New Dogs & Freedom

by Heidi Atwood

We get a lot of inquiries about freedom during the first few weeks that puppies are transitioning to their new homes. A puppy might be quite timid when it is getting used to a new environment, and then, as it gets more comfortable in its surroundings, it may try to entertain itself in mischievous ways. Just when things are going smoothly, a puppy gets more acclimated to its home and may start to investigate... in other words, get into things it shouldn’t or sneak away to have accidents when nobody is watching. This is when we start hearing from puppy handlers who are confused by the setbacks in behavior.

It’s very helpful to start by limiting a puppy’s freedom during those first few weeks to supervise them closely, reward good behaviors, and prevent unwanted behaviors. Too much space can be overwhelming for a young puppy and cause more excitement because they have more room to zoom around and explore. We may start to experiment with giving them more freedom to wander around the house, and they might do well…at first! Then, they may suddenly start to notice items that they didn’t notice before, grab a houseplant and run across the room with it, chew on your new table, or jump on and off the sofa. The worst-case scenario is that they could discover something unsafe that could cause injuries. 

Many puppy handlers don’t want to take away the freedom their puppy has been experiencing, but it is in their best interest to take a step back in order to prevent behaviors from becoming habits. When I have a puppy in the house, I will alternate between a crate, a pen, a small gated puppy-proofed room, or I have them on a leash beside me. I want to be able to acknowledge good behavior while preventing undesirable behaviors. Having a puppy get used to the leash in the house is also valuable, so it becomes a normal item for them. This will give you an opportunity to practice leash walking in a less distracting area as well. 

I’ve spoken with handlers who got rid of the crate or pen too soon because their puppies were doing so well. Eliminating the crate too soon makes it harder for them when you might need to limit freedom later on. I like to keep a pup acclimated to the crate/pen and limit their space as a way of gradually working toward the goal of trusting them with more freedom. Being sure to make the crate a regular and positive experience is helpful for the lifetime of your dog, in case of unexpected medical issues, when traveling, or when you are experiencing setbacks in behavior. 

The Adolescent Phase is a time when puppies tend to abuse their freedom because they might become a bit more bored and, therefore, will look for things to do to keep themselves entertained. I would much rather give my puppy something positive and mentally challenging to keep them occupied than have them come up with their own form of entertainment! Adolescence is a time when we might need to reward a pup’s good behaviors, even more, to show them that simply playing with their own toy or relaxing in the crate is a great thing. The good news is that adolescence is a phase, and adolescents will come back out of it, but we want to prevent undesirable habits from forming during this time. 

Even if you are fortunate to have a fenced yard, it’s helpful to closely supervise your puppy on a leash while they are learning the rules of the yard. Take them for potty breaks on the leash so they don’t start running around and forget about the job at hand. After a successful potty break, part of the reward can be the opportunity to have a few minutes of running around and exploring. If your pup can’t handle the freedom of the whole yard just yet, use a long, light-weight leash that will give them a sense of freedom while giving you the opportunity to rein them in if necessary. This way you can prevent them from picking up and eating items they shouldn’t, stop them from digging, and help them learn to focus on you. Distracting a puppy with a short training session or a favorite toy can help redirect them toward a positive activity and help them forget about the rock they were about to pick up. Just like other forms of training, reward good behavior in the yard whenever you notice it.

Taking a step back doesn’t mean starting over. You are just reminding your puppy of the rules, and helping him learn by limiting his space. Never feel guilty about this! Your puppy isn’t wondering why they can no longer move freely around your whole home or yard. One of my dogs abused his freedom by randomly choosing a book from a shelf and destroying it one day. He then found himself back in the crate while we were gone. I then started to help him earn his freedom back by giving him some freedom and leaving the house for very short lengths of time so that I could congratulate and reward his good behavior when I returned. Basically, he didn’t have enough time to get into things, which made it easier for him, and gave me the opportunity to let him know that it is rewarding to NOT get into things. I also kept him in one puppy-proof room to take away his ability to wander around looking for things to do. Leaving him with a frozen stuffed kong also helped by giving him something wonderful to focus on, encouraging him to rest when we were gone. 

Keeping a pup contained is a good way to prevent the habits they might develop from having too much freedom. They will lose a little freedom now and then if it causes unwanted habits, but they will also earn more freedom when they can handle it!