puppy Archives - Smart Dog University

Puppy Training: Walter’s Ready for His Family

May 15, 2018

Puppy training can be fun. Puppy training can also be exasperating!

When you think about it, there’s an awful lot to teach a puppy. And if you’re going to do it right, you need to pack a lot into 8 short weeks.

Why 8 weeks?

Assuming you get your pup when he’s 8 weeks, you have only another 8 weeks to socialize your pup while the socialization window is still open.

Socialization window?

Puppies are able to learn and explore and build positive (and negative) associations very rapidly for the first 16 weeks of their lives. Because they’re with their breeder for the first 8 weeks, that leaves us with those final 8 weeks. And if you’re not sure what your pup needs to see, heart, learn, do, and experience, it can be overwhelming. Well, really, even if you do know, it can still be overwhelming because that’s an awful lot of stuff to put on your to-do list!

Walter’s people knew they didn’t have the time or the know-how to raise the puppy they really wanted: a happy-go-lucky guy who would have some basic manners, be house trained, and could go with them to all the fun places and do all the fun things.

That’s where I came in — my specialty is puppies!

I’ve raised puppies since 2001. The pups I raised were from a service dog organization and it was critical that I socialize them efficiently and thoroughly. And that I installed basic good manners behavior in those pups early (and often). When a friend suggested that I raise a pet puppy (a pup that was going to grow up to be a good, well-rounded family dog [not a service dog]), I was intrigued. I hadn’t ever considered it before. But why not? I had done it 16 times before!

So in came Walter.

His people chose him from the breeder and I picked him up at 8 weeks of age.

I had my work cut out for me. Walter was a scared little guy who didn’t have a whole lot of experience or socialization from his breeder. It took him a week or two to get him comfortable in his own skin, but thankfully he was a curious puppy and loved food, so I could use food to help him enjoy people and places and things.

He was frightened of what I consider “everyday noises” like a plastic Solo cup being dropped, the cellophane envelopes that rattle when opened, and the noise of an empty can being tossed into the recycle bin. He was a bit timid around new people and wasn’t the stereotypical outgoing Labrador. We took it slow and easy, making sure to read his body language to gauge his ability and willingness to learn new things.

After about four weeks, I was seeing a really nice transformation happening.

He was much more waggy, actually pulling me to go see new people! He didn’t try to hide when I took him to the veterinarian, and he was much more tolerant of noises and new experiences.

Fast forward to today and now I have to hold Walter back!

He’s a social butterfly with both people and dogs, but is also quick to read other dog’s body language and back off if needed. He’s willing to trust me in new situations and looks for guidance from me if he’s uncertain.

That’s the foundation that all puppies need if they’re going to continue a lifetime of learning — that foundation of quality and timely socialization, trust and cooperation with people.

Now that Walter has some confidence, has had some positive experiences with novel items, and understands that he is part of the team, the sky is the limit for him!

His people will be able to continue the learning that I’ve started, teaching him all the things that he needs to know to live comfortably with them as he transitions to his new life.

People always ask if it’s hard for me to let a dog go that I’ve had a hand in raising.

I do! Every. Single. Time. There are always tears. But the good news is get to watch Walter when his family goes away for vacations and travel! So he’s not really leaving, after all. He’ll be back for mini-vacations and will get lots of lovin’ from us.

He’s grown into a lovely young adolescent Labrador. Who will need more training if he’s going to continue to grow into the dog this family has dreamed of. He’s a teenager and will need guidance and reassurance as he continues on his path of learning.

He’s gotten a good start, though, so any challenges that he faces will be handled more efficiently and effectively using the positive and cooperative training that he’s learned.

Introducing Walter, the Labrador Puppy

February 9, 2018

Walter, the Labrador puppy is a lot of things.

But no, he’s not mine.

And no, he’s not a service dog pup.

Walter is the first pup I’m raising for a client.

He’s also a balm to help soothe the pain of losing all our dogs.

