Are you getting a new puppy and not sure what they need? Keep reading for some of our favorites puppy products and training tips.
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What to buy:
- Tiny training treats – the smaller the better! On Roswell’s second day home I gave him too many treats as we were training and he had a very gross accident in his crate that night. I learned my lesson and made sure to limit his treat intake much more after that. We used Blue Buffalo Bits (broken into 3 pieces), Nutro Mini Bites (broken into 2-5 pieces), and Zuke’s Mini Naturals (broken into 2 pieces). All of these treats are soft, therefore easy to break into pieces and easy for puppies to eat. I also love Tiki Dog Aloha Petites, which are small enough to give without having to break into pieces.
- A crate – I highly recommend crate training puppies. You’ll want to make sure the crate you buy isn’t too big or too small for your puppy. One great thing about crate training is that dogs feel their crate is their safe space, and won’t potty in there. That is, unless they have too much room, then they might feel comfortable going potty in one corner, and sleeping in another corner. We used a crate that was a perfect size for a full-grown dachshund, but had a divider to make it smaller for when he was a puppy. Something like this!
- A comfy bed – we use a rectangular memory foam bed in Roswell’s crate for maximum comfort. As puppies love to chew and destroy, we made sure the dimensions of the bed fit his crate perfectly, so he had no temptations for ripping up corners. I don’t know why, but Roswell still to this day is weird about dog beds, and likes to play with them rather than sleep on them.
- Cozy blankets – I loved that we were given a blanket from Roswell’s breeder, that smelled like his litter-mates. He still uses it in his crate today and I often find him completely burrito-ed up in it in the morning. If you don’t have one of those, don’t worry – any light weight blanket should work fine.
- A potty bell – these are a great way to potty train! Ring this every time you go outside to potty, and eventually your puppy will start ringing it when they have to go out. Make sure you mount it at a height they can reach. This is the kind we use.
- A camera – for the first year or so, every time I left Roswell home alone, I loved having the peace of mind knowing I could check on him with our camera. I was constantly checking on him, listening for cries, or to see what he was up to when we started letting him alone outside the crate. We use the Ebitcam, it’s affordable and works great! It looks like they don’t sell the one we use anymore, but they have other options available.
- All the chew toys! Rubber toys are great for teething puppies, just make sure you watch them constantly so they don’t eat any part of the toy. Roswell loves playing with and destroying all types of toys.
- Chews/bones – most importantly: do not buy rawhide! Roswell likes Pork Chomps, just make sure you get the right size for your puppy as some are very big. Yak Chews are also a great chew that last forever in our house. Bully sticks and slices are great too! Stay away from real bones and antlers as well.
- If you have a cold pup – sweaters! Pro: they look super cute and help keep their tiny bodies warm. Con: they outgrow them so fast.
What to do:
- As mentioned above, crate train! This has so many benefits, and dogs really love it. They like having a safe space that’s all their own. It’s great knowing Roswell likes his crate and can be comfortable when we’re traveling, if he ever had to stay at the vet, and to keep him safe, just in case. As a puppy, Roswell did cry in his crate during the first few weeks, but we would just shush him, ignore him, or tell him he’s okay, and he quickly got used to it. Consistency is key, just like any other training. We also cover Roswell’s crate with a light sheet so he doesn’t see any distractions, and put a fan on so he can’t hear as much (neighbor’s dog’s barking, car doors, etc.).
- Let them out to potty every hour for the first few weeks, then go up to every two hours, and so on. Don’t come inside until they’ve done their business, and praise them for going potty outside. This helps them build up their understanding that outside means potty, and will help eliminate inside accidents that can hinder training. Use the potty bell as well! It helped us to gently pick up Roswell’s paw and tap the bell with it whenever going outside so he really understood what he was supposed to do.
- Socialize them when you’re able to. I know it can be hard when puppies aren’t allowed to see other dogs before they’re vaccinated, but right when they are cleared to, socialize them as much as possible. Bring them to dog parks (supervising the whole time of course), public places, around friends and family, and in various different environments. If they grow up seeing everything, they won’t be scared or reactive when they grow up.
