Trainer's Diary

Meet Pebbles!

Three weeks ago, we welcomed Pebbles into our family. At the time of writing, she is 12 weeks old and settling into life remarkably well.

As a professional dog trainer, one of the questions I'm often asked is, "What would you do if you had a puppy?" While every puppy is an individual and there is no one-size-fits-all approach, I thought it would be interesting to share some of the things we're doing with Pebbles as she grows up.

Over the coming months, I'll be sharing the training choices we're making, the experiences we're introducing and the lessons we're learning along the way. My aim is to give a realistic insight into puppy raising and show that building a confident, well-adjusted dog isn't about rushing through a checklist of training exercises.

Establishing a Routine

When Pebbles came home, she had a lot to process. She had left everything familiar behind and was suddenly living with new people, a new dog, new smells, new routines and a completely different environment.

For that reason, my priority during the first week wasn't teaching lots of cues or trying to achieve specific training milestones. Instead, I wanted to help her feel safe, settle into her new surroundings and begin building positive relationships with us and Buddy.

One of the first things we focused on was creating a predictable daily routine. Puppies need around 16–18 hours of sleep each day, and good quality rest makes everything else easier.

A well-rested puppy is more likely to make good choices, cope with new experiences and learn effectively. We also used this routine to support toilet training and begin introducing very short periods of independence.

Rather than focusing on how much could be achieved each day, the emphasis was on helping her feel secure and giving her time to adjust.

Keeping Life Small

When Pebbles first arrived, she was calm, quiet and a little reserved. This is completely normal, given how much had changed for her overnight.

For the first four to five days, we kept things very quiet with no visitors at all. This allowed her to settle into her new home, get used to her routine and bond with us.

After that, she gradually met a small number of close family and friends over the following week. These introductions were spaced out rather than happening all at once, so she could experience new people without becoming overwhelmed.

Whenever people interacted with her, the focus was on calm, respectful handling. Rather than reaching over her head, they were encouraged to gently tickle her under her chin or on her chest.

Many dogs are not comfortable with hands coming towards or over their head, particularly when meeting someone new. Puppies are already processing a huge amount of information about the world, so that kind of approach can feel quite intense.

A gentler interaction, combined with the ability to move away if she wanted to, helped keep those experiences positive and relaxed.

Throughout these interactions, we regularly checked in with her to make sure she was still happy to engage or whether she preferred a break.

Choice sits at the centre of socialisation. It isn’t about how many people a puppy meets, but about helping them learn that the world is safe and predictable.

Being an Advocate for Your Puppy

As the week went on, one thing became very clear: part of raising a puppy is learning to advocate for them in real time.

People naturally love puppies and often want to interact, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the right moment for the dog.

If Pebbles is in my arms and I can see she’s tired, overwhelmed or simply done, I’ll politely say no to further interaction.

There is often social pressure to let everyone say hello, especially in the early weeks, but it’s important to step in when needed and protect the puppy’s emotional wellbeing.

Building Positive Habits From Day One

Although formal training wasn’t the focus, several small habits were already being introduced.

Coming into the house is done calmly, without excitement or rushing. Instead of overwhelming her with attention, we wait for her to be calm before letting her out or her crate.

Before picking her up, we always say “up”, so she has a moment to process what’s about to happen. She is also encouraged to come out of her crate voluntarily, reinforcing that the crate is her safe space rather than somewhere she is taken from.

These small details help build trust, predictability and confidence from the very beginning.

Creating a Positive Relationship With the Crate

From the moment Pebbles arrived, I wanted the crate to feel like a safe and calm place to be.

Thought the day I hid a few treats in the crate for her to discover in her own time and fed her meals in there. She also had access to water, a puppy pad just incase she needed it overnight and a couple of appropriate chew toys.

On her first night, I encouraged her into the crate and rewarded her for choosing to go in. Once she was settled, I sat quietly nearby while she relaxed and started to doze off before gradually moving away.

Introducing Cooperative Care

Simple cooperative care exercises were also introduced during the first week.

These help puppies become comfortable with everyday handling such as grooming and vet checks.

As different parts of her body were gently touched, the action was paired with a verbal cue, such as “ear”, “eye” or “paw”.

At this stage, there is no expectation that she fully understands the words. Instead, the focus is on building predictability so she begins to anticipate what is happening, which helps her feel more comfortable and relaxed during handling.

We did short, calm sessions that were appropriate for her age.

The First Skills We Started Teaching

Alongside settling in, a few foundation skills were introduced.

Her name was paired with rewards whenever she looked towards me, helping it become something positive and meaningful.

A verbal marker, “yep”, was also introduced. For Pebbles, this word is the promise of a reward. By consistently pairing the word with reinforcement, it becomes a clear and reliable way of communicating when she has made a good choice.

A hand target, or “touch”, was also introduced. This involves her touching her nose to my closed hand and is a useful way of guiding her without me physically picking her up. It helps create cooperation in everyday situations, from moving around the house to future recall work.

Eye contact was introduced using the cue “look”. This helps her orientate towards me and prepares her to receive further information during training. It also supports connection and focus. Research suggests that mutual eye contact between dogs and their owners may increase oxytocin levels in both, helping to strengthen the bond between them.

Carefully Chosen Experiences

Later in the week, we took a visit to the vets. Rather than waiting until her first appointment, I wanted to give her the opportunity to visit the practice, sit in the waiting area, observe some dogs and meet some of the staff to get used to the environment without any pressure. As she isn't fully vaccinated yet, she stayed safely on my lap. I did have some treats with me but she wasn't interested, no problem I didn't hassle her, it is quite common for dogs to be less interested in food when taking in a new environment. 

Learning About Buddy

Pebbles has also been getting to know our older dog, Buddy.

All interactions are supervised, with both dogs given space to choose whether they want to engage or take a break.

Buddy has been calm and appropriate, allowing gentle interaction and play while also communicating clearly when he has had enough. If needed, my husband or I step in when Buddy is a bit "Pebble'd out".

Exploring New Places

A short visit to my training venue gave Pebbles the chance to explore a safe indoor environment with new smells and surfaces.

Short car journeys were also introduced, creating positive early experiences of travelling rather than going anywhere in particular.

Looking Ahead

As Pebbles continues to settle, more experiences will be introduced gradually alongside new foundation skills.

For now, the focus remains on helping her feel secure, building trust and showing her that the world is a predictable and safe place to grow up in.