Puppy Training – Want Your Dog To Listen?

Getting Started with Puppy Training – To start off on the right paw with your pup, show him what you expect from him. And you want him to feel secure, you need to lay out his goals, obviously you want him to achieve those goals…

Did you know that by the age of seven weeks, your puppy’s brain is fully developed?

Puppy Training – First thing you should train your puppy?

Welcome, I’m going to expose you to the first thing you should train your puppy to give them the best start possible. Knowing what you should be doing with your puppy and when will really give you confidence as a puppy owner.

It’s also a great way to measure your progress and that’s really what I want you to think about now. Now, most puppies come home to their new families around the eight week mark. So that’s where we’re going to start our conversation today. At eight weeks, this is a really important relationship building time.

We’re not going to focus so much on teaching our dog specific skills. But what we are going to do is really to focus on some of the natural training opportunities that you’re presented with, because we’re going to start building a bond with our puppies right off the bat. I’m going to show you a couple of really easy tricks to start doing that.

Food is a valuable resource to puppies. Naturally it would be something that they want and it’s obviously great that it’s something that comes through you. So at eight weeks, one of the first things I want you to start doing is to take advantage of every natural training opportunity you get to build that bond, like feeding your puppy with your hand. You will have a couple of opportunities each day, whether it’s breakfast or dinner, or whatever meal it is, you can hand feed them some of that food at eight weeks.

It is also very important to say their name while feeding them, do this over and over, say their name, and then feed them. This will really add value to that new word they’re hearing. Remember, they don’t know what their name is. So what we need to do is to start to adding value to it, and we’re going to do it by doing things like calling their name, then rewarding them.

We want to let them know that they’ve done something absolutely right. So I want you to start building value on that. Yes, it’s going to be really helpful down the road and because you have so much opportunity at this stage to build a bond, to shape a puppy, to show love to them and also an excellent opportunity for them to learn. Use the word “Yes” allot when they do something right.

I want you to do this allot at this stage, it’ll be yes, then reward your puppy, yes, then reward your puppy. Now those food exercises are going to get your puppy’s undivided attention, but we want to also have an opportunity to give the puppy information at this stage. Especially when they’re moving around in the house, in the open spaces, when they’re now totally focused on us and on the food.

You can also now use something like a house line to further guide them in these spaces. If you’re not familiar with what a house line is, it’s just a line or a leash where you’ve cut the loop / the handle off, and then clip it to your puppy’s collar so that you can keep them out of trouble and redirect them if you need to.

Keep in mind your puppy has just gone through a dramatic life change. They are no longer part of the litter. They’re now in a new environment, in a new home with new people, so really set your puppy up to be successful.

The best way to do that is to ensure it 100% supervision. Make sure that when your puppy is out of the Kennel or crate, that you’re there with them to give them good information. This can be a pretty exciting and interesting and sometimes scary change for your puppy. You want to be there to make sure they’re getting 100% good information.

Now is a great time to start training your puppy to love their crate. It’s so important to have a management tool because you want to make sure your puppy can’t get into trouble and that your puppy doesn’t learn the wrong things during this first week at home. Your puppy is learning constantly, whether you’re there to give them information or not. So make sure you manage them a little bit by teaching them that their crate is a great place to go.

At the eight week mark, make sure you’re using the crate for great management and that way you’ll be giving your puppy great potty training or house training, however you refer to it. Make sure you’re really proactive about this step.

You’re probably likely to have some accidents inside the crate, but there are some ways you can minimize that by being proactive, taking them out before they go in their crate, also immediately after they come out of their crate. After every meal, after every play session. If they have a nap and when they wake up, you’re going to take them outside to go potty. These are all really great ways to set them up to be successful.

At the same time, you need to be supervising that puppy. So if you feel like you can’t keep a 100% close eye on them, put them in their crate.

Another added step that you can add is to put up a baby gate, to “puppy proof” that room, so your puppy can’t make any bad decisions along the way.

Where should a puppy sleep first night – Puppy Training?

I want to also talk specifically about those first couple of nights home with your puppy and the important points to add as part of your puppy training. In their crate. Remember, this may be the first time that your puppy had to hold his bladder or bowels. In the litter scenario, they may have had an area where they could just, if they felt the need, they would walk over there and go. But in this situation, your puppy is going to be in their crate.

