Click on the topic you wish more information on:

• Taking the Fear Out of Fireworks

• HELP!  My Puppy is Chewing EVERYTHING!  
  Providing an Alternative Behavior or Redirecting Energy

• Housetraining the Easy Way

• What Can Puppies Learn?

Taking the Fear....

Out of    Fireworks

           Get out the BBQ and potato salad!  Getting ready for the 4^th of July usually means getting together with family and friends, an extra day off, going to the lake, the Hailey Parade and stopping by the local fireworks stand for lots of colorful streamers, bottle rockets and excitement!

            But, WAIT!  What about Spot?  How does Spot feel about the 4^th of July?  If I only had a nickel for every person who told me their dog spends 2 weeks under the bed shaking in terror from all the loud noises.  Many of us are so busy planning for our fun that we don’t stop to think about what is happening to our favorite dog.  Or we simply think there is just nothing we can do about it.

            While asking everyone not to launch that rocket is a bit impractical, the question becomes how can you help your dog make it through this holiday with as little shell shock as possible? 

            Sometimes, an ounce of prevention is the best cure.  One of the first things I recommend, especially with puppies is to do a bit of desensitizing ahead of time.  Find a great toy or game that your puppy absolutely loves.  A good game of fetch, or tug on a bumper is great.   Have a friend go to the other side of the yard with a pan and a spoon (a wooden spoon first) and bang them together at a distance while your puppy plays happily.  First, GENTLY bang them together.  If you puppy continues to play happily, then add a little more zest to the banging.  The key here is to be GRADUAL in making the noise louder and louder. If your puppy responds favorably, then bang two pans together.  Slowly have the friend come closer and closer to the puppy.  Only come closer if the puppy continues to play happily and does not seem distressed by the banging.  This should be practiced in just tiny steps at a time over a period of a week.  By the 4^th, your puppy will begin to believe that loud noises mean fun playtime.  Starting a puppy in this manner can save him years of stress and anxiety.

            If you have an older dog that has already let you know that he or she does not like the loud noises of the 4^th, you may be able to turn things around by doing similar desensitizing.  Again, the key here, however is to start with just a little noise and gradually increase the level while the dog is still happily playing. 

            Another good idea is to give your dog a safe place.  Many times, a crate trained dog can find peace and comfort there.  Keep his or her crate available at all times during the 4^th.  Some people find that their dog does well, if they take them in a car since car rides usually mean good things.  The dog then associates the noises with something fun. 

            For extreme cases of anxiety, check with your veterinarian for medical options. There are many times that they can help.  A combination of medical assistance and training, together, can turn a very fearful dog around.

            One of the most important things to remember is to never coddle your dog or pet them while they are shaking or acting fearful about the noises.  As people, our instinct is the sooth our frightened dog as we would a child.  To the dog, petting and coddling is perceived as positive reinforcement for that behavior.  When you try to sooth the dog, it will tell the dog that you actually like this behavior.  Try replacing your need to sooth him by giving the dog an alternative behavior or series of well known behaviors like down stay, sit, go to bed, or fun things like roll over, spin and so forth.  Give him something else to think about when the noises occur.  

            The best thing is to plan ahead.  Remember that the family dog will be as much a part of this holiday as the guests you invite over.  With just a little practice ahead of time, puppies can learn a lifelong tolerance for unexpected loud noises – not just on the 4^th of July, but also for everyday living.  Even older dogs that have been afraid in the past can have a new outlook with a little assistance from you.  Good luck and Happy 4^th!

HELP! My
Puppy is Chewing
EVERYTHING!
Providing an Alternative Behavior 
and Redirecting Energy

 What's A Kong?

A Kong is a great toy that can be utilized in many, many ways.  It is indestructible, fun and healthy.  Find them at your favorite pet store.

      All it took on your part was to plan ahead by having a few kibble stuffed Kongs or sterilized bones ready at the beginning of the day.  You haven't over feed Spot because the food you gave him was actually part of his daily rations, but presented in a way that was fun for him, taught him the proper thing to chew, and took him much longer directing his energy so you could go about your life in a semi-normal, pre-puppy fashion. 
      Providing an Alternative Behavior for Spot can be as entertaining for him, as it can be fun for you to think up new ways to keep him productively occupied.   Doing a little planning can help nurture your relationship with Spot and help you both to look forward to seeing each other instead of dreading what will be destroyed next.

Copyright Positive Puppy Dog Training LLC 2001   

Housetraining the Easy Way

      Is there an easy way to house train?  The one easy way I know of is to just put your mind to it and do it.  The more commitment you make to it the moment Spot comes home the sooner it is over and happier everyone is.
     The longer a puppy is allowed to go in the house, the harder the habit is to break.  Deciding right from the beginning that you are going to be seriously committed to letting this dog out EVERY time he has to go and even when he doesn't have to go, the easier it will be for you and your dog

The problems I see most of the time include:

• Lack of confinement - too much freedom

• An owner who hasn't learned the puppy's indication or signal

• Lack of commitment on the part of the owner

• Lack of reward when the puppy does potty

Confinement

     All too often, we bring Spot home and enjoy his free romping cuteness that we seem to give him more freedom then he really should have.  We let him explore every room in our house.  We let him romp merrily while we fix dinner, answer the front door, or answer the phone.  It is that second that Spot finds a suitable place and leaves him mark.  After we finish on the phone, we discover the mistake, then get mad at Spot for going in the house.  If we discipline him after he has gone several minutes later, Spot has no idea why he is being yelled at.  In fact, this is the perfect example of something that is OUR fault, not his.  We have,  in fact, given Spot the go ahead to go ahead by not watching him EVERY second he is free in the house!  If Spot were a real baby toddler, we would never let him alone for a second.  We must think in the same terms for a puppy. 
     Alternatives for giving Spot too much freedom could include baby gating off parts of the house, keeping Spot on a leash tied to our waist while in the house, and using a crate to put Spot in when we cannot just sit and watch and enjoy him.

