Hi, I checked the wiki page but couldn’t find anything quite like this (unless I missed it!). I’m hoping there’s a comprehensive weekly or daily guide for training, socializing, and introducing things to your puppy in the first few weeks or months. I’ve seen the Pupford app with daily Zak videos, which is helpful, but I don’t agree with waiting so long to start potty and crate training. There’s a lot to teach a puppy like basic commands, sounds (like the vacuum!), etc. I would love a checklist to help guide us through it all. Does anyone know of something like that? Thanks!
I’m not sure if I’m allowed to share a link, but this helped me a lot: PuppyRaiserManual. It has a good basic overview of when to do what, though it focuses more on basic obedience than tricks.
I wouldn’t worry too much about having a weekly schedule. Puppies all develop differently. I made a checklist of things to expose my pup to, but I never really followed it. We’re 4 months in now, and she’s a wonderful pup. You’ll be able to tell what your puppy is ready for and what still needs work. My advice is to focus on building trust in the first week. Once that’s in place, you’ll be ready for all the socializing stuff as it comes.
What I did was call local pet shops and dog trainers to see what their training programs were like. That gave me a good idea of what to start with. I also watched a lot of YouTube videos (not saying that’s the answer, but it’s a suggestion). I didn’t stick to a week-by-week plan. Instead, I focused on what my puppy was ready for. In the first couple of weeks, I worked on his name, crate training, leash training, and potty training. I taught one trick at a time, starting with ‘sit,’ then ‘paw,’ then ‘lay down.’ Many trainers start with that in puppy classes. Leash training can take time, but it helps to start indoors with no distractions to burn off that puppy energy.
I found an app called ‘Puppito.’ It’s mainly for younger puppies, and some of the basics I’ve already trained my way. But it gives good tips on things like distractions, swimming, and other activities. It provides daily training tasks and tells you what things can be introduced right away, and what needs more time. It also has socialization and obedience training ideas. It’s not a full guide, but a great place to start!
Check out Zak George on YouTube. He’s a great positive reinforcement trainer, and he documents everything with his puppy from 8 weeks to a year. He has tons of useful, step-by-step training videos. Zak also teamed up with the Pupford Academy to create a free ‘30 Day Perfect Pup’ guide, which was super helpful.
@PriyankaJonas
Also check out Kikopup! Some people here have mixed opinions on Zak George, but Kikopup is pretty well-loved.
I subscribed to the Dunbar Academy puppy class, which covers developmental milestones. They have some free resources, like the ‘Before/After You Bring Your Puppy Home’ books. I’ve heard Sophia Yin’s ‘Perfect Puppy’ book is great too, though I haven’t read it myself.