Congratulations!
You are now at the start of a very long road. The early days are important for settling your puppy into their new home. They are also important for teaching your puppy the social skills needed to live with a human family and the right approach to training will make your life much easier.
Be consistent from day one.
Establish the ground rules, agree to them as a whole family and stick to them. Every time you see a new behaviour ask yourself ‘what is that going to look like in 12 months time?’ Will you want your cute little Labrador puppy, who greets you enthusiastically, jumping up at you with muddy paws when he weighs 30kg? What will happen when your Cocker Spaniel’s nose can reach the surface of the dining table if you feed them from the table now because she’s so adorable when she begs? Think about the end product and give your puppy clear direction and guidance on how you want them to behave.
Start training for the future as early as possible. You can start lead training in the house before they are fully vaccinated. You can start teaching them impulse control by asking them to wait for treats or their dinner. Keep training short, simple and fun. Mix it up with lots of play and cuddles but always have in the back of your mind that whatever your puppy learns now will form the basis of how he behaves in the future.