You should spend as much time as you can with your puppy without it keeping you from your other responsibilities. Puppies bond with us quickly as we spend time with them but should learn to play by themselves too.
Puppyhood is an important stage of development for dogs, so you need to keep puppy entertained — whether you are indoors or out. Keeping your furry buddy working is also important for training and keeping damage to a minimum. A bored puppy is absolutely a puppy who's getting into trouble!
On the other hand, teaching your puppy that enjoyable things happen when they are alone will help them handle not being the center of attention, even when you are at home. In fact, they should look forward to being on their own because they associate it with chew toys and treats.
Puppies begin to play with objects at between 4 and 5 weeks. It's important to introduce balls and other toys and safe objects to puppies during this period, since puppies learn specific play habits at an early age. By 8 to 12 weeks of age, you should introduce your puppy to the concept of fetch.
One of the most popular answers to how long a puppy should exercise per day is 5 minutes for every month of age, twice a day. This means an two-month-old puppy should get 10 minutes of exercise twice a day. This is a good starting point, but not all dogs are the same.
Different dog breeds have different energy levels and rates of growth; the growth plates in their joints close at different ages. But do schedule play and exercise time into your puppy's day: a walk around the neighborhood, playing with toys, and time spent bonding go a long way toward expending energy.
The study of 4,000 dog owners showed that dogs who don't engage in a lot of play suffer from behavioral issues such as anxiety and aggression. Less play time also leads to an increase in whining, jumping up, and not coming when called. Scientists are beginning to agree that play is the key to a dogs happiness.
According to The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, a good good starting point is to aim for 5 minutes of exercise, twice a day, for each month of age. For example, 3-month-old puppies should have 15 minutes of exercise twice a day, then 20 minutes twice a day at 4 months, etc).
But that can't be right, with puppies varying so much in size, breed, and energy level – besides, who could resist playing with their puppy for much longer than that? It might make more sense to limit your puppy to five minutes of playtime per month per play session.
There is nothing wrong with cuddling and playing with your new puppy, but try to limit picking them up. Continually holding your dog can make them begin to feel as though they are human and can encourage behavior that causes dominance struggles within your home.
That said, for a general guideline, dogs should get a minimum of two hours of dedicated social time with humans or other dogs on a daily basis, which can be broken up into chunks of time over the course of the day.
Interactive toys can exercise your dog's brain by letting them chew, lick, sniff, and explore. Toys such as KONG, activity flip boards, and puppy puzzles are perfect for mental stimulation. In addition to simple interactive toys, you can also try out high-tech gadgets such as the Furbo Dog Camera!
Give timeouts
Pro tip: The best way to discipline your dog with timeouts is to give them some kind of verbal signal that you can say gently, (for example, “Oops!”) and then either leave the room (if you are alone) or lead them to an area where they will be separated from other people and dogs.
Raising a puppy while working is tough, but it can be done. Puppies have different needs depending on their age. After those intense first few weeks, things ease off. A combination of planning, friends, and paid help will certainly be a great support for you.
Undesirable behaviours such as barking, chewing, counter surfing, house-soiling and jumping up commonly begin to occur at around 3-6 months of age.
Relaxed or Wiggly Body and Tail
When a dog is happy, their whole body and tail will look relaxed, and they quite often wiggle! A happy dog's whole body can wag along with their tail. A wriggling dog showing you their belly is likely to be a very happy and comfortable dog.
What are signs of overstimulation? Biting or being snappy is one of the signs - others can include barking, chasing their tail or spinning and being hypervigilant.
According to the American Kennel Club, puppies younger than 10 weeks cannot be left alone for more than an hour. From 3-6 months, they should not be left longer than their age in months (for example, 3-month-old puppies cannot be alone for longer than 3 hours).
Take notice of their body language -- if their ears, tail, and spine look relaxed, they're probably just looking for more attention. If their tails are tucked , ears are back, or seem stiff, they may be experiencing anxiety.
Having a huge assortment of toys can actually have an adverse effect on your dog. He can easily become overwhelmed and overstimulated, resulting in a lack of excitement around playtime.