Dog Training
"Go Potty" Training:
Outside quick every time the pup wakes up when in crate or is just being released from crate (immediately) or when pup wakes up from a nap with you. Immediately. No fuss, no waiting, no eye contact, no talking. Just grab the pup and put the leash on quick and carry pup out. No talking, no eye contact. Not a single word. No staring. Pup will wonder around a bit; trying to get you to play. You need to ignore it. I don't care how cute it is begging and jumping up on you. Just ignore the puppy until 'go potty' is accomplished.
When squat happens (bum dips down about an inch) that means go potty is happening....first they will pee [we say 'go potty' and praise and give a tiny treat]...then you are silent again waiting (no talking no staring) while they start wondering around again...having them run beside you a little bit helps get their movement to happen faster...they will have one or even two poops...which you praise and treat immediately.... "GOOD GO POTTY OUTSIDE".
Some puppies only have one poop and some have two. You will learn this by watching if puppy takes a 2nd poop when you come back in house....then you will know it is a 2 poop puppy and not bring it back in until 2nd poop happens. They outgrow the 2nd poop stage in a few weeks.
Treat every time and say same words every time. If pup has accidents in house right in front of you.... sternly say "NO"...grab pup and straight outside. No talking, except to repeat the phrase 'Go Potty". Talking is just a huge distraction. No staring....would you want someone to be staring at you going potty. Just keep corner of your eye on pup so you know when to move in quick with the tiny bite size soft treat and praise....same phrase - every time.
All folks in house have to do exactly the same way.
In morning you do not have time for chatter amongst yourselves, or for coffee or to brush your teeth...just throw your housecoat on and get outside with the puppy....rain or shine. The moment that puppy wakes up it has to go IMMEDIATLEY. They have zero holding power on first waking from overnight or nap.
It is a good idea to work at having the pup trained to 'go potty' by having a bell hanging on inside of door and ring it every time you are going out to 'go potty'. After about 2 weeks pup will start ringing bell to go outside. At first they will do it just cause it's fun to have you open and shut door a hundred times - but that will pass.
In the beginning the only one trained is you...puppy is just an infant with very little ability to hold its business. Each month of age gets them better longer holding power.
It is pointless to discipline a baby puppy...being a poodle all they will learn is that they should hide where and when they go potty so they don't get in trouble. If you give them heck they will start finding hiding places to do their business (like under bed, behind couch).
Just keep a spray bottle of disinfectant and paper towels handy and clean up each mess you find. Don't use bleach as it smells a bit like urine...try vinegar full strength.
Do not say a word about it unless you catch them mid-action...then it is just NO and outside they go...maybe peeing all the way....
CRATE:
When leaving house and pup behind it is best to put pup in crate with some type of chewy (bone or Kong) Say, "Go In Your House" and only say it once (no fuss, no talking, no eye contact....no big good bye and especially no big hello's) cover totally with heavy dark blanket - put TV or radio on nice and loud and walk away. This is important as the noise from the TV or radio helps to block noises from you inside or outside the house and helps prevent separation anxiety. It is a dogs nature to react to outside noises to protect their territory; so as a baby or juvenile they should not be hearing all the noises. They should be just relaxing. Do not go back to crate for any reason...no reason...zero reason. If you do go back it has to be when pup has been quiet for at least 20 seconds...not sooner. If you go back or anywhere near crate when it is fussing you are just encouraging louder longer fussing. A few minutes of fussing can quickly turn into hours of screaming if you go back to crate. Then when you get back home or pup has had its nap go to crate; no fuss, no talking, no excited greeting, no eye contact...just scoop up pup and snap a leash on quickly and head straight to go potty area. Don't forget the treats.
VEHICLE TRAVEL:
Vehicle Travel should happen on a regular basis while baby is still young. The puppy should be in forward facing crate and it is best if pup can see out into direction vehicle is travelling. It is best to travel on empty stomach for first month or two. Car sickness is no big deal and pup will outgrow it. Steady travel with no swerving and no fuss if dog does get sick. Keep plastic bags, paper towels and water in car. Cover seat area and just carry on. A sign that the pup is going to be sick is wet nose and drool; then retching, then vomit (into bag if you are quick and easy with this process). No fuss if it happens. If you fuss the dog will think its having thrown up is a problem.
SOCIALIZATION:
Socialization can start full on once pup is 11 weeks old and has had its 2nd set of basic shots. Pup should be out and about going to Pet stores (in cart only on your own blanket), busy shopping centers entrances, walks, kids playgrounds, auctions, outdoor flea markets, outdoor coffee places, Canadian Tire and Lowes, (always in cart on blanket or towel), your banks, etc. Always carried. Once the puppy has had all the vaccinations puppy can attend puppy socialization classes, 1/2 days at doggie daycares, groomers.... so many places where puppy can meet other people and other dogs....needs to meet 500 people in first few months. This needs to happen most every day.
STAGES:
Fear Stages happen around 10 weeks old and again around 14 weeks old. There is another fear stage around 6 to 14 months. It is their growing awareness of how big the world is.
When you are with your puppy and if it acts scared ( shaking, yowling, screaming, cowering behind you, barking at folks for no reason) this means it is scared of something, someone, some noise.... it will be up to you to laugh him/her right out of it...do not fuss or sooth a scared puppy. Your normal voice needs to be fearless (NO BABY TALK) just jolly them out of it. You must carry on like there is nothing to be scared of (even if you are scared you must not let if show). Pup will take cue from you.
If you do scoop down and pick pup up then you must be laughing and playful and tossing pup around like you do not have a care in the world...not like you are feeling the fear too...you must not feed into fear; quite the opposite.
They need to know they have a brave leader who is not a nervous-nelly. If you are scared or nervous your puppy will be scared and nervous. This is how anxiety problems gets started in a dog. If you, the big leader are scared then the pup will take the cue from you and believe there is much to fear. You must be brave and calm always. Even if pup is screaming its fool head off. Just laugh and distract and carry on.
Do not feed into the puppies fear with your own fear or your own concern.
VISITORS:
Visitors to meet the puppy at your house or elsewhere. Have pup in it's crate. Let guests come into home and have them seated and quiet. They are not to make a huge fuss over puppy; no squealing or excited interactions. Just calm and steady. Quietly take turns greeting puppy when it goes to them and all talking to puppy should be is soft normal voices. This way puppy will learn that people are great but that meeting people does not need to be an over the top meeting that would over stimulate the pup and cause it to start submissive peeing. That happens in a pup by strong instinct and is what a puppy does if over stimulated and a little bit nervous.
SUBMISSIVE PEEING:
Submissive peeing if it ever happens is a normal dog reaction. More often in females than male. It must be TOTALLY ignored. If totally ignored it will quit happening as dog gains confidence and gets older. It will happen automatically in some instances; like when meeting new adult dogs. The pup will pee, roll over on its back, lick other dogs muzzle, etc. These are all signs of respectful submission. Pups outgrow submissive peeing if encouraged to be brave and outgoing. Through socialization and the owners confident attitude in new situations.
OBSESSIVE LICKING:
Do not let your puppy lick or kiss your face or use its mouth or teeth on any part of your face or hands (skin). Puppies lick; it is an instinctive habit to get a mother dog to accept them and to regurgitate for them. It can easily become an annoying unhealthy very bad obsessive habit. Do not let is start. Do not let anyone else let pup do it.
JUMPING UP:
Do not let puppy jump up on you or others. Good way to control this when out walking if you stop to talk anchor your foot on about 14" of leash down towards the ground so dog is held to this height and can't get up on back legs. Pups learn this quickly. Jumping up once started is hard to change later.
EXERCISE:
Teach Pup to Retrieve: This is a truly great way to exercise a poodle. Practice teaching this at young age inside home. It can become a good type of obsessive behavior if used properly.
Poodles need exercise. Ten minutes at a time a few times a day will burn off excess energy and give you a happy stable dog. Walking is not exercise for the body of a dog; they can walk all day long. Walking is only for mental stimulation and for teaching them you are the big pack leader which gives them confidence and sense of safety.
They need to run and jump and frolic. Retrieving lets they do all these things. When they lay down with tongue hanging out they have been exercised.
OBEDIENCE CLASSES/TRAINING TREATS:
Great and essential as it is a great place to have dog meet other dogs but to also understand that sometimes they are to pay attention and 'work' not to play. Only take a pup to class after it has burned off some energy. Do not feed a dog before class. Use only high value treats that the dog will want to work for and pay attention to you. Tiny bits that are soft and easy to chew and swallow quickly.
Do not buy the bags of chemical loaded treats from the big chain pet stores; they are bad for dogs. Even when it says made in Canada or USA they are still using products from other countries.
Use homemade soft baked liver, cheese, chicken wieners, bacon bits..... all this stuff is human grade healthy treats that you can make up in big batches and store in small bags in your freezer. Keep in a plastic bag in your pocket and by the ‘go potty door' all the time so you can have fast access to training treats.
Don't give a baby more than a couple of tablespoons of treats a day or it will result in diarrhea.
HARNESS vs. COLLAR:
A harness on a very young puppy is fine. However, a pup must learn to walk nice on a normal Martindale collar and 8’ leash right beside you; not out ahead of you.
No use of retractable leashes as they are very unsafe and lead to bad unsafe behaviors. A dog on a harness learns (usually on the very first day) to pull and to get out front of you. This leads to your having arm and shoulder problems which in long term means poor dog and poor you and nobody gets to go for walks anymore. A young pup/dog on a harness and retractable leash gets way out front This develops into very bad behaviors like barking and snarling at other dogs or people.
This is because a dog being 'out front' means it has to take a leadership role and it is does not have enough confidence to able to do so. This causes the dog to over compensates by acting badly. This is especially true during the 'fear stages'.
A long leash and harness are dangerous as it can trip people and even get caught up on dogs own legs and cause injury.
Poodles should have a Martindale Collar because of their narrow head and slippery hair. This type of collar will tighten if the dog tries to get out of collar by backing up but will hang loose the rest of the time thereby protecting the hair from the damage caused by a normal flat collar.
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