What is too much freedom for puppies?

Sometimes new puppy homes are in a rush to give their puppies too much freedom.  This is especially true in homes where the puppy may be the only dog.

We want to be interacting, training, and playing with our puppies whenever they’re awake which is great and a necessary part of raising a puppy.  We also want them with us all the time so we can monitor them for the purpose of housetraining, to redirect any destructive tendencies, and just because they’re so darn cute and fun to watch!  

However, a little freedom can go a long way especially with a very young puppy.

3 Things Can Happen With Too Much Freedom:

1. Over-tired puppy. A lot of freedom means a lot of stimulation leading to over-tired puppies who bite, a LOT. Over-tired puppies react quickly to everything happening around them – often with their mouths. The cuddly puppy disappears and suddenly you have a piranha zipping around playing “catch me if you can”! Because puppies don’t naturally take rest breaks when they need them, it’s our job to set up their environment so they can get enough rest which means containing them many times a day for naps and breaks so they aren’t constantly over-tired.
2. Inadvertently shaping behaviour we don’t want. Freedom without constant montoring can easily lead to the unintended start of behaviours we don’t want like (trying to) jump on the kitchen counter, getting up on the furniture, jumping up and biting clothing and hands, chasing the children, harassing other pets, escaping out an open door.  Any number of behaviours can be learned very quickly that could easily be prevented with less freedom and more management.
3. A puppy who is always with us, can easily turn into a puppy who can’t be left alone. Puppies need to learn to busy themselves or rest when we’re not available. We need to build this skill up gradually and plan our days well – outings and training followed by items they can entertain themselves with in their containment area while we do laundry, work, cook, clean, watch a movie, etc.

In our home, puppies are contained in a pen with an open crate, a bed, food and water, LOTS of toys, and a potty area at night.  We build their access to freedom gradually by using  baby gates to block off smaller areas that can still be visually monitored. When we want to be with our puppy, we either spend time in their containment area, or we bring our puppy out on a leash to spend time with us in our area.

To get puppies used to more freedom, build this skill one small step at a time by building routines connected to exploring. Use your puppy’s leash and harness to explore with them around the house so you can easily prevent access to things as needed while they become familiar with their home environment. This way you’re part of the picture, can easily keep them safe and you can get information about what things might become really enticing and require extra management as your puppy gains more freedom.

While you’re exploring, do some training connected to the exploration: practice Leave it, Drop it, Come when called, Sit, etc. Training is rewarded with treats, toy play and more exploration.

Make time to do this daily even just for brief moments. Plan it when you have time to be completely available to monitor your puppy and be directly involved with their free time.  And, as always, keep it positive and have fun watching your puppy grow and learn!