Should you let your new puppy (or dog) just be a "puppy"?

This really depends on what "being a puppy" means to you.  If this means playing, enjoying, snuggling and affection as PART of the puppy's experiences, well then yes.   If this means, you do not expect perfection or for a puppy to act like an adult dog, that is an absolutely correct mindset.  If that means you are aware that your new puppy (or dog) needs to be protected from things in our domestic environment that they don't understand, then that is also a yes.  Your puppy is now learning about an domestic environment and how to treat humans (and other animals as well).   

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On the other hand​, if what you mean is unlimited freedom and a lack of supervision, then that is a hard no in my opinion.   As a dog trainer, I deal with adolescent and adult dogs that had no rules or boundaries, and now find themselves (if they are extremely lucky) with their original or new owners who are desperately trying to resolve the issues that come with unlimited freedom and supervision.

You should also know that not all puppies come in as confident, fearless, and temperamentally sound from breeders or shelters.   There are (see link at the end) periods in a puppy's stages of development that can be key in what you need to learn and do.   This is related, but not a big piece of this article.   Just know that not all puppies are going to be easy in the first place, and that work should be done with them early on.  It is not very likely to be easier later.

Even small breed puppies can get into awful habits (if allowed) that will make both of your lives as a team less than it could be.  Puppies, who will grow into large dogs, will have the obvious problems going forward.  The most obvious is that they may be able to overpower you with lack of training early on.

Here are some tips going forward with your new puppy's education:

1. ​The basics will include housetraining (specifically to go outside), crate training (resist your urge to skip this), and leash "training" (or just getting them familiar with the concept of a leash attached).
2. You can play with AND train things with your puppy.  You can learn to reward your puppy with their food or their toys.  This will also bond and create communication between you and your puppy (done with a training plan in mind and correctly of course).  Actually most of the actual training would be done in this way until about 6 months old (or longer).
3. New puppies really need to learn (not instantly or quickly) that teeth do not belong on human skin (unless you are training for a particular sport, and that is not usually the problem of most pet dog owners).  There are so many ways to do this trading, diverting to toy play, making sure they have enough sleep, making sure their needs have been met (if they aren't consistently puppies may communicate this with their teeth), supervision, and no boundary less unlimited freedom.
4. Most puppies are like sponges and are more than willing to interact with you right off and learn.  Sometimes you get a puppy with more independence or behavioral issues, and then it is your turn to learn about those and how to best help your puppy.

In the end, you are responsible for guiding your puppy on the path to adulthood.  How and if you do that will influence the future adult dog (but this may be limited in the power to improve at that point).  You can always get help for an adult dog, but I promise you that it is easier to start with your puppy now rather than later.   Professional training help is available to owners of young puppies as well.  While it is confusing out there, there are books and videos that can help you DIY, as well.  Love your puppy and guide them accordingly.
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[LINKS TO PAST ARTICLES ON PUPPY TIPS]
​[LINK TO PUPPY STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT]

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