Your New Puppy: Dog Training and Dog Behavior Lessons to Help You Turn Your New Puppy into a Well-Behaved Dog

You read every puppy book and still feel lost now that your puppy is home. Here’s why that’s normal and how to buy yourself a breather.

It’s been a great day. Your puppy has been an angel.

And then out of nowhere, your puppy flips a switch. 

The biting gets more intense. They stop responding to anything you say. They’re lunging, they’re frantic, and for a second, you actually wonder if something is wrong with them. Or with you.

This is puppy witching hour. And it is so much more common than you think.

It usually hits in the evening, right when you’re tired, and your patience is running low.

And if your puppy had a full, active day, that might actually be exactly why it’s happening.

This is not a sign that your puppy is aggressive, out of control, or that you’re doing something wrong. This is a normal developmental phase, and once you understand what’s driving it, you’ll know exactly what to do and what to skip.

In this episode, I talk about:

What puppy witching hour actually looks like and why it’s so disorienting

Why overstimulation and exhaustion trigger this kind of frantic behavior

The toddler tantrum connection and what it tells us about puppy emotional development

Why this is NOT the moment to discipline, redirect, or try and teach your puppy anything

What your puppy actually needs in these moments (hint: it’s not more exercise)

How the habits you’re building outside of these episodes will make them less frequent over time

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Other resources mentioned and related to this episode:

Your New Puppy’s Podcast: YNP #046: Puppy Biting and Why You Might Still be Struggling

Your New Puppy’s Podcast: YNP #078: Games to Play With a Nipping Puppy

Your New Puppy’s Podcast: YNP #060: Kids and Puppies

YOUR Perfect Puppy: If you’re looking for ongoing guidance with situations like this, this episode is also a great example of the kind of real-life problem-solving we do inside YOUR Perfect Puppy, where I help you turn everyday chaos into manageable routines that work for your household.