New Puppy Schedule: 5 BEST Rules For The Right Daily Routine
Puppy Training Schedule
Introduction
New puppy schedule? We got you covered!
Create a Daily Schedule For Young Puppy
Every day, whether it’s doing our hair or going to the gym, we have recurring activities that fill our days. When these routines are disrupted (like not getting your coffee before work, yikes!) it can seriously throw us off our game. These routines help us get through our day easily. Puppies enjoy having a schedule, and they can easily adjust to our way of life. You need to make one for them, and here’s how!
In the first few weeks of your new puppy’s life, a lot happens, including introductions to the family, vaccinations, beginning puppy training, etc. Setting up a daily puppy schedule is one thing you might have forgotten to do without even realizing it.
Do you feed your puppy at regular intervals? Do you set aside time for them to play or go for walks every day? There is still work to be done to create a pup’s schedule if the answer to at least one of those questions is “no.” Establishing a routine doesn’t mean planning every minute of your dog’s day for the rest of their life, but it does mean making sure that some of the crucial things, like feeding and potty breaks, happen regularly.
Vaccinations, play, socialization, physical exercise,, house training, crate training, and more. Your mind is spinning with everything your furry addition needs to do to reach his full potential.
You are capable of doing it. But establishing a puppy routine is also a crucial component of raising a puppy who is well-rounded.
Establishing a daily schedule for your puppy is crucial. Make it work with your own schedule. Routine is beneficial to puppies.
They gain a better understanding of expectations as well as a sense of security and assurance. And once there is a schedule, he will get used to his new life.
Keep in mind that before entering your new world, he was either with his littermates and mother, or in a shelter or foster home.
Therefore, having a daily schedule will help him feel more secure than if everything in his new environment is chaotic, which in his eyes is frightening.
Additionally, it might make him less likely to experience separation anxiety.
A schedule will also make things less stressful for your family.
Additionally, it will involve your family in the development of the puppy. Along with being fascinating to watch, this is something to be proud of.
Having a list of who is doing what for the puppy will also relieve the pressure off of any one person being solely responsible.
Bonus: Everyone who takes care of your puppy will develop stronger bonds with him.
Therefore, scheduling is a win for both adult dogs, you and your puppy!
My husband and I both have established responsibilities for who performs what duties when I get a new puppy. Of course, we change them as needed to accommodate our schedules.
Why Do Puppies Need Schedules?
Let’s start by talking about why your puppy needs a schedule.
A young puppy is attempting to comprehend and fit in with their new environment and family when they move into their new home for the first time. A daily schedule immediately gives your dog’s life more structure! This is crucial for developing good eating habits, establishing good behavior in general, potty training, and strengthening the bond between you and your child. The quickest way to get your puppy on the right track is to do it.
A daily puppy schedule makes your puppy’s world more predictable, which naturally makes them feel more at ease because they know what’s coming up next. When their schedule is repeatedly disrupted, it can result in unpredictable accidents at the toilet, bad eating habits, and even the development of more undesirable behaviors like increased barking or nipping and separation anxiety.
A puppy schedule gives young puppies the repetition that they need to learn because they have short-term memories that make learning difficult for them. The first step is to choose a schedule that works for the whole family and introduce it to your puppy right away.
And we created a sample puppy schedule to aid you! You can use it as a guide to determine when to schedule activities for your puppy that are appropriate for your lifestyle. Having a schedule you can pass along to a puppy sitter or helping family member will be really helpful for new puppy owners who work all day and keep your puppy on track!
Note: Be sure to adjust this schedule as your dog grows, taking into account your puppy’s age and how long they can hold it before going potty.
Rules Before Your Puppy Arrives
Even before the arrival of your furry bundle of joy, it’s crucial to establish some rules.
On many issues, the entire family should be in agreement.
These include the location of the puppy’s crate, his preferred sleeping area (including for naps), whether he is allowed on furniture, and which rooms he is allowed in. You see what I mean.
