Puppy journal

Guides for the first year

Calm, practical advice on training, crate training, socialisation and surviving your first few weeks with a puppy.

Training

Puppy training that actually sticks in the first eight weeks

Short, cheerful sessions beat long drills. Here is the rhythm we use for sit, name response, recall and loose-lead walking.

6 min read

Crate training

A crate should feel like a bedroom, not a cage. A five-stage plan for the first fortnight, including night-time and the dreaded 3am wake-up.

7 min read

Socialisation

Socialisation is not meeting every dog in the park. It is calm exposure at your puppy's pace, and there is a window for it.

6 min read

First puppy

What to buy, what to skip, how the first 72 hours usually go, and the routine that makes week two easier than week one.

8 min read