This is a complete guide to bringing a new puppy home for the very first time. This is a great guide for those who have never owned a dog before. If you have forgotten what an 8-week-old puppy is capable of! Feeding, crate training, potty training, settling your puppy at night, and more will be discussed!
You will find everything easier when you are well prepared for life with a new puppy. Within these first few days and weeks of your Lab puppy’s life, this article will explain what you can expect from your 8-week-old puppy. The following links will help you navigate through the article. Alternatively, you can read it from start to finish! Let’s get started!
8-week-old puppies: what to expect
There is nothing cuter than a new puppy! Nature has designed babies in the most adorable way possible. A Labrador puppy 8 weeks old smells delicious, and we become overcome with the urge to protect him when we hold him in our arms.
There will likely be times during the next few days when you question your sanity for getting a puppy in the first place. Despite how cute he is, you may find yourself tempted in the weeks to come to take your pup right back to where he came from, no matter how cute he is!
Is your eight-week-old puppy driving you crazy?
Puppies are just like babies in that they require a lot of attention. They can also be annoying and frustrating! Hang in there though. There’s a good chance you’re sleep-deprived, and there’s something very unexpected going on in your life. Making major decisions now might not be the best idea.
Most of the problems that arise with a new puppy can be easily resolved with a little bit of guidance. Your life will feel more normal again once you have access to the resources on this website.
The green menu contains some handy links if you want to skip ahead. In a moment, we’ll examine some of the possible conflicts between puppies and new puppy parents. But first, let’s talk about some of the common concerns of new puppy parents.
First, let’s talk about what it’s like to feed an 8-week-old puppy and how to get through the first night with your new pet.
A puppy that is eight weeks old should be fed
In puppies, feeding is much more frequent than in older dogs, not because they can’t eat a whole day’s worth of food in one sitting, but because if they do, it upsets their stomachs. It’s not fun to look after a puppy with diarrhea.
Do not allow your puppy to keep eating just because he seems hungry. Because Labrador puppies are always hungry! Be sure to give him small amounts of food at a time. If your puppy needs to eat more than four meals in 24 hours, you should figure out how much he needs to eat.
If you have a medium or large breed of dog, the principles remain the same, though the quantities will need to be adjusted. You will need to decide if you haven’t already decided, what you are going to do with your puppy when you go to bed tonight once you have the whole food issue under control.
Puppy’s first night at home
We will discuss some options and give you some tips on things to avoid. The first thing to keep in mind is not to let your puppy sleep in your bed. Because he will fall off, possibly hurt himself, and certainly wander around your bedroom leaving little puddles behind. In addition, he’ll chew through the cables to your bedside lamp and get stuck behind the wardrobe.
In the future, you can bed share with your Lab if you wish, but not currently, unless you puppy-proof the room and sleep on the floor. It’s also not a good idea to let an 8-week-old puppy roam the house at night. There is so much danger. During that time, puppies can get into a great deal of mischief, even if they only sleep for about six hours. The three main options that work well for 8-week-old puppies are described next
Options for an eight-week-old puppy’s first night
It is possible to separate yourself from your puppy using the first two options. In general, this may not be a good idea. Let me explain why. The following are three alternative sleeping arrangements for the first few nights.
- Providing a safe sleeping area for puppies
- by using a puppy crate
- (or box) next to your bed
#1 The puppy safe sleeping area
After you have taken your puppy outside to relieve itself, you can put him to bed in a puppy-proof room with a washable floor just before you go to bed. If you have a large puppy crate, you can place his bed inside.
Ensure that the majority of the floor is covered with newspaper or puppy pads. During the night, he’ll pee and poop on this, so you’ll need to clean it up promptly in the morning to avoid him jumping in it.
#2 A puppy crate
Alternately, you can put your puppy in a small enough crate and set an alarm to remind you to take him out during the night. If you get this right, your puppy will be clean and dry from the start, and you will not have the jumping in poop problem that users of option 2 often experience.
However, you WILL have to wake up in the middle of the night. There is a chance that it may last for two weeks or so because many 8-week-old puppies can’t last all night without going potty
#3 A box next to your bed
You can give a puppy the best start to his new life by putting him in a cozy nest in a sturdy cardboard box next to your bed.
Even though you will still need to wake up in the night, you won’t have to set an alarm (or wake up a puppy that would have slept through) because you’ll hear him stir and whimper when he needs to pee. He can be stroked and comforted without getting out of bed if he is just a little worried.
Starting with solution 3, since puppies exposed to solution 1 or 2 can become extremely distressed, resulting in vomiting and diarrhea for your pup, and a lot of cleaning for you.
Sleeping and crying 8-week-old puppy at night
Almost all puppies under 8 weeks of age have never slept alone. On the first night in their new home, they usually cry if they are asked to sleep alone. That’s a bit of an understatement since a small puppy can make a surprising amount of noise. For a surprising amount of time.
It won’t matter where you live because you’ll be able to hear him. Your neighbors will also be able to hear him. This can be avoided by having the puppy sleep next to you for the first few nights as described in Option 3.
