Has quarantine led you to getting a new puppy? 7 behaviors to look for in your quarantine pup!

Quarantining for the past few months has been stressful and tiring. Many people have turned to getting a puppy to pass the time and have a fun companion. In our opinion, furry friends are the best addition to one’s life, especially during a hard time.

However, as a new pet parent, raising a puppy can be challenging and confusing. We are here to help you on this journey to pet parenthood by providing you with seven behaviors to look for in your new fur baby!

It’s potty time!

Not party time, and definitely not if your pup uses the floor as his or her bathroom. Puppies can only hold it for about one hour for each month they gain in age. Keeping an eye on your pup and taking them out before an accident strikes is crucial! Cleaning up after your pup may be stressful, but having a strict training schedule for your pup to learn when and where to go to the bathroom is key!

OW! The Chihuahua bit my finger

If your pet is biting you, do not fear! Biting is normal, especially when you and your pup are playing. Just like a baby teeths, so do puppies…except they may use YOU as their teething toy. This behavior won’t last forever, they will grow out of it. It’s important to provide your pup with enough chew toys to play with so they don’t use your furniture, shoes, or your fingers.

The Zoomies

Lots of puppies are filled with energy and get “the zoomies,” running all over the house for several minutes. Puppies have a lot of energy and by running around in circles, they are able to effectively release that energy. This is a typical puppy activity, just make sure you don’t overexert your pup, you don’t want to hurt their still-developing joints.

A very noisy puppy!

Does your puppy bark a lot? Being quarantined all day with a curious, yapping puppy may become tiresome, but this is their way of communicating and exploring their new environment. With proper training, you can have your puppy bark only 2–3 times instead of incessantly.

What are they digging for?

In all honesty, your pup is not digging for anything in particular. Your dog may be digging for a variety of reasons: anxiety, excess energy, to hide toys, to escape, or a hunting instinct. Some breeds will dig more than others as well. Again, repetitive training is key to solving unwanted behaviors. Spending more time with your dog or walking them more may help as well.

Jumping to greet you EVERY time!

Puppies love to jump up to greet you and receive attention. This is a cute behavior to begin with, but can soon become annoying or potentially dangerous as they get bigger. This is another easy fix with training! Reward your dog when they sit patiently for you and walk away and don’t make eye contact when they jump up. It is important to not reinforce bad behaviors.

Whining Wednesdays…or whining everyday?

If you leave your pup in a crate, outside, or in a different room from you, they may start whining. This is a common pup behavior, they are experiencing a form of separation anxiety. Other behaviors may come along with separation anxiety such as: chewing items or urinating. Your puppy will likely grow out of this behavior and not be as clingy.

Our best advice for your happy, healthy fur baby…

is to give them plenty of love and plenty of training. Quarantining gives you quality time to spend with your pet to bond and train.