This is the perfect age to get your puppy, this is the stage where they are literally a clean slate, an eager learner, waiting for you to teach all, this is their best stage to learn, they are sponges. Remember to teach them the 5 basic commands (sit, down, come, stay, heel) before you teach them anything else, trust me, I had a lab puppy a few years ago and the first thing I "taught" her was 'paws up' and I didn't even realize she was learning it, I just put her paws on the bed and said 'paws up' now it didn't look like it was clicking so I didn't think about it, and the next morning, there she was doing that 'paws up' trick on the bed! The first thing you show your dog will quickly become their favorite trick. Teach the basic commands first, these are the basics to having control over your dog and off these commands, other more glamorous tricks come, such as roll over, shake, and so on. Be sure to get them use to a collar and leash right away also. Put the collar on them; if you have an id tag on it, be sure the tag is not too heavy where the dog can't even walk comfortably. I recommend using a harness, especially for long bodied dogs, they are more comfortable, less likely to come off, and are a great place to hand their dog tags without weighing their neck down, another plus is, when your dog is young, they will charge out of excitement and harnesses are less painful, as they do not choke the dog. Also remember to get your pup a plastic crate, for car travel and sleep, you may need two, one for their puppyhood and one for adulthood if you are getting a large breed puppy. If you get a crate TOO big for your puppy now, they may develop a bad habit of pottying in one end and sleeping in the other, so get one according to size. If you're getting a small dog, measure for their adult size, because small breed's puppy and adult size are not as far apart as a large breed's but keep an eye on how they're fitting. Your puppy is still very young so don't worry if your puppy falls asleep in the middle of some other activity. Puppies need lots of sleep but since they are easily distracted, they
sometimes forget to go to sleep and so will fall asleep at bizarre
times: while eating, chewing, or even running,
And don't worry if your puppy twitches while sleeping. This indicates healthy neural
development. Twitching will be most pronounced for the first few
months of the puppy's life, and slowly diminish thereafter. There are
many adult dogs that continue some twitching. Expect muffled woofs and
snuffling noises, too.
Or if your puppy hiccups. Many puppies hiccup. The only thing to do is wait
for them to pass. Don't worry about it, they will outgrow it. This is probably one of the most enjoyable stages in your dog's life, they are open to anything and anyone, now is the time to start socializing and training your beloved pet, it pays to train.
