123

Puppies will chew everything, even you. It’s their way of exploring, playing, saying hello, and easing their aching teeth that are just starting to grow in, and they don’t know any better!  It’s one of the most frustrating things dog owners go through in raising a puppy. You need to let your puppy know what’s his to chew and what’s not.

With these strategies, try three times. If your dog doesn’t get the picture, go on to the next one, because it means he isn’t clear on what you want, or doesn’t want to listen to you.

What to do when the puppy is chewing household objects (furniture, rugs, etc…)

Try these methods in the order given – they’re ordered from mildest to harshest, using the positive reinforcement strategy as much as possible (sometimes it is necessary to vary from the positive reinforcement strategy in the case of an extremely difficult or dominant dog). Use the mildest strategy that gets the message across to your dog.

• When the puppy is chewing an inappropriate object, throw a toy where he can see it, and praise him as soon as he bites the toy.
• Make a short, loud noise. When he looks at you, praise him. Then throw him the toy and praise him as soon as he bites down.
• Gently bump his rump with your hand. When stops and looks at you, or even if he just stops and doesn’t look at you, praise him and throw him a chew toy, and praise when he bites down.
• In a deep voice,  say your puppy’s name, as though you’re extremely disappointed. Praise him when he looks at you or stops chewing, or both,  and throw him a chew toy, making sure you praise him as soon as he bites down on the toy.
• In an angry voice, say your puppy’s name. Praise him when he stops and looks at you, throw him a chew toy and give praise when he bites down.
• Take your puppy by his collar and give him a toy. Praise him when he bites the toy.
• Take your puppy by the collar and harshly say “No!”, in a deep, growling voice. Give him a chew toy and praise him when he bites down.
• Take him by the scruff of his neck and shake him several times, and in a voice that mimics a bark, say “No!” This should always be the last resort in raising your puppy, but it won’t hurt him. It mimics how a mother dog treats her puppies when they have crossed a line, or are doing something inappropriate. This technique is often used to break dogs of their dominance. It puts your dog in his place and establishes you as the leader instead of the dog.

*Food can always be used to praised your dog, as well as verbal praise and physical praise.

What to do if your dog is chewing on you:

Again, the least harsh strategy that your dog responds to should be used. They are ordered from mildest to harshest.

• If your dog starts biting you, make a loud, high pitched sound, or an exaggerated, “OW!”. When two dogs are playing and one bites too hard, the dog that was bitten yelps to let the other dog know it was too hard. To your dog, the high pitched sound will sound like a yelp.
• Redirect his biting to a chew toy. Praise him when he bites down on the toy.
• Get up, walk away and turn your back, with your arms crossed. When he becomes disinterested, approach him again. If he bites, turn away again.
• Get up and leave the room. Count to 15 and go back into the room and pet him. If he bites again, leave the room again.
• Yell “No!” roughly, and throw him a toy. Praise as usual when he bites it.
• “Yell “No!” roughly, and gently push him off. Praise him when he stop biting.
• If he bites your hand, push your hand into his mouth behind his teeth. Praise him when he lets go.
• If all else fails, you may have to resort to pushing his muzzle closed with your hand. Hold for a five seconds, and let go. Put your hand up to his mouth and praise him if he licks it.

Never use any physical force to control your dog. This will only make him scared of you, which is not the kind of healthy relationship that owners and dogs should have. Worse, using strong, physical force can bring out aggressiveness tendencies, especially in German Shephard, Rottweilers and other dogs that are sometimes used as guard dogs.

Teaching your dog down is slightly more difficult than teaching him to sit. This is because sitting is much more comfortable than laying down when they are full of energy or intent on their reward. But with diligence and effort, you should have your dog trained to go to a down position in about three to four days.