He’s funny. He’s just what we needed.

I’m not ready to love a dog of my own.

But I can most definitely raise a puppy for someone else.

When I agreed to raise this puppy for the client, Tango and Schooner were still here and were part of the raising plan I had created for him. They were going to be my training assistants to help teach Walter the Way of the Dog. Clearly, that plan hit the skids a couple weeks ago. We’ve never had just one dog. It feels so very odd.

I wanted to get tributes written for both Tango and Schooner before I introduced Walter, as that felt like the right order things should happen.

I’ve sat at my computer every day this week trying to put something down for both those dogs and I’ve not yet been successful.

So, here’s Walter’s official introduction.

Expect to see more of him. I’ll be documenting his training here on the blog and letting you in on the insanity of having a puppy in the house again. Without the help of more experienced dogs.

Isn’t he stupid cute?

For the Love of an Old Dog

May 4, 2015

I’ll do almost anything for the sake of my dogs.

This year, I’m giving up something I love dearly: raising service dogs. When we started raising puppies for service work back in 2001, I was a newlywed. I’d never owned a puppy ever and was a relative newcomer to the organized, specific training required of service dogs.

The second puppy we raised, Lily, our sweet now 13-year old, didn’t make it through the service dog program — and neither did the next two puppies we raised (Tango and Nemo). In the span of about three years, we went from one dog to four dogs! It was a fun time — we had a houseful of young dogs and always had a puppy in rotation. The dogs enjoyed the puppy, they helped raise him, entertain him, and teach him dog- and people-skills.

We hummed along happily, raising and loving the latest service puppy in training.

Over the years, our lives changed. I quit my Federal job and started Smart Dog University. I loved the job of puppy raiser. A new puppy every year, watching those young dogs learn and grow and turn into fabulous working dogs who were worth their weight in gold. I enjoyed every aspect of puppy raising, even house training.

“Puppy Raiser” became who I was.

It’s what I did. It became part of my identity. I was the “lady with the service dog puppy.” Raising a puppy didn’t slow me down, personally or professionally. I showed up for meetings, conferences, seminars, and talks with a puppy in tow. Often, I was the presenter and the pup would be my co-presenter. I don’t think people knew my name, but recognized me because of the puppy who was always with me, rain or shine.

Over the past few years, as our dogs grew older, we began to realize that our dogs seemed to be enjoying the puppies less. I still loved puppy raising, but our dogs didn’t think too much of it. They were snippier, it took them longer to accept the newest addition, they played with one another less, Tango wouldn’t chase his ball if the puppy was nearby… It was an endless number of things that had crept up on us silently, but once I noticed it, there was no denying it. Our dogs were done with puppy raising.

After Levi’s turn-in, I had a lot of travel on my calendar. I wasn’t going to get another puppy for at least three months. Good, I thought, this will give me a chance to see how our dogs do in a puppy-free house. The change in our dogs was clear after the puppy left. Overnight they began to play more, wag more, have more energy. They seemed happy to be retired from puppy raising. Lily, our matriarch, is thrilled with the decision. Tango loves our afternoons in the backyard now, where he can retrieve his tennis ball without being chased by a puppy, and Nemo has sole custody of my husband’s lap every evening.

If they’re happy, I’m happy.

Do I miss raising a puppy? You bet! But, my dogs have worked hard for 13 years raising pups — they’ve earned their retirement, I think. We’re now walking together every day, I have a chance to teach them new skills, and we have the time to just hang out under the shade tree together, enjoying this lovely spring here in the mid-Atlantic.

It’s taken a few months to get used to not having a puppy with me. I’m no longer “the lady with the service dog puppy,” and I’m a lot more ok with that than I thought. It’s likely that we’ll raise a puppy again, but not while we have our current menagerie. Hopefully, it’ll be quite a few years before we get back in the puppy raising routine, no matter how much I love it. Having my dogs happy and carefree is a little more important to me.

Talk back: have you altered your life or your home for your older dog(s)?

Socializing a Puppy: ClickerExpo 101

March 28, 2014

Elevators. With mirrors!

Crowded meeting rooms. Projection and audio systems. Applause. Lying down for 60 minutes with dogs (puppies!) nearby. Spending the night somewhere other than home. Seeing ships on the water. Hearing dogs bark in the room next door. These are just a few of how Levi is getting his brain stretched in so many good ways this weekend accompanying me to ClickerExpo.

Exposing a pup in a happy, no-pressure way is the best way to have a dog that’s a “go anywhere” with you dog.

Because Levi’s will be a service dog, we’re working hard to ensure that he sees all kinds of different things while he’s still quite young — before he’s five months old.

As long as we let Levi go at his own pace, we have lots of fabulous treats to help him get through novel and potentially unsettling experiences (the ship’s horn blast startled us both!), he’ll grow from each experience, realizing that new and novel things aren’t scary and — better yet — they’re fun!

Downtime for your dog is important, too.

Levi’s not even five months old. A three-day conference is a lot for any dog to take, let alone a novice youngster. Which is why I’m writing this in my hotel room while Levi takes a nap at 11:00a. Giving the dog a chance to take in the new experience, and then allowing him some downtime to rest up from that experience is crucial. By allowing him to rest in a quiet, comfortable hotel room with me, he’s recharging his batteries so that he’s ready to take in more new and exciting experiences when we head back down.

Gotta run, Levi has awakened from his nap and it’s off to the doggie bathroom area!

Talk to me: what experiences has your puppy had that allowed him to explore his world in a safe, no-pressure way?

Dog Training: Do This, Not That

February 6, 2014

The new puppy Levi, is doing what normal puppies do: he’s using his teeth to explore.

At the moment, he’s exploring a hand that’s been offered. I hear “Ow! No!” and watch as the offered hand remains well within the puppy’s reach, dangling enticingly, despite the protesting voice.

Again, “Ow, no!” this time with a little more, shall we say, enthusiasm. Yet still, the wiggling fingers dangle oh so close to the puppy teeth.

“Ow! Dang it, stop it!” Finally, I can take no more. The puppy clearly isn’t learning anything. The person clearly isn’t learning anything. I step in and tell the person to simply withdraw their hand from the puppy. The quizzical look surprises me. Doesn’t this make sense to everyone, I wonder? When one touches a hot stove, how many need to reach out again and again to see if it’s still hot? Yet when it comes to a puppy or dog, people don’t seem to come to this logical conclusion.

Maybe the fact that dogs seem to understand to much most of the time that renders people incapable of following basic logic, but I find myself daily instructing people on seemingly straightforward matters that involve dogs.

Whatever the reason, people tend to abandon common sense in their interactions with dogs. I’m here to lobby on behalf of dogs who are quite uncomplicated and need to know what they should be doing, not what you don’t want them to do. This article explains how and why it’s much easier and more efficient to focus on what you’d like your dog to do. It’s a version of Do This, Not That (DTNT), but doggie-style.

Focus on the Do This Part

Too many people focus only on the “Not That” part of DTNT.

And they stop there. Imagine this scenario:

You have a new job and your responsibilities weren’t clearly explained. The phone rings and you answer “Hello, this is Julie” with a smile in your voice. Your boss comes out, slams his hand on the desk and says “No!”

A little later, the phone rings again, you answer with your standard “Hello, this is Julie,” and again your boss emerges, slams his hand on the desk and says “No!”

You go about your day, making copies, filing things, and when it rings, answering the phone. You don’t get any feedback on anything, other than the “No!” when you pick up the phone.

How much are you learning? How confident do you feel in your new job? Do you have any idea why your boss is yelling “No!”? Nope. And pretty soon, you’re going to stop answering the phone altogether because it’s just so confusing as well as aversive.