Your life and the puppy’s will be less stressful if you have a plan in place.
And you’ll undoubtedly succeed in raising the puppy of your dreams!
Sample Puppy Schedule
Sample Schedule
Morning Puppy Schedule
6 AM
- Wake Up
- Potty Break
- Activity: Walk
- Breakfast & Water
- Nap Time
9 AM
- Potty Break
- Activity: Playtime
- Water
- Nap Time
Afternoon Puppy Schedule
12 PM
- Potty break
- Activity: Training
- Lunch & Water
- Nap Time
3 PM
- Potty break
- Activity: Playtime
- Water
- Nap Time
Evening Puppy Schedule
6 PM
- Potty break
- Activity: Walk
- Dinner & Water
- Naptime
9 PM
- Potty
- Activity: Training
- Water
- Last potty break of the night
- Bedtime
Don’t worry if you can’t follow it exactly every day or if some days will differ slightly. You’re doing great as long as you try to adhere to the schedule as much as possible. Use the fact that puppies pick up on routines and learn new ones quickly to your advantage.
Puppy’s Daily Schedule: Breakdown
Potty Training
Housetraining Schedule
How to housetrain the new addition is usually among the first things on puppy parents’ to-do lists.
Everyone who interacts with your puppy must be consistent.
Additionally, everyone needs to know how to potty train a puppy.
A puppy obviously needs to go potty after sleeping, eating, chewing, and playing.
Puppies are capable of “holding it” for an hour longer than their age in months.
For instance, a puppy that is three months old typically has the ability to hold it for four hours while sleeping.
However, any excitement can make him feel the urge to go potty.
As a result, you can actually create a schedule for this.
The schedule should specify who is in charge of cleaning up any spills and who is in charge of maintaining his toilet area.
You should have a feeding schedule with times indicated, a play schedule, and a sleep schedule, as I discuss below.
Maintaining a schedule will make housetraining easier.
I am aware that life occasionally prevents strict adherence to the schedule. Just make every effort possible to help your dog become successfully housebroken.
Potty Break
Start by taking your puppy for a potty break before you do anything! Your puppy will initially need to go potty more frequently, will need to be repeatedly shown where to go to form the habit, and will need to be taught how to “hold it” for longer periods of time as they get older. (The crate can be very useful in this situation!) Keep in mind that because they are sleeping, puppies can usually go longer without needing to go potty.
Potty Breaks
In order to estimate how many hours your puppy can hold there, divide their age in months in half. (For instance, a 3-month-old puppy should be taken outside every 1.5 hours to use the restroom.) This is a great place to start when creating your daily pup’s schedule, and you can change it as your puppy gets older and is consistently able to hold it for longer periods of time. Adjust according to puppy’s age. Visit our blog, “Puppyhood Made Easy for New Owners: Create a Puppy Potty Schedule,” for a more thorough potty training schedule you can personalize for your own puppy.
Bathroom Breaks
To help with this process if you work during the day, think about hiring a dog sitter or having a family member available who can take your dog out for potty breaks!
Activity Time
It’s time for a structured activity after your dog has used the restroom! This could be anything from a walk to a workout to an engaging game session!
Playtime
Activity (Training Or Play)
Playtime puppies require time to play, interact with you, and expend some of their excess puppy energy.
By playing with chew toys with your puppy, you can also teach them appropriate play behaviors like not biting hands and feet. For some playtime advice and activities, click here. You can make sure that you and your children are spending quality time together by scheduling some playtime throughout the day!
Puppy Playtime Schedule
It might seem silly to have to plan your puppy’s playtime. However, this can be overlooked in the daily flurry of activity.
So remember to include playtime when creating your puppy’s schedule.
Your puppy learns a lot of skills through play.
It can teach him how to drop a toy to the ground or give it to your hand. It teaches him how to collaborate with others.
Of course, it stimulates both his mind and body, providing both mental and physical stimulation to your puppy’s day with each play session.
