You bring home a puppy, and almost immediately someone asks what they know.

Sit? Come? Down?

Meanwhile, you’re thinking about whether they’ve peed in the house again, why they’re attacking your socks, when they last slept, and whether chewing the coffee table counts as enrichment.

The first things I want a puppy to learn are usually much more practical than a list of cues.

I want them learning that their people are predictable, that checking in is worthwhile, that rest is safe, that there are good places to toilet, that handling can be cooperative, and that the world is something they can explore without being rushed through it.

Those lessons make everything else easier later.

Early puppy learning happens all day, whether you’re running a formal training session or not.

They’re learning what happens when they look at you. What gets them access to the backyard. Whether hands predict something pleasant. Where they sleep. What they’re allowed to chew. What happens when another dog appears across the street.

That’s why I’d start with the things that help a puppy feel secure and make daily life more manageable.

A puppy’s name should mean, roughly, something useful is about to happen.

Say their name once. When they orient toward you, mark and reward. Keep it easy, and avoid repeating it over and over until it becomes background noise.

You can practise this in the kitchen, hallway, backyard, or during walks. A few good repetitions are more useful than turning it into a marathon.

I love early check-ins because they give puppies a reason to notice you without constantly asking for their attention.

If your puppy glances at you on their own, mark and reward it.

That might happen while you’re standing in the kitchen, waiting at the curb, walking through the hallway, or exploring outside.

Over time, you’re building a puppy who has a habit of checking back in instead of treating you like furniture.

You don’t need a polished recall in week one.

You do want your puppy learning that moving toward you is worth doing.

Call them from a short distance when you’re pretty sure they’ll succeed. Reward generously when they get to you. Play a little game of moving away and letting them follow. Have family members take turns calling the puppy between them.

Make the early version easy enough that “come here” doesn’t become background noise either.

A lot of puppy problems are really routine problems.

Too little sleep, inconsistent toileting, unclear chewing options, and a day with no rhythm can make everyone feel like they’ve accidentally adopted a tiny raccoon.

Housetraining is one of the first things worth teaching because it affects every day.

Take your puppy out often, especially after waking, eating, playing, training, or having a big drink. Bring them to the place you want them to use, give them enough time to sniff and settle, and reward after they go.

If they don’t toilet, come back inside and supervise closely rather than assuming they’re done.

Accidents are information. They usually mean the puppy needed to go sooner, had too much freedom, or didn’t quite understand the pattern yet.

Puppies need a lot of sleep, and overtired puppies can become spectacularly bad at making good decisions.

Biting gets harder. Zoomies get bigger. Frustration rises. Suddenly the rug is offensive.

Build predictable rest into the day. That might mean a crate, pen, gated room, bed, or another safe setup where your puppy can settle without constant stimulation.

You don’t need to wait until they’re completely exhausted.

Puppies explore with their mouths, and chewing is normal.

Give them legal options they actually like: safe chews, appropriate toys, food-stuffed items, cardboard to shred if they enjoy it, or other puppy-safe outlets.

If they keep choosing your hands, clothes, furniture, or ankles, look at the whole setup. Are they tired? Overstimulated? Underoccupied? Teething? Trying to start play?

Sometimes the answer is redirection. Sometimes it’s a nap.

Puppies will eventually need to be touched, examined, groomed, dried off, have paws handled, wear equipment, and visit the vet.

That doesn’t mean we need to practise by holding them still and getting it over with.

Start small.

Touch a paw briefly, reward, and stop. Let them investigate the brush before using it. Pair gentle handling with food if they enjoy that. Give them breaks.

If your puppy pulls away, freezes, mouths your hand, or keeps trying to leave, make it easier.

The early lesson I want is: people pay attention when I say I need a pause.

That gives us a much better foundation for cooperative care later.

Puppies are learning what kind of world they live in.

That includes people, dogs, traffic, elevators, surfaces, sounds, household appliances, car rides, patios, veterinary clinics, umbrellas, children, bicycles, and all the other strange things humans have decided are normal.

I don’t love puppy socialization checklists because they can make people feel like they need to rush through fifty experiences before some imaginary deadline.

A puppy who sees ten new things and feels curious, comfortable and able to move at their own pace may learn more useful things than a puppy who is dragged through thirty exposures in a weekend.

Let them observe. Give them room. Notice their body language. Let them move away.

If they’re curious, let them investigate.

For most puppies, appropriate social experiences with other dogs are an important part of development.

That can include play with well-matched puppies, time with socially skilled adult dogs, and learning how to pause, disengage, re-engage, and read what another dog is communicating.

It doesn’t mean greeting every dog on the sidewalk.

The quality of the interaction matters more than collecting greetings.

Sniffing, looking around, climbing over safe surfaces, investigating new places, and choosing what to approach are all part of learning about the world.

You don’t have to turn every outing into training.

Sometimes the lesson is just: we came somewhere new, I got to look around, and nothing weird happened.

That counts.

They’re fine to teach.

They’re just not the first things I’d worry about.

A puppy who knows how to sit but can’t rest, toilet outside, tolerate handling, come when called, or move through the world comfortably is going to have a harder time than a puppy who hasn’t perfected a sit yet.

Teach simple cues if you enjoy them. Keep sessions short. Use food, play, movement, and whatever else your puppy finds rewarding.

You can build precision later.

If I were bringing home a puppy tomorrow, I’d spend most of my attention on:

Name recognition, check-ins, recall, and making myself worth paying attention to.

Sleep, toileting, meals, chewing, and a predictable daily rhythm.

Handling, equipment, resting spaces, and helping the puppy feel safe around everyday care.

Positive exposure to people, dogs, places, sounds, surfaces, and environments at a pace the puppy can handle.

Sniffing. Playing. Exploring. Chewing. Sleeping.

A lot of sleeping.

There’s plenty of time for the rest.

The first few weeks with a puppy can make people feel like they’re already behind.

You’re not.

Pick a few things that make life easier right now. Reward the behaviour you want to see again. Keep sessions short. Let your puppy sleep. Let them sniff.

And when something isn’t working, change the setup before assuming the puppy needs more training.

That usually gets you much farther than trying to cram an entire obedience syllabus into week one.

If you’d like some help figuring out what to focus on first, Puppy Foundations offers private and small-group puppy training in Montreal, with support built around your puppy, household and everyday life.