New Puppy Tips. 7 Things to Know Plus, Answers to the Most Asked Puppy Questions
Bringing home a puppy is an exciting new chapter. It's also exhausting, messy and, some days, overwhelming. If you're googling "why won't my puppy stop biting" at 11 pm, you're not alone. I'm Merran Spath, a dog behaviour trainer at The Dog Behaviour Academy in Auckland, and these are the questions I hear most from new puppy guardians.
The short version: 7 things to keep in mind with a new puppy
Recruit help. Puppyhood is relentless.
Your puppy doesn't need to meet everyone. Calm, positive experiences matter more than numbers.
Find what works for your home, not the internet.
Adjust your expectations. Biting, chewing, and zoomies are normal puppy behaviour.
A reliable recall is worth more than spin, paw and high five.
House training (toilet training) takes time - you will be cleaning up messes.
Adolescence is next. It has its challenges, but it passes.
Three ideas run through everything below, because I see them in my work every week. A support network is what makes alone-time training possible. A puppy who bites hard is very often overtired. And a reliable recall matters more than any trick. Under each of the seven points, you'll find an answer to the puppy behaviour questions people search for most.
1. Recruit help: it takes a village
Puppyhood is relentless. Young puppies need feeding, toilet trips, supervision, play and a lot of sleep, around the clock. Nobody can do that alone for weeks on end without running out of patience.
Line up family, friends, a neighbour or a puppy sitter before you need them. Even an hour's break helps. A rested guardian makes better decisions than an exhausted one.
Why does my puppy cry when I leave the room? Is it separation anxiety?
Crying when left alone is common in young puppies and usually isn't separation anxiety. Being alone is new to them. The aim is to teach them that being on their own is safe and predictable.
Start small. Leave them settled in their pen with something to chew or lick, step out of sight for a few seconds, and come back before they get upset. Build up slowly, one small step at a time. Short, calm absences that go well do more good than long ones that don't.
How do I teach my puppy to be left alone?
Teach alone time gradually, in tiny steps, from the first week home. Don't leave it until the day before you go back to work. This is where your village helps: it's much easier to build alone time slowly when you're not forced to leave your puppy for hours because there's no one else to help.
If your puppy is pacing, drooling, howling or trying to escape when left, even for short periods, talk to a qualified trainer early. These problems are much easier to address when caught early.
2. Your puppy doesn't need to meet everyone
Socialisation matters, and puppies have a sensitive period, roughly up to 12 to 14 weeks, when new experiences shape how they see the world. But good socialisation isn't about how many people or dogs your puppy meets. It's about whether those experiences are calm and positive.
A puppy who sits with you outside a café on Ponsonby Road, or on the quiet edge of Western Springs, watching people, bikes and dogs go by from a comfortable distance, is being socialised. A puppy passed from stranger to stranger, or swamped by a boisterous adult dog, can learn the opposite lesson.
How do I socialise my puppy properly?
Start at home, place new items in the living room for you puppy to investigate in their own time, a box filled with treats and paper, an umbrella or a blanket you use in the car. Follow up by providing calm, positive experiences at a distance where they're comfortable. Pair new sights and sounds with something good, like a treat or a sniff, and let your puppy choose whether to approach. If they back away, hide behind you or freeze, move away calmly and reward them with praise.
A well-run puppy class can help too. Look for one with small numbers, short play sessions and a force-free trainer who steps in before play gets too rough.
Why does my puppy freeze or sit down on walks and refuse to move?
Puppies usually freeze on walks because they're overwhelmed, not stubborn. Traffic, noise, smells, and people can add up to more than a young puppy can handle, and freezing is a way of coping.
Don't drag or pull them forward. Wait, let them look, and give them time. If they still won't move, head back towards home or somewhere quieter. Keep walks short at this age, and choose calmer places and quieter times of day while they build confidence. Check the fit of their collar or harness; it may be uncomfortable.
3. Find what works for you, not the internet
Online puppy advice is endless, and loads of it contradicts itself. Some of it is out of date, and some of it can make problems worse. Choose an approach that's kind, consistent and fits your household, and stick with it long enough to see whether it's working.
If you're unsure, look for a qualified, force-free trainer. In New Zealand, membership of a professional body such as the Association of Professional Dog Trainers NZ (APDTNZ) is a good place to start.