Now, how about this scenario instead:

You answer the phone when it rings, “Hello, this is Julie” with a smile in your voice. Later in the day, your boss stops by your desk, welcomes you to the team and explains that the company likes the phones answered by stating the company name first. “Acme Production, this is Julie.”

What a difference, right?

In so many ways. All too often, we stop halfway when teaching our dogs. We focus solely on the stopping of something that we forget to teach the dog what to do. And the what to do is the most important part of the equation!

Real Life Examples

I’m raising a puppy again for service work.

He’s 11-weeks old and he’s into everything. If I spent my day focusing on the things he’s doing wrong, there wouldn’t be time for anything else. And I’d just be “putting out fires” all day, not teaching him anything useful.

He tends to bark a lot when he gets overexcited. I could tell him “No!” every time he gets overexcited, but that’d do nothing to calm him down, wouldn’t teach him what to do, and would make me (and him) really frustrated. Instead, I simply separate him from the other dogs (either he’s leashed to me or he’s in his crate) for five minutes or so until he settles down. By doing this, I’m actually teaching him some self control, I’m not letting bad habits develop, and I’m maintaining some sense of peace in the house – for me and the other dogs.

If you want your dog to quit nipping your pants as you go downstairs in the morning, have a stuffed toy at the top of the stairs.

Grab it as you walk down and offer it to the dog instead of having him grab your pants. The dog wants to play. You want to walk unencumbered down the stairs. By offering the toy, you both get what you want! But if you focus solely on “No! No! No!” every time the dog bites your pant legs, you’re going to be pretty frustrated – and so will your dog.

When you feel like all your doing is correcting bad behavior, step away from the problem for a minute (or ten).

Take a break. Grab a cup of coffee, sit down at the table and write down what you’d like the dog to do. Your list should contain no words like “stop doing x,” “quit doing y,” or “listen to me.” I want you to write down specific, achievable things like “I want the dog to chew on his toy instead of me.” Or “I want the dog to sit instead of jump on me.” Or “I want the dog to drop my shoe when I ask him.”

You can solve many of the problems quickly and easily.

Substitute a chew toy for your pants (or hand), ask your dog to sit before he jumps on you, teach your dog to give up things nicely before he steals something again.

The easy, permanent — and fair — solution is to teach your dog what you want him to do.

If you need help finding a qualified positive reinforcement trainer, drop me a line. I’d be happy to help you find someone who can help you and your dog.

Service Dog Training: Our New Charge, Levi

January 20, 2014

Meet Levi, our newest service pup in-training.

He’s about 10.5 weeks old and cute as a button. He’s a Labrador retriever from service dog parents. He was bred specially to be a service dog and we have high hopes for this boy.

I picked him up on Thursday evening and we made the 3-hour trek to the service dog organization before dawn on Friday so the trainers could meet Levi. He came from a breeding cooperative made up of several service dog agencies.

Levi is part of the western themed class.

He’s named after Levi Strauss, of course. The Strauss family had a thriving business in New York and decided to open a West Coast branch of the dry goods business in San Francisco, which was the commercial hub of the California Gold Rush. Levi was chosen to represent the family and he took a steamship for San Francisco, arriving in early March 1853, where he joined his sister’s family. The doggie version of Levi joins Annie Oakley, Stetson, Bolo, and others who are all within about 4 months of one another.

We puppy tested him to make sure he was a solid young pup.

Part of he initial puppy test involves presenting several novel objects to the pup and noting his reactions. Ideally, the pup won’t mind any of the objects or, if startled, we’re looking for a speedy recovery and then curiosity toward the unfamiliar object.

After raising Schooner, the Great Dane, it’s fun to be back in the familiar land of chow hounds. Food is a powerful motivator for the Labrador retrievers and makes for some really quick learning. He’s integrating gradually into the dog family on schedule. The other dogs don’t love him yet — and will very often get up and move away when he comes near — but it’s good, steady progress.

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