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Riley just turned a year old! Here's what I have learned:

Keep to a schedule, even on the weekend. Puppy doesn't know it is Sat and will still have to pee at 6 AM. Sorry. Your sleeping in days are over. But the benefit of the schedule are that pup will be trained that much more quickly.

Feed her a premium dog food brand. She'll poop less, look better and live longer.

RESTRICT your dog. She is just a dog. Her feelings won't be hurt if she doesn't have access to absolutely every area of the house. Get a baby gate if you need to, crate her, etc., but until she's well potty trained she shouldn't be out of your sight for a moment-- if you can't watch her, in the crate she goes.

Get to know the word "Treat." Your dog will. Just go easy on the treats. You'll treat more in the beginning with training, and then start to treat less. Then it will become a puppy lottery-- "Ooh, I sat. Sometimes that means treats! I wonder if I'll get a treat this time!"

When you are walking her and you're heading back toward home, tell her, "We're going to (Puppy's Name)'s House. Do you want to go to (Puppy's Name)'s House and have treats? Eventually, if she gets off leash, you can yell "Go to ______'s House!" And she'll know what to do. This has saved my dog's life!

Get a variety of toys-- plush, hard, plastic, fleece, etc. Dogs love different textures. Make sure the size is appropriate. If puppy tears up a toy, sew it back up or throw it away. you don't want her to choke on a piece of toy!

Get an id tag for her collar. Unless you're bedding down for the night, she wears this all day, every day. Puppies can get out of the house easily.

If she is just laying around and doing nothing-- meaning she is relaxing and not getting into anything!-- praise her and tell her "good girl." She will understand that not bugging you is a good thing.

Crate train your dog.

Do puppy school at petsmart. A great investment in time, money and a happy pet. In addition to training you and your dog, you also get great tips on dog care.

Don't bathe her more than 2x/month, or her skin will get dry and itchy. Ears need to be cleaned out once a week, esp with a longer eared dog (you can buy a special ear clean solution at the pet store). Nails must be trimmed every 6 weeks. Heartworm and flea/tick meds must be administered 1x/month. (I recommend shopping Canadavet.com-- it's the cheapest site I've found for Heartguard and Advantix).

If she is a long-haired dog, she needs to be brushed 1-2 times a week minimum. You should invest in a medium tooth comb and a pair of thinning shears to cut out matted hair.

Don't leave her alone with pet toys that have electronic components, bones or Greenies. all are fine under supervision.

Puppy proof your home-- use bitter apple to spray on things you don't want her chewing on, etc. Know that anything that is on her level and is loose (shoes, socks, your toothbrush) is considered fair game if she can reach it. Remove the temptation.

No question is a stupid question. You'll be at the vet often getting puppy shots over these next few months. Ask.

If you are out of town and have to board your pet, I highly recommend Petsmart's Pet Hotel. They have 24 hour care, video cameras, dog TV, a vet on staff, play time and give you a "Pawgress Report" when you pick up your pet. Some of the extras are silly, I think, but the 24 hour care is wonderful-- most other boarding kennels dog care givers leave at 7 PM and don't come back until the next morning.

Have fun with your new pet. The first month is a very trying month -- puppy is peeing, crying and you're not getting much sleep. Once you get through that, and with hard work, training and mutual respect between owner and pet you're going to have a best friend for life!