I want you to set them up to be successful in their crate, maybe if you’re sleeping in an area that’s nearby the puppy for the first couple of nights, make sure that you can see what’s going on.

They’re going to have to go out during the night and you really want to acknowledge that they do need to go out. Take them outside so that they don’t have an accident those first couple of nights in their crate.

If it’s possible, let the crate be close to you, it’s also going to be a little bit soothing for them to be able to see you as they’re sleeping there at night. Really take advantage of that crate position those first couple of nights.

Now take it a level up, start to lure your puppy, just guide them around, showing them some food, having them follow you, follow the food with really deliberate hand motions so that we can teach our puppy that following food is worth something, that it is valuable to pay attention to. These foundational skills are going to be really helpful in the next coming weeks for your puppy training.

Now at nine weeks old, your puppy’s second week home, you’re probably going to start to get a little bit more confidence. So supervision is even more important at this point. Using something like your house line, you’re going to see how often you’re using it to keep your puppy out of trouble, but it’s so much easier preventing problems rather than fixing them, rather than having to “un-train” your puppy to do some of these things. So really focused on supervision.

At nine weeks, your puppy is going to be exploring more, and they’re going to be more active, and they’re going to have a little bit more energy. You’re going to keep an eye on them 100% of the time when they have freedom in your home.

At nine weeks, you can start to increase the challenge of some of the foundational things that we were doing the week before with them. Continue doing some of these natural training opportunities. Hand feeding your puppy. You absolutely want to keep reinforcing their name, by rewarding them often when calling their name, I want you to be really self-conscious about that.

Really think about it when you’re using your puppy’s name, because if it’s not followed with some sort of reward at this point in your puppies training, it’s going to start to lose value.

So take advantage of these natural feeding training opportunities, so that you can really teach them that hearing their “Name” means something special is about to happen. You can start to include some of your family members at this point in the training with some of the simple exercises like saying the puppy’s name.

How do you house train a puppy?

To House training your puppy you need to be consistent, need to have patience, and very important always focus on positive reinforcement. Good habits should be instilled and your goal should be to build a loving bond with your puppy as part of your puppy training.

Following are some tips for successful housetraining:

• Create a schedule by taking your puppy out regularly for potty training, preferably to the same designated area where he can sniff around. This should be a routine and should normally happen after he eats, plays, wake up or before going into his crate.
• So critical to reward your puppy with all correct behaviour, potty training, when returning indoors, going to crate, quietly praises him.
• Accidents can happen every now and then, please be cognisant off this and don’t punish him the first time he makes a mistake. If it happens, don’t say anything but rather clap your hands to interrupt the behaviour without frightening the puppy, this will slow down house training. You can immediately remove him to outside area to finish it off. Also important to clean up any soiled areas, all smells, wash bedding area etc. This will prevent it from happening again.
• Crates are an essential puppy housetraining tool that will assist with the whole process. As den animals, dogs can appreciate dog crates as a safe space, and as clean creatures, they’ll often want to keep that sleep space clean. While housetraining, observation and supervision are important, as is keeping to a schedule to make things easier on your dog. Depending on the dog, potty training can take up to months, so patience is key, as is consistency throughout training.
• Puppy pads and paper training offer a temporary solution to housetraining.

How long can a puppy be left alone during the day?

In general, puppies can hold it for one hour per every month of age (example a four-month-old puppy can wait four hours to pee). Here are some guidelines for puppies of different ages, so please include as part of your puppy training:

7-9 weeks: 1 hour or less. Young puppies simply can’t hold their urine for more than an hour, and even that might be too long sometimes! You might start crate training at this age, but rather don’t leave a young puppy in a crate for longer periods; he’ll wet his bedding all the time.

9-11 weeks: Their bladder capacity will increase, but rather not longer than 2 hours at this stage.

3-6 months: Consider the one hour per month rule. Four-month-old puppies can wait for four hours, five-month-old puppies for five hours, and so on.

After 6 months: An older puppy, has the ability to hold it for up to six hours. If you can’t leave him outside, don’t have a dog door, be sure to pop in at home at lunch time to relief the pup please.

Important to know the above estimates can vary depending on a puppy’s size, health, and habits and intensity of the puppy training. But it’s also important to know that any dog forced to hold their urine for too long would be at risk for urinary tract infection, stones, or crystals. Plus, holding urine for too long can lead to accidents.

Should I ignore puppy crying at night? Our Puppy Training

This is a common problem that many new puppy owners have. And it’s made worse when they let the whining puppy out because then the pup quickly learns that whining works and now, can whine for hours on end.

A really fantastic method to stop whining at night, which I and several friends have tried with great success, quite simply, the way to stop the puppy crying and switch off the alarm call is to make him feel safe again – make this a main goal in your puppy training! On the first night, you put the pup’s crate on a chair right next to the bed, so you and the puppy are sort of sleeping “together” and can hear each other breathe.

Recommending even sticking your fingers through the wire for a few minutes. It worked really well for me! Then on subsequent nights you just move the chair away from the bed little by little, and then onto the floor. Not a peep! (Of course, this is no substitute for getting the pups to love the crate, but on puppy’s first few nights home most people don’t achieve that level of training, I think! They just want to try and get a little sleep!)

But first, puppies need assurance that their new crate is a safe, inviting place — not a cage that serves as a long-term babysitter or a tool for punishment (it’s not a time out chair). Easier said than done, right?

Try again more gradually. If your dog continues to cry, don’t go to it or pay attention to it immediately. They’ll soon learn that whining will get your attention, and then you’ve got a significant problem on your hands.

It’s not only okay for your puppy to be in their crate alone, but it’s also beneficial for future behaviour and temperament  — it fosters independence and helps stave off later issues with separation anxiety.

With that said, you mustn’t overuse the crate or make it a place of punishment. Leaving a puppy in their crate for long periods or putting it there too frequently can be a trigger for whining and crying. Dogs are incredibly social animals and need companionship.

If you do have to crate your dog more than you’d like (long workday, unforeseen circumstances etc.), make sure you spend time playing with or taking it on a walk in between crate times. And don’t forget that a puppy’s bladder can’t go for long periods of time without relief.

According to the Animal Humane Society, leaving a puppy in a crate for an 8-10 hour workday is “not an appropriate way” to crate train. If you have times when you can’t be there, ask a neighbor or hire a pet sitter to give your pup a break. The more attention it has while outside of the crate means less time whining and crying once back in the crate.

Should I wake my puppy up to pee at night?

Housetraining can be a daunting episode for new pet owners. You might have a great routine in place during the day to make it more practical, but what about night times? Luckily for us, dogs and puppies don’t need to potty as often during the night, so you don’t need to wake up every few hours for a potty break.

In order to make sure your little pet doesn’t develop a habit of waking you up at very late hours to take it out to potty, you need to establish a night time puppy training routine. For instance, you should always take the puppy out to potty before bedtime, and then take it out at the early morning hours.

It is very important Stop all eating and drinking a few hours before bed. Have you ever drunk a large glass of water just before bed only to wake up in the middle of the night desperate for a break?

Well, it is just the same for your little pup when you place him in a dog crate. By stopping him from eating and drinking late at night is a great way to crate train your pup and will definitely help curb overnight accidents. However, you are going to need to make absolutely sure that, before doing so, your pup has had his stomach filled. You don’t want a hungry or thirsty pup on your hands. When you stop your pup from eating and drinking a couple of hours before bed time, your puppy will have had the opportunity to go potty at least once or twice before bed time.

How do you stop a puppy from peeing and pooping in the house?

I want to discuss seven quick tips you can use for toilet training a puppy or dog, include the points in your puppy training.

Number one: Manage and supervise to avoid mistakes.  Try your best to limit the opportunities your dog has to toilet in undesirable locations. Every time your dog goes in a certain place, it increases the chances that they will go there again next time. You can help to prevent accidents in a number of ways, including active supervision, crate training, limiting access to preferred surfaces and locations providing an indoor toilet when your dog is unsupervised.

Number two: Reward your dog for toileting in the right place. Set up a schedule appropriate for your dog’s age and toileting habits, and take your dog to the place you would like them to toilet. Remember to add in extra toilet breaks immediately after eating, drinking, playing or waking from a nap. Once your dog has finished toileting, shower them with praise and give them a reward. Be sure to wait until your dog has finished toileting to start your praise, otherwise you may distract them before they are finished.

Number three: Avoid punishing your dog for toileting mistakes. While toilet training can be frustrating, especially if it isn’t going well, punishing a dog for toileting inside the house will more than likely make the situation worse. Remember that dogs learn by associations. A dog is far more likely to make the association that toileting in front of humans equals punishment, rather than toileting in the house equals punishment.

This association is strengthened when the dog inevitably toilets in the house. When an owner isn’t watching and therefore no punishment occurs, puppies and dogs with this history of punishment for toileting, will lead to cautious and surreptitious toileting. This means that they will avoid going in front of humans and wait till they get a moment alone to duck away and toilet.

Number four: Be aware of surface preference. Young puppies develop a preference for a certain surface to potty on. Each time a dog potty on a type of surface, they are more likely to search for it again next time. This is why puppy pee pads can create issues with long-term toilet training. They teach puppies to look for soft cloth like surfaces such as rugs, carpet, bedding and clothing.

The best way to help your dog develop the correct surface preference, is to take them to the real thing. When that isn’t possible, try to use something that mimics the texture of your goal, even a surface like fake grass over the puppy pee pads. The older your dog is, the more ingrained their surface preference will be. You will have to be patient and persistent to change it to a more appropriate choice.

Number five: Clean up soiled areas. Be sure to use an enzymatic cleaner, your dog’s nose is far more sensitive than yours, and vinegar or bleach will not be sufficient.

Number six: Don’t stop toilet training too soon. A lot of dog owners tend to stop focusing on toilet training because they mistakenly think the process has been completed prematurely. It can take weeks, months or even longer to fully toilet train a dog depending on their natural tendencies and how long they went before you started the process.

Number seven: If you’re still having problems get a Vet. Check, there are a multitude of medical problems that could cause issues with toileting. If your dog seems to be having more trouble than usual, it will be worth getting them checked out with your Vet. This point is especially important if your previously toilet trained dog starts to relapse. If you would like further help with toilet training I recommend contacting your local professional dog trainer for dogs. With long-term toileting issues, a good trainer will be crucial in helping to determine if there is a deeper behavioural issue underlying the toileting problem.

What are the 7 basic dog commands?

Your dog is your best friend, but how do your family and acquaintances feel about Fido? For a puppy to be a good citizen, he or she must have good manners and understand a variety of commands. Your dog should be socialized, friendly and controlled (for a puppy this could be an impossible task).

Although dogs can get familiar with allot of commands, our best friends only need to know some critical ones to survive around other people and pets. Get to work with your pup at home on the following commands below, and join a dog-training class if possible. Outings are always fun and they help puppies to be sociable and still be reliable with all the distractions going on. And just to be clear… all dogs need exposure and training, even the cutie little fluffy ones!

You will be training your puppy from the moment you bring it home. Puppies start learning from birth and good breeders begin handling and socialization with them right away. Some training can begin as soon as the puppy can open its eyes and walk. Young puppies have short attention spans but you can expect them to begin to learn simple obedience commands such as “sit,” “down,” and “stay,” as young as 8 to 9 weeks of age.

Formal puppy training has traditionally been delayed until 6 months of age. Actually, this juvenile stage is a very poor time to start. The dog is learning from every experience and delaying training means missed opportunities for the dog to learn how you would like him to behave. Let’s start with….

Sit: This command is one of the easiest to teach, and is usually the first command introduced to a dog or puppy. Learning this command also helps the dog learn how to respond to training. Consider methods that are humane and positive. Most good programs use treats to motivate and reward dogs for appropriate responses to commands. Be sure to select a treat that is free of additives. The treats should also be chewable, like Chewy Treats with Turkey & Apple.

Down: Another practical command is down (lay down). This is great for all dogs, but especially for large dogs. When your dog learns to be comfortable in a down position, you can take him or her to the park or a sidewalk café. A dog that is relaxed in public is a non-threat to other people and pets and allows you the freedom to enjoy a good book or catch up with friends.

Stay: Of course, you will want to pair “stay” with sit and down. You are likely to cover sit- and down-stays up to a few minutes in a puppy training class, but your dog can learn to stay for up to a half hour or more with practice. The “stay” command comes in handy when you need your pup to stay put while you go to answer the door or sit down to wrap holiday gifts.

Come: This command is essential for every dog (and its owner) to master, because it could save his or her life. It is inevitable that even with diligence, your dog will one day escape through the front door or side gate or slip out of its leash. The “come” command protects him or her from traffic, neighbors, and encounters with other dogs.

Off: Never confuse “down” with “off.” Use the “off” command to teach your dog that jumping on people or climbing on furniture is inappropriate. This command is important for instructing your dog to keep calm on greetings, and to keep all four feet on the ground.

Don’t Touch: Curious dogs will find enticing objects wherever they go. Teach them to let go of found treasures when you say “don’t touch” or “leave it.” This command can also be used in the house, if your dog finds anything that is not meant for canine enjoyment.

Heel or Controlled Walking: Your dog is a nuisance if it pulls you down the street. Even the most exuberant dog should learn to pace himself to your speed in walking or jogging. There are many different training strategies you can use to teach your dog to walk by your side, and to stop and sit when you stop moving.

A big part of responsible pet ownership is making sure your dog understands basic commands. You can have a lot of fun training your dog, especially if you find a group of like-minded pet owners to train with. Add fetch, jump, and other tricks to your repertoire, and maybe you’ll be bitten by the competition bug. Regardless of your long-term goals, begin training as soon as you get your dog or puppy to establish good habits early on.

How many hours a day does a 9 week old puppy sleep?

Expect your young puppy to sleep a lot during this stage. Most puppies will sleep about 19 to 20 hours a day to support their fast-growing bodies and brains. Some people worry that their puppy is not sleeping enough or, conversely, that she is sleeping too much! It can be quite a worry if she sleeps all day – is she ill? Do I need to take her to the vet?

Most puppies sleep a lot at this age, and eighteen to twenty hours a day is not unusual for a nine-week-old Lab. Being a puppy is a very tiring business, with plenty of things to do and people to see!

Generally, you don’t need to shut puppies away for their nap. Normally, they’ll drop off to sleep quite happily in a basket or crate while family life goes on all around them. The rest is spent eating, playing and eliminating.

Where should I keep my puppy while at work?

When you need to go to work, please keep your furry ball in a safe place, like a crate or a safety-proofed room where your pup has food, water, and lots of toys to play with. If possible, come home during lunch breaks or ask a neighbour or friend to let your pups outside while you are at work.

Should you consider a new puppy and then leaving your new furry family baby at home alone, you need to accept that not all puppies are the same. Just like any young pet have different stages of development, please accept that these stages can affect when puppies will be ready to be left on their own:

Puppies between 9-10 weeks. These puppies are babies and might be newly weaned. You cannot leave them on their own for periods, especially because at these stages you will be introducing them to your home for the first time. At this age, your puppy needs lots of fellowship and socialization and will get very distressed when left for long periods alone. You’re going to have to make time available or otherwise have someone ready to care for your new baby while you’re grinding at work. Your new pup will need to be taken out to potty too.

Puppies at this age may still be having accidents and cannot be left alone for hours. Socialization is still important, and you will need to make sure your baby is let out to potty or has some place to go outside. At this age, pups are still exploring the world around them, so it’s important that left alone, they are supervised and have a person helping them if needed so.

Puppies older than four months old, can go longer without having to go to the washroom. However, they may still bark when you’re away and may be leaping out of any enclosure you’ve set up at home! Supervision still remains important for these reasons.

Age is not the only factor to consider, either. If the puppy has been abused or has been adopted and may have been mistreated or abandoned before, he or she may be especially vulnerable. If you’re just introducing a puppy to your home for the first time, there is an adjustment time to consider. Also, some breeds are just more stressed than others and may do even worse when left all alone for too long during the day. Terriers, Labradors and some other breeds, for instance, may experience more anxiety with disconnection.

When deciding what to do with your baby while you’re working, you also want to take a closer look at your own situation. As an example, how long do you travel each day? Even if you only work half a day, are you may be working far away and you may be adding some extra hours to the time your dog is home alone. Do you work long hours, including weekends? If so, that may add some challenges to raising a puppy while working. The same is true if you work irregular hours or shift hours. Your times and schedules may change and the switching may confuse your pup. If you’re on call a lot and need to spend even more time away from your puppy, the sudden changes in your schedule can be hard on your puppy and can make it more uncomfortable to arrange a dog sitter maybe?  These are all considerations to think about before you get a puppy.

Fortunately working full time and raising a puppy is a well-travelled road and there is plenty of advice available from those who have walked in your shoes. First, let’s cover the basics:

1) Take a look at your work times:

Can you take some time off when your puppy first comes into your life? Can you cut back on hours or have someone else cover you for a bit? Review all your options to see whether you can’t spend more time at home with your newest family member, especially at the start.

2) Set a consistent routine:

Dogs of all ages like a predictable schedule and puppies in particular need stability. The fewer surprises, the better. Try to keep mealtimes, walks and bedtime consistent, and try to drop in at least some time while you’re working. You also may want to consider investing in a system that will allow you to see him, speak to him and even throw him an occasional treat! With technology this is totally possible these days.

3) Leaving your puppy alone?

Leaving a pup alone while working is not fun at all —neither you nor your puppy will enjoy it:( However, it may be necessary and after all we need to pay the bills and the dog food. If you’re working full time with a puppy, there are a few things you need to think about:

• Leave your puppy with dog-appropriate socialization if you can
• Monitor your puppy and interact with them if you can use a system
• Create a separate space for your furry ball
• Get the professionals involved, maybe get a dog sitter😊
• Get ready for accidents, it is bound t happen any way
• Have a puppy plan, get all creative (that will include your working times)

5) Maybe call in the pros

It might be important to know the name of a reputable dog sitter or kennel. While might be an expensive option for continuous work every day, having an Pro to call is important if you need to travel for work or will be putting in extra overtime at work. Also be sure to get your puppy to the Vet and a professional trainer as soon as possible. Your Vet can offer important insight into whether your puppy is ready to be left alone and whether there are any medical conditions which could make things more difficult. A trainer can help you start training your puppy, so they can start learning all the good habits and to also make them less scared of being all alone!

In addition to calling in professionals, don’t be afraid to recruit family or friends, even neighbours to help out by letting you know when your pup is barking. Raising a pup is a big job, so you’re going to need some help, this is important!

How do I get my dog to tell me he needs to go out?

It’s sometimes difficult to live with humans if you’re a little puppy. First off, you have to understand that people dislike it when you potty or defecate their homes. Then also, you have to discover how to get out when you need to potty! Since you don’t have thumbs for opening doors, you’re in a very difficult situation.

Sometimes it’s difficult for pet owners to tell when their dogs need to go outside to potty. Some dogs show obvious signs, but others aren’t as trained or creative at informing humans when they need to escape outside. If your puppy falls into the latter category, don’t worry. There’s a way to help them let you know when it’s time to potty train.

Does Your Dog Ask Already?

It’s possible that your puppy ask you to let them. Maybe you don’t understand what your pup is telling you yet. Hints that your puppy might need to potty soon include:

• Circling
• Whining
• Moving into a corner or behind furniture
• Standing by the door
• Scratching at the door
• Sniffing
• Engage vertical objects, like walls or the legs of table, and sniffing and/or standing close to them, as if to left a leg (mostly male dogs)
• Approaching you and wagging, staring, or whining

If you see any of these signs, quickly take your puppy outside so that the puppy can potty. Important to praise and give your puppy a tasty treat when finishes up. Taking note of the specific behaviours your dog does just before potty might give you all the information you need to know when to let him out. I hope this will give you some direction!

How do I train my dog to bark when he needs the toilet? Included in Puppy Training

One of the hardest parts of potty training is getting your dog to let you know when he needs to go out. Imagine how nice it would be if your dog could come to you and tell you in plain English that he wants to go outside and take care of business.

Of course, he can’t exactly walk up to you and say, “Hey dude! I got to go outside.” But at the same time, there is no reason why he can’t be trained to let you know in another way that he needs to pee.  The good news is that there are several different ways you can use to train your pup to “ask” you to take him outside.

We all know how hard it can be sometimes to tell that our best friends are trying to let us know they need to go out, obviously before making a big mess. This could be because some dogs are better at telling you of their needs than others.

