The Dog Trainer's Blog

I know; it seemed like a good idea at the time.  A cute little puppy under the tree; Christmas morning and the bright shining faces of the kids as they discover the new little bundle of joy; a fun way to teach the kids about responsibility; cute little wet noses and sweet puppy breath.  And now, as you stand outside alone with the freezing January wind blowing through your thin pajamas first thing in the morning, waiting for the little bundle of joy to decide to go potty on the freezing bit of turf next to you, you are wondering if you made the right choice.

But take heart, only eight weeks of freezing cold potty breaks until March and by then you should be well on your way toward potty training your new pup!  All kidding aside, it may be cold out there, but these next few weeks are imperative to developing good potty habits, and taking the time to be consistent and methodical now will pay up dividends down the road!

Teaching your dog to go the bathroom outside and not on your favorite rug is a “simple” matter of repetition and consistency.  Take your pup outside the same door to the same spot often enough while maintaining enough environmental control inside to keep any accidents from happening, and your puppy will develop a preference for the favorite substrate of the lawn outside versus the rug inside.  Remember the younger the pup, the more often they will need to go out.  An 8-10 week old pup will go as often as once an hour when awake.  When asleep, they can hold it a bit longer, but may have to get up in the middle of the night a time or two.  By 4 or 5 months they should pretty much be able to make it through the night no problem though.  So, keep in mind, it’s not forever!

A more exciting puppy activity for you and just as important will be getting the little guy socialized once you’ve had a couple rounds of immunizations.  Just like us, it is more fun to hang around dogs that are well socialized.  Properly socialized puppies make safer and happier companions, especially when they are thoughtfully and carefully socialized with many different people, places and things.  Think about joining an organized and professional puppy social class where your puppy can not only socialize with other puppies, but also other people and hopefully some well-behaved children.  You should also be able to get many of your questions answered as well.  Just make sure to keep everything very positive and introduce new things at the puppy’s pace.

So enjoy!  They do grow up fast so take lots of pictures and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me with any questions!

Check out our new puppy class starting in February with John Bise.   http://unleashedcanineobedience.com Loads of fun socializing and talking about all things puppy.

Hope everyone is having a Happy New Year so far!

Virginia L. Simpson
Unleashed Canine Obedience
www.UnleashedCanineObedience.com
Phone:  513-317-7484

“You’ve got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between”

If you are interested in training your dog, you will quickly find that your pup will more than likely respond and learn more quickly through praise for good behavior versus punishment for inappropriate behavior.  Seems obvious, but it all starts with how we think about behavior.  When people come to me for training advice, they usually start out telling me what they don’t want their dog to do.  “I don’t want my dog to jump on people, bark at the mailman, run away, pull on the leash, poo or pee on the floor, etc.”  In other words, the definition of a good dog is - not a bad dog.

What I try to do is get people thinking about what they do want their dog to do instead of what they don’t want their dog to do.  What does a good dog look like in their mind.  For example, “I want my dog to sit on a place mat when people first come over until they are in enough control of themselves to politely say hello.”  “A good dog goes to the bathroom outside in the back yard and tells me when they have to go.”

It is easier (and WAY more fun!) to train a dog when you are focusing your attention on what you want your dog to do instead of what you don’t want them to do.  This will help you come up with alternatives to “bad” behavior.  You can’t just say no all the time; no fun for you, no fun for your dog!  You have to redirect and teach appropriate behavior.  And it all starts with a positive outlook!

So, make a list of all the things you don’t want your pup to do and then write down the opposite of that.  What would you like your dog to do instead?  Feel free to contact me if you would like any help!

Virginia Simpson
Unleashed Canine Obedience
www.CincyDogTrainer.com
513-317-7484

A fun time with your pup coming up this Sunday!  Get some exercise together and enjoy this beautiful autumn weather all for a good cause!

November 6, 2011
Miami Whitewater Forest
9001 Mt. Hope Road
Harrison, Ohio 45030
12:00pm Registration - 1:30pm Walk
www.2MillionDogs.org to register online

A cancer-free world starts with one mile, one dog at a time.

I hear it a lot in consultations, “we think it is cruel to put our puppy in a crate.”  You’re not doing your pup any favors by not teaching them how to be calm and accepting of being in a crate and having their space controlled.  At some point they might need to be in a crate or confined space, like at the vets or groomers and you don’t want a stressful situation made worse due to crate anxiety.

Additionally, if you have to leave your puppy alone at home before they are displaying a working knowledge of when and where to go the bathroom and what is and isn’t appropriate to chew on, it is not only kind but imperative that your pup be confined in such a way that they will be safe and unable to engage in behaviors around the home that you don’t want.  Top reasons why pets are given up: potty training issues and destructive behavior.  Top reason why dogs are not potty trained or tend to engage in destructive behavior: never crated during important developmental stages and development of the bad habits due to lack of supervision.  If you are not available to redirect your puppy into more appropriate behavior, your pup will never learn the right way to behave when left home alone.

Baby gates and playpens were developed to keep young children safe before they are ready to have free rein of the home.  We need to use similar tools to keep puppies and young exuberant dogs safe as well, and you can use these things as tools to teach appropriate behaviors.
Just like us, puppies do not come out of the womb with loads of self-control.  It is a taught behavior.  In the wild, the pups would more than likely be constantly monitored by a member of the pack who would redirect or correct as appropriate.  When you are not home, the crate will keep your pup from engaging in behaviors that you don’t want, like peeing inside, and will also keep them safe from chewing on things that will make them sick or worse.

Crating can also help relieve anxiety for dogs.  A crate can give a dog a nice quiet, enclosed space to retreat to.  Some dogs can feel a great deal of anxiety when given too much freedom too quickly.  This is especially true of dogs that are adopted from the pound or a rescue group.  The move can be overwhelming and all the new stimuli can create heavy feelings of anxiousness in many dogs.  Sometimes giving them a day to just chill in a crate in another room and soak up all the smells and sounds of the new home before forcing them to interact can be the best thing you can do for a new dog.

When used appropriately, with plenty of time for exercising and interactions with the world, the crate can be a very useful and simple tool to use to teach your pup appropriate manners for living in your home.   Stay tuned for ways to make crate training fun!

Virginia L. Simpson
Certified Dog Trainer
Unleashed Canine Obedience, LLC
www.UnleashedCanineObedience.com
IACP Member #3141
Phone:  513.317.7484

Check it Out!   A little "Why I Love Dog Training" article on Cincy Chic!

Virginia Simpson on Cincy Chic