Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett

The First Two Weeks With Your Puppy: What You Grow Is What You Get #324

Feb 6, 2026
A real-life puppy story shows how everyday choices shape long-term behavior. Learn why management is proactive and how crate, sleep, and freedom decisions teach habits. Hear warnings about naming behaviors too soon and using cues as praise. Discover why off-leash freedom too early can hurt engagement and why protecting a puppy's name matters.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

New Owners, New Puppy Lessons

  • Susan Garrett tells the story of Brandon and Michelle raising Poet, a ten-day-old goldendoodle, to illustrate common early puppy mistakes.
  • Their setup looked good, but inexperience revealed gaps that shaped unwanted behaviors quickly.
ADVICE

Prevent Separation Anxiety Early

  • Prevent separation anxiety proactively by shaping routines and management from day one.
  • Condition the puppy to being handled and carried before using stairs and restrict stair-walking until about five months.
ADVICE

Close The Crate, Condition The Behavior

  • Use crate games and close the crate door to condition calm, secure resting, rather than leaving the crate perpetually open.
  • Avoid unrestricted pen access overnight because free roaming prompts movement and peeing, not necessarily a tiny bladder.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app