Transparency Note: This post helps you celebrate! It contains affiliate links, meaning if you buy through them, I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love.

Let’s be incredibly honest for a second: Puppies are aggressively, impossibly cute. They have giant paws, soft bellies, and breath that smells weirdly good.

They are also tiny, sleep-depriving agents of chaos that will chew your favorite shoes, pee on your only expensive rug, and cry at 3:00 AM for no apparent reason.

This Monday, March 23, is National Puppy Day.

Established in 2006, this holiday was created to celebrate the magic that puppies bring to our lives, while also bringing awareness to the importance of adopting orphans from rescues and safe shelters. Whether you just brought home an eight-week-old furball, or you are looking back fondly at the puppy days of your senior dog, today is about honoring the mess, the training, and the unconditional love.

If you are currently in the trenches of potty training and teething, take a deep breath. Here is how to survive the puppy phase and build a bond that lasts a lifetime.

Why We Celebrate: The "Tabula Rasa"

A puppy is a blank slate (a tabula rasa). Every single interaction they have with you shapes how they view the world.

The Big Why: We celebrate because raising a puppy is an exercise in extreme patience and empathy. When you put in the hard work during those first few months, your reward is a loyal, well-adjusted best friend for the next decade.

🌟 Editor's Pick 🌟

If you have a brand new puppy who cries the second you put them in their crate at night, you do not need to suffer through the sleeplessness. You need a surrogate littermate.

The Amazon Find:

Snuggle Puppy Heartbeat Stuffed Toy for Dogs

Why we love it: Puppies are used to sleeping in a pile with their mother and siblings. When they are suddenly alone, they panic. This genius plush toy contains a battery-operated device that mimics a real, rhythmic heartbeat, plus a disposable heat pack. You put it in the crate with them, and it tricks their brain into thinking they are cuddling with a sibling. It naturally reduces anxiety, stops the whining, and lets everyone finally get some sleep.

Perfect for: The exhausted new pet parent who just wants to sleep past 4:00 AM.

Get the Snuggle Puppy on Amazon 

2 More Ways to Make Today Memorable (and Manageable)

1. The "Shoe Saver" (The Toy)

When a puppy is teething, their gums hurt. If you do not provide them with an appropriate outlet for that pain, they will choose your baseboards.

• The Move: The Classic Distraction.

• The Amazon Find: KONG Puppy Toy (Soft Teething Rubber)

• Why we love it: The standard red KONG is great for adult dogs, but the baby pink and light blue versions are made from a softer rubber specifically designed for a puppy's delicate baby teeth. Fill it with a little bit of puppy kibble and a spoonful of plain yogurt, freeze it overnight, and hand it over when the biting gets out of control. It soothes their gums and occupies their brain for 30 minutes.

• Shop the KONG Puppy Toy on Amazon 

2. The "Accident Eraser" (The Cleaner)

Potty training is a marathon, not a sprint. If you clean up a puddle with standard soap, the puppy will still smell the ammonia and think, "Oh, this is the bathroom now."

• The Move: The Enzymatic Destroyer.

• The Amazon Find: Rocco & Roxie Stain & Odor Eliminator

• Why we love it: You cannot survive puppyhood without enzymatic cleaner. This spray contains natural enzymatic bacteria that literally feed on the ammonia crystals and organic matter in pet urine until it is completely eradicated. It doesn't just mask the smell with perfume; it destroys the stain at a molecular level so your puppy won't be tempted to re-offend in the same spot.

• Get Rocco & Roxie Cleaner on Amazon 

The "Zero Dollar" Hack: The "100 Things" Rule

The single most important thing you can do for a puppy costs absolutely nothing. It is called Socialization.

• The Rule: Before your puppy is 16 weeks old, they need to experience 100 new, positive things.

• The Method: Give them a treat while you gently touch their paws (so nail trims are easy later). Turn on the vacuum cleaner from across the room and drop a piece of chicken. Let them walk on grass, gravel, and hardwood. Let them see people in hats, people with umbrellas, and people on bicycles.

• The Impact: A properly socialized puppy grows up into a confident, bomb-proof adult dog who isn't reactive or fearful of the world.

Join the Conversation

We need the serotonin boost, and we need it now.

Drop a photo of your dog when they were a puppy in the comments!

(And tell us the weirdest thing they ever tried to chew).

Share the baby pictures on Instagram or TikTok and tag us @OnManyOccasions!