Hi all r/puppy101 😊

I’ve been reading a lot about early puppy routines lately and realized how unrealistic some “perfect schedule” advice sounds.

So I tried to sketch a realistic first-week routine based on common guidance (AKC, vet blogs, trainers) — but I’d love reality checks from people who’ve actually lived it.

Here’s what I’m seeing as a practical starting point:

Sleep & Naps zzZZ

• Puppies sleep a LOT — often 16–20 hours/day.
• Rough rule: 1 hour awake → 1–2 hour nap.

Does that rhythm actually hold up in real life?

Potty

• Immediately after: waking, eating, playing.
• Roughly every 1–2 hours at first (age dependent).
• Overnight breaks are normal in week 1.

Meals

• 3–4 meals per day
• Predictable meal timing → predictable potty timing.

Did consistent meal times make a noticeable difference for you?

Training (keep it tiny)

• 3–5 minute sessions
• 2–3 times a day
• Focus on name recognition, sit, recall foundations
• End before they disengage

From what I’m reading, week 1 seems less about productivity and more about:

• Building predictability
• Preventing overtired meltdowns
• Lowering expectations

Would you agree?

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I’m not a trainer or vet — just trying to organize what’s out there into something realistic.

If you’ve been through the first week recently, curious to know:

• If you could go back to week 1, what would you set a repeating timer for? Every X hours for ___?