Surviving the Puppy Years - Practice, Patience, Consistency

Training your puppy can be very challenging at times. I'm sure all you puppy owners out there have good days and not so good days. That's ok.

Our energy and emotions have a huge impact on how our puppies act. They are well aware of how we’re feeling and act accordingly. To be a good leader for your dog you have to be calm, assertive and fair. You can’t fool your puppy, if you are angry, sad, anxious or frustrated you will have a harder time getting him to respond to you.

Practice

It takes a lot of time and practice for your puppy to become a well mannered and behaved dog. The saying “practice makes perfect” is very true. It’s important though to start practicing commands in areas where there aren’t a lot of distractions. Start inside your house and practice in every room. Then eventually move outside, to parks, on your walks and even busy places like downtown. Don’t assume that just because your puppy follows your commands in the house that will be do the same in a new area. Introduce distractions gradually as your puppy improves. Don’t go from your house straight to the dog park. You will likely be disappointed.

Patience

It takes a lot of patience to raise a puppy. If you find yourself losing your patience, take a deep breath and relax. Take a break from training and try again when you’re feeling calm. It will make the world of difference. Learning anything new is always more effective when done in a positive environment. This is true for dogs and humans.

Consistency

You have to be consistent with your puppy especially when they are young and impressionable. If you aren’t consistent you will confuse your puppy and likely not get the results you want. For example, if you want your puppy to sit and wait for his food, then never put the bowl down until he is sitting. If you are consistent he will eventually learn that meal time always starts with him sitting down nicely.

Tone

Tone is so important and can make a huge difference with your puppy when used correctly. It can be fun and upbeat, encouraging, calming, soothing, firm and insistent. Be careful though, a tone that is frustrated and angry can have the opposite effect. Think back to when you were a kid and your Mom or Dad was yelling at you to “get over here”!!! You knew you were in trouble and going to find out just how much was the last thing you wanted to do. It’s the same with your puppy. It is to your advantage to associate coming to you with a positive outcome. I know how hard it can be to do this, especially when your puppy is just not listening to you. But it’s worth the effort on your part in the long run.

Training Methods

Whichever training method you use, you have to feel good about it. If you do, virtually any method will bring results. There are many to choose from like treat training, non-treat training, clicker training, positive reinforcement training or a more correction based training. Some trainers believe you must be the leader, some believe in a more relationship based approach. I like to take from each what I like and feel works for me and my dogs. I believe a lot has to do with the dog. Some dogs require a strong and firm leader and others don’t. That being said I do believe the human should be the one in charge. One good way to ensure that is by using the “Nothing in Life is Free” approach. It’s very simple, your dog has to essentially ask or “say please” for things he wants. Your dog’s wants are food, toys, to go outside, to play, etc. He can say please by performing all the commands she knows like sitting, lying down, shaking a paw, barking on command, rolling over, etc. Dogs are very smart and will pick this up quickly if you are consistent.

Raising a puppy is a journey that will teach you a lot about yourself. Be open to what you learn whether good or not. Take the opportunity to improve. It's not easy but if you keep trying and strive to be the leader your dog knows you can be, it will be so rewarding for both of you.

Surviving the Puppy Years - Destruction

I have heard so many stories about people's puppies eating their shoes, destroying the drywall around the house and it makes me wonder; where were the humans when this was happening? Do they let the puppy go wherever she wants? Is the puppy not in a crate when they go to work? How come they aren't seeing this destruction happening?

Since getting a puppy I am a firm believer in limiting their freedom in the house and back yard. This wasn't always the case. I once saw a neighbour with a puppy on leash in her backyard. Where I live we have huge backyards and my first thought was how cruel to have a puppy on a leash when the yard is so big. Now that I have a puppy I understand perfectly. She was probably training her puppy to go to the bathroom in a particular place. Or preventing her puppy from destroying her garden, etc. by teaching her where she can or can't go. If you’ve never had a puppy, that might be difficult to understand. It’s now crystal clear to me.

Puppies are very curious and therefore want to explore everything. A problem for us humans is that the way they explore is with their mouth. That is ok when they are exploring their chew toys, but not so great when it’s time to learn about your furniture. And until your puppy learns the rules, she is going to think anything is acceptable.

My puppy is very rarely out of my sight, especially inside the house. I am reluctant to let her go wherever she wants because I know what can happen. Don't feel bad if you have to leash your puppy inside the house. You are teaching her rules, boundaries and patience. You can either tether a leash to a table, couch or anything that can withstand her weight. You can have a bed set up with a toy for her, that's what I do. Or you can attach the leash to yourself. I personally find that my puppy calms right down when put on a leash inside the house. Of course if you haven't exercised your puppy enough, you may find her not responding the same way.

Of course the goal is to have her free in the house just like my other dogs. I adopted them both when they were 8 years old so this was never an issue. They were both calm and never once did anything to make me even consider confining them. So I know there's a light at the end of this tunnel. And the constant supervision is all for the best.

Our first puppy training class is starting tomorrow. I am excited to learn someone else’s training methods and introducing my puppy to another new experience. I am always happy to learn new things about dogs since I love them so much.

Happy puppy training.

Surviving the Puppy Years - Off Leash Dog Parks

I cannot say enough about off leash dog parks, especially since getting a puppy. Our other dogs have enjoyed going to the local dog park over the years but I've never considered it a lifesaver until now.

If you have a dog park near you or within a short driving distance, I highly encourage you to try it out. It's like an intense workout; it drains energy and is fun all at the same time.

