Adopting a Puppy
PUPPIES ARE A LOT OF WORK! It will be harder than youthink and will require a substantial commitment from you. By investing your time and patience now, they will become the amazing adult dogs they are destine to be!
Our hope and our expectation is that your puppy is going to be a valued member of your family. You are going to treasure them as much as you do the human members of your family. They will rely on you for love, their health, behavior and overall well being for the rest of their life. Please do not adopt a puppy or dog if you are not willing to make a lifetime commitment no matter what life circumstances may come along.
A puppy cannot learn living outside in a yard or by living with a family that is gone from home for long periods of time during the day. They need to be exposed to your lifestyle, require a lot of human interaction, and supervised at all times in order to learn. SOCIALIZE your puppy with other dogs, people and places, inside and outside of your home in order for them to grow into an adult dog everyone will love and enjoy being around. If you do not have children SOCIALIZE your dog around CHILDREN anyway. Don't wait until you're expecting a child or have an incident. Do it now! If you move to a new location, the dog moves with you. If you your relationship ends, please do not make the dog suffer. Know now who will always love and care for the dog.
SOCIALIZE... SOCIALIZE... SOCIALIZE
No matter what your lifestyle is, where you live, how many people are in your family, what other dogs may be in the puppy's life, you cannot miss out on this extremely crucial element of raising a happy, well-adjusted dog. Use the rule, 3 new people, 3 new places every week! We HIGHLY recommend you enroll your puppy in a puppy class. If you enroll them in a "big box store" training class, it is VERY IMPORTANT that they have received three DHPP vaccinations.
HOME LIFE FOR A PUPPY
If one of our puppies is under the age of 6/8 months, we will only adopt to home where someone is home most of the time. Examples would be; works from home, does not work outside of the home, or is a stay-at-home parent. Puppies cannot be left alone not only for house training and crate training purposes, but also because puppies require a substantial amount of human contact.
HOUSETRAINING
Puppies "go" A LOT. Up until they are about 5-6 months old, they usually have 2 bowel movements after each meal. They urinate at least twice for every drink of water they get. During the day, puppies under the age of 4 months cannot "hold it" in a crate for more than a 3-4 hours. (1 hour for every month old they are plus 1 hour is the max.)
Nighttime can be different depending on the puppies past experiences, age/weight and size (larger breed puppies can hold it longer!) One of the key things we have learned is if you feed them at least 4-5 hours before bedtime and restrict (take away) any water intake 3 hours before bedtime and give them several potty breaks during that time, many puppies will sleep 6-8 hours at night.
Getting Off to a Good Start House Training Your Puppy
If you keep a close eye on your puppy and watch for signals, in most cases they will indicate when they need to go outside. Look for sniffing, circling, digging and whining. Most will eliminate within 5-10 MINUTES of EATING, DRINKING, AS SOON as they WAKE UP and after PLAYING.
If you cannot watch your puppy, place the puppy in their crate or tether them to you by their leash where they will be with you at all times. Remember... anytime a puppy has an accident inside, it's your fault and not the puppy's. They are still learning! Even though they may have learned where to go at their foster home, they have to learn where it is appropriate to go at YOUR home all over again.
The average time a puppy can be crated is one hour for every month old they are, plus one hour (Example: 3 month + 1 Hour = 4 hours.) Having them on a regular schedule for drinking water and potty breaks increased the chances of success. Until your puppy is older and completely house trained, do not leave water out all the time. Provide them with a drink every couple of hours (be sure and give them a drink after playing and after being outside).
Tips:
- Go out the same door every time to take the puppy out
- For dogs living without a fenced in yard, take them on leash (this is one of the RARE situations when a "flexi-lead" can be useful)
- Take them to the exact same spot every time
- No playing or fun time until after they've eliminated
- Praise and offer a high value food reward after they've gone
- NEVER scold or punish for mistakes after the fact... the mistakes are yours.
After they eliminate, don't take the puppy inside immediately. Reward them with just a few minutes of playtime before going back inside. - Remove the water 3-4 hours before going to bed at night and take them out at least 2-3 times before bedtime.
- In the morning or during the night, take them out as soon as you hear them stirring in their crate.
- If you choose to confine your puppy to a bathroom, laundry room, etc. BEFORE they are completely house broken, expect them to use the floor as a place to go to the bathroom. If there is enough room for them to go in one corner and sleep in the other... they will. It may take several months or up to 2 years for your puppy/dog to become trustworthy.
CHEWING
Chewing is a natural and normal behavior and it is up to YOU to PREVENT them from chewing on inappropriate things. ALL puppies CHEW (which for some can last up to 6 - 18 months of age!) You should have many safe and appropriate toys for them to chew on. Have several and rotate them out each day to keep them interested. If the puppy is chewing on something inappropriate or dangerous, redirect them by giving them something appropriate to chew on. Remember... teeth NEVER touch human skin. SUPERVISE them and contact a trainer if you need help.
FEAR STAGES
All puppies go through periodic fear stages throughout the first 18 months of their life. You can comfort them without coddling them or making a big deal out of it. That will only give them a better reason to fear something.
