Silas has had a busy week - he’s gone to daycare! Daycare isn’t for every dog, but for Silas, it’s a good choice. Silas is an active puppy who wishes daily (hourly?) that his older sister would play with him. By sending him to daycare, he can have a fun activity as well as puppy playtime with dogs who want to play with him. Daycare is also a way to increase his experience with a variety of dogs.
When I think about the goals for Silas, I think about all the things that I want him to do with me in my life.. My goals for Silas include:
Being dog savvy and able to be comfortable both on leash and off leash dogs that vary in size, temperament and age.
Being a training partner for me who can be calm in training sessions and feel relaxed when he’s in new places, with new people and new dogs.
Being a travel buddy for me when I go on road trips (being a calm & quiet car rider, able to chill in his crate in an airbnb, hotel or family member’s home, and comfortable in new walking spots).
Being able to stay home while I fly to places for vacation. Being comfortable at a friend’s home, my family’s home, a boarding facility, etc.
Being a healthy pup who’s getting regular check-ups and able to feel safe with vet personnel and the intimate touches that vets need to do to all areas of the body.
Being a dog who can get a bath or get his nails trimmed without losing his mind.
What I am doing to work towards these goals:
Taking him on neighborhood walks, meeting friendly dogs, taking him to social hours at a puppy place and now taking him to daycare.
Teaching him to relax on his mat while I cook in my kitchen and/or while my Sienna is around (instead of tackling her - LOL).
Taking him in the car for both short and long rides. So far, he’s been to my family’s mountain home (2.5 hours away) 3 times and he’s ridden in the car to local places 20+ times.
He’s able to crate in his car and at home. For our time at home, he can crate when I’m home and when I’m out. He will meep/whine sometimes but calm down/rest and sleep after a minute or two. We do crate games with treats and kongs with peanut butter/yoghurt mix for crate time.
He’s been to the vet for all his appointments and he’s gotten lots of treats. I take treats with me and my vet has treats too!
He’s gotten a couple of nail clippings from me and just started going to a dog grooming near us where he’ll go every 3 weeks for a while to get used to it. He’s also had a bath in my kitchen farm sink (when he was smaller) and at the outdoor dog wash in Kirkwood>
For your puppy, what are 3-4 goals you have for your life together? What kinds of experiences could you schedule for him in these early months to prep him for what’s ahead? Write these down and set some appointments in your calendar.