Toilet barking: Now each time you take him out to the toilet, issue a bark command just before you open the door. As soon as he barks, open the door and give him a treat. Practice this for a few days, he will soon associate barking with going to the toilet.

The waiting game: Take him to the door, but don’t open it until he barks of his own accord. Be patient, it won’t take long for him to realize what he needs to do. Once he starts barking each time, you can stop giving him treats. If he doesn’t bark on his own, return to the previous step for a few more days.

How do I teach my puppy to ask to go outside?

When starting out in your house breaking plan, your 8-9 week old puppy will not be able to hold their bladder through an entire 8 hour period at night without having to go out once or go out very early in the morning.

Your 8-11 week old puppy will sleep 15-18 hours of any 24 hour period in various 1-3 hour napping periods throughout the day and 5-7 hours at night.

Your 8-11 week old puppy will have to go to the bathroom 8-10 times per day (every 2-3 hours)

It will take 3-6 weeks to follow a schedule so that they understand bathroom rules. (this assumes no accidents –accidents make this period last longer)

Your puppy will have to relieve themselves every time they awake and within 5 to 20 minutes after eating and drinking. Your mantra for puppy house-training will be “schedule, consistency and supervision”.  If you can stick with this for the first month and a half, it will pay dividends for years – stick with it!

A big part of house breaking is having a consistent ritual for taking your pup out:

• Always take your puppy out to the same spot during your first month of house breaking. Always go out the same door to the bathroom area.  Ideally, it helps if this is the same door that your puppy will have access to during your supervised times in the house.

• Always go outside with your puppy rather than let them run outside alone to potty.    As you open the door,  while you’re walking them out to the “spot”, repeat the word “outside?” as they follow along with you praise them. You may need to pick them up, and physically move them to the open door in the first few days, if they get distracted for even a second or two.

• After your puppy has been conditioned to a leash, always take them out to potty on leash. Once you reach the bathroom area, as they sniff around, begin to repeat the phrase that you’re going to consistently use, that means “go to the bathroom”. (For example: “go potty!”, “Go pee!”, “Do your business!”)

• In your first few weeks of house breaking, be sure to praise them once the puppy relieves herself outside. You can also offer a treat after they’re done. (Be careful though that the praise isn’t so vigorous that it startles your puppy while they’re relieving themselves)

• IMPORTANT HOUSE BREAKING TIP: Stay outside a little longer after they have relieved themselves.  It’s not uncommon for a puppy to go to the bathroom a couple of times if they’re outside exploring for more than 10 – 20 minutes.

• PLEASE DON’T (once you’ve conditioned your pup to a leash) carry your puppy out to the bathroom area for regular (non-emergency) trips.  If you do all the work in taking them outside by carrying them then they don’t transition to going to the door and walking “outside” themselves.

Body Language: Indications of having to “go”!

When you’re in a house-breaking phase, you have to continually observe your puppy.  A puppy may start to sniff in a spot and begin to move away from you.  A puppy may start to circle or arch their back prior to going to the bathroom. If a puppy consistently goes back to a spot where there’s previously been an accident then the chemical marker may still be there to “go here!” 

Re-clean that area with a good enzyme cleaner and don’t allow your puppy to wander over there again until you’re sure it’s been made chemically inert by the cleaner.  As your puppy learns, she may start going to the door that leads to the bathroom area when she needs “to go”. (This is why you’re going to the same door during house training process and repeating “outside?” as your verbal cue). 

If she does go to that door, you can start to ask, “Outside?” repeatedly.  If your puppy seems to become more animated then begin the “going outside” ritual. Be aware though that some young puppies give no warning and simply squat right in the middle of playing and pee before you see any signals.  This is one of the reasons play time outside is preferred for house-training with very young puppies.

If she does go to that door, you can start to ask, “Outside?” repeatedly.  If your puppy seems to become more animated then begin the “going outside” ritual. Be aware though that some young puppies give no warning and simply squat right in the middle of playing and pee before you see any signals.  This is one of the reasons play time outside is preferred for house-training with very young puppies.

What should you not do when training a puppy?

Are You Making These Puppy Training Mistakes? The surprise of a new puppy can be a very exciting and happy time. However, without a good understanding of the do’s and don’ts of puppy training, things can go sour fast.