GREETING NEW PEOPLE
It's always best to let your puppy approach new people in their own time. Have visitors ignore the puppy and the puppy will become curious and approach them. Have plenty of treats by the front door so that you can hand a few to your guest to give to the puppy (as long as the puppy is behaving itself and NOT jumping, mouthing, etc. your guest.)
Tips:
- Teaching the command to "sit" is the best way to teach a dog NOT to jump on guest. Do not allow jumping sometimes and not others. CONSISTENCY is the key.
- Even if the visitor tells you "it's all right" tell them the puppy is learning to be a polite adult dog.
- Do not touch the puppy (touching is a "reward") to stop them from jumping on your or to prevent them from jumping on you.
- Turn your head and completely ignore them, no matter how long it takes and then reward them for "four on the floor."
CRATING AND CONFINEMENT
Most Puppies are easily crate trained, some are not. The puppy's foster family has worked hard at crate training them and there are resources on our website to help you continue their success. If you have problems, contact a trainer for help.
OUTDOORS
DO NOT leave your puppy outside unattended no matter how secure your yard is. They are still babies and need supervision at all times. Puppy's can get through very small holes or gaps and could get stuck and be injured or sadly kill themselves trying to break free. Other dogs maybe not as friendly as your puppy and could dig their way into your yard and harm your puppy. Most dogs and puppies become bored, lonely and destructive if left outdoors alone for long periods of time. Children can sometimes be cruel or open your gate (you need an inside lock!) and let them out. It is not unheard of for dogs and puppies to be stolen from people's yards to sell as "bait dogs" to those that fight dogs or to keep as their own. These things are not to scare you but to help you realize that these things do happen every day and it's up to you to keep your puppy safe.
FOOD/FEEDING
Your puppy is fed twice a day. If your puppy is going to be crated, feed them at least 1-2 hours prior to crating and take them to go potty TWICE before leaving them. If fed and taken outside at specific times on a REGULAR SCHEDULE, your puppy will learn to go at the times you set for them to. The quality of food you feed will directly relate to the puppies overall health, their stool and how frequent they eliminate. Feed the highest quality food you can possibly afford. (See your Adoption Guide for food recommendations).
EXERCISE
Exercise, attention and play time is a MUST regardless of how high or low you puppy's activity level is. A dog that is not getting enough attention and exercise WILL become bored and destructive. Most puppies will sometimes eliminate during or right after exercise or hard playing. Be sure you have a "cool down" time outside after playing and give them time to potty before calling it a day.
OBEDIENCE TRAINING
We HIGHLY recommend you enroll your puppy in a puppy training class. Visit our website for referrals and discounts. At any time your dog develops a behavior you are not able to work with and correct, contact a professional BEFORE you become frustrated and are at a loss on what to do. Very few issues cannot be resolved by working with a trainer as long as there is a commitment from you to follow their advice.
REMEMBER... IT IS A DOG
Even though your puppy is a "baby," remember it is NOT a human baby ... it's a DOG so try not to "humanize" your dog, its emotions or its behavior (We know! It's hard not to but do what's right for your puppy!) Purchase books on dog behavior and learn how a dog really views humans. This will help you understand your dog, training your dog and why sometimes we have to approach them in a "dog" way instead of a "human" way.
There are very distinct stages of a puppy's development. Sometimes your puppy may suddenly become frightened of something they were never bothered by before.
Early Socialization period
6 to 12 weeks
Learns not to bite too hard.
Learns to relate to other litter mates and develops a pack hierarchy through play
Human Socialization
This is the age when most rapid learning occurs. Greatest impact on future social behavior will be made by any experience that happens at this point.
Fear Imprint Period
8 to 11 weeks
Anything that frightens the puppy during this period will have a more lasting effect than if it occurred at any other time.
Social dominance
10 to 16 weeks
This period is known as the "period of cutting teeth and apron strings."Pups will attempt to clarify the pack and leadership
Flight Instinct Period
4 to 8 months
He may challenge you in an attempt to resolve the question of leadership.He may not come when called.He may not play fetch even though he once did.
Second Fear Period
6-14 months
- In large breeds this period could extend longer since it is tied to sexual maturity.
- May suddenly be apprehensive about new things or shy or timid of new people or situations.
- Puppy begins to mature sexually: male begins to lift leg, and female that have not been spayed will have first heat period anywhere from 6-12 months.
- Puppy coat being replaced by adult coat, starting down the spine.
Maturity
1-4 years
If you were lax in your work earlier on you may now see the things you have missed: object guarding, unfavorable reactions towards unfamiliar people, animals, or things that your dog missed during the socialization stage.
It is very important that your puppy receive all of their vaccination. Recieving only one or two vaccinations will not protect them from contracting deadly diseases.
