Welcome Home!

1. The First 48 Hours

Your puppy will be adjusting to a new home, new faces, and a new routine. Keep things calm and predictable.

Tips for a smooth transition:

Go straight home — avoid extra stops.
Set up a small, quiet space for your puppy to decompress.
Keep handling and visitors minimal at first.
Offer frequent potty breaks (every 1–2 hours).
Expect some crying — it’s normal and temporary.

Avoid:

❌ Overwhelming the puppy with lots of people or loud environments
❌ Free roaming in the house before boundaries are established

2. Crate Training Basics

All Cliodhna puppies leave with early exposure to crate time, making the transition easier for you.

Getting started:

Place the crate in a calm area of your home.
Use a soft blanket or crate pad (no loose bedding for heavy chewers).
Keep crate time short and positive at first.
Offer treats or a safe chew when the puppy goes inside.

Goal:

Your puppy sees the crate as a cozy, safe place — not a punishment.

3. Potty Training Routine

Consistency is everything.

Take your puppy outside:

First thing in the morning
After every meal
After naps
After play
Every 60–90 minutes in between

Praise heavily when they go outside. Keep treats in your pocket during the early weeks.

Avoid:

❌ Free-feeding (makes timing unpredictable)
❌ Punishing accidents — simply clean and reset the routine

4. Feeding & Schedule

Puppies thrive on structure.

Recommended schedule:

3 meals per day
Keep the same brand of food for at least 2 weeks to avoid stomach upset
Provide fresh water throughout the day
Avoid feeding right before bedtime

Transitioning to new food:

Mix gradually over 7–10 days (75/25 → 50/50 → 25/75 → 100%).

5. Socialization (Weeks 8–16)

This is the most important developmental period of your puppy’s life.

Expose your puppy to:

New surfaces (grass, carpet, tile, gravel)
Car rides
Grooming tools (brush, nail trimmer, wipes)
New people (gentle introductions)
Sound exposure (vacuum, doorbell, thunder recordings)
Other stable, vaccinated dogs

Focus on:

Confidence, positive experiences, and gentle exposure — not overwhelming

environments.

6. Bite Inhibition & Teething

Puppies use their mouths to explore. Your job is to guide them.

Redirect immediately to:

Frozen teething toys
Puppy-safe chew bones
Rope toys
Kongs filled with kibble

Teaching “gentle mouths”:

Yelp softly and pull your hand away
Offer an appropriate chew instead
Praise calm behavior

Consistency will reduce nipping dramatically over 2–4 weeks.

7. Early Training Foundations

Start simple — puppies learn quickly with short, fun sessions.

Teach early commands:

Name recognition
Sit
Come
Leave it
Crate/bed cue

Keep sessions to 5–10 minutes and reward heavily.

8. Exercise & Enrichment Needs

Every puppy requires exercise — but genre and intensity depend on breed.

9. Vet Care & Health Tracking

Your puppy leaves Cliodhna Kennel with:

First vaccinations
Deworming schedule
Microchip
Health exam
AKC registration
Starter health instructions

Your vet will help you continue the schedule for boosters and preventatives.

Breed-Specific Tips:

Vizslas

Dalmatians

Vizslas are high-energy, people-oriented dogs (“velcro dogs”).

Best activities:

Short puppy walks
Light retrieving
Nose work games
Training sessions
Daily mental enrichment

Avoid until fully grown:

          ❌ Long distance running
         ❌ Hard jumping
         ❌ Overexertion in hot weather

What Vizslas need:

Close human connection
Consistent exercise
Structure + affection
A job (training, tricks, or sport)

Grooming Basics

Minimal grooming
Weekly wipe-down baths if needed
Regular nail trims
Ear checks after water play

Dalmatians

Dalmatians are intelligent, active, and benefit from clear boundaries.

Best activities:

Puzzle toys
Short training bursts
Controlled socialization
Walks and playtime
Gentle introduction to grooming

Avoid until fully grown:

          ❌ Long distance running
         ❌ Hard jumping
         ❌ Overexertion in hot weather

What Dalmatians need:

Mental stimulation
Positive reinforcement training
Routine and predictability
Careful monitoring of food (avoid overfeeding)

Note:

Dalmatians often mature slightly slower and benefit from patience, repetition, and consistent training.

Grooming Basics

Regular brushing (they shed year-round)
Nail trims every 1–2 weeks
Ear cleaning as needed
Occasional bath

We’re Here for Lifelong Support

Puppy Training & New-Home Guide

Welcome Home!

1. The First 48 Hours

Tips for a smooth transition:

Avoid:

2. Crate Training Basics

Getting started:

Goal:

3. Potty Training Routine

Take your puppy outside:

Avoid:

4. Feeding & Schedule

Recommended schedule:

Transitioning to new food:

5. Socialization (Weeks 8–16)

Expose your puppy to:

Focus on:

6. Bite Inhibition & Teething

Redirect immediately to:

Teaching “gentle mouths”:

7. Early Training Foundations

Teach early commands:

8. Exercise & Enrichment Needs

9. Vet Care & Health Tracking

Breed-Specific Tips:

Vizslas

Dalmatians

Dalmatians

Best activities:

Avoid until fully grown:

What Vizslas need:

Grooming Basics

Dalmatians

Dalmatians

Dalmatians

Best activities:

Avoid until fully grown:

What Dalmatians need:

Grooming Basics

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