Raising a Puppy: Heartful Canine Style — Part 1
Raising a puppy for the first time in 8 years, and since writing my book, it is really hitting me just how much we expect of them. How much we expect them to conform. He's 12.5 weeks old. Yes, I am toilet training, but I'm not really doing any other formal training. We're just focusing on learning about the world and trying to make that feel as safe as possible. That's enough for a baby dog. We're doing this at a pace he feels comfortable with, trying not to overwhelm him with too much, too soon. There is so much focus on not exercising puppies too much, and rightly so, but I think there is far less consideration given to how much we can overstimulate them with new experiences. A puppy doesn't have to be physically exhausted to have had enough for one day. I'd like to think I'm pretty accommodating. I try and let him rest when he needs to rest, play when he wants to play. If he finds something interesting to chew or play with, I don't automatica...