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New puppy training talk (1 Viewer)

offdee

Footballguy
I'm considering getting a new dog within the next year (no rush at all, just at beginning research and consideration stages).    

PLEASE let's not get into the "get from a rescue shelter!?!!" soapbox...hoping to keep this to techniques that worked for those that had new puppies, recommendations on products, general thoughts to keep in mind, links to good articles, etc.

I realize I could read books and watch videos, but have found in the past that the FFA drops great knowledge.     Some misc. thoughts from me....

- Being in Midwest weather (Milwaukee), ideal time to get a new dog to train would be June through October (want to avoid new puppy during holidays and rainy spring weather)

- Dog will be on the smaller side (15lbs), if that matters for training suggestions

- My main concerns to train away....barking, chewing on furniture/shoes, nipping at hands, jumping up on people, being overly excitable around visitors and new people

 
I'm considering getting a new dog within the next year (no rush at all, just at beginning research and consideration stages).    

PLEASE let's not get into the "get from a rescue shelter!?!!" soapbox...hoping to keep this to techniques that worked for those that had new puppies, recommendations on products, general thoughts to keep in mind, links to good articles, etc.

I realize I could read books and watch videos, but have found in the past that the FFA drops great knowledge.     Some misc. thoughts from me....

- Being in Midwest weather (Milwaukee), ideal time to get a new dog to train would be June through October (want to avoid new puppy during holidays and rainy spring weather)

- Dog will be on the smaller side (15lbs), if that matters for training suggestions

- My main concerns to train away....barking, chewing on furniture/shoes, nipping at hands, jumping up on people, being overly excitable around visitors and new people
Repetition and positive re-enforcement are the keys.  That and saying no a lot. Lol.  I just got a 8week old puppy  just after Thanksgiving.  She’s been fully potty trained since just prior to Christmas.  Still occasionally chews on some stuff in the yard if left unattended for to long. I have a 4 yr old daughter and the pup nipped a lot while playing in the beginning but that’s pretty much done now.  Patience and consistency pay off.  

 
Repetition and positive re-enforcement are the keys.  That and saying no a lot. Lol.  I just got a 8week old puppy  just after Thanksgiving.  She’s been fully potty trained since just prior to Christmas.  Still occasionally chews on some stuff in the yