Puppy Archives - Page 8 of 21 - Smart Dog University

Puppy Training: Lesson of the Day – Tethering

August 28, 2012

Most people know that crate training your pup is a great idea, but not as many know about tethering. Similar to crating, tethering your pup helps keep your pup out of trouble and helps with house training. It’s a little different from crating in that a tether is nothing more than a short(er) leash that you can attach to anything sturdy no matter where you are.

See that curved line that looks like it’s coming out of Siena’s hind end? That’s a tether! It’s not really connected to her hind end, but rather her collar. The other end is connected to the gate that separates the kitchen from my office.

Today’s her first day on a tether. I like to use a tether because it gives me more freedom to move with Siena throughout the house. It also keeps her out of the crate. AND, most importantly, it keeps her safe and in an area where I can constantly watch her — which is helpful when you’re house training a puppy!

If you’re having trouble potty training your pup because he wanders away from you, a tether will help. It’s a plastic coated wire that’s about 3′ or 4′ long and it has a clip on each end. You simply attach your dog to one end and secure the other end to something sturdy. Voila! You now have a tool that will help keep your pup out of trouble and doesn’t mean that he’ll be crated for hours at a time.

Tethers are to be used only when you can actively supervise your pup. I would never leave Siena alone while she’s tethered – she could become entangled and severely injure herself. But it’s great for days like this one, where I’m spending most of my day in front of the computer. She’s right here in the same room, close enough that I can even pet her, and I don’t have to crate her, and most importantly — she can’t get into trouble or sneak off and pee in the house! The tether is the perfect solution!

Introducing A New Puppy – Siena, Great Dane Pup

August 27, 2012

Our latest service pup in training has finally arrived! Her name is Siena and she’s a Great Dane.

We were taken by surprise Friday afternoon when we were told we might have a pup that weekend. It had been too long without a pup as it was, so there weren’t any complaints from us!

We’re so used to a new puppy to train that it felt like eons since we’d had a pup, even though Caysun was turned in only seven weeks ago. This pup, Siena, is being raised for Service Dogs of Virginia, the organization for which we’ve raised most our pups. We’re fortunate to have found such a fabulous organization with which to work.

It’s very exciting to train a pup — Siena is our 12th service pup and we’re thrilled to have another Great Dane in the house. Our last Dane, Talos, went on to do great things with his new partner and we’re hoping sweet Siena can follow in Talos’ footsteps.

Siena is 11 weeks old and we’re working hard to get in all the puppy socialization before the 18 week mark, which is when the socialization window closes for pups.

What that means is: I’ve got my work cut out for me! No, really, what it means is that you have to get your pup out and about to expose to in a happy and fun way to a variety of things before they are 18 weeks old. At 18 weeks, pups become less like sponges — they stop accepting everything as normal and begin to look at new, unknown things as potentially scary.

Siena hasn’t seen much in her 11 weeks — almost everything is new to her and she hangs back a bit. Thankfully, once she’s seen something once, she integrates it into her repertoire as if she’d never thought it was strange.

We’re very excited to have another pup and we’ll be sharing a lot of puppy training stories as well as puppy socialization and puppy training ideas!

They’ll Grow Out of It, Right?

August 1, 2012

Here’s August’s Your Smart Dog featured article. Enjoy!

They’ll Grow Out of It Right?
Don’t IGNORE These Issues…

I love teaching Puppy Charm School classes. Who wouldn’t enjoy 5 or 6 roly-poly puppies running, playing, learning? A common question is “Will my puppy grow out of __________ [fill in the blank]. The short answer is “no.” Puppies don’t usually grow out of anything except their collars. They more often grow into adults with the same bad habits that started in puppyhood. So what’s a good dog owner to do? This month’s newsletter will examine what problems you can let slide and which ones need your attention. We’ll also give you a roadmap to solving those behaviors that time won’t solve.

Barking – Barking usually only gets worse as your pup grows into adulthood. Dogs bark for many reasons – attention, boredom, frustration, alarm, etc. Here’s the trouble with barking: it works! Not many people are able to completely ignore a dog when he barks. Any attention (looking at, talking to, or touching) reinforces that barking. Other dogs like to bark because it breaks the boredom. You can ignore that barking all day long and you won’t cut the barking a bit.

Solution: Find out why the dog is barking. Is it boredom? Frustration? Attention? If the dog is bored (i.e. alone in the yard), give the dog something constructive and entertaining to do. Prevent the problem by allowing the dog in the yard only when you are actively supervising him. If he’s barking for attention, the solution is simple (but not easy): ignore all barking. No talking, touching, or looking at Mr. Barking Dog. Nothing ‘til he’s quiet.

Pulling on the Leash – When a dog pulls on the leash and you follow him (voluntarily or against your will), you’re telling the dog that’s how walks happen. He pulls = you follow. This problem is most easily addressed in puppyhood because (1) your pup isn’t nearly as strong now as he will be in 6 months, so you’re able to hold your ground and (2) your dog hasn’t had a long time to practice (and get better at) pulling.

Solution: Teaching the dog to walk on a loose leash is super easy when he’s still a youngster and hasn’t had a lot of practice pulling on the leash. I recommend a front-clip harness called a Freedom Harness (from Wiggles, Wags and Whiskers). The front-clip harnesses don’t teach your dog to walk on a loose leash, but it does prevent him from getting up a head of steam and pulling you along helplessly.

Jumping – Puppies that jump on people grow into dogs that jump on people. While you may not mind now if your cute nine week old puppy puts his paws on you, I’m betting you will mind later when those paws are muddy and are attached to a larger dog who can rip your hose, dirty your trousers, or knock over small children! Like barking, this is a behavior that we unintentionally reinforce. Your dog jumps on you and you might look at him and say “OFF!” Or maybe you grab his front paws and place them back on the floor while you say “No.” Regardless of your intent, you are reinforcing your dog for jumping. You are looking at, talking to, and/or touching your dog because he put his paws on you. Any behavior that is reinforced will come back. And it comes back stronger than the last time.

Solution: Teach your dog to sit instead of jumping. This means that you will actively teach a solid “sit,” behavior, then ask your dog to sit before he gets a chance to jump on you. I put that in italics because it’s usually where most dog owners go wrong. They ask their dog to sit only after their dog has already jumped. By doing that, you’re unknowingly making the habit of jumping stronger. If you ask your dog to sit before he has a chance to jump, you’re installing a new pattern: sit for attention. A sitting dog rarely gets into trouble. A jumping dog…it seems as if those guys are always in trouble!

House Training – Dogs need to know that their bathroom is outside. They only way dogs learn this is through consistent and clear direction from you. Puppies learn this very quickly, so be sure to devote time to teaching your puppy where to go to the bathroom. The older a dog is before he’s house trained, the harder this skill is to learn.

Solution: Use crate training in tandem with house training to teach your pup that the only opportunity he has to go to the bathroom is when he’s outdoors. Take your puppy or dog out frequently on a consistent schedule. Praise him as soon as he’s finished his business, then play with him or take him for a walk. When your dog is inside, don’t give him any house-freedom: he’s either tethered to your waist (tie his leash to you) or to a piece of furniture nearby so you can keep an eye on him all the time.

Astute readers will realize that I haven’t mentioned any behaviors that pups grow out of. That’s because there aren’t any behaviors that go away on their own. Anything your pup learns when he’s young will likely stick with him into adulthood. And remember, it’s easier to teach good habits than it is to break old, annoying ones! Be sure you’re actively teaching your dog what to do and generously rewarding him when he does what you ask.

Happy training!
Laurie Luck
Smart Dog University

Puppy Charm School addresses all of these issues directly (and any others that come up with your pup) so be sure to get your pup into classes! If your dog has a few bad habits you’d like to erase, all is not lost!

K9 Building Blocks teaches good manners to dogs of any age. It may take a little while longer to install those good habits, but you might as well start now (before those habits grow deeper and stronger roots)!

Dog Birthdays and Milestones

May 18, 2012

Exciting times in our household this week. Tango C Mango, the love of my life Labrador, turns 9 years old today! We’ll be having a little party to mark this fabulous day. We’ll party, take pictures, and pretty much overdo something that a dog doesn’t even know he should celebrate. I don’t actually buy presents for the dogs, but I do put a little something special in the birthday dog’s dinner bowl. And, of course, give them a little extra lovin’ all day long.

Tango came to us as a service pup in training. He (thankfully — shhh, don’t tell the service dog agency I said that) tested poorly for structure (bad shoulder), so after about a year with us, the agency released him and gave us the option of keeping him. I did a dance when I heard he could stay with us. Sorry, Service Dogs of Virginia, but I knew as soon as this dog came into my house that I would fall deeply in love and I wasn’t even a little bit disappointed that he wouldn’t be a service dog.

Tango so enjoys being in public and going places with us, that after he was released from service work, he had a tough time adjusting to life as a pet dog. Pet dogs don’t have access to stores, restaurants, doctor offices, etc. like the service dogs in training do, and poor Tango just couldn’t understand why suddenly he couldn’t come with me when I left for work. It didn’t take me long to get involved in therapy work with Tango and we’re still visiting elementary schools as a therapy team. Happy birthday to my most favorite dog in the whole wide world! Here’s to many, many more, Diggity Dig!

On the same service dog subject, our lovely little Baby Caysun will be leaving us in June. Oh, the heartbreak of service work! Why do they have to leave? [Of course, I know why they have to leave, but I still ask why because it’s so tough to give them up…]

Baby Caysun (or Caysun Louise, as I like to call her) has fit in here so well. Just the other day I Facebooked my dismay that I used the “L” word with her! And at the same time, she was snuggled firmly into my husband’s lap in the recliner. We remark almost every day at how well this little girl fits into our household and our existing family of dogs. It’s like she’s always been here. All the dogs like her, she’s not over-the-top even though she’s an adolescent Labrador, and she’s really very sweet and lovey.

