So your pup just turned a ripe 8 weeks old (all puppies should be a minimum of 7 weeks before removing them from their mothers), and they are ready to be brought home! There are so many changes that is about to happen for you both! Puppy-proofing your home, preparing puppy pens and crates, buying new toys, and of course that first collar jitters. Engraving their name on their first tag... Ahhhh, It's all so exciting, but also, all so overwhelming!

You must have so many questions, too! How to make the little thing comfortable? How to get them to love you? How to get them not to pee on the carpet?

One of the most important questions I often hear is: When can I start training my pup?

Puppies need a few days after taking them home to settle into their new lives. It can be quite overwhelming for the first 48 hours to be away from everything they’ve ever known, and into a new home and family! However, after the first couple of days, you should start training immediately. Your first training task; ~exposure~. Once 48 hours go by and they've settled in a bit, begin exposing them to the world in as many ways as you can. The first few months of a puppies lives are crucial for positive exposures, and it is better to start with a dog that is very socialized and well versed in the world and work on shaping them through training afterwards.

The more your pup is exposed to within the first few months of bringing them home, the better! This will turn your dog into a confidant, fearless pup, which is exactly what you want -trust me. The amount of pups I see on a daily basis that already seems defeated and helpless within the first few months or years of their life is heart-breaking, and most often times the reason for their bad behaviour. Like humans, a dog's bad boy/girl behaviour often stems from low self-esteem and fear. They bark because they are not confidant, and they bite because they think it is the only way they have to protect themselves. When you build your dogs confidence, you give them options. You give them the option to stay and be brave, turn if its too much for them, or walk away if something is not worth it. You teach them that not every scary sound will hurt them, or that man with a hat and beard is not coming to take them. You teach them that they are safe with you, and that is the most important thing for your little hairy loaf to learn.