There’s no need for it to be permanent. As soon as the puppy settles in and isn’t so homesick, you can move him to his room if you wish.
New puppies learn very quickly, so it is important to keep this in mind. Although puppies may cry initially out of fear or loneliness, they soon learn that crying gets them attention.
What is the average amount of sleep that puppies get?
A puppy that is 8 weeks old can expect to sleep 18 to 20 hours out of every 24. The phase where puppies sleep easily on your lap or in your arms doesn’t last long. Dogs, however, continue to sleep deeply for a long time after their puppy phase is over.
When your puppy is energetic, playful, eating, and growing well, and seems healthy in every other regard, then sleeping often and deeply is normal for an 8-week-old puppy.
How to potty train your 8-week-old puppy.
In the coming weeks, you’ll want your puppy to become clean and dry in the house. Puppy potty training can begin as soon as your Labrador puppy is 8 weeks old. However, you must be aware of his limitations.
Some puppies can go six or seven hours without weeing at night. However, they are not able to do this until around ten weeks of age. Expect to get up in the middle of the night to take your puppy outside for a wee, for up to two weeks if you crate your puppy at night.
Expect it to take a little longer than this before you wake up to a clean floor if you leave your puppy with puppy pads or newspaper at night. Getting up earlier is a given with a puppy who is eight weeks old. During the next four months, it would be best to expect no more “lay-ins.”
You will have to take your puppy outside very frequently during the day or provide him with a toileting area with puppy pads. Puppies pee much more frequently during the day. Some puppies can survive between their first and second weeks, but many do not.
It might also be helpful if you receive my regular training tips via email if this is your first or second puppy.
Training your 8-week-old puppy in the crate
If you plan to crate train your puppy, our crate training guide includes comprehensive instructions, including crate training schedules and maximum recommended crate times.
It is best to arrange for someone else to care for your puppy during the day if you’re going back to work, or if you want to leave him for three to four hours before he is five or six months old. But do not leave him overnight. 8-week-old puppies should not be left in crates during the day for long periods.
Establishing good habits from the beginning is the key to crate training a new puppy successfully. This means taking that puppy outside to relieve himself whenever his bladder fills up.
You can let him relieve himself in a large pen with newspaper down, but keep in mind that 8-week-old puppies left alone for long periods may become distressed and/or destructive.
Leaving your puppy alone at home
Right from the beginning, puppies need to learn how to cope with being left alone for short periods. When you reliably return after disappearing for a few minutes, your puppy will quickly become accustomed to this. However, too much isolation can lead to destructive or noisy behavior. Puppy companionship is important.
Older puppies may cope well with being left for up to four hours, but even an adult Labrador may become distressed or destructive if left alone for a full working day regularly. Labradors need to be around people because they are sociable dogs.
It isn’t appropriate to leave a Labrador alone at home during the week. It doesn’t matter how many walks he gets at the weekend. For your friend, you will need to arrange a dog walker or creche place if you intend to return to work full-time.
Biting puppies
When puppies are teething, they tend to nip. Many people do not realize how hard and how painful it is when they bite. New puppy owners are often shocked by biting and by the noise that accompanies it. However, fierce growling is perfectly normal during play biting for puppies!
The fact that you know this doesn’t lessen the pain, but it helps you cope, and prevents family members from resenting the puppy or believing that he is abnormal.
Destructive puppy behavior
Small puppies chew on things, as most people know. Unfortunately, it can be a shock to discover just how destructive a Labrador can be, both inside and out, especially if left unsupervised for an extended period.
Whenever your puppy gets his mouth on something, you can expect him to destroy it. Inside or outside.
This is likely to continue well beyond his first birthday. In the first year of a puppy’s life, many Labradors become particularly destructive. The skirting boards on some of their homes are chewed, the plaster is ripped from the walls, and the carpets are torn up.
As this kind of conflict is so common in Labradors, it is best to create or confine young Labs to a puppy-proof room when left alone in the house until they reach their second birthday.
You’ll face some different challenges as your puppy grows, so let’s take a quick look at those now
Boisterous puppy behavior
During the age range of 8-18 months, many young Labradors are extremely boisterous. You can expect that your young Labrador will knock people over if you do not teach him some manners.
You can expect him to jump up and scratch the paintwork of your car if you don’t teach him to sit next to it. Without training him to walk to heel, you can expect him to drag you around.
You may even be pushed into an oncoming vehicle if he tries to pull you off your feet. Your new friend needs to be taught to walk alongside you on and off the lead. As soon as possible.
A puppy runs away
Puppies follow people around automatically as a result of their instinctive response. By the time the puppy is four to five months old, the response has disappeared. Don’t wait until the puppy is older to let him off the lead.
Dogs like Labradors are good for hunting. Scent trails are their favorite pastime. A puppy over six months will want to explore away from you and get used to off-leash recall long before he reaches that age.
When you are too predictable and traipse along behind an older puppy, he will stray further and further away from you. Make sure he follows you and not vice versa.