How do I stop my puppy barking and whining?
Stop puppy barking by working out why it's happening, then meeting that need before the barking starts. Common reasons are reacting to sounds and movement outside, boredom, wanting attention, or being overtired.
Demand barking (barking at you for food, play or attention): wait for a quiet moment, then respond. If barking gets results, it gets repeated.
Alert barking (at the door, the fence or the window): go to your puppy, ask: 'What is it?' then respond 'I've got this, you're safe' and calmly encourage your puppy away, reward quiet, and block the view if needed.
Whining in the crate or pen: check the basics first. Do they need the toilet? Are they tired, hungry or too far from you? A young puppy who has just woken up usually needs to go outside.
Shouting rarely helps. To a puppy, it can sound like you're joining in.
Why does my puppy growl when I go near their food or toys?
Growling over food, toys or a resting spot is called resource guarding, and it's a normal behaviour that's best addressed early. A growl is a warning, not bad manners. It tells you your puppy is uncomfortable.
When my dog Max was a puppy, he growled over a bone, I quietly dropped some possyum onto the ground and removed the bone, when he had finished the treats I gave him the bone back. He learnt I come with better treats and he needn't worry
Plenty of online advice says to take the bowl away or put your hand in it to show who's boss. Please don't. That teaches your puppy that people near their food really are a threat, which can make guarding worse.
Instead, walk past while your puppy eats and drop something even tastier into or near the bowl, then walk away. Swap toys for a treat rather than snatching them. Never punish a growl: a dog who learns not to growl can go straight to a snap.
If your puppy stiffens, freezes over items, snaps or bites, or if there are children in the home, get help from a qualified trainer straight away.
4. Remember they're puppies, and adjust your expectations
Puppies have short attention spans, sharp teeth and very little self-control. Mouthing, chewing, accidents and wild bursts of energy are all normal. They're not signs that you're doing it wrong or that your puppy is "broken".
Sleep is a big part of the picture. Most guidance suggests young puppies need around 16 to 20 hours of sleep a day. A puppy who misses out often bites harder, barks more and struggles to settle.
Recently a client called me, distraught. Her 10-week-old puppy was biting and barking and wouldn't settle. Nothing she tried was working, and she felt overwhelmed. My advice was simple: put some quiet music on and give the puppy something to lick. She did, and her puppy settled and fell asleep. What looked like naughty behaviour was an overtired puppy who couldn't switch off.
How do I stop my puppy biting?
Stop puppy biting by redirecting it, not punishing it. Mouthing is how puppies explore and play. Your job is to teach them where their teeth can go.
Keep a toy handy and offer it the moment teeth touch skin or clothes.
If biting continues, calmly pause the game and step away for a few seconds.
Watch the clock. Biting that gets harder and more frantic, especially in the evening, is often a sign of an overtired puppy. Offer a nap in a quiet spot with something to chew or lick.
Avoid yelping, tapping their nose or holding their mouth shut. These can make some puppies more excited and others wary of hands.
When do puppies stop teething?
Puppies start losing their baby teeth at around 3 to 4 months, and most have their adult teeth by about 6 months. Chewing often increases during this stage. Offer a range of chew textures, and try a cold or frozen chew toy to help with sore gums.
How do I stop my puppy chewing furniture and shoes?
Management is the easiest way to stop destructive chewing, along with giving your puppy better things to chew. Puppy-proof the areas they spend time in, put shoes and cables out of reach, and use a pen or gate when you can't supervise.
When your puppy grabs something they shouldn't, stay calm, get something of greater value, a favourite toy or treat and swap it out. Chasing them can turn into a game, and that can teach puppies to grab and run.
Why does my puppy get the zoomies?
Zoomies are short, frantic bursts of running, spinning and bouncing, known as FRAPs (frenetic random activity periods). They're normal and often happen in the evening, after a bath, or when a puppy is overtired or has had a big day.
Make sure the space is safe and let the burst run its course. If zoomies tip into hard biting, a nap is usually what your puppy needs next.
5. A reliable "come" is worth more than spin, paw and high five
Tricks are fun, but they won't keep your puppy safe. A reliable recall might one day stop your dog from running onto a road or towards a dog who doesn't want company, and it's what gives you the confidence to enjoy Auckland's off-leash beaches and parks. Spend most of your training time on the skills that matter in everyday life: coming when called, settling, walking on a loose lead and being comfortable with handling.