Such is the life of service dog raisers. You know when you bring them home, little fluff balls of cuteness, that in a year or so you’ll be forced to give them back. And for the first two weeks, you’re so exhausted with the duties that an 8-week old puppy brings, that you don’t have time to think about the letting go part. It’s in the quiet moments, when they’re snuggled into your lap, chasing a butterfly, or watching the birds fly, that you start to realize just how much you like this little dog. That’s also when you start to push down the idea of giving them up. It’s almost like: if I don’t think about it, it won’t really happen. In 11 years, that’s happened only twice (two dogs were released before from the program before turn-in — Tango and Nemo).

We’ll definitely keep raising, so a new puppy is on the horizon. We’re hoping for another Dane. I’ll keep you posted!

Teaching “Take a Bath?!”

January 7, 2012

I'm raising Caysun for Service Dogs of Virginia. I'm supposed to fill out a weekly progress sheet to document her progress on the many measures of success. I fell behind over the holidays. (Ok, I really fell behind at about Halloween, but that's a holiday. Right?)

So I'm filling in all the blanks about what she's seen, where she's been, what she's done, when along comes a question that threw me for a loop: How does your pup react to a bath?

A bath? BATH?!

"She's a Labrador, she loves the water" is my first response. Yes, she does like the water. But how does she like a B-A-T-H? Uh. Well. She's never really had a bath, you see…

So, guess what we're working on this upcoming week. Bathtime for Caysun. Video to come…

Fits Like A Glove

December 29, 2011

Sometimes things are just right. Everything falls into place. Nothing's a struggle.

Caysun fits into our household, into our lives, like she's always been here. Only a couple other dogs have fit so well: Rocky, our very first service dog; and Ivy, Lily's sister who stayed with us when we did a "puppy swap" to give her some more out & about exposure.

We've had a lot of dogs. I think Caysun's the 11th dog to come through and when it's right, you know it.

Ike, the Labrador we just turned back over to Hero Dogs for his final training, was a fun-loving and happy dog, but he wasn't the best fit for us. Funny thing is, we didn't realize how much he didn't fit until after he was gone. The week after he left, it was like all our dogs sort of came back to life again. Lily and Nemo played! It had been over a year since Lily and Nemo played together. We didn't notice it because Ike was always in the middle, always deflecting play between the other dogs to himself. He was the main player. If you were going to play in this household, you were going to play with him. He made sure of it.

With Baby Caysun, the feel is so right. She's not over-the-top, in fact she's the most appropriate puppy I've raised in a long, long time. By appropriate, I mean that she's not bossy, she's not too, she always has the "right answer" to whatever situation she finds herself in. Maybe an example will clarify.

Nemo is used to playing with large, exuberant adolescent males. Talos and Ikey were his playmates for the past two years. You have to be rough and ready if those are your playmates! Naturally, now that Caysun's getting bigger, Nemo's trying his "big dog" play maneuvers with her. She can hang for quite awhile, but sooner or later, Nemo takes it up a notch too far for Caysun. She finds the closest object under which she can scoot herself, and waits out the playstorm. Nemo quickly realizes he's chased away his playmate, lays on the ground (or floor), and re-invites Caysun to play. As soon as she sees that invitation, she leaps out from under her hidey-hole and lands on Nemo's head. That's appropriate: she's not a scaredy, she just knows when the play's gotten a bit more rowdy than she can handle. And she comes right back when the play is reined in. It's nice.

Another example of Caysun's appropriateness (or dog-savviness). I've described Lily, our almost 10-year old Labrador, as a librarian with her hair up in a super-tight bun. She's very matter-of-fact: no silliness, no foolishness. She colors inside the lines. And she'd like that you do the same, thank you very much. There was just one dog in Lily's 10 years that has been able to get Lily to really let her hair down (Rocky, who helped raise Lily from the moment we brought her home). We can add Caysun to that very short list. I've watched Caysun daintily approach Lily and very softly grab at her ears. She'll watch Lily's reaction to gauge which move to go to next: grab a little harder or move toward Lily's tail. If Lily gives her a "go away, kid, you bother me" look, Caysun heads toward the tail. If Lily merely ignores her, that means grab the ear harder. (Ignoring is Lily's way of saying "maybe I'll play with you; ask me again.")

I remember cringing the first few times I saw Caysun try to entice Lily to play. Lily plays about twice a year, and then for only about 10-minutes before she regains control, smooths her hair, and regains her librarian persona. I figured Caysun had to learn, and there's no better teacher than Lily – she's firm, appropriate, and there's no way to misunderstand her! Imagine my surprise when (1) Lily ignored Caysun (she normally cuts off any invitations immediately) and then (2) when I saw Lily's ears come forward and get "that look" in her eyes. I yelled to my husband to come and look, that's how surprised I was. And giddy.

I've even seen Lily solicit play from Caysun! Now that's something!

What this all means is that I'm setting myself up for another heartbreak in about a year when Caysun's got to go back to Service Dogs of Virginia. <Sigh.> Such is the life of a puppy raiser.

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