For starters, place your puppy in his crate in a separate room and spend a minute hiding treats in various places- under blankets, in the corner of the room, under an overturned cup, etc. Then release your dog and excitedly give him a “find it” command.
But do schedule play and exercise time into your puppy's day: a walk around the neighborhood, playing with toys, and time spent bonding go a long way toward expending energy. Several shorter sessions are better for a puppy than one long one.
Many experts agree that a minimum of 2-3 hours of active interaction and engagement is appropriate for puppies. That may not really sound like a lot given it's only 8-12% of the total hours in a day. But keep a couple of things in mind: Puppies need between 18-20 hours of sleep which accounts for majority of the day.
Puppyhood is an important stage of development for dogs, so you need to keep puppy entertained — whether you are indoors or out. Keeping your furry buddy working is also important for training and keeping damage to a minimum. A bored puppy is absolutely a puppy who's getting into trouble!
Staying in a crate helps reduce the risk of accidents and also keeps your puppy safe and secure when no one is around. Keeping your puppy in a crate is a temporary solution. Puppies that are a few months old or more might not handle being in a crate for several hours at a time.
Be sure to not let them run around the entire house for the first few weeks to avoid any unwanted behaviors. Baby gates are a great way to block off a smaller area of your home for your puppy to explore. If you have other pets, have their first interactions be in a controlled environment.
Unlike the crate where you can't leave a young puppy for long periods; the puppy will be fine in the playpen and you can go out for longer periods. Just make sure your dog is ready before you leave for a long period so the puppy does not feel left alone form the start and associate that with the playpen itself.
Your life will consist of non-stop supervising.
New puppies need a ton of supervision during the first few months, which means that first-time puppy owners must be on duty 24-7 until your puppy understands where to potty and what to chew (and not to chew).
The research found that a lack of play can cause up to 22 different behavioral issues. These undesirable behaviors include anxiety, aggression, pulling on the lead, whining, and not coming when called. Humans and dogs are two of the few species of mammals that continue to play well into adulthood.
You should never leave a puppy to cry when they are in need of the basics, or this can cause difficulties with training later. Your puppy may cry when they are left alone, perhaps if you're elsewhere in the home or asleep.
Modified 5-Minute Rule
One of the most popular answers to how long a puppy should exercise per day is 5 minutes for every month of age, twice a day. This means an two-month-old puppy should get 10 minutes of exercise twice a day. This is a good starting point, but not all dogs are the same.
All dogs are different, but an average adult dog can easily sleep 12-14 hours every day. Puppies need as much as 18-20 hours of shut eye. A dog deprived of these vital hours of downtime can struggle more with behaviour issues, like general 'naughtiness' and issues like destructive chewing.
But in all honesty, there's no 'right time' for a puppy to go to sleep, as long as it's the same every night. While this may be the case, do note that your puppy will need, on average, around 8-10 hours of sleep per night.
Signs of a Strong Bond
There's no mistaking a dog who feels a real emotional connection with you. There's a real light in their eyes; they smile, wag, rub into you, and makes great eye contact. When you come home, they brighten up, becomes animated, and may even vocalize their joy.
The instant you feel your puppy's teeth touch you, give a high-pitched yelp. Then immediately walk away from him. Ignore him for 30 to 60 seconds. If your puppy follows you or continues to bite and nip at you, leave the room for 30 to 60 seconds.
Your puppy will be fine alone if you stick to the age rules. At 2 months, they can be alone for less than one hour; at 6 months they can hold it for 5-6 hours. It's important to stick to the time limits so your dog can gain your trust.
The short answer is yes. One of the emotions dogs can feel is loneliness. As you may know, dogs are pack animals and social creatures, and for this reason, they don't like spending too much time alone.
A dog's life without enough play is a woeful sight - they can develop anxiety and depression and even display destructive and aggressive tendencies. So, let's ensure our pups have plenty of playtimes daily! It's a surefire way to make them (and yourself!) happy and healthy.
If your dog follows you everywhere then it's a sign that they trust and love you and that you make them feel safe. Following you very closely can be a sign that they're bored, they want something, they're feeling scared or are just being nosy.
To keep your puppy healthy and happy while you're away, follow this general rule: Puppies younger than 6 months: Leave them alone for 2 hours max at a time. Puppies older than 6 months: Leave them alone for 4 hours max at a time.
“Some dogs will do better with more alone time than others,” he says. That said, for a general guideline, dogs should get a minimum of two hours of dedicated social time with humans or other dogs on a daily basis, which can be broken up into chunks of time over the course of the day.
Begin by closing your puppy in the confinement area with a chew toy or other constructive activity, then quietly walk out of the room. Return immediately and reward them with praise and a treat. Repeat the process, slowly increasing how long you're away each time.
During long periods or more than two hours, a playpen may be preferred for your young puppy. Potty accidents during longer periods will be less of an issue in a puppy pen compared to a dog crate. That said, older pups and adult dogs can typically manage up to four hours in a dog crate, assuming they're crate trained.
Depending on their age, most puppies poop between four and five times per day, typically shortly after eating. There is a significant difference in bowel movements between dog breeds, and their bowel habits will change as your dog ages.