VACCINATION SCHEDULE | ||
RABIES | 14-16 Weeks | Every 3 years after initial 1st year vaccination |
DHPP-L |
6-8 Weeks |
ANNUALLY |
BORDETELLA | Not required unless your dog is boarding, grooming or at daycare | |
OTHER | ||
HEARTWORM TEST | ANNUALLY | |
EXAM | ANNUALLY | |
GROOMING |
The skin is the largest organ in the body and grooming is a part of your dogs overall health. Depending on the coat of your dog you need to brush them 1-3 times of week. Most inside dogs only require 3-4 baths a year. Bathing too often can dry the skin and dull the coat. |
|
DENTAL |
Some breeds of dogs are know to have dental issues that may require more frequent cleanings. Consult your veterinarian. |
Parvo is a viral disease that grows in rapidly and unvaccinated puppies, or those that have not received all of their boosters are at great risk. The intestinal lining has the biggest concentration of rapidly dividing cells in a puppy's body. The virus attacks and kills these cells, causing diarrhea (often bloody), depression, and suppression of white blood cells -- which come from another group of rapidly dividing cells. In very young puppies, it can infect the heart muscle and lead to "sudden" death.
Parvovirus affects primarily puppies. Puppies do not have an immune system built up to fight against this virus as adults have. This is why vets recommend giving three parvo (or better known as a DHPP) vaccinations 3-weeks to one month apart. The three vaccinations help build a puppy’s immune system, but does not protect them 100%.
The virus is shed through vomit and feces of an infected dog and can live in the soil for years. The Parvovirus can be found most anywhere so it can easily be contracted when a puppy or unvaccinated dog is exposed to an area where an infected dog has been.
PUPPIES: It is best to stay in your own yard or that of a friend or family member you know has well-vaccinated dogs. It’s best not expose you dog to too many new dogs until it has had all 3 DHPP vaccines. Especially avoid pet stores, dog parks, and high dog traffic areas. There is no cure for parvo, the vets can only do supportive care, which costs from $1500-3000 to treat, and there is a 20 % chance a puppy still could die.
Parvovirus Vaccination
Parvovirus is probably the most common viral illness of dogs at the present time. It is much more common in puppies than it is in adult dogs. It can be very hard to successfully vaccinate a puppy for this disease because the antibody protection the puppy acquires from its mother can interfere with vaccination. Many vets recommend vaccinating puppies every three to four weeks for this virus starting at 6 weeks of age and continuing until they are at least 16 weeks of age and preferably 20 weeks of age. It is possible that this vaccine confers lifelong immunity once it does work but most veterinarians continue to recommend yearly vaccination for it. It seems prudent to at least get the vaccination at one year of age. Since it is combined with the other vaccines it is often easier just to give it yearly with them.
What are the symptoms of Parvo?
- Parvo" is a virus that attacks the lining of the digestive system. It causes dogs and puppies to not be able to absorb nutrients or liquids. Puppies are especially prone to it because they have an immature immune system. When dogs and puppies contract parvo, they often have diarrhea, vomiting and lethargy. Usually they stop eating and develop a bloody, foul-smelling, liquid stool.
- Symptoms usually begin with a high fever, lethargy, depression, and loss of appetite. Secondary symptoms appear as severe gastrointestinal distress, such as vomiting and bloody diarrhea. In many cases, dehydration, shock, and death follow.
- Parvovirus is characterized by severe, bloody diarrhea and vomiting, high fever and lethargy. The diarrhea is particularly foul smelling and is sometimes yellow in color. Parvo can also attack a dog's heart causing congestive heart failure. This complication can occur months or years after an apparent recovery from the intestinal form of the disease. Puppies who survive parvo infection usually remain somewhat un-healthy and weak for life.
How is Parvo transmitted?
Canine parvovirus is carried by dogs. Adult dogs may be infected carriers without showing any clinical signs. Dogs with the typical diarrhea that parvovirus causes shed the virus as well. It can last a long time in the environment, perhaps as long as 9 months or longer. Generally, it takes 7-10 days from the time of exposure for dogs and puppies to start showing symptoms and to test positive for parvo.
Parvo is highly contagious to unprotected dogs, and the virus can remain infectious in ground contaminated with fecal material for five months or more if conditions are favorable. Extremely hardy, most disinfectants cannot kill the virus, however chlorine bleach is the most effective and inexpensive agent that works, and is commonly used by veterinarians.
The ease with which infection with Parvo can occur in any unvaccinated dog must be stressed. The virus is extremely hardy in the environment. Withstanding wide temperature fluctuations and most cleaning agents. Parvo can be brought home to your dog on shoes, hands and even car tires. It can live for many months outside the animal. Any areas that are thought to be contaminated with parvo should be thoroughly washed with chlorine bleach diluted 1 ounce per quart of water.
Dogs and puppies can contract parvo even if they never leave their yards. Parvo virus, despite what you might hear, is NOT an airborne virus. It is excreted in the feces of infected dogs, and if someone -- human, dog, bird, etc. -- steps in (or otherwise comes in contact with) the excrement, the possibility for contamination is great. Some people speculate that birds invading a dog's food dish can deposit the parvovirus there. If you think you may have come in contact with parvovirus, a strong solution of bleach and water does kill the virus, so you can wash your shoes and clothes, even your hands with it, to reduce the risk of infecting your dog. Rest assured that parvovirus is specific to dogs alone and cannot be transmitted to humans or other pets of a different species, such as cats.
