Start Calm: Raising a Confident Puppy in the First 16 Weeks
About this book
The first sixteen weeks quietly shape the dog your puppy becomes. Start Calm is a warm, science-based guide through socialization, sleep, crate and potty training, and confidence — no fear, no dominance. Drawn from leading veterinary-behavior guidance and paired with a printable toolkit to keep by the door.
What's inside
Part One — Before the Chaos Begins
1. Congratulations, You've Adopted a Tiny Anarchist
2. The Window That Closes
3. The Scariest Statistic in This Book
4. What "Socialization" Actually Means (Hint: It's Not a Puppy Party)
5. The Vaccine Myth That's Quietly Hurting Puppies
Part Two — The First Days
6. The First Night (Nobody Sleeps, and That's Okay)
7. Puppy-Proofing Your Home and Your Sanity
8. The Crate Is Not a Cage
9. House-Training Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Rugs)
Part Three — The Big Work
10. The Socialization Checklist: People, Places, Sounds & Weird Floors
11. Under Threshold: Reading the Puppy Who's Had Enough
12. Touch Everything: Handling for a Lifetime of Easy Vet Visits
13. The Sound of Fireworks in July (Prevented in March)
14. Teaching Alone-Time Before He Ever Needs It
15. Those Needle Teeth: Bite Inhibition & the Land Shark Phase
Part Four — The Foundations
16. The Only Words He Needs to Learn First
17. The Off-Switch: Teaching a Puppy to Be Calm
18. Food Is Not a Battle: Preventing Resource Guarding Early
19. The Fear Periods (When Your Brave Puppy Becomes a Chicken)
Part Five — The Road Ahead
20. Choosing a Puppy Class That Won't Undo Your Work
21. Late to the Party: If You Missed the Window
22. The Calm Dog You're Building
Plus The Frolicy Puppy Toolkit (the printable checklists).
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