Indications or Signals

     Secondly, if he is allowed too much freedom and does go in the house while we are not looking or can't see him, we cannot learn what Spot's signal is for going potty.  He may circle around before he squats, sniffing wildly.  He may even be going to the door but perhaps he only stares out the window.  Many puppies don't bark at an early age so expecting him to bark to tell you he has to go out can be unrealistic.  

 
Evandar at 10 Weeks old

Owner Commitment and Rewards

     The hard part of owner commitment is to go OUTSIDE with Spot and watch him go.  Being outside with Spot, instead of just opening the door and letting him out, has several advantages.  First, we learn Spot's signal.  It also gives us the opportunity to REWARD Spot with treats and praise to indicate to him that going outside is WONDERFUL.  If we don't see Spot go, then we can't reward him. If Spot is motivated to go out, he's going to try very hard to do that behavior again and again.  Why would he go inside if he gets a treat for going outside?
     The hard part of this for us, as the owner is to have the commitment to get up from reading the paper or cooking dinner or relaxing in front of the TV watching our favorite movie to take Spot out and to be PREPARED with a reward to give him.  Have treats ready by the back door so they are always ready. 

PREVENTION!!

      The utmost important concept in house training is PREVENTION.  By not giving Spot the opportunity to go in the house, we set Spot up for the quickest possible way to train him.  If he succeeds every day going outside with wonderful reward, Spot can learn to go out as quickly as 3 to 7 days.  Take him out frequently before he even gets a chance to go on his own.  Set an egg timer for every 30-40 minutes. Take him out and have a party if he goes.   As he gets older, the time between going out gets longer and longer.   And our job becomes easier.
      Soon, he learns how to tell you he needs to go out and you learn how to read his signal.  Little by little Spot can go to other places of the house as he earns his freedom by becoming reliable.  But, without owner commitment, focus on prevention,  some sort of confinement, lots of reward and going out with Spot, house training can take weeks longer.  Focus on the positive and let Spot know when he has done a good job.  Spending this time with him now will set you both up for a happy and long life together!

Copyright Positive Puppy Dog Training LLC 2002

What Can Puppies Learn?   

Photo by Laurie Ceccarelli

      So often, I am asked when to start training a puppy. For years, it was suggested by veterinarians and trainers to start training at 6 months of age. Many people still consider that to be the best age. There were reasons for that. People were afraid that puppies could contract deadly diseases by interacting with other puppies. It was also widely accepted that to train your dog you must put a choke collar on a dog and use leash corrections. Puppies simply cannot tolerate, physically, a leash correction with a choke collar when they are small. So, waiting until the puppy was older was the only alternative.

Look at that DEEP NOSE!
Evandar's first track at 11 weeks old
Still frame from Video

THOSE DAYS HAVE GONE BY! 

     People now have a CHOICE about what method they use to train their dog. Trainers, behaviorists and veterinarians are now recommending training methods that use positive reinforcement. Using positive reinforcement for desired behaviors virtually eliminates the need for choke collars and corrections. Training using motivational methods can be a rewarding, relationship building experience for both the owner and the dog.

     The GOOD news is that we can imprint them with behaviors we like as well!

     We can imprint them with behaviors that make them better working dogs – like retrieving for hunting, tracking and air scenting for search and rescue, obedience for competition, and how to handle unusual or sometimes frightening situations.
         Behaviorists are also recommending now that socialization at an early age is critical to teaching puppies how to interact with other dogs AND PEOPLE to avoid development of aggression issues at a later date. This is so significant that more and more it has been suggested that the risk of infectious disease may not outweigh the positive effects of early socialization. With modern vaccinations, puppies can be protected very early on, reducing the risk and opening the door for training and SOCIALIZATION opportunities. A well-socialized puppy is far less likely to develop fearful aggressive behaviors later on.

 
Giselle 14 weeks old going for a walk in the woods, practicing Come When Called and Sit in Front
AND ATTENTION (or "Watch")
NOTICE:  Long Line and TREAT BAG!

SO, When DO We Start Training? 

     As long as the training method used is motivational and positive in nature, training can begin the second the puppy comes home. Obviously, the first task we want to start is housetraining. But, in addition, even a 7 week old puppy can be taught sit, down, off, attention, beginnings of come when called, leave it and how to be gentle taking food from your hand. They can learn the beginnings of more complicated behaviors like how to ring a bell to go out, and excellent retrieving habits.
     When puppies are young and you begin training very early on, you also set into motion several very advantageous things. First, you teach the dog motivation. Without motivation or "drive" the puppy will loose an important learning tool. Dogs must learn to value things in order to do any training at all. If a puppy does not learn to "value" food, or toys, then learning is greatly stifled. Doing positive training early on also teaches puppies HOW to learn which in an invaluable tool for any dog, even the family pet. Even if you have no desire to have a "working dog" who performs search and rescue, pet therapy, obedience trials, or other areas of higher learning, the family pet can learn invaluable manners that make for a lifetime of enjoyment for both you and your dog.

Me and Evandar at 3 months old after receiving
VP rating at German Show
photo by Tyler Larson