We have been taking our puppy to our local dog park as often as we can, mostly on weekends due to work and time constraints. I can tell you that an hour or so at the park and you'll have a puppy that is too tired to get into trouble. The saying "a tired dog is a good dog" is very true.

The dog park is fun for us too, it's good exercise, we're out in the fresh air and surrounded by dogs. We have even started recognizing the regulars and they us.

Socialization

All dogs need to be socialized. It's one of the most important things you'll do for your puppy. It's so important for them to meet other dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes. And the bonus is they will also be exposed to all the different dog owners as well.

Play time

Play time is a big part of socialization. Your puppy will be meeting so many different dogs, dogs with different temperaments and tolerances. That is so valuable for your puppy to learn that not all dogs want to play at the same intensity as them or at all.

At times you may see things at the dog park that seem aggressive or unfair but for the most part the dogs are taking care of things the best way they know how, without our interference. That being said you should have control of your dog and be aware and ready to intervene if things do get out of hand. Inevitably there are incidents but they are few and far between.

It's interesting to watch and see how your puppy interacts with different dogs, especially when they first approach each other. Without being leashed with anxious or tense energy from us, they are free to meet each other their own way.

I have seen many dogs not appreciate the approach my puppy sometimes takes. She's a runner and loves to pounce on other dogs. This is cool with many dogs as it usually prompts immediate play but not so cool with others and they let her know it. This is valuable information for her. She lives with two senior dogs and is sometimes just too excited to respect them. But the more she learns at the dog park, the more she will bring those lessons home.

Keep socializing your puppies!

My puppy looking for some dogs!

Two of my dogs enjoying a quiet moment at the park.

Surviving the Puppy Years

Puppies! They are cute, adorable, innocent, playful, energetic, full of beans and often holy terrors!!!

As a brand new puppy owner, I've decided to document my journey and progress with my puppy in a series of articles.

All puppy owners have challenges and unique situations. My current situation includes my new puppy of seven months old. She is a Samoyed/Husky mix. I also have an 11 year male Belgian Shepherd mix and a 14 year old female German Shepherd/Collie mix. And just to add that much more of a challenge, I also have two senior cats, both over 15 years old. So you can imagine with all of us old ones, this young puppy has been an absolute shock! I knew  puppies have a lot of energy. But knowing that and actually experiencing it are two very different things.

I'm constantly being reminded that I don't have as much patience as I thought I had. And I don't like to admit it, but I've questioned my sanity a few times to bring a puppy into a house with two other dogs and cats.

But besides the obvious challenges of a multi dog household, there are advantages to having older dogs around. Their corrections are much better timed than my own, and just the right intensity to stop a puppy in their tracks. And their calm dispositions do have a positive effect on her.

Whenever my puppy does something that my older dogs would never do, I have to remind myself "she's a puppy". I must think that about 20 times a day. It's so hard to remember that everything is new to a puppy and they are curious, have endless energy and want to play all the time.

So far the absolutely most important lesson I've learned is that getting frustrated makes everything worse! But why is keeping your cool so difficult sometimes? How can a little tiny puppy push your buttons to the point of sheer anger? It's happened to me more times than I care to say, but I do know that if I just keep at it and remind myself that I am in control, it will get better. I won't give up.

One lifesaver we have discovered is our local dog park. It boats acres and acres of wooded trails and open areas. Whenever we go we always see many dogs of all ages and sizes. The dog park serves many purposes. It's absolutely wonderful for draining your puppy's energy; it provides your puppy with much need socialization skills, with both dogs and humans. And allows your puppy to run and play.

Another important lesson I've learned is that time outs are not just for children. My goal is to have a calm household. I realize puppies have a lot of energy and that draining that is essential. And in return I expect good calm behaviour. When my puppy gets too excited she  goes berserk. I've discovered that tethering her on a leash in the house forces her to calm down. Some people may think that's cruel but I disagree. I am simply disagreeing with the behaviour and controlling it. Once she calms down, I praise her and remove the leash. If she stays settled down, she can be free with the rest of us.

Keep in mind; it's your house and your rules. You are providing your puppy with food, water, shelter, health care, exercise, socialization, toys, love and countless other things. You have the right to expect certain behaviour in return.

• Set rules and be consistent
• Socialize with dogs and people as much as possible
• Exercise, exercise, exercise
• Give your puppy affection only when she calm

Crate training has been very helpful. At night and when we are out of the house, we don't have to worry that our puppy is messing things, chewing things or disrupting the other animals (other than having to listen to her whining). It's an easy way to potty train as dogs don't usually mess in their crate so the minute she comes out, she goes outside. If/when your puppy cries in the crate, be strong and don't give in. If you do you will be teaching them that making noise works and that is the last thing you want. At all costs ignore the behaviour. If you have just walked your puppy and she has relieved herself, she is fine. When you do let her out, make sure she is calm. And never ever put her in the crate as a punishment. Her crate should be a place to sleep and be associated with good things like feeling calm or getting her Kong or a treat.

I highly recommend taking some sort of puppy training class. Even if you have a lot of knowledge about dogs and already know how to train them, it's still a great opportunity for all of you. Your puppy will meet other puppies and  new people, and you will undoubtedly discover something you didn't know or didn't think of. And it's never a bad thing to explore different training methods. Not all dogs respond to the same to training so trying new things can be very beneficial.

If you are also experiencing the joys and challenges of having a puppy, remember that as difficult as it may be at times, all the hard work will pay off and you will have a loyal companion for life.