Momo & Gyoza Puppy Schedule, 13 weeks
Momo is still available via City Dog Rescue. Momo’s page is here.
Check out how different (and similar!) the puppies’ schedule is now that we’ve transitioned from potty pads to no more potty pads and doing all pees and poops outside. With the potty training (vs the indoor play pen and potty pads), I have to be much more intentional about giving them regular breaks throughout the day. I also really have to plan to make sure they get enough exercise, time with people, and mental stimulation.
Luckily, potty training is going really well with these two!
6am WAKE (well, me and Momo wake up, Gyoza is usually waiting for me!), straight out to potty, both puppies pee and poop and get treats if I remembered to grab them! I give them both some love at this time and play with them a bit so they can stretch their legs!
6:20am CRATE & BREAKFAST, both puppies know the routine now and run back into their crates. I shut the doors, give them a treat and make their breakfast. Puppies are each getting a heaping 1/2 cup of dry with 1/4 cup or so of wet food. I use this to make one KONG each, a small treat in the bottom of the KONG and a mixture of wet food with kibble in the main part.
While the puppies are eating, I refresh their water and wipe down the floor because it is usually muddy from them running in and out the day before. Luckily, no more potty pads to clean up!
After that, I leisurely make my coffee!
7am WALK, since they are no longer using the indoor play pen, I’m keeping all activity outside. This is a HUGE secret on how to get a well-behaved & potty-trained puppy quickly - weather permitting, limit all activity to outdoors only during the early weeks. We just started walking yesterday, but our new routine is to go for a 30-minute walk in the morning. Our walks are less “walks” and more very slow sniff-fests, but really great for their mental enrichment! They get treats for anything that happens outside that they notice - new people, new dogs, starting sounds, strange vehicles, strollers, etc. This will condition them that new things in the environment are good things! If they don’t pee and poop on the walk, I give them a little time in the yard to do their business in a safe and familiar space.
7:30am-9:30am NAP, by the time we get back, the puppies are ready for a drink of water. Then they go in their crates, I shut the doors, treat, and they nap!
9:30/10am POTTY BREAK, I’m really timing their potty breaks by their level of activity. So, if they are both passed out in a deep sleep, I might go a little longer between potty breaks. We’ve stretched as long as 3.5 hours between outings at times. If they seem active and alert though, I know I need to take them out about every 2 hours. Either way, sometime around this time, we are back outside for a potty break with treats and a little playtime. We usually try to stay out for 30 minutes or so. They are often extra fiesty at this time!
10:30am CRATE, back to their crate for another nap. They often protest this one. But, as much as I would love to spend 100% of my time with them, I need time to work and have alone time too! So, they nap while I get a few things done.
12pm 3/4 LUNCH, I feed most of their lunch around this time. I reserve a little bit of kibble for after their potty break.
12/12:30pm RELEASE THE PUPPIES, when they are done with lunch, they go back outside. This could be a walk if I have time. They get about 20 minutes and then back in their crates with the remaining 1/4 of their lunch.
1-3:30pm NAP, the puppies are usually tired again and fall asleep, this is my second work period. The puppies are usually very mellow from around 10am until around 4pm, so these afternoon naps are great! The puppies are often just chill during the day
3:30pm POTTY BREAK & PLAYTIME, another potty break with treats, often the kids will come out and it will be a bit longer, but I at least let them out to pee and poop if they need to. The puppies are usually starting to rev up around this time! So, I try to keep them out for at least 30 minutes. This is a great time for training or any new toys. I might turn this into a walk in the future.
4pm CHEW TIME, since they are not using the indoor play pen anymore, it is important to keep them busy during this time, since they are naturally more active! I usually crate them and give them a bully stick, digestable chew, peanut butter KONG, or similar.
5pm POTTY BREAK & PLAYTIME, another potty break. There is often tons of activity and chaos at this time, the puppies are very active! I like to let them play for a bit, then we might do some training for treats. This is their last major exercise period for the day, so I try to give them at least 30 minutes, more if I can! This would be a great time to do a really long walk with them if I have time. This is also when I pick up their water bowl.
5:30pm-7:45pm DINNER & NAP, puppies go back in their crates and eat dinner. They are usually in for a longer period at this time.
7:45pm POTTY BREAK, I try to keep this one short and sweet, though I do want to make sure they both have time to pee and poop, since they just had dinner. I will offer them a small amount of water at this time (~1/4 cup). If they don’t drink it, I remove it, but if they want it, they can have it! Likewise, treating is very minimal, just a small treat for going back in the crate after the potty break.
10pm-10:30pm LAST POTTY, sometime in this range they get one last potty break. I give them as much time as possible here. I really want them to both pee and poop if they need to. “Empty puppies” will sleep through the night and be much more settled, so that is my goal! No water and no treats at this time.
10:30 CRATE FOR THE NIGHT, my goal is to have them both in their crates at 10:30/11pm.