27/05/2026
Everyone has advice when you get a new puppy.
“Leave him to cry.”
“He’ll manipulate you.”
“Don’t comfort him.”
“He needs to self soothe.”
“Don’t let him follow you.”
“You’re making him clingy.”
And honestly? It’s interesting how much old puppy advice still hangs around, even though the science around canine behaviour and emotional development has moved on massively.
Peanut has left everything he’s ever known.
His mum.
His littermates.
His smells.
His routine.
His safety blanket.
So yes, sometimes he wants reassurance.
Sometimes he wants to sleep near us.
Sometimes he follows me around like a tiny ginger shadow.
That doesn’t automatically create separation anxiety.
At the same time, carrying puppies around 24/7, never teaching independence, or making them reliant on constant contact isn’t healthy either.
The goal isn’t “ignore them until they give up.”
The goal also isn’t “never let them experience frustration.”
The goal is balance.
Helping a puppy feel safe enough to settle, while gradually teaching them confidence, resilience, and independence in a way that doesn’t tip them into panic.
Modern behavioural science is showing us more and more that emotional wellbeing matters in dogs, especially during development.
Sometimes the old ways worked.
Sometimes dogs simply coped.
Those aren’t always the same thing.
Anyway… Peanut currently thinks socks are a controlled substance and cardboard is a food group, so we’re all learning together.