How is Parvo treated?
Without intense treatment, the victims of parvo die of dehydration. Treatment generally consists of IV or sub-cutaneous fluids and antibiotics. There is no cure. Veterinarians can only treat the symptoms palliatively, and try to keep the dog alive by preventing dehydration and loss of proteins. As there is no cure for any virus, treatment for parvo is mostly that of supporting the different systems in the body during the course of the disease. This includes giving fluids, regulating electrolyte levels, controlling body temperature and giving blood transfusions when necessary.
Dogs who have survived parvo can get it again. In the case of some puppies, a puppy testing negative for Parvo one day could succumb to the virus within a matter of days. It strikes fast and without mercy. Dr. Cathy Priddle has warned that sulfa drugs have been known to cause dehydration in dogs, suggesting that animals infected with parvovirus should not be given sulfa drugs.
Will my dog die if he gets Parvo?
This is a very serious disease. Some puppies infected with parvovirus will die despite prompt and adequate treatment. While no extremely accurate statistics are available, a good guess is probably that 80% of puppies treated for parvovirus will live. Without treatment, probably 80% or more of the infected puppies would die.
Due to the high death rate, parvovirus gets a lot of free publicity. Many people just assume that any case of diarrhea in a dog is from parvovirus. This is not true. There are a lot of other diseases and disorders that lead to diarrhea. If you have a puppy, don't take any chances. Have your puppy examined by your vet if diarrhea is a factor in any disease. It is better to be safe than to be sorry.
If your dog becomes infected with parvovirus, he has about a 50-50 chance of survival. If he makes it through the first three to four days, he will usually make a rapid recovery, and be back on his feet within a week. It is vital, however, that he receives supportive therapy immediately. It must be stressed that this is not a bad case of doggy flu; without medical treatment, most puppies die.
How do I prevent the spread of Parvo?
The surest way to avoid parvo infection in your dog is to adhere to the recommended vaccination schedulewhich begins when puppies are 6-8 weeks of age. Puppies should not be allowed to socialize with other dogs or frequent areas where other dogs have been until 2 weeks after they have had their last vaccination. Immunization for parvo is usually included in your dog's distemper vaccine. This shot gives protection against several potentially fatal canine diseases all at the same time.
If your pet becomes infected, please keep in mind that dogs with parvo shed the virus in their feces and are extremely contagious to any unvaccinated dog. Follow these recommendations to help prevent the spread of this disease.
- Keep the infected dog isolated from all other dogs for at least one month after full recovery.
- Clean up all the dog's stools in your yard.
- Use a 1:30 ratio of chlorine bleach and water to clean food and water bowls (4 oz. in 1 gallon of water). Wash any bedding the dog has been in contact with in this same bleach solution and hot water. You should also try to disinfect any other areas that the dog has been, like linoleum, concrete kennels, crates, etc.
- If you have any other dogs that are two years old or younger, or who have never been vaccinated for parvo, please bring them in for a booster as soon as possible.
- Be sure to feed your dog a bland diet, such as Canine Prescription i/d, until he is fully recovered. When switching back to his normal diet, mix the regular food with the i/d for 2-3 days to help your pet gradually adjust to the change.
What If I've got Parvo in my home?
If you have had parvo in your home, use a strong bleach/water solution to kill it. Soak the yard with it -- better to kill the grass than your next dog. Be careful using it on carpets and fabrics, though. Parvo can live up to 6 months or so in your home or yard. Before you bring home another dog, be sure it has a strong immunity to parvo. You can have a veterinarian draw blood and run a titre to find out how well your prospective dog will fare in a parvo-infected environment. Adult dogs generally have a higher resistance than puppies do, but they need to be kept current on their vaccines. If in doubt, have your vet do the titre.
What can I do to clean up at home?
The virus loses very little of its ability to cause infection after 3 months at room temperature; can survive 2 weeks at 100 degrees; can live 6 months in a refrigerator and up to 3 years in feces in the environment. This is why the virus is spread so easily from one infected dog to another and why a thorough cleanup effort is so important.
The virus can be inactivated by household bleach, excessive heat, UV irradiation, and a few select disinfectants. Pinesol, ammonia and other household cleaners DO NOT KILL PARVOVIRUS.
- Use household bleach, 2 cup per gallon of water, to clean bedding, dishes, runs, patios and other surfaces that will not be harmed by bleach.
- Pick up all stool from the yard. Bleach can be used on dirt yards, but will kill lawns. Exposure to the sun (heat and UV light) is the only way to kill the virus in the lawn.
No products are currently available that are safe for household carpets. A thorough shampooing, however, would greatly reduce the number of virus particles in the carpet.
Do my other dogs need to be vaccinated?
- Adult dogs that are current on vaccinations (vaccinated within the last 12 months) are at low risk for developing a clinical case of parvo. They can, however, develop a mild illness and shed the virus, thus it is recommended to get a booster vaccination if it has been 6 months or longer since the last booster.