What You’ll Need:

• A reward/lure
• A quiet, low distraction area

How to do it:

1. Put your dog in a sit.
2. Put some kibble in your hand and show your dog. Then move your hand in a straight line to the ground, so your dog follows the kibble. Then move your hand out towards you. Essentially, you should be making the shape of an “L” with your hand, which is called the L Shape Technique. Praise your dog and give him the reward as soon as his chest touches the floor. Repeat this step several times.
   
3. Repeat the L Shape technique. As soon as his chest touches the floor, give the verbal cue “Down”. Praise him and give him the reward. Repeat this step several time as needed.
   
4. Using the L Shape technique, give the verbal cue before you begin the hand signal. Give him praise and the reward as usual. You can always repeat steps 2 and 3 if your dog seems confused.
   
5. Try to phase out the lure as quickly as you can. Use the same L hand signal, but don’t use any kibble to bring him into the position. Give him kibble after he manages the position change.  Make sure you don’t rush phasing out the lure. or your dog will become frustrated and confused.
   

Training your dog to sit is one of the most basic commands, and the easiest position for your dog to put himself in. The speed at which your dog learns behaviors will vary – some may be able to teach their dog in one sitting, while other dogs may need several days before they understand the command.

What You’ll Need:

• A tangible reward such as food or a toy
• A quiet place with minimal distractions

How to do it:

1. Have your dog on his leash to minimize wandering, and try to put him in a standing position.
2. Show him that you have a reward (which will be used as a lure) in your hand, and hold it right in front of his nose.
3. Slowly raise the lure up. The dog’s head should rise as the lure rises, causing his spine and bottom to go down. If he jumps up, then you maybe have raised the lure too high.
4. AS SOON as his bottom touches the ground, mark it with a “Good boy!” and give him the lure (which is now considered a reward).
5. Repeat steps 1-4 until his bottom is quickly touching the ground as you raise the lure – this means he understands what it is you’d like him to do.
6. Lure him into a sitting position as you’ve been doing, but mark it with the verbal cue “Sit” as his bottom touches the ground. Give him the reward and praise him.
7. After you have repeated Step 6 several times, give the verbal cue before you start to lure him. Give him the reward and praise him as usual, as soon as his bottom  touches the ground.
8. Don’t use a lure this time. Just raise your palm up, the way you would if you were luring him. When he completes the behavior, give him a reward and praise him. This step may not happen right away. It can take days or even weeks for your dog to complete behavior without lure, simply because he may not understand. If you suspect your dog does not understand, repeat steps 5 and 6 until you’re confident that he understands the behavior.

Remember, if your dog gets bored, you can always play a game of Touch or Spin to win his attention again.

Rewards are crucial in training your dog. Food is the easiest, quickest and most convenient way to reward your dog. But what do you do it your dog isn’t food motivated? There are other ways to reward your dog that may have an even bigger payoff than food. In order to find out what really makes your dog happy, you’ll have to spend time with him in lots of different places to learn what motivates him.

Here are some ideas to get your dog moving:

• Take your dog to a park. Does he like playing with the other dogs? If he does, use this to you advantage. When other dogs are near, get your dog’s attention and do some quick obedience training. As a reward, let him play with the other dogs.
• Does your puppy like water? Let him play in the water or have a nice, long drink for good behavior or if he does as you ask.
• Use toys often. If your dog isn’t too fond of his toys at home, take him to a pet store and see what he goes for. You can hold different toys out to him to see how interested he is. Only buy those that are really exciting and interesting to him.
• While you are on a walk with your dog, if there is something he is really eager to explore, have him do a few position changes and let him sniff it as a reward. If he doesn’t cooperate, promptly turn and take him away from whatever he’s so eager to sniff. Then return to it and try again. When he completes the behavior you ask of him, let him explore the area or object.
• Don’t forget: Verbal praise and human contact are often the biggest reward to dogs.

When training your dog in obedience, make sure you know the difference between a bribe, a lure and a reward.

Bribe: Something you show your dog (food, toy, etc…) before you ask him for a behavior. Try to always avoid bribes. Some owners make the mistake of bribing their dog, and find that the dog will not cooperate unless he knows there is food involved.

Lure: When food or a toy is used to help a dog into a body position (sit, down, etc…). For example, when teaching a dog to spin, you can use food to lure him into a circle. These can be used at first, but should be phased out as soon as soon as the dog has an understanding of the behavior.

Reward: When food or a toy is given as a prize for good behavior. These should be used very frequently at first, but should gradually be phased out as the dog masters the behavior and it becomes easy for him.

Before you start introducing your dog to obedience commands, it is important that your dog trusts you and wants to work with you. By playing fun games with your dog, you are teaching him that he will be rewarded for good behavior. Your dog will learn that cooperating with you is a very good thing, and he’ll want to do it again. Pleasing you equals rewards for him.  Games are also valuable training tools when teaching your dog obedience. When he starts to get bored or distracted, you can play one of these games to win his attention back.

Here are some games to play with your dog to teach him the value of cooperation:

• The Touch Game – Teach your dog to touch your hand with his nose
  
  • Step 1: Put a piece of kibble on your palm and put your palm several inches from his muzzle. When he goes for the kibble, touch your palm to his nose and say touch. Then praise him and give him the kibble. After several times, your dog will understand that “touch” means nose to hand contact.
  • Step 2: Hold your hand in front of his nose with kibble, but wait until he touches your hand with his nose. When he touches, say “Touch”, give him and kibble and tell him what a good boy he is. Repeat this process several times.
  • Step 3: Hold the kibble in your palm in front of his nose. Ask him to touch. When he touches, give him the kibble, and praise him. If you dog does not touch after three tries, go back to step two. Repeat this several time.
  • Step 4: Keep some kibble nearby, but don’t put any kibble in your hand. Hold your palm a few inches in front of his muzzle. Ask him to touch. As soon as his muzzle touch your hand, praise him lavishly and give him some kibble from the nearby stock.
• Spin – Teach your dog to spin in a circle
  
  • Step 1: Take a piece of kibble in your hand and show it to your dog. Move your hand back and forth so your dog follows it with his head. Move your hand in a wide, big circle so your dog follows your hand. When he has made a circle, praise him and give him the kibble. Due this multiple times until he understands he is supposed to follow your hand in a circle.
  • Step 2: Take a piece of kibble inn your hand and show it to your dog. Say “Spin!” and make the circle with your hand while he follows. When he completes the spin, praise him and give him the kibble. Everything is the same as Step 1, with the addition of the verbal cue “Spin”.
  • Step 3: Put some kibble nearby, but don’t hold any in your hand. Give the verbal cue and make the hand motion. When your dog completes a spin, praise him and give him some kibble. If he is confused or doesn’t understand, go back to step 2.
• Fetch
  • This seems like an obvious game to play, but most people don’t play it with their dog from a teaching standpoint.
  • Throw his favorite toy. Most likely he’ll run after it and bring it back. When he brings it back, praise him and throw it again (most owners don’t praise during a game of fetch). If your dog runs to the toy but doesn’t bring it back, clap your hands and be exciting. When he comes back with the toy, praise him and throw it again.

Training your dog in obedience is key to having a successful relationship with him. Many owners don’t invest the effort or time in training their dog; they just want the dog to come when they call. While recall is an important skill every dog should know,  other commands are just as important, and are crucial to a successful owner/dog relationship.

A trained dog means the dog will listen to his owner and do what he ask in any situation. This puts  the owner in control and in charge. If the owner don’t establish authority over his dog, the dog will establish himself as the leader of the pack, and the owner will find the dog does not respond to him. This will frusturate the owner greatly, and will damage the relationship between the dog and owner, since they lack the vital connection based on who is dominant (the owner) and who is submissive (the dog).

As well as being crucial to a successful relationship, obedience training is important to the safety of the dog. If the owner and dog are in a heavy traffic area, a dog pulling on his lead to chase a squirrel that happens to run into the street could be catastrophic. A simple down and stay could save the dog’s life.

So before you write off obedience training due to time constraints or whatever reason you may have, consult this blog/guide.  I’ll be adding to it everyday, so keep checking back!

Housebreaking your puppy may seem like a scary task, but it’s not as bad as you may think. Here’s a secret that makes all the difference in house training: Give your dog his own “spot” to do his business. This is one of the easiest and most often overlooked ways to make housebreaking easier. Give your dog his spot the minute you bring him home for the first time. Before you even enter your home on the day you pick up your puppy, take him to the place where you want him to do his business. The spot should be about ten to fifteen square feet. While your puppy sniffs the area, continually ask him to do business with the verbal cue of your choice (for example, “Go outside”, and “Do business are good cues). If your dog doesn’t go in that area after a minute or two, take him inside and let him explore one room, while under supervision. Take him out every fifteen minutes and say the verbal cue until he goes in his spot . When your dog starts to go, give him lots of praise while he goes and when he’s finished (“Good boy, Spot! You’re the best! You’re the smartest boy I know!”). You may sound silly to your neighbors, but your dog will get the message, and house training will be be dramatically faster. Once your dog has marked his spot, it’s his territory, so he’ll want to return to that spot to do his business, which is why it makes housebreaking faster. From this point on, you should take him to that spot to do all his business.

More important tips:

• Three signs your puppy needs to do his business: sniffing, circling, and stiffening his tail.
• Keep your puppy on a leash as much as you can until he is house trained. This way, you can supervise him and will be able to prevent potential accidents by taking him to his spot when he shows signs of needing to go.
• When your dog is doing his business, make note of his behavior so you can recognize the behavior patterns again when he is in your home , so you can prevent an accident.
• Buy a urine and odor remover to clean up accidents. If you just wipe up the accident with paper towels, your puppy will return to the same spot because his scent is there.
• If your puppy starts to squat while in the house, throw a toy or get his attention by shouting or yelling his name. Promptly pick up your puppy (don’t scold him – this will just confuse him), put his tail between his legs (this will stop him eliminating) and carry him to his spot.
• If you find an accident in the house, never drag your puppy to his urine or feces and scold him. A puppy’s memory is short (5-7 seconds), and he won’t understand why you’re angry. He’ll see the puddle, but he won’t remember that it’s his. He’ll feel guilty, but he won’t know why.

Finding the right breed of dog can be one of the hardest things about raising a new puppy. Here are some  important things to consider when choosing a breed.

• How much energy do you, the owner, have? Will you have enough energy to keep up with the dog you choose? It’s best to choose a dog that has . It is best to find a dog that matches your energy levelIf you like to exercise and have the time to get up in the morning and go running or go for a bike ride, then your best bet is a dog that has high energy levels, like a Labrador or Golden Retriever. If you are not a fan of physical activity, then you want a dog that is low energy, like a Lhasa Apsa.
• Consider the size of your home. Generally, smaller dogs will fare much better in an apartment then a Saint Bernard. A big dog in a small space can often be destructive if there isn’t enough space for him. Picture a bull in a china closet.
• Is this your first dog? If you will be raising your first dog, then go with a breed that is easily trained. Border Collies, German Shepherds, Poodles, Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are known for their intelligence and ability to be trained, which will be a less stressful experience for you.
• Do you or any of your housemates or family have allergies to dogs? Then a consider a dog with hair, rather than fur if you have allergies. When dogs shed, their fur falls out, which is what most often times causes allergies. Hair doesn’t fall out – it grows instead. The dog won’t shed, but you will have to professionally groom him so the hair  stays clean and unmatted.

If you’re new to the dog community and need further assistance in finding the right breed, I’m always available for personal questions at sbrown2@ithaca.edu. You can also check out these breed sites to pinpoint exactly what kind of dog will best suit you:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm

http://www.mydogsbreed.com/