What is your routine or schedule when having a puppy? Obviously you can't be on the go all day. I feel like I am micromanaging. I just want to get some ideas, suggestions and feedback. What has helped you and reduced the stress while ensuring your puppy is learning, training, playing and being fulfilled?
If you feel like you're micromanaging, you are probably doing great - since most people don't supervise closely enough. The thing to remember is that the more you supervise and micromanage for the early 4-6 weeks, the quicker you will be able to get back to something that resembles normal life and supervise less - because the puppy won't attempt to do stuff you don't want them to - because your use of 'prevention' would have been so excellent beforehand! In the early weeks, the only time I have to myself is when the pup is asleep in the crate. Literally. Fortunately pups do sleep periodically throughout the day, but it's still knackering...
You are right. He is now 12 weeks and he is getting into things less. We have been doing absolutedogs games: Airplane feeding Boundary games Ninja Feeding Rewarding for calm behaviors It has been a challenge. But so rewarding.
When Waverly was that age everything was supervised (even her breathing but that's just because I am a paranoid dog mom). My biggest lifesaver was forced naps I learned that really fast. Every hour she was awake she was asleep for 2 until bedtime. And luckily for me she only woke up in the middle of the night until she was 16 weeks old. She's 10 months old now and regulates herself pretty well with balancing play, training, and naps. If she wasn't asleep she was either tethered to me or in her pen or crate. I only trained 1-2 minutes at a time 6ish times per day. People are shocked that she isn't a "crazy lab" (which she 100% can be if she feels like it lol) and has structure. When you start early it pays off.