- Can I or my children or cat become infected?
- No. This particular virus is specific for dogs (canine spp.)
- After my dog has recovered, how long until it can be vaccinated?
- Recovered parvo patients develop a very strong immunity to parvo and are extremely unlikely to ever develop parvo again. However, it is critical that your pet is vaccinated against other infectious diseases. Vaccinations are usually given 1-2 weeks after recovery and continued at appropriate intervals as directed by your veterinarian.
- How long before my friends/family can bring their dogs over?
- Recovering parvo patients can shed the virus for as long as 30 days following the onset of illness. It would be safest not to allow others to bring their puppies over until those puppies have completed their initial vaccination series. Adult dogs that are current on their parvo vaccination should be able to come over following the thorough clean up previously described.
How long before I can get another puppy?
Because of the long environmental survival time of the virus, a new puppy will be at some risk in your home and yard for an extended amount of time. With aggressive clean up one could get another puppy as soon as 3 months. However, it is recommended to keep the puppy in a designated area which can be easily cleaned and disinfected until the puppy completes its initial vaccination series.
There are so many things you need to know and learn before bringing a new puppy into your life and home.
We highly recommend viewing "Before You Get Your Puppy" by Dr. Ian Dunbar and reading through this information before picking up your new family member.
It takes time, training and a lot of patience from you for your puppy to grown into the adult dog you want them to be. Check out "AFTER You Get Your Puppy" by Dr. Ian Dunbar for help and information.
The First Ten Skills You Should Teach Your Puppy
There are many skills that your puppy must learn in order to enjoy a good doggy life in our human world. It is your responsibility to teach your puppy these skills. Opinions may differ as to what are the most fundamental skills to teach your puppy. In my opinion, you should focus on the ten skills I describe here so that both you and your puppy enjoy being together and can safely begin to discover the world.
There are many ways to teach your puppy the skills I mention below and one method is not necessarily better than another. There are many ways to reach the same goal and you should choose the method or variation that best suits you, your lifestyle and your puppy's temperament. The training methods I describe here have worked very well for the many owners and puppies we have coached at the Ethology Institute Cambridge over the years, but remember that they are only rough guidelines and you should adapt them to your own puppy as you see fit.
The first ten skills
- The puppy’s name
- Yes
- No
- Come
- Sit
- Walking on leash
- Hygiene
- Socialization
- Environmental habituation
- Home alone
Two principles (=> means implies or is followed by)
One signal => one behavior: Give only one signal for each behavior that you want the puppy to display. Example: you give the signal 'sit' by means of 'sound' and 'hand movement' and expect the behavior of your puppy sitting. Strictly speaking, you're giving two signals, but they both intend to produce the same behavior, which is all right.
One signal => one behavior => one consequence: Your puppy's behavior will change according to the consequences immediately following the behavior. If you give it a treat when it sits, it will sit more often. If you don't give it a treat and ignore it, it will sit less frequently.
Your training tools
A signal is everything that changes a behavior. It indicates to your puppy that if it does something, it will get something. Remember: One signal => one behavior => one consequence. A signal can be a sound (a word), a hand movement, a body posture, and a facial expression.
A reinforcer is everything that increases the frequency, intensity and/or duration of a behavior of your puppy—it reinforces the behavior and that's why it is called so. You use reinforcers to reinforce the behavior you wish to be repeated. Reinforcers are, therefore, the consequences of what you consider to be good behavior. They can be a food treat or a word of your choice. Most people say "good-dog," or "good-job." My chosen word is "dygtig," (which means "clever" or "competent" in Danish) as I find that the sound of it works efficiently as a reinforcer. A “click-sound” can also be a reinforcer if you have repeatedly associated it with a treat, but you won't need the clicker for these first skills. Remember that a treat is only a reinforcer if the puppy is hungry and that your chosen word is only a reinforcer if you associate it with a doggy friendly body language and facial expression and say it in a pleasant tone.
Doggy friendly body language consists of deliberate movements (not quick, not jerky and not as slow as stalking). Don’t bend too much over the dog. Give the dog some personal space. When you walk, do it rhythmically: don’t change pace or direction abruptly. A doggy friendly facial expression consists of a quite and self-confident expression. Don’t make big eyes. Dogs interpret closed mouths with lips together (as when you are going to give a kiss) as a friendly expression (I think this is why the sound dygtig works so well).
Important: Treats, toys and training devices are useful and sometimes necessary, but the greatest learning tool of all is the way you use your self, your body language and your facial expressions.
You will need treats (if you use dry food, use some of it as treats), a collar and a leash (for skill 6).
- DLO means Desired Learning Objective
- POA means Plan of Action
- QC means Quality Control and indicates the number of times in a row (or similar criteria) you must have accomplished your DLO successfully before you move to the next level.
- => means implies.
To fail to plan is to plan to fail. Therefore, you’ll find that I’ve organized each plan to train a skill like a ‘quick guide.’ Read each one carefully and make sure that you know exactly what you must do before you begin a training session.
1. The Puppy's Name
DLO — to teach the puppy to look at you when you say its name.
The puppy's name is important because you'll need to have the puppy look at you on many occasions. The name of the puppy is not the same as "come," but you can give it that meaning if you want, in which case, you don't need to teach the puppy the signal "come." However, I recommend you keep these two signals separate. Later on, depending on how much you would like to teach your puppy, you may need a signal for the puppy to look at you without coming to you.
Tools you need:
- Name (means look at me) — choose a clear sounding name; a name with two syllables works well (in our example the name is "Bongo").
- Reinforcers — You'll need two types of reinforcers, a word (I use "dygtig" in the examples below) and food treats.
Your POA:
Level 1 — Stay close to the puppy, no leash.
Say, “Bongo” and clap your hands.
The puppy looks at you => say “dygtig,” show doggy friendly body language and a doggy friendly facial expression, and give the puppy a treat.
QC: Repeat until the puppy looks at you ten consecutive times. Take a small break and then continue.
Level 2 — Move 5-6 steps away from the puppy and repeat steps 1 and 2.
QC: Repeat until the puppy looks at you ten consecutive times. Again, take a break.
Level 3 — Move 5-6 steps away from the puppy and repeat steps 1 and 2, but without clapping your hands. Just say the puppy's name.
QC: Repeat until the puppy looks at you ten consecutive times.
2. Yes
DLO — to teach the puppy the meaning of the sound "Yes."
“Yes” is a very important signal. It means, “continue doing what you are doing.” It is a signal you teach the puppy from day one by using it. Initially it does not mean much to the puppy but, as the puppy associates it with your body language, it will begin to understand what you want.
Your POA:
You teach the puppy “yes” by using it repeatedly any time the puppy does what you want, such as running towards you.
When the puppy responds to your "yes," say “dygtig” and show doggy friendly body language and a doggy friendly facial expression. You can give it a treat, if you have one, but it not necessary. Your friendly body language and facial expression are enough reinforcement.
3. No
DLO — to teach the puppy the meaning of the sound "No."
“No” is also a very important signal. It means, “stop what you’re doing.”
Your POA:
You teach the puppy “no” by using it any time the puppy does something you don’t want it to do.
If and when the puppy stops, say “dygtig” and show doggy friendly body language and a doggy friendly facial expression.
If the puppy doesn’t stop, say “no” again with a harsher voice and maybe a slight foot stamp on the floor. As soon as the puppy stops, say “dygtig” and assume doggy friendly body language and a doggy friendly facial expression.
Important: Don’t shout “no.” You don’t want to scare the puppy, only startle it slightly so that it looks as you. Remember that no is a signal as any other and it should not elicit any unpleasant connotations. You should always say your “no” confidently and politely as in “No, sir,” or “No, ma’am.”
4. Come
DLO — to teach the puppy the meaning of the sound "Come."
Tools you need:
- Name (means look at me) — Teach the puppy “come” once the puppy is reacting promptly to its name, which it should be doing after skill 1.
- Come (means move directly towards me).
- Yes (means continue what you’re doing) — already taught in skill 2.
- Reinforcers — You'll need two types of reinforcers, "dygtig" and food treats.
Your POA:
Level 1 — Indoors in a quiet environment. Stand 5-6 steps from the puppy, no leash.
- Say “Bongo” and then when the puppy looks at you, say, “come” clapping your hands.
- While the puppy runs to you, repeat the signal “yes” as many times as necessary.
- Say “dygtig” when the puppy is in front of you, show doggy friendly body language and a doggy friendly facial expression and give it the treat you are holding between your fingers.
QC: Repeat until the puppy comes to you ten consecutive times.
Level 2 — Indoors with one or two other people present, no leash. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
QC: Repeat until the puppy comes to you ten consecutive times.
Level 3 — Outdoors in a quiet, closed environment, no leash. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
QC: Repeat until the puppy comes to you ten consecutive times.
5. Sit
DLO — to teach the puppy the meaning of the sound "Sit."
Tools you need:
- Sit means put your butt on the floor and keep it there until you get another signal. You will be using two signals for sit, one is the sound "sit" and the other is your hand movement.
- Free (means move now). You say “free” and, initially, you move around a bit to encourage the puppy to move as well. In the beginning, you are therefore using two signals—the sound "free" and your movement.
- Reinforcers — You'll need two types of reinforcers, "dygtig" and food treats.
Your POA:
Level 1 — Indoors in a quiet environment, no leash. Stand or kneel in front of the puppy.
- With a treat between your thumb and pointing finger make a smooth movement upwards right in front of the puppy’s nose and say “siiit” at the same time.
- When the puppy sits, say “dygtig” and give the puppy the treat you are holding.
- Wait a couple of seconds, say “free” and when the puppy moves, say “dygtig” and give it a treat.
QC: Repeat until the puppy sits five consecutive times and moves on your "free."
Level 2 — Indoors, stand 2-3 steps away from the puppy, no leash. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
QC: Repeat until the puppy sits five consecutive times and moves on your "free."
