Bringing home your baby is a very exciting time. We will at Magnoliarun Cavaliers will make sure that we prepare you to keep your puppy safe, happy, healthy, entertained, exercised, and snuggled.

Puppies and kids wake up early. Be prepared to take your puppy outside very early first thing in the morning, as well as the last thing before you go to bed.

There are three main life events that your puppy goes through. The first is being born and learning to breath air and nurse from mom. The second is transitioning from nursing to solid food. The third is transitioning successfully to their “furever” home. As your puppy does this huge transition with you, they may become stressed and it can manifest as loose stool, food refusal, or whining at night. Your puppy will take about a month to adjust to the rhythm of your household and routine. There are tips and tricks we can offer to help with this transition.

We love to answer questions no matter how big or small. We will help you through the training and housebreaking process.

Suggested Supplies

Before your puppy comes home, you will want to prepare, and get a few things set up in advance in order to make the transition both easier and safer.

A Dog Crate - When introduced properly, dogs come to love their crates, viewing them as a cozy and secure den of their own. The key is keeping the crate a consistently positive space. Never use it as punishment. Instead, feed your dog their meals inside to build a happy association from the start.

Crate training also has real practical benefits. It is essential for travel, and if your dog ever needs an overnight stay at the vet, they will be far more comfortable if the experience is already familiar. Any time your dog rides in the car, the crate provides an added layer of safety for both of you.

Crate your young puppy at night, unless, of course, that puppy has found their way to your bed. In which case, carry-on!

We recommend a Vari-kennel or Midwest 200 size crate, Medium. Plastic or wire. 

Be sure you buy a tough crate pad which has a rolled edge and flat bottom.​​

​Baby Gates - Think about setting up a “safe” area in your house, typically the kitchen. Set up your baby gates in advance.

Bacterial Enzyme Cleaner - Simple Solution Brand, Nature's Miracle, or anything similar that can be used for cleaning up any accidents.

Ex Pen - An exercise pen is a fold-able metal puppy pen which can be set up anywhere. You can buy a couple of ex pens and build an instant, temporary outdoor play yard. Handy and portable. Can be used to block off areas in your home, as well. I highly recommend this! Helps with potty training.

Food Dishes - Avoid plastic. The best option is stainless steel.

NOTE: When we send a precious puppy off to it’s new home, we will provide a goody bag containing the important essentials to get you started.

  • We use a method called "4-Paws" for potty training Cavaliers, and when followed consistently, it works beautifully. (Credit for this method goes to Anne Eckersley of Chadwick Cavaliers.)

    The First 72 Hours For the first three days after your puppy comes home, no paws touch the floor inside. Your puppy should be in your arms, going potty outside, or resting in a crate. The more time spent in your arms, the better. This not only jumpstarts potty training but also provides important bonding benefits.

    Floor Time After 72 hours, and only once you have witnessed your puppy fully eliminating outside, you may allow 10 minutes of supervised floor time. Gradually increase this in 5-minute increments as your puppy matures. It can take several months for young puppies to develop enough to be reliably safe in the home, so patience and consistency are essential.

    Tips for Success Always take your puppy to the same spot in the yard, and give plenty of praise once they finish. Keep these timing rules in mind:

    • Take your puppy outside immediately after waking up from any nap or sleep.

    • Take your puppy outside 5 to 15 minutes after eating.

    • A puppy running while sniffing the ground needs to go outside right now. Pick them up and move quickly!

    Do not give your puppy free run of the house. If an accident happens, only correct your puppy if you catch them in the very act, reacting at that exact moment. Timing is everything. A firm "no" is all that is needed.

  • Leash Training and Outdoor Potty Setup

    A 12-week-old puppy arrives with little to no leash experience, so setting up a small outdoor potty area will make life much easier for everyone. Place an ex-pen near your back door to create a designated spot your puppy can learn to use right away. It is one of the simplest things you can do to set your puppy up for success.

    Getting Started with the Harness

    We send our puppies home with a soft fabric harness and leash set. Similar sets are easy to find on Amazon at a reasonable price. A young puppy's neck is delicate, so a soft harness vest is a much gentler introduction to leash walking than a collar. Take everything in small steps, and keep all interactions positive and encouraging. Use treats and toys to lure your puppy forward, and bring your most enthusiastic energy to every session. Be expressive, be playful, and praise generously. There is truly no such thing as too much encouragement when training a young pup.

    What to Do When Your Puppy Resists

    If your puppy "pancakes" and refuses to move, never drag or pull them. If they back away, ease the tension by stepping toward them. Pulling a puppy is counterproductive and can undo progress quickly.

    A Note on Patience

    Learning to go potty while on a leash is a real skill that takes time to develop. Be patient with your puppy and with yourself. You will both get there.

  • Training Your Cavalier

    Clicker training is by far the best training method for this breed. It excels at breaking tasks into small, manageable steps and keeps the entire learning experience positive and rewarding for your dog.

    The Power of Positive Reinforcement

    Positive reinforcement is far more effective than correction or punishment. Whenever you catch your puppy doing something right, acknowledge it immediately and praise enthusiastically. That moment of recognition is what teaches your puppy to repeat the behavior.

    On the flip side, unwanted behaviors should be completely ignored. And "ignored" means fully ignored: no eye contact, no words, no reaction of any kind. Even a glance or a frustrated "no" is a form of attention, and attention is a reward. Any response from you will reinforce the behavior and encourage your puppy to try it again.

    Resources We Recommend

    This article is a great introduction to the clicker training method and a helpful place to start. When looking for a trainer, seek out someone who uses positive, reward-based methods.

    We also highly recommend The Whole Dog Journal, a wonderful publication dedicated to positive, science-based dog care and training. Subscribers gain access to their full library of articles, making it an invaluable ongoing resource for any dog owner.

  • Yard and Fence Safety

    If you have a fenced yard or run, inspect it regularly. Check for gaps or holes the puppy could squeeze through, poisonous mushrooms that can appear overnight, and wasp nests in the ground. These are all real hazards that come up more often than you might expect.

    Always keep your puppy on a secure leash outside of a fully enclosed area. And never leave a collar on your dog while they are in a crate or unsupervised in the yard. Collars can catch on things and become a serious strangling hazard.

    Puppy-Proofing Your Home

    Walk through your home with fresh eyes and remove anything within a puppy's reach. This includes electrical cords, shoes, wastebasket contents, and low-shelf books and magazines, as puppies love to shew and shred. Be mindful of furniture, decorative objects, and small pieces from children's toys as well.

    Puppies will chew and swallow surprising things, including rocks and acorns. Ingesting foreign objects can lead to bowel obstruction, which may require emergency surgery. It is a serious and costly risk that is entirely preventable with a little vigilance.

    Also take stock of any toxic houseplants and household cleaning products that may be within reach, and move them to secure locations.