New Tips for Training My Puppy

Adding pictures today of both Pike and Dawg. You remember Dawg? He's our 1/2 Lasa, 1/2 Yorkie and it sure shows in his face and hair!





Pike first (his head looks kinda pointy in this one)






Here's my 'Dawg'. He's the same size as Pike right now but just give the puppy another couple of weeks and that will change.




Training a puppy is sometimes fun, sometimes not. Pike is making progress. He has discovered that being in the house is a lot nicer than in a muddy side yard, especially as the food and fresh water are always available inside, too. I still find puddles but not as near as frequently as before and his overnight 'leavings' have gotten fewer. We still have problems, though, holding it right after waking from a nap until I can get him out into the yard.


But I found some help from Mr. David Anthony at http://www.onlinedogbreeds.com/. Some of them I've used, some not. But I intend to put his ideas to work starting today. Hope they help you, too.
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House Training A Puppy - Three Important Tips

By: David Anthony


House training a puppy need not be that difficult and can actually be enjoyable. Playtime with your new puppy can be fun, but did you also know that it could be the first steps in your puppy's education as well? Even in the wild, young wolf cubs learn about their world through play and your puppy is no different. By utilizing play as a tool you can effectively teach your pup all the basics that will help her be a well-behaved dog when she grows up.


The most important word your dog will probably ever learn is the word "No". Pups as early as six weeks old are capable of learning the implications of "no" and it is a lesson that will be carried throughout their lives with you. This one command can go a long way to protecting your dog from harming herself or others.


And it's easy. Dogs, even puppies, are adept at recognizing tone of voice. When they learn to associate a displeased, forceful tone of voice with the word no, you will not in the future have to be so forceful in your utterances.


But first you do have to get his attention. When the pup does something wrong, simply pick him up, gain eye contact and tell him very firmly, "No." It will get an immediate reaction. Depending on your pup's personality, he will drop his head and become sheepish, growl or attempt to talk you out of it by asking you to play. If either of the latter two happens, you will have to repeat the command to show that you are not kidding.


Then, simply let it go. Put the pup down and keep a watchful eye on his response. A rebellious pup may repeat the action as a way to test you, in which case you need to repeat the process. Be gentle, but be firm and consistent and your pup should get the message.


As for the other things that your baby needs to know, you will probably default to teaching him the proper way to go potty. This is actually easier than you might think, as pups are a lot smarter than they look.


Timing is, however, everything. If you notice a puddle on the floor and your pup has since gone off to play with his ball, the only thing you can do is clean it up and watch him more closely. Don't rub his nose in it, or he will simply be hurt and confused. What you want to do is catch him in the act. When you see him start to take a tinkle, grab him and take him outside. Chances are he will be so shocked that he will save some for the yard, and when he goes there you can praise him lavishly.


The third thing that your pup needs to know is that he should never put his teeth on a human being. This is a tough one, as it is so much fun to play "bite" with a youngster. But when they are older, you really don't want them to play so rough. So when you play with him, be sure to do so with toys that are okay for him to bite. If he bites when you are trying to pet him, tell him no and give him his toy or put his toy right in his mouth. If he persists, pick him up and tell him no. If you are consistent, you should get good results.


Once your pup understands his first command, goes potty in the proper spots and ceases puppy-biting, he is on his way to becoming a well-socialized dog and a pleasure to be around.
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Uh oh, Pike just woke up. Too bad, to as he was keeping my feet warm. Talk to ya later.
Querqus

Cold Wet Weather With a New Puppy

A new 8 week old puppy plus cold wet weather is not a lot of fun. I could make him stay outside on the covered front porch, but I don't want another outside dog. So instead he now lives inside the new house right along with the rest of the family. I've made him a washable bed, give him all the puppy food he wants, and make sure he has access to a clean fresh water 24/7. Every 2 hours I take him outside to potty and then play with him for a few minutes afterwards.

That 2 hour thing sure makes it hard to get any work done on the computer. Starting next week, we'll go to 3 hours. Wish me luck.

Let's see...Essential Puppy Gear:

• A good puppy food
• New nylon collar & leash
• New stainless steel food and water pans
• His first 8-way puppy shot (living on a farm, I have done this before)
• Various soft toys from the pet store
• Both old soup-bones (not brittle enough to splinter) and new rawhide chewy toys
• A big pile of newspapers and a similar number of large plastic bags
• Extra stock of glass cleaner and paper towels for the new laminate floor

That should be enough, right? Everything is there. But by golly, I sure wish I'd bought a large bag of puppy-pads! Newspapers don't work near fast enough, and I swear, this puppy's bladder is growing four times as fast as the rest of him!

I've named him Pike, after one of my son's online RPG characters. No, NOT the fish, but one of those medieval weapons. My neighbor, who's from Michigan, laughs every time I mention the puppy's name. Last time I give that guy a ride into town. (Going to town is a 15 mile trip one way and our town has a population of around 15,000 but no hitching posts for horses, thank you.)

At night, Pike gets sequestured next to an old table via his leash. This keeps his area of puppy damage much smaller during the night, and he has easy access to the newspapers w/o spreading them out all over creation. Personally, I don't believe in 'crating' a dog, so no crates. As he gets older, he will understand that this is his house, too, and won't use any room in it as an area to 'go in'. That's the plan, anyway.

Our household critters also include a 6 year old dog, half Lasa - half Yorkie, who is discovering the joys of brotherhood, albeit somewhat slowly. Our one indoor cat, Tubby, stays away from Pike most of the day by sleeping on the bed. The cat is not at all sure exactly what Pike is but Tubby knows for dang sure he doesn't want anything to do with him! Tubby's story is unique, but that's for a later post.

Pics will come in a day or two.

I'd like to hear about any of your pets, too, especially any cute or interesting stories you'd like to share. And if you have any tips on house-training puppies or dogs, please post them!

Until next time or the newspaper gets here,

Querqus