Bonding

When a puppy goes home at 8 weeks old, they require 16 hours of sleep.  If the puppy is a little older when you take them home, they still require a lot of sleep but not as much as an 8-week-old puppy.  This is a critical part of their development.  A well-rested puppy eats, drinks, and goes potty.  A puppy that does not get enough rest won’t eat, which leads to all kinds of negative things and possibly illness.  Following our puppy guide that we provide helps the puppy to be able to make a smooth transition into your home.  The puppy will start to bond with you while you are doing your daily routine.  When you are talking with the puppy, playing with the puppy, and holding the puppy, you are bonding with the puppy.  While you are bonding with your puppy, you need to continue to work with them on the rules of your home.  We know the puppies are all cute and it’s hard to discipline those sweet faces, but it is an important part of their development.  The puppy will bond with you better if they know what the expectations of the house are.  Our puppies are all taught manners from a young age, so they understand right from wrong.  You need to continue with this, so the puppy continues to learn, which also helps in building confidence.  All these things will help the puppy to bond with you.  Don’t force the puppy to bond with you, let it happen naturally.  There must be a balance between discipline and love for the puppy.  The puppy must know they are loved and at the same time they must know what you expect of them.  A stern no and redirection work well for our puppies.  For example, the puppy is chewing something they are not supposed to chew, a stern no and offering them a toy or bone in exchange will do the trick.  No need to involve a trainer for simple rules of the house, you can do this.  The main thing to consider with a puppy is patience.  They do not learn things the first time out, they need consistency, patience, and love to thrive.  Don’t get frustrated, if needed put the puppy in their pen and take a break for a bit and try again later.  If you are frustrated the puppy will sense that and will not react well, in a lot of cases it is traumatizing because the puppy is doing its best to aim to please but it’s still a puppy who is learning.  Again, the main thing is patience.