Here are some of the most common puppy blunders to avoid:

1. Don’t Take Your Puppy Home Too Soon

2. Don’t Leave Your Puppy Unattended

3. Not Starting Basic Training Immediately

4. Don’t Misuse the Crate, but also Failing to Crate Train

5. Don’t Encourage Playful Biting

6. Pushing a Puppy’s Face in Her Mess

7. Training when you’re frustrated

8. Not consistently enforce good habits ALL THE TIME

9. Don’t give up, don’t let your dog perform inappropriate behaviour

10. Failing to Establish a Routine

11. Not Puppy Proofing the Home

12. Don’t Reward Too Soon

13. Not training your puppy to walk on a leash

14. Not socializing enough with your puppy

By avoiding these classic blunders and by being a caring, socializing, reliable mentor and friend to your new puppy, you’ll get through that challenging first few months and dramatically increase the odds of creating a calm, confident, happy adult dog. In the meantime, remember to enjoy the puppy experience!

How do you scold a puppy? Puppy training Tips

How to Discipline your puppy with Positivity, Not Punishment. It is so important to be Recognizing and Rewarding the Positives. Scolding and punishing your puppy is never fun, for you or for your puppy. It will lead to broken feelings, stress / anxiety, and lack of future trust. This can be the absolute worst when it comes to your best friend, just because of a little bad behaviour. You obviously should never put up with unwanted behaviour, but you absolutely do not want your dog to be afraid of you, either!

Every human being want to be recognized and praised for what we are doing right – this is no different with puppies! Your puppy’s number one goal is to praise you, his one and only, you’re the center of his universe. When you see your dog behaving in the right way, reward him! You may not think to reward your pup when heeling nicely on a walk — you might just punish him when he’s messing around with his leash, and then expect him to know he’s doing a good job the rest of the time. That’s why it’s to important to reinforce that good behaviour. You can reward your dog for positive behaviour in different ways:

1. Give your pup treats – though this is very good reinforcement as part of his training, make sure you don’t overdo this, rather break up that favourite treat into small pieces. You don’t want your puppy to have a tummy ache!
2. Giving them physical affection – this will always go a long way, a scratch behind the ears or a good pat just to reinforce the right behaviour.
3. Praising puppy verbally – an enthusiastic “good dog!” will get the job done, and will reinforce the right behaviour. You can further research motivational training.

Should I get a dog if I work full time?

How to Raise a Puppy When You Work Full-Time.

It definitely is possible to raise a pup while working full-time, you will have to definitely put in extra work to make sure your puppy to grow up properly. Puppies needs lots of attention and need to be properly house-trained. Ignoring this could cause a lot of problems in future.

So you can certainly have a puppy and also work full time, but there are some important points you need to look at, especially right in the beginning when your puppy is still so small and dependent, and also in a new environment.

Try to Take Long Lunch Breaks: It’s always better to start with a young pup, however young puppies cannot go 7 or 8 hours without going out and exploring outside or feeding, so if possible for the first few weeks it would be best to come home at lunchtime or as an alternative arranging with someone else to do so.

House-Raising a Pup Requires Patience: House-training will take longer, as you will not always be there to entrench routines, prevent accidents and take the pup promptly to the garden. That’s OK. Just be patient and don’t give up.

Your Pup should be Comfortable: It is important to give your pup enough space to play: for example, a kitchen or large room in the house could be cornered off. When using a crate, make it available so your pup can sleep in it, but Please Never leave a puppy crated and all alone all day. Closing up your puppy in small spaces would definitely be cruel. Definitely make sure your puppy always have access to water.

Spend Time and Socialize with your Pup: If you adopted a puppy to keep you company, just also know that it would be your responsibility to socialize regularly and also amuse him when you are at home. It would not be fair to get a puppy and then spend all your evenings out to entertain your friends! It is important to make an effort to make your dog part of your life.

Conclusion: If you work full time but want a puppy, go ahead, but make sure to proceed with care. Maybe think of it to rather get a more independent breed, the younger, the better, or a rescue that’s used to being alone. Plan how you’ll spend quality time with your pup, and be prepared to justify yourself to anyone who has the luxury of not having to work. You work hard; so reward yourself with your dream. Also have a look at Extra Training…