Level 3 — Outdoors in a quiet, closed environment, no leash. Repeat steps 1 and 2.
QC: Repeat until the puppy sits five consecutive times and moves on your "free."
6. Walking on Leash
DLO — to allow the puppy to get used to walk with a collar and leash.
Tools you need:
- Reinforcers — You'll need two types of reinforcers, "dygtig" and food treats.
- Collar and leash.
Your POA:
- Walk 3-4 slow, but steady, steps in one direction and then change direction several times, all in a smooth, rhythmical movement.
- Don’t wait for the puppy—the puppy will understand after a few trials that it has to follow you.
- In the beginning, for every change of direction, give the puppy a treat, then for every second change of direction give the puppy a treat.
- Keep eye contact with the puppy and show friendly body language and facial expression.
- Say “dygtig” whenever the puppy follows you.
- QC: Repeat until the puppy follows you freely 8-10 steps.
7. Hygiene
DLO: to teach your puppy not to urinate and defecate indoors.
Your POA:
There is no standard way to teach your dog cleanliness. However, the following advice has helped many puppy owners, including myself. Dogs develop preferences for spots as well as surfaces on which to urinate and defecate. It is important we give them these preferences early on. You need to choose a suitable place outside your house where your puppy can relieve itself. This place should be relatively quiet, without too many distractions. Get your puppy acquainted with that area, but don't make it a play area. When your dog has relieved itself, move away from the area. Allow the puppy to relieve itself without disturbing it. Do not reinforce the behavior. If you do, the puppy may associate the behavior of urinating and defecating with getting attention from you and will do it later to achieve that.
- Take the puppy to its chosen doggy toilet area as soon as it has eaten, played vigorously for a while or has just woken up.
- If you discover that the puppy has urinated or defecated indoors, just clean it up thoroughly, removing all odor. There is no point scolding the puppy or giving it any explanations.
- If you see the puppy urinating elsewhere, pick it up right away and go to your chosen doggy toilet area.
- Be patient.
8. Socialization
DLO: to teach your puppy how to live in our human world.
Your POA:
Socialization is the process by which individuals acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to conform to the norms required for integration into a group or community.
There is no standard way to socialize your puppy.
You must start socializing your puppy from day one, as soon as you get it. The opportunity for socialization is at its peak between 8 and 16 weeks of age and remains until the puppy is about six months of age. You must not waste this period. If you do, you will not be able to re-gain what you lost, only attempt to repair it.
- It is not enough for your puppy to feel comfortable at home and in your favorite dog park where it goes for a walk every day, plays with the same playmates and greets the same people. You need to expose the puppy to (many) strangers, people as well as dogs, and to new environments.
- Exposure to novel stimuli should happen gradually.
- Allow your puppy to play with other puppies as well as (sociable) adult dogs. Growling, snarling, barking are all normal canine expressions and there's nothing wrong with it. Rough play with other puppies teaches your puppy the boundaries of social interactions. Your puppy learns self-control by playing with others. It learns good manners and when enough is enough.
- Your puppy should go out every day and have pleasant experiences with all different types of friendly people (adults and children) and friendly dogs (of many different sizes, shapes and ages).
9. Environmental habituation
DLO: to habituate your puppy to the environment.
Your POA:
- Since our world contains many different stimuli, you should habituate your puppy to as many stimuli as possible, such as sounds, motions, people, animals, objects. Allow the puppy to discover the world. Do not control everything. You should coach, not control.
- If the puppy has a bad experience, your role is to downplay it. Don't give the puppy explanations that it cannot understand. Just proceed engaging it in some other familiar activity.
10. Home alone
To teach your dog to be home alone, please read "Teach Your Dog to be Home Alone in Five Steps."
Remember that your puppy is a living being with its own characteristics and that, independently of how well or badly it fares in its learning process, it deserves to be respected.
Enjoy your puppy training!
All puppies need socialization regardless of breed, type, or temperament. Please do not take this for granted, regardless of your breed description. Even dogs from breeds that have a very good reputation for loving people will need to be thoroughly socialized as puppies, to make sure that they have lots of great experiences being around all kinds of different people. More importantly, breeds that are known to be less social (often described as aloof) must be socialized to grow up to love to be around people in order to be good canine citizens (and not end up in news headlines).
It makes sense that if a pup grows up meeting lots of people and going to lots of different places, and always having fun when it happens, he'll grow into a confident, secure, adult dog who loves to meet people, visit places, and is comfortable in all situations.
If a puppy is shielded from new experiences and people though, he'll likely grow up to be timid and possibly frightened of new things. Also, an under-socialized dog is more likely to react defensively around new people and in new situations and this is potentially dangerous. It is important to note that most bites occur because a dog is fearful and unsure, not because he is "dominant" or "protective". A socialized dog with many good experiences under his belt is a confident dog, and a confident dog is always impressive and solid in character.
So it's up to you to provide all kinds of new friends and experiences for your puppy. Luckily for you, this is lots of fun – cute infants of all species bring out the goodwill in everyone, and you'll find that people will line up to help you socialize your puppy!