Puppy naughtiness
People say, “He doesn’t listen to me!” Or, “My puppy used to sit, come, give a paw, and all that a few weeks ago, but now he just ignores me. Why is he so naughty?” He also does lots of “naughty” things, like taking food he can reach, begging at the table, and tripping people up. What can I do?
A puppy that is 8 weeks old is not being naughty by doing these things, he is quite normal. A puppy that is 8 weeks old is also completely untrained. Among the many things puppies do, they bite, steal, jump, lick, whine, dig, and much more. It’s all perfectly natural.
Training takes a long time. Dogs can be taught to react to cues such as ‘sit’ and ‘shake hands with ease. A dog that does this in your kitchen is not trained. The dog has just learned to respond to a cue in your kitchen. That’s all.
Taking that cue and proving it against all the distractions in our daily lives is the crux of dog training, and you need the right information to do this effectively.
An 8-week-old puppy’s expectations
Our puppies are expected to do an awful lot. Both when they are small, and later, when they are older.
Cuddles
Puppy owners should enjoy cuddling their puppies. Although they may do so sometimes, they are more likely to do so out of politeness.
The majority of puppies don’t like being hugged at all and wriggle wildly away.
Make sure your puppy has stopped wriggling before you place him on the floor, or he will wiggle harder next time!
A fun friend for kids
Small puppies often bite and wiggle too much for children to enjoy playing with them, so we expect our children to be able to play with them. We don’t expect to enjoy those pleasures at an early age.
Make sure toddlers and puppies are separated with baby gates
Success and rapid results
We expect that our efforts in housetraining will be rewarded and that the puppy will listen to us.
Training potty and learning obedience takes time, however. In the beginning, your 8-week-old puppy will have accidents in the house. He needs your help in understanding what you want from him.
We expect our puppy to return our love and affection, to respect us, to be loyal, and to be obedient as he grows. This will happen as he grows.
The reality of an 8-week-old puppy
It can be a bit overwhelming to live with a Labrador puppy when it is 8 weeks old. Most of us do not expect weeks of interrupted sleep, and crying children unable to play with, or even stroke the puppy because he bites so hard.
In addition, we did not anticipate how depressing it would be to clean up puppy poop and pee every time we get up in the morning or return home from the grocery store. We hadn’t anticipated the neighbors complaining about our dogs barking and whining every time we leave the house either.
You probably won’t be bothered by all of these things. These are common reasons for people to become disenchanted with their furry companions. If you are prepared, you will cope better. We aim to close this gap between expectations and reality here on The Labrador Site. To ensure that puppies go to their new homes and stay there for the rest of their lives.
8-week-old puppy
It is a challenge to raise a puppy, but if you are up for the challenge, it is also incredibly rewarding. Having the right information will help you to avoid or pass through many of the problems described above! A little preparation goes a long way.
- During the first few weeks, consider restricting your puppy’s access to certain parts of your home
Puppy naughtiness is often caused by overexcitement. Read up on how to train your puppy effectively, and be calm around your puppy.
Considered and appropriate use of a crate and baby gates can prevent conflict between puppies and their families.
Nevertheless, confining a puppy is no substitute for companionship and training, and it is very important to make sure you have enough time in your life for a Labrador before getting one.
Support and assistance with your puppy
You won’t want to miss The Happy Puppy Handbook if you want a guide to raising a puppy that’s both healthy and happy.
Every aspect of life with a small puppy is covered in The Happy Puppy Handbook. The book will help you prepare your home for the new arrival, and get your puppy off to a great start with potty training, socialization, and early obedience.
How long should you play with 8-week-old puppy?
The five-minute rule states, “for every month of age, your puppy can have up to five minutes of exercise.” This means your bouncy new 8-week old puppy is only allotted ten minutes of exercise per day.
Can an 8-week-old puppy go through the night?
They’re usually taken from their mothers at only eight weeks,” she says. The good news is it’s easier than you think to get your new puppy sleeping through the night. With a little foresight, planning and a commitment to training, you can have your puppy sleeping through the night in just a few days.
Can an 8-week-old puppy be potty trained?
Start housetraining your pup the moment he comes home. It is important, and surprisingly easy, to train your puppy without him making a single toilet or chewing mistake. Each mistake will make training considerably more difficult.
Should I wake my puppy up to pee at night?
You should wake your puppy up to pee at night! … Once a puppy reaches 4-6 months old, they will have almost a full-sized bladder and are able to hold in their urine for longer. With proper potty training, you and your dog might get through the night without wet incidents.
How long do 8 week old puppies sleep at night?
A few new puppies can last six or seven hours at night without a wee. But many cannot do this until they are around ten weeks old. If you crate your puppy at night, expect to get up in the middle night and take your puppy outside for a wee, for up to two weeks.
How do you teach a puppy its name?
Wait until your dog is not looking at you and then say the name in a very bright and happy tone. As soon as your dog turns to look at you, mark this with a clicker or a word to let the dog know this is the right reaction, a word like “yes” or “good,” and then immediately give your dog a treat.