Best toys for a Yorkie puppy: a trainer's size-smart guide
Yorkie puppies need toys that are smaller and softer than most lists suggest, and more varied. A certified puppy trainer explains how to choose the best toys for a Yorkie puppy by...
The Nurtino blog
Puppy training, minus the chaos
Trainer-written guides for the first six months: biting, teething, sleep, schedules and enrichment. By Mara Whitcombe, CPDT-KA.
Latest guides
Is a puppy play gym safe? A trainer's honest safety checklist
Is a puppy play gym safe? Usually yes, when the frame is stable, the toys suit your puppy's size, and you supervise. A certified trainer explains the real risks, gives a five-point...
Puppy Play Gym Size Guide: Pick the Right Fit for Your Space
A CPDT-KA trainer breaks down how to actually size a puppy play gym: match the frame to your puppy's expected adult weight, measure real floor clearance, and see why a solid bamboo...
High-energy puppy enrichment for apartments: a trainer's guide
Certified trainer Mara Whitcombe lays out a real plan for a high-energy puppy with no yard and no dog park nearby: how much enrichment to pack into each day, a rotation built...
Mental Stimulation Games for Puppies: A Trainer's Picks
A certified puppy trainer breaks down the mental stimulation games for puppies that actually work, from snuffle mats and puzzle feeders to five-minute training sessions, and explains why a tired brain settles...
Best Teething Toys for Puppies, Picked by a Trainer
A CPDT-KA trainer breaks down what actually makes a teething toy safe for a puppy's loose baby teeth and incoming adult ones, from the fingernail test to why a bamboo teething ring...
How to Potty Train a Puppy in an Apartment
Potty training a puppy in an apartment uses the same core method as a house with a yard, a fixed schedule and consistent praise, but the logistics of elevators, hallways, and lease...
Puppy potty training schedule by age: what to expect week by week
How often should a puppy go outside at 8 weeks, 3 months, or 6 months? This age-by-age puppy potty training schedule breaks down bladder control, trip frequency, and what actually causes setbacks...
Puppy Nap Schedule by Age: How Much Sleep Is Normal?
A realistic puppy nap schedule by age, built from how sleep needs shift from 8 weeks to 12 months, with a wake-window chart, a bamboo-vs-plastic comparison for naptime enrichment, and the five...
The Puppy Crate Training Schedule That Actually Works
A certified puppy trainer breaks down a realistic, week-by-week puppy crate training schedule, from the first 8-week sessions to overnight stretches by 4 to 5 months, grounded in bladder-capacity guidance from AKC,...
The Puppy Socialization Window: When It Closes, and How to Use It
The puppy socialization window runs from roughly three to fourteen weeks of age and narrows fast. This piece covers what the window actually is, how to socialize safely before your puppy's vaccine...
10 Week Old Puppy Schedule: Hour-by-Hour Feeding, Naps, Play
A certified trainer breaks down a realistic 10 week old puppy schedule, hour by hour, covering feeding times, nap windows, potty-break timing, and short play sessions built for a puppy who still...
Puppy Developmental Stages by Week: What to Expect
A certified trainer maps out puppy developmental stages by week, from the neonatal period through the critical 8-to-12-week socialization window and the teething, high-energy stretch that runs through 6 months.