- Teach them the basics – sit, stay, come, how to walk on a leash, and recall. Knowing basic commands is important for their learning and safety. I like trick training as well, Roswell has so much fun learning new things, but only after the basics are mastered.
- Get your puppy comfortable with any type of grooming that they will need, such as nail trimming. Touch their paws and nails frequently to get them comfortable with it, start brushing their teeth early on, give them baths, and clean their ears often – rewarding to make it a positive interaction.
- Exercise them physically and mentally every day. Puppies are crazy and need a lot of stimulation. Walks and playtime are important, but mental stimulation is as well. Training sessions will help, as well as puzzle games and other activities that make your puppy think and work for a reward. Hide treats in a towel, put something yummy in a kong, or make a homemade doggie freeze pop.
Good luck with your new addition, comment if you have any questions!
The cozy blankets are a MUST! Bruno and nova were both more obsessed with blankets than actual puppy beds! Love this post.
OMG!!! Baby Roswell is the most precious thing ever!! 🥰🥰🥰
I wish I had read a blog like this before I got my last puppy. Lots of good tips! And I love that you link to items that have been helpful in your training. Hopefully they’ll help me if I ever decide to get another puppy. I’m thinking about it!!
OMG!!! Baby Roswell is the most precious thing ever!! 🥰🥰🥰
I wish I had read a blog like this before I got my last puppy. Lots of good tips! And I love that you link to items that have been helpful in your training. Hopefully they’ll help me if I ever decide to get another puppy. I’m thinking about it!!
As someone who is experienced with dachshund puppies, I can attest that these are very accurate and helpful tips! 😂 We have been long time fans of baby Roswell.❤️ Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!!
@cristinadelilah of @isabellethedachshund 🌭
Some great tip, especially for new puppy owners 🐶
The blue Buffalo bits were what we used to train my doxie too!
This is so helpful! I am from Boston and getting my own mini doxie come 2022. Would love for them to be frends 😍
Follow @bostonweens on Instagram 🙂
I just got a puppy two weeks ago and this is so helpful! It’s so nice to know all Roswell’s favorites!
This is so helpful! I am picking up my dachshund puppy on the 22nd and trying to collect all the tips abs tricks I can. We have two labs and we used the bell to train them but I didn’t even think that our new little one may not be able to reach it! I was wondering if Roswell uses a ramp at all? I know they’re good to prevent injuries and wonder if I should start her with one right away.
Yes definitely use ramps for dachshunds!
Roswell is adorable! Seeing his posts on Instagram made my long days working from home better. We are waiting for our Isabella long hair puppy, which is expected to be born tomorrow! I’m so excited about it and this fantastic post to help me get our new baby the best life possible. This would be my first dog ever! I want to spoil it so bad, but I also want the pup to be as social as Roswell is. We also are from MA!
Congratulations! So exciting
Can never have enough cozy blankets and beds. My dapple long hair, Beans, has a bed with a blanket in almost every room of our house!
This is so helpful and good reminder not to feed my doxie pup too many treats haha. At what point did you start to trust Roswell alone outside the crate?
Around 1.5 years. A trainer told us to wait 2 years but he passed all his tests with us 🙂
Chapito loves blue Buffalo treats! Thanks for sharing these tips! ♥️
We used lots of these tips with Arrow, too! We really struggle with crate training, though! 😅
Thank you for the tips! I love the bell idea. I’m getting my dachshund puppy this Saturday! (Her name is Nova) I’m so excited and want to start training her right away. Eeeek!
This is super helpful! I’m quite afraid about getting my first dog so I appreciate all the tips I can get. Thank you!
Thanks for the tips! I love the bell idea. I get my dachshund puppy this Saturday! (Her name is Nova) I’m excited to start training her right away but it’s pretty intimidating.
She’ll be great!
I previously asked about potty training for my doxie pup and i really did follow your advice and a month later ish, he is basically potty trained now!! The 1hr rule helped a lot so thank you!💖
That’s awesome to hear!
Super helpful plus an adorable dog.
Having read this I thought it was really enlightening. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this content together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
Thank you!
I’m so happy to read this. This is the kind of manual that needs to be given and not the random misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this best doc.