How do I teach my puppy to come when called?
Teach recall by making coming to you the best thing that happens all day. Start indoors with no distractions. Say your recall word once in a happy voice, and move one or two steps; reward the moment your puppy reaches you; repeat, always moving a couple of steps away.
Use high-value food your puppy loves.
Practise daily in 5-minute sessions, and slowly add distance and distractions.
Try not to call your puppy for something they don't like; a nail trim or the end of play. Go get them instead.
If your recall word has been overused, or 'broken', start again with a new one.
How do I stop my puppy pulling on the lead?
Stop lead pulling by teaching your puppy the position you want them to walk: by your side. Start without the lead; simply walk around the house and reward your puppy for following you.
A well-fitted harness is kinder on a young puppy's neck than a collar while they're learning.
6. House training takes time: you'll be cleaning up messes for a while
Toilet training a puppy is a process, not a weekend project. Young puppies have small bladders and limited control, and accidents are part of it. Every success outside builds the habit. Every accident inside is just information.
How do I toilet train my puppy?
Toilet train your puppy by taking them outside often and rewarding them the moment they go in the right spot. Take them out:
first thing in the morning and last thing at night
after every sleep, meal and play session
every hour or so while they're awake, and more often for very young puppies
Go outside with them, stay calm and boring until they've been, then reward straight away with a treat and praise. Watch for sniffing, circling or heading for a corner, and take them out at once.
Why does my puppy keep having accidents inside?
Puppies have accidents inside because they haven't yet learned where to go, or they couldn't hold on. Don't punish accidents. Rubbing a puppy's nose in it or scolding them teaches them to go where you can't see, not to go outside.
Clean accidents with an enzyme cleaner. Ordinary cleaners can leave a smell that draws your puppy back to the same spot.
Why is my puppy regressing with toilet training?
Setbacks are normal and usually temporary. Excitement during play, a change in routine, new visitors or going too long between toilet trips can all cause accidents in a puppy who seemed to have it sorted. Go back to more frequent trips for a week or two. If accidents suddenly increase, or your puppy is going very often or seems uncomfortable, check in with your vet.
7. Next comes adolescence: it has its challenges, but it passes
Just as puppyhood starts to feel easier, adolescence arrives. It usually begins at around 6 months and can last until 18 months to 2 years, depending on the dog. Larger breeds tend to mature later.
Why has my puppy stopped listening?
Many dogs can ignore once-reliable cues during adolescence. It's a normal stage of development, not defiance. A 2020 study from Newcastle University and the University of Nottingham found that dogs of around 8 months were less likely to respond to their owner's "sit" cue than younger or older dogs. Their response to a stranger didn't change, and the effect was temporary.
How do I get through the adolescent phase?
Keep going with the basics, lower the difficulty for a while, and up the frequency of rewards to make them worth working for. Skills that seem to vanish usually come back with patience and practice.
Go back a step: practise in quieter places and reward more often.
Keep up enrichment and rest. An adolescent dog who's under-stimulated or overtired is harder to live with.
Use management, like a long line for recall, while skills are wobbly.
It's also a common time for new fears or reactivity to appear. If you notice changes like that, get help early rather than waiting for them to pass.
When to get help with your puppy
Most puppy behaviour is normal and improves with time, with consistency and plenty of sleep. Reach out to a qualified, force-free trainer if your puppy:
growls, snaps or stiffens over food, toys or resting spots
shows distress when left alone, such as howling, pacing, drooling or trying to escape
seems frightened of people, dogs or everyday sounds, or the fear is getting worse
bites hard enough to break skin, or biting isn't easing by around 5 to 6 months
If a behaviour changes suddenly, check in with your vet first, as pain or illness can be part of the picture.
Puppyhood is hard work, but it doesn't last forever. Be kind to your puppy, and be kind to yourself.
About the author
Merran Spath is a dog behaviour trainer and founder of The Dog Behaviour Academy in Auckland, New Zealand. She holds the New Zealand Certificate in Animal Management (Canine Behaviour and Training), is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers NZ (APDTNZ), and spent two years volunteering and working with dogs at the SPCA. She uses force-free, science-based methods to help Auckland puppy and dog guardians.
Comments