. So, if you also have a puppy with endless energy and a big personality, this blog is especially for you.
Here are four things we learned from our own experience — including one thing we wish we had done from day one.
1. Puppy Training: Make Life Easier for Yourself
If you have never owned a dog before, we really recommend finding a good puppy trainer.
And even if you have had dogs before, remember: every puppy is different.
Puppy training isn’t only about teaching your dog to sit or stay. It’s also a great opportunity to get to know your puppy.
How does your puppy react to other dogs? How quickly do they get excited? Are they confident, nervous or easily distracted?
A good trainer can help you understand the puppy standing in front of you — rather than the dog you expected to have.
Our advice?
Make life easier for yourself. Get help early.
2. If We Could Turn Back Time, We Would Start Detection Training Immediately
We made the mistake of treating him like a small child.
But in reality?
This puppy was ready to work.
Bas didn’t just need more playtime. His brain needed a challenge.
If we could go back in time, we would start detection training much earlier.
Detection training teaches a dog to search for a particular scent. We chose Kong — yes, the red, almost indestructible dog toy — as Bas’s target scent.
For a puppy, searching with their nose is incredibly intensive. They have to concentrate, solve a problem and work independently.
And the best part?
A short detection session can give your puppy a massive mental workout.
For an active puppy like Bas, this was a game changer.
Your puppy gets to do something they naturally love, while learning a skill they can enjoy for life.
3. Sleep. Seriously, Your Puppy Needs A LOT of It
This is the whole reason we started PuppySleepMusic.com.
Puppies need sleep. A lot of sleep.
Young puppies can spend a huge part of their day sleeping. Growing, learning, playing and being ridiculously cute takes a surprising amount of energy.
But here’s something we didn’t fully understand at first.
A tired puppy doesn’t always look tired.
Sometimes, a tired puppy looks completely crazy.
Biting. Running. Jumping. Not listening. Zooming around the house as if someone pressed a secret turbo button.
Your first thought might be: My puppy has too much energy!
But your puppy might actually need the exact opposite.
Sleep.
Helping your puppy settle and creating a calm sleeping routine can make a huge difference. And from our own experience, music really can help create that calm environment.
So choose a calming puppy sleep song, lower the excitement in the room and give your puppy time to settle.
Then wait.
You might soon see those little paws start twitching as your puppy drifts off to sleep.
And yes. It’s still ridiculously cute.
4. Kids and Puppies: Keep an Eye on the Energy
Kids and puppies.
It sounds like the perfect combination, right?
And it can be.
Both are playful, curious and usually very excited to see each other. But there is something important to remember.
Children can have more energy than your puppy.
A child may want to keep playing long after your puppy has had enough.
That’s why we recommend keeping a close eye on your puppy when they are playing with children.
Look for the small signs.
Is your puppy trying to walk away? Are they becoming more bitey? Are they getting overexcited? Are they looking for somewhere quiet?
Your puppy can’t say, “Thanks, but I’m done playing now.”
So it’s our job as owners to notice when they’ve had enough.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is end the game and let your puppy sleep.
Enjoy the Chaos — They Grow Up Fast
We worried. We learned. We changed our approach.
And slowly, we started to understand the energetic little puppy living in our house.
If you have just brought home your first puppy, we hope our experience helps you a little.
Find a good puppy trainer. Challenge your puppy’s brain. Watch their energy around children.
And please…
Let your puppy sleep.
A lot.
Because those tiny paws, fluffy ears and crazy puppy moments won’t stay tiny forever.
And if your puppy needs a little help settling down, choose one of our puppy sleep songs and see if those paws start twitching.
Sweet dreams, puppy.
