9 weeks ago today this little lady was born. One week ago we welcomed her mini goldendoodle self into our home. Andy and I did months of research on puppies. We wanted to make sure we knew as much as possible before adding our little addition.

We researched different breeds, breeders and also considered adoption. We were determined to train her well! By no means are we dog expert and have no education as a dog trainer, but I thought it would be helpful to share what has worked well for us this last week in hopes to help others! Here are a few tips that made Arna’s first week home a successful one.

When Arna entered our room, her crate was setup with the door open. Inside we had a crate pad and the blanket we had the breeder use to have Arnas mama snuggle with. She sat on that the car ride home and immediately felt safe when it was inside the crate. She is really learning to love her crate! We read that the closeness helps the puppy to adjust during their scary first days/weeks in their new home, so we decided to locate the crate in our bedroom. We have even covered the crate with a blanket to make it more closed off. We were persistent about anytime she took a nap, we would guide her into the crate to remind her this was her cave and it was a good space.

A puppy’s crate is supposed to be his safe place and her natural instincts should prevent them from having accidents in it. I totally understand that this is not the case for every pup! When we brought Arna home she weighed about 7lbs. The crate our friends, Emmy and Jesse generously gave to us, was big enough that she had enough room to turn around, but not enough room to play. Too much extra space in the crate may cause puppies to go potty on one side and sleep on the other. We always make sure her heart beat puppy 🐶 is in there with her every night. The crate should only be big enough for relaxing – not relaxing AND potty. Arna to this date has had ZERO accidents in her crate. Because what puppy or human wants to go potty in their bed. Nobody 🤣

TIP TWO: STICK TO A SCHEDULE. DAY + NIGHT

Arna came home on Saturday night and Andy and I both were able to stay home the following two days. After that, Andy had the full week to bond, train, walk, and snuggle…. a lot. Starting on the first night, she wake up every two hours to take her outside. Not because she wanted out but her little bladder was going to explode. When the business was done. We tried to not make that potty time a big deal but remind her she was such a good girl for letting us know. Returning her back to her crate with no problems. We chose this method because we wanted her to understand that night time is for sleeping and going potty – not playing. To this date she has slept almost 6 hours through the night and she’s up for good around 5-6AM

Patience is not my strongest venture. Andy on the other hand, has the patience of a saint. Bringing home a puppy is without a doubt hard, sometimes stressful exhausting and fun all at once. But she has made it so easy!!! I try to remember, Arna was taken from her mama and seven other siblings and then just placed in whole new world. We tried our hardest to make the transition easy and comfortable for her. It is going to take some time for her to learn, but she will learn. Everyday we are so proud of how much growth she’s done in just one week with us. She is so intelligent and smart. The simplest things like plopping her little butt down when we bring her food over, or she’s praised by coming on the couch or bed for a short time. She already knows basic commands like, “sit, down, shake, up, no thank you, potty, in your crate” If there’s a small piece of advice I can give to new fur owners is that Don’t lose hope! The calmer you are, the calmer the pup will be too. We give the breeder some credit of her behavior too. She has been such a blessing and a very quick learner. Yes she’s a puppy, and has her puppy moments but other than her puppy biting – she is truly perfect.