Christmas with a new puppy feels exciting. It also feels loud, busy, and unpredictable. Your puppy feels every bit of this change.

I’ve put together a few easy tips to help puppy families with a new puppy while protecting training, routines, and your sanity.

The goal is simple. Help your puppy enjoy the holidays while building calm habits that last beyond December.

Christmas with a new puppy starts with balance.
Puppies thrive on structure, even during the holidays. Too much excitement without rest leads to jumping, nipping, barking, and accidents.

Give play time and rest time equal importance. Short play sessions work best for young puppies.

Plan intentional play. Five to ten minutes is enough.

• Tug – Always a great game, this does NOT create an agressive dog, that’s a myth
• Fetch – Classic, great game for kids to play with puppy. As an adult I love it too
• Simple training games – Sit, Down, Stay.

Take a few moments to engage with your puppy. You don’t need super quite locations, some distractions are okay… but too many may make it hard for puppy to focus.

Follow play with crate time.

• Quiet space
• Comfortable crate
• Covered crate if needed

Crate rest helps your puppy reset. A rested puppy handles guests better and learns faster.

Avoid overwhelming your puppy with too many toys.
Christmas morning often brings piles of puppy toys. Too many options overwhelm young dogs and increase destructive behavior.

Keep one or two toys available. Rotate toys every few days. Store the rest out of sight. This improves focus and keeps toys exciting longer.

Keep puppy manners consistent when guests visit. Holiday guests change the energy in your home. Puppies notice and push boundaries. Ask guests to help with the training. A jumping puppy gets ignored, once puppy sits – all the love, pets and attention can be given.

• Do not pause training during Christmas.
• No jumping on people
• No nipping hands
• No begging during meals

Use a leash indoors if needed – this makes it easy to redirect your puppy when needed. Ask for sits before greetings. Reward calm behavior. Consistency during busy seasons prevents long term behavior problems.

Maintain your puppy’s routine during the holidays. Schedules shift during Christmas. Puppies still need predictable structure.

Keep meal times consistent. Follow your potty schedule. Protect daily crate time. Routine helps your puppy feel safe when everything else feels new.

Prioritize daily exercise and outdoor time.
Exercise matters more during busy holiday weeks.

Get outside every day.

• Walks
• Backyard play
• Sniff breaks

Sniffing lowers stress and burns mental energy. Ten minutes of sniffing supports better behavior than long, chaotic play sessions.

Protect your puppy from too much attention. Everyone wants to hold and play with a new puppy. Puppies need breaks. Advocate for your puppy. Limit handling. Use the crate for quiet time. Step outside for decompression if needed.

Calm puppies enjoy Christmas more than overstimulated puppies.

Christmas with a new puppy does not need perfection.
It needs balance.
Play time.
Rest.
Training.
Fresh air.

Support these basics and your puppy enters the new year calm, confident, and ready to keep learning.

Use these tips throughout the year when events or parties change the feel of your home. 

If you have specific questions or need additional suggestions, please feel free to reach out. I’m happy to help! 602-628-0301

Merry Christmas!
Jill & Chris Smith