(“How to Exist in a House” Phase)

Congratulations.
Your puppy now understands that this is home.

Unfortunately, they have not yet learned:

• how furniture works

• why hands are not chew toys

• that 3am is not party time

That’s what Weeks 3–4 are for.

This phase is about teaching your puppy how to live indoors like a civilised creature — calmly, predictably, and without constant chaos.

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🎯 Primary Goals (What We’re Actually Fixing)

At this stage, we are focused on three things:

✔ Teaching Calm Behaviour

Calm is not something puppies magically “grow into.”
It is learned.

If calm behaviour is rewarded, it increases.
If chaos is rewarded (even accidentally), chaos wins.

✔ Reducing Chaos

Zoomies, biting, barking, and wild behaviour usually come from:

• overstimulation

• lack of structure

• not knowing what to do instead

We don’t punish chaos — we replace it.

✔ Establishing Routine

Routine tells your puppy:

“I know what happens next. I don’t need to panic.”

Predictability lowers stress.
Lower stress = better behaviour.

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🧠 Focus Skills (The Life-Changing Stuff)

These skills might not look exciting, but they are the bedrock of a good dog.

✔ Settle on a Mat

This teaches your puppy:

• how to stop

• how to rest

• how to exist without entertainment

This is the opposite of hyperactivity training.

✔ Bite Inhibition

Puppies explore with their mouths.
That’s normal.

What’s not normal is allowing hard, painful biting to continue unchecked.

We teach:

• gentle mouths

• redirection

• appropriate outlets

✔ Alone-Time Foundations

This is where we quietly prevent separation anxiety before it starts.

Your puppy learns:

“Being alone is safe. Humans come back.”

✔ Daily Routine Consistency

Dogs don’t need perfect days.
They need predictable ones.

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🗓️ Daily Work (Short, Calm, Repetitive)

This phase is about tiny wins, repeated often.

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🧘 Introduce the Training Mat

Place the mat down.

If your puppy:

• steps on it

• lies on it

• even looks at it calmly

✔ Mark
✔ Reward

Do not lure endlessly.
Let curiosity do the work.

Soon, the mat becomes:

“This is where I chill.”

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🏆 Reward Calm Choices (This Is Huge)

Watch for moments when your puppy:

• lies down on their own

• chews calmly

• watches instead of reacts

Reward those moments.

Calm behaviour is usually invisible — which is why it disappears.

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🦷 Redirect Biting Calmly

When biting starts:

• stay calm

• remove your hand

• offer an appropriate chew

• reward when they choose it

No yelling.
No drama.
No personal betrayal speeches.

Puppies learn fastest when you don’t turn it into a performance.

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🚪 Alone-Time Training (Tiny Steps)

Start with:

• seconds

• then minutes

Leave calmly.
Return calmly.

No emotional exits.
No emotional reunions.

We are teaching independence — not creating a soap opera.

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🏆 What Success Looks Like (Realistic, Not Instagram)

By the end of Weeks 3–4, success looks like:

✔ Puppy can relax on the mat briefly
✔ Nipping is reducing (not gone — reducing)
✔ Calm moments appear naturally

You may still have:

• zoomies

• moments of chaos

• questionable life choices

That’s normal.

Progress is happening — even when it doesn’t feel like it.

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🐾 Important Reminder

Your puppy is not trying to:

• dominate you

• control the house

• ruin your furniture out of spite

They are learning self-regulation for the first time in their life.

Your calm consistency now creates:

• better focus

• better behaviour

• a dog who can settle anywhere later

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Up Next:

In the next module, we’ll start building basic obedience and engagement —
so your puppy learns not just how to calm down, but how to listen.

And yes — things keep improving from here 🐶