TIPS FOR HOUSETRAINING SUCCESS
- Accompany your dog outside; Reward immediately with treats and praise
- Do not leave them unattended unless you are sure they have recently eliminated
- Do not allow them to go off in another room. Keep doors closed.
- Crate them, set up baby gates or tether them to you so they cannot wander
- Always use an enzyme cleaner (specifically for pets) to clean up any accidents
HOUSE TRAINING SIGNALS
The most common reason for housetraining set backs are humans not paying attention to the signals.
- Sniffing in circles
- Nudging you
- Coming up to you and then leaving the room
- Standing at the door
- Staring at you
- Pacing
- Whining
- Going off in another room alone
- Not eliminating after eating or play
If an accident occurs, remember it is YOUR fault, not the dogs. If you walk in and find they have had an accident, it's too late to correct them. Don't say or do anything except clean it up. If you are having issues with housetraining ask us for more resources to help or contact a professional trainer.
- Save This Life (Google Micro Chip) - this is the chip that ADR primarily uses unless the dog is already chipped when rescued
- Save This Life Information and Enrollment Form
- 24 Petwatch
PLEASE KEEP YOUR DOG'S MICRO CHIP INFORMATION CURRENT AT ALL TIMES! And if your dog is not microchipped, please do not put off getting it done. Remember... if your dog ends up in the shelter, your dog may have only 72 HOURS away from becoming available for adoption or a deadly statistic.
If we get a call that your dogs is lost/found or in a shelter, we will go get the dog, notifiy you later, and have a conversation as to why you were unable to be contacted.
About the Author
Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, CAAB is an applied animal behaviorist who has been working with, studying, and writing about dogs for over twenty-five years.
Adopting Littermates… (Don’t)
September 1, 2014
The title of this post is a bit strong, but I do want to caution people from adopting two dogs from the same litter because “it’s easier” to raise two at once (ask someone with twins if it’s easier than having one child) or “we don’t want our dog to be lonely.” (Because you might be if the dogs are so enchanted with each other that they ignore you).
I’m writing this now because we have gotten a number of questions about this issue lately: “Someone told me I shouldn’t adopt dogs from the same litter, is that true?” Far be it from me to say what you should or shouldn’t do, but there are a lot of red flags related to getting pups from the same batch. Before I say more, I should add that I’ve looked and asked around for any research on this issue and haven’t found a thing that supports (or disputes) what some people call “litter mate syndrome.” (If you are aware of any good research, please let us all know.) What I’m writing here is based on my experience and the anecdotes of others. I’d love it if someday someone did some good research on this to see if our beliefs are well-founded.
The most common reason given for not adopting two pups from the same litter is that they will “bond better” with each other than with you. This intuitively makes sense, in that the pups have already had the closest and most intimate experience with each other, and often during important phases of socialization. You’re already fighting the fact that you’re an alien (aka, another species) and are inherently confusing to your dog.
I’m not sure we know exactly how bonded these pups become with their human family (no doubt it varies tremendously), but functionally what I’ve seen is that the pups are simply harder to train. It’s just hard to get their attention. They are so busy playing with each other (or squabbling, more on that later), that you become the odd man out. I suspect this indeed does have to do with social bonding to some extent, but I have seen pups of a duo who clearly adored their humans. Adored them. They just didn’t listen to them. It seems harder to get their attention, harder to teach them emotional control and harder to teach them boundaries. I imagine that we humans become more like party poopers that interfere in their fun with their playmates, not to mention that we are more tiring, because they have to learn a foreign language in order to communicate with us.
The other problem I’ve seen with pups from the same litter relates to bullying or aggression between the dogs. It seems as though this happens more often with litter mates, but I wish we had some good, objective research on it. I simply can’t say definitely that this happens more with litter mates, but it does appear to. I have seen some nasty cases of bullying or outright aggression between dogs of the same litter, and it feels as though it is more common than between dogs who come into the family from different litters. (Or perhaps are adopted at different times? I’m not sure we can say exactly what the factors are yet.)
That said, I should add that there are numerous cases in which people have adopted litter mates without any problems at all. What happens on so many factors, including the temperament of the pups, their early experience, etc. etc. I would say though, that if you want all the odds on your side, you might hesitate before getting two pups from the same litter if you have a choice or can’t follow the suggestions below.
What if you already have litter mates? Perhaps you’re reading this while two pups from the same litter are playing on the floor beside you. Or perhaps you have working dogs and truly need to keep a number of pups from the same litter until you can evaluate who would be the best prospect. I think the standard advice is sound here: Don’t give the puppies free and constant access to each other. (I just heard from someone that her breeder recommended she never EVER let the dogs even see each other. Do I need to mention that I think that is a bit extreme?) Let them sleep in different areas (okay, make them sleep in different areas) and do lots of one-on-one training. Spend a lot of time playing with each pup by itself, and use play as an important part of your positive reinforcement. (This is also a great way to teach emotional control. See Play Together, Stay Together for more on this topic.)