Puppy schedules – what are they and should you have one for your new puppy?

Niki
June 14, 2023
puppy schedule

Bringing a new puppy into your home is a delightful experience – they’re little bundles of joy. To make sure they stay that way, it’s important to get started on building a connection with your puppy from day one. One easy way to get started on your journey with your new puppy, is to use a puppy schedule.

Following a clear schedule will help your puppy adjust to their new home and will help you to reward positive behaviors from the very start. In this article, we’ll share our best tips for your first week with your new puppy, and what to include in their daily schedule.

Download our FREE puppy example schedule (click here)!

Why is it important to start building a connection with your puppy from day one?

Coming to live with you is a big change for a puppy. He’ll be leaving his mother and moving to a place he’s never been before, with new smells, sights, and sounds. He doesn’t know you yet, so he might be a bit timid at first.

Having a good training schedule for your puppy will help him settle in and feel comfortable in his new life. It will help him form a bond with you – a connection that will set the tone for your journey together. When your puppy feels like they have a strong connection with you, they look to you for guidance. You will be the focus of your puppy’s attention, making training and everyday life much easier.

For a puppy, structure and routine provide them with a sense of safety and confidence. You might feel like getting started on obedience training right away is the way to go, but we encourage you to focus on building a relationship with your puppy instead – your puppy’s schedule should be filled with fun, play, and adventures.

Getting started on building a connection from the get-go will ensure that you don’t end up with unwanted behaviors further down the line. By instilling positive behaviors early on, you’ll prevent common behavioral problems in the future.

Tips for planning your puppy schedule

Before we get started with our suggestions for what to include in your puppy’s schedule, we want to share some important tips for having a successful first week with your new best friend.

Download our FREE Puppy Starter Kit for more information on raising your puppy with the OneMind Dogs method.

Learn to see things from your puppy’s perspective

At OneMind Dogs, we put an emphasis on seeing the world through your puppy’s eyes. Using this dog-first approach, you’ll create a genuine, deep connection with your puppy. Our training techniques put importance on building an understanding with your dog rather than asserting dominance or control. By getting in your puppy’s “shoes” and talking in a language they understand, you’ll tap into their natural instincts and training (and bonding) will come naturally.

Build training into their everyday routines (even if you’re busy!)

You don’t need to go to obedience lessons or spend hours researching behavior training online Training should be something that’s happening all the time, as a part of your puppy’s normal schedule. We know you’re busy — These days, most of us have a long list of responsibilities that are very time-consuming. By building training into your puppy’s everyday routine, it doesn’t take any extra time and it will become like second nature for both you and them.

You can achieve a magical connection with your puppy in a few 5 to 10-minute sessions every day! There are many daily moments you can transform into learning opportunities. Your puppy is always learning anyway, so why not make sure they are learning the correct things? When you feed your puppy, take them for a walk or have a play session in the yard, encourage and reward behaviors that you like and you’ll be on the right track.

With well-timed rewards and positive reinforcement, training won’t feel exhausting for you or your puppy – in fact, you’ll both thoroughly enjoy the journey towards the bond you’ve always wanted.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help — let us design a puppy schedule for you

As a new puppy owner, you probably won’t be sure about everything you’re supposed to do. You might not even know what a puppy schedule should look like. That’s okay! It helps to have training experts on call to teach you how to speak your puppy’s language. It’s better than spending hours sifting through search engine results and social media videos anyway!

At OneMind Dogs, we’re here to provide you with all the information you need through educational puppy training videos and articles. We’re passionate about creating a bond of understanding between you and your dog, which will make your life together happy for both of you. Check out some of our free puppy training webinars on YouTube to learn more about raising your puppy with the OneMind Dogs method.

Routines to add into your puppy’s daily schedule

So let’s get started with planning your new puppy’s daily schedule! By adding these routines into your puppy’s day, they’ll become second nature to you and your dog. Our techniques tie in with your puppy’s natural instincts, so training will be easier for you both.

Potty training

Oops! Your puppy is bound to have the occasional accident inside. Don’t punish them for it, because they don’t know any better (and they’ll just learn to hide their accidents). You heard us — dont even rub their noses in it (that won’t achieve anything). When your puppy has an accident, it just means that you haven’t taught them to go potty outside yet. You can do this through patience and positive reinforcement.

Puppies need to go potty far more frequently than an adult dog does. Set a timer to take your puppy outside to go to the toilet every 1 hour, or 2 hours at most. Build your puppy’s daily schedule around the need for them to go out to potty regularly. Every time he successfully goes potty outside, praise your puppy and reward him with treats immediately. Puppies understand “you are good now”, not “you were good a minute ago”.

Pretty soon, your puppy will associate your backyard with where he’s supposed to use the bathroom. Eventually, he’ll even ask to go out when he needs to go potty.

Add play to your puppy schedule

Puppies have a whole lot of energy (when they’re not sleeping). The best way to let out your new puppy’s built-up energy is to spend quality time playing with them. Playing with your puppy will build a whole new level of connection and love. And we don’t mean endless fetch with a ball. Playing should involve some interaction with you, in the form of fun games, some tug, wrestling and more. Use your imagination! Here are some fun things you could try with your dog.

Playtime can be a great opportunity for training your puppy, too. Every time your puppy does something that’s a positive behavior, you can praise him enthusiastically and reward him with something he likes. Your puppy wants to please you, so he’ll continue repeating that behavior.

As your puppy begins to associate you with having fun and being happy, he’ll naturally want to be with you. That makes training easier, especially for things like training him to come when called.

Reward focus on you

With so much energy and such a curious mind, it might be a little difficult to keep your puppy’s attention focused on you when you’re trying to teach him. Especially with other people and dogs around. That’s where it pays to give your puppy rewards every time he puts focus on you.

When you’re outside, reward your puppy every time he follows or approaches you without you prompting him to. If you don’t have a fenced yard to practice this in, use a long leash.

With continual practice, your dog will learn that paying attention to you is the best thing to do. This will help all of your future training, as well as build a special bond between the two of you. This training is the perfect way to use your dog’s daily meal as rewards, just put it in a container and hand-feed throughout the day!

Plan your puppy’s daily meals into their schedule as rewards

Speaking of which, at least a few days of the week, we recommend not using a food bowl for your puppy. Instead, feed him his meals from your hands throughout the day whenever he does something good. Your puppy came when you called him? Give him some food! Your puppy pottied outside? Give him some food — You get the gist.

You can carry the dog food around with you in a container so that you have it ready to feed him as a reward. For an extra special reward when he does something awesome, let him eat the rest of the container of food. Plan some of these moments into your puppy schedule so that you don’t have to think about them during the day.

Puppy pen for resting

Puppies need a lot of sleep! When your puppy gets tired from all the learning, adventures, and fun, put him in a puppy pen so that he can sleep. Be sure to have a nice, comfortable bed inside the pen for him to lie on.

When your puppy learns to associate his puppy pen with having a peaceful rest, he’ll become comfortable with spending time in there. Your puppy will also learn how to settle an enjoy time by themselves, reducing the likelihood of separation anxiety later on.

A puppy pen is also a great place to put your puppy when he gets over aroused (starts biting or nipping or just being a bit crazy). However, the pen shouldn’t be a punishment for your puppy. Only put your puppy in there for short periods to start with and make sure they have something to occupy them while they are by themselves, such as an enrichment toy or a safe puppy chew or food puzzle. Rest should be an important part of your puppy’s schedule.

Online puppy training – convenient and effective

Our OneMind Dogs Online Puppy Training program makes it so easy to train your puppy from the comfort of your own home, whenever is convenient for you.

With puppy training in your pocket, you’ll have access to chat with our experienced professional trainers whenever you’re unsure about something. As an added bonus, our app delivers training in an easy-to-follow schedule, with professional video lessons, troubleshooting cards and more.

Even if you’re taking in-person puppy classes, our online puppy course is designed to be a great supplement in combination with them, and you’ll end up with an especially well-trained puppy!

Give your puppy the best possible start

A new puppy needs a consistent and fuss-free schedule in order to get adjusted to their new home and to build a strong and lasting connection with you.

Sooner than you think, your puppy will love you more than anyone else in the world – and that feels great! It all starts with having a routine that includes training throughout your puppy’s day.

Fill out the form below to download our FREE puppy starter kit and get started with online puppy training by OneMind Dogs. We can’t wait to help you achieve a magical connection with your puppy!

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