You can even incorporate puzzle toys into your regular fetch and tug routine.
Playtime puppies are happy puppies!
He will feel more worn out the more physical and mental stimulation he receives. The adage “a tired dog is a good dog” is still valid today.
Additionally, a schedule will ensure that your dog is not overexercised. Too much physical activity can harm his development or even cause injuries.
And too much mental effort might make him dislike taking part in such activities.
Your veterinarian can offer you advice on how much exercise is ideal for your puppy’s breed and age.
Walk Time
Walk your dog for 15 to 20 minutes around the neighborhood to help them learn how to heel and to get used to the sounds and sights of nature. Check out our blog post Intro to Heel Training for advice on how to teach your puppy to heel!
Start practicing inside your home, in your backyard, and on your front walkway if your puppy is still too young to go on walks, hasn’t had their shots, or hasn’t mastered the heel. Make use of our blog’s Intro to Leash Walking advice to assist you!
Training Time
Training Session
Include puppy training in your puppy’s daily routine. We discussed what to teach your puppy based on their age in a recent blog post. To help you schedule your daily training sessions, be sure to read the blog post “Complete Puppy Training Schedule by Age!”
Training Time
Our Online Puppy School offers a weekly game plan to help train your puppy into a polite member of your family, so you’ll know what to teach it first and how to do it! The Online Puppy School gives you a detailed plan to raise your puppy at home, modeled after The Puppy Academy in Hermosa Beach, California. Every week, you’ll receive detailed instructions for just 15 minutes a day of training with your dog! You’ll feel like you’re right here in school with us in person thanks to our library of on-demand training videos that you can watch as you need them. We also offer live coaching sessions where you can speak with our master trainers.
Puppy Training Schedule
It goes without saying that scheduling brief training sessions is crucial for the duration of your puppy’s life.
A young puppy’s attention span is extremely short. Consequently, a lengthy session lasting longer than a few minutes will be too much.
You want your dog to look forward to and enjoy the training session.
I might only practice a few instances of each behavior (name recognition/attention, come, sit, and down) during a training session with a young puppy.
You can include crate training in these play sessions, as well! As always, keep your puppy’s age in mind and adapt according to his energy.
During that training session, if the puppy exhibits the behavior successfully even on the first or second attempt, I move on.
The puppy will become bored and lose interest in the training if there is constant repetition during the same session.
And always wrap things up with a smile.
Obviously, the practice of repetition repeatedly
Of course, his development and success will depend on the repetition he performs throughout the various training sessions.
What behaviors you’ll train and the techniques you’ll employ should be included in the training schedule.
Additionally, during training, the puppy should be shown how to treat hands gently and eventually stop biting them, and to refrain from destroying or chewing on household items.
The key to training a new puppy is consistency.
Consistency can be improved by having everyone who will train the puppy attend a puppy kindergarten class together.
Or, if that isn’t possible, private training sessions with a trainer can help everyone buy into the approaches that will be taken and the lessons that will be taught.
Another source of information is if someone you know has successfully trained a puppy using positive training techniques.
Feeding Times
Since young puppies typically eat three times per day, this is simple to establish right away. By the laws of nature, irregular eating schedules (or choosing to “graze”) frequently result in irregular bathroom usage, which results in more mishaps!
While some puppies typically need to go potty within 30 minutes of eating, others can usually wait longer if they are napping right away or keeping their activity levels low. You can spot patterns and be prepared for when your puppy may need to “go” next by keeping track of the times and how frequently they typically need to go potty.
Knowing this information and observing the same mealtimes every day can help you avoid having to deal with unpredictable accidents on the toilet later on.
Puppy Feeding Schedule
Setting regular feeding times is crucial. This will aid in his development and give him the strength to take part in life events with you.
And always keep in mind: what goes in, comes out. You’ll be able to tell when he needs to poop if you feed him at set times each day.
Some puppies go potty immediately after eating, while others wait up to 10 or 20 minutes.
You can figure out your puppy’s schedule by having a puppy routine.
