Puppy Training Basics: Five Things to Focus On in Your First Weeks

The first week with a new puppy is overwhelming. You’ve prepared, you’ve read the books, you’ve bought the bed they will absolutely refuse to sleep in — and now there’s a tiny, snuffly creature in your kitchen and you have no idea what to do first.

Here’s the good news: in week one, you don’t need to teach sit, down, paw, or any of the cute party tricks. What you need to teach is something far more important — that the world is a safe, predictable, and good place to be.

These are the five things I’d focus on, in order of importance.

1. Sleep, sleep, and more sleep

Puppies need 18 to 20 hours of sleep a day. I know that sounds outrageous. It isn’t. An overtired puppy is a bitey, frantic, miserable puppy — and most of the “behaviour problems” people report in week one are actually just exhaustion. Build a calm sleep space (a covered crate or pen works beautifully) and protect those naps like they’re sacred. Because they are.

2. Toilet training, the easy way

Take them out every 45 minutes when they’re awake, plus immediately after waking, eating, drinking, or playing. Reward instantly with food the moment they finish. Don’t punish accidents — they aren’t learning a lesson, they’re just learning to hide from you. This part feels endless. It isn’t. Most puppies are reliable within four to six weeks if you’re consistent.

3. Name recognition

Start the very first day. Say their name in a soft, happy voice, and the moment they look at you, mark it (“yes!”) and feed a small treat. Repeat ten times in the morning, ten in the evening. You’re building the foundation of every recall you’ll ever do.

4. Handling and gentle touch

Each day, gently touch their paws, ears, mouth, and belly — pairing every touch with a tiny piece of food. This is the work that turns vet visits and grooming from a battle into a non-event. Future-you will be very grateful.

5. Doing nothing, together

This is the one nobody talks about, and it might be the most important. Teach your puppy that being calm near you is wonderful. Sit on the floor with a book or your phone. If they settle, drop a treat between their paws without saying a word. You’re rewarding the absence of behaviour — and you’re building a dog who can switch off in the world.

That’s it. Five things. Notice what’s not on the list: tricks, walks on a lead, meeting strangers, going to busy places. Those come later, when the foundation is set.

If you’d like a hand getting started, the New Puppy Program is built for exactly this — the first eight weeks of your puppy’s life with you, done properly.

Good luck. You’re going to do brilliantly.