Week one with a puppy is the steepest learning curve in pet parenting. Expect interrupted sleep, expect mistakes — yours and theirs — and expect to fall in love anyway.
House training starts on day one
Take your puppy outside every hour they're awake, immediately after meals, and the second they wake from a nap. Praise heavily when they go in the right spot. Don't scold accidents; just clean and reset.
Crate naps save your sanity
A puppy who never naps gets cranky, mouthy, and over-stimulated. A crate or a quiet pen with a soft bed teaches them how to settle. Three to four crate naps a day is normal.
By the end of the week, you'll start to see a rhythm. Pay attention to it — that rhythm is your puppy's real schedule emerging.