The amount of food the puppy consumes each day will depend on his age and size. The limits are up to your veterinarian.
Naptimes
You wouldn’t believe how much sleep a young puppy requires each day—up to 20 hours! Since their tiny bodies are developing so quickly, everything going on around them can easily cause them to become overstimulated and exhausted.
Puppies get fussy when they’re overtired, just like toddlers do. It’s time for a good nap if you’ve noticed that your puppy is acting more irritable, barking more, or suddenly exhibiting more “bad” behaviors at certain times. Give him a comfy place to fall asleep and get some rest.
Plan out several times during the day for naps where your puppy can sleep soundly in their crate or playpen in a quiet area of your home.
If you have young children, you might want to schedule “kid-free” times for your puppy’s naps. Your puppy will learn from this how to slow down and relax instead of going nonstop.
Vet Visits
Puppy Vet Visit Schedule
TODO
Nighttime
Schedule Nighttime Puppy Sleep and Nap Times
Puppies require rest. They are putting a lot of energy into growing quickly.
They snooze for roughly 18 to 20 hours each day.
Naturally, you want to play with and introduce your friends to your adorable puppy.
But it’s important to keep in mind the puppy’s limitations and sleep requirements. It is therefore helpful to schedule his naps throughout the day as well as his bedtime (or crate time, if applicable). Let your puppy settle down and fall asleep when he needs to.
It’s for the health of your puppy, as well as for your own peace of mind and capacity to complete other tasks.
FAQs About New Puppy’s Daily Schedule
Is a schedule important for a puppy?
Yes! A basic schedule will help you housetrain him and teach him what is expected of him with the aid of a simple schedule.
Your puppy will gain confidence and experience less anxiety as a result of understanding his surroundings. The person caring for your puppy’s needs should get along well with him.
What should I be feeding my puppy?
The best food to give your puppy is premium commercial kibble made for young dogs. This guarantees that your puppy will receive all the nutrients required for growth and development. Although cooked meats, vegetables, and rice can be added as desired, the commercially available, balanced kibble must be the main component of the diet.
When’s the best time to exercise my puppy?
First thing in the morning. You may want to plan your walks for first thing in the morning if your pet is a puppy or an older dog. Due to their smaller bladders, puppies must adhere to a strict potty schedule in order to maintain their progress with potty training.
How often should I schedule in potty breaks for my puppy?
Puppies thrive on routine schedules. They learn from the schedule that there are set times for eating, playing, and going to the next bathroom break. Puppy bladder control typically lasts an hour for every month of age. They can therefore hold it for about two hours if your puppy is two months old. If you wait any longer between bathroom breaks, they might have an accident.
A puppy typically needs to go potty after sleeping, eating, drinking water, playing, chewing, or experiencing any excitement.
Young puppies can typically “hold it” while sleeping for an hour longer than their age in months. For instance, a puppy that is three months old can hold it for about four hours.
What Should I Do If The Online Sample Puppy Schedules Don’t Fit With My Schedule?
You don’t have to adhere to any schedule’s exact hours as long as you create one that satisfies both your needs and those of your puppy. To make sure the schedule you create will meet your puppy’s needs, you can always consult your veterinarian.
You might need to enlist a trustworthy friend or hire a dependable pet professional to take care of some of his needs if you are unable to personally attend to them, such as a feeding time or some potty times.
Conclusion
New Puppy’s Daily Schedule
It is easier for your puppy to settle in to his new home if you create a schedule for his activities, potty needs, and health requirements. It clarifies expectations for him and inspires his sense of security in his surroundings. And it makes him feel less stressed.
The schedule also helps the humans implement it. The schedule should be created with everyone’s input and tasks should be completed according to it. Make it work along with your own schedule.
As the puppy ages, consumes fewer meals, and gains more bladder and bowel control, things will eventually get easier.
So, persevere. It becomes simpler, and you’ll have a wonderful puppy to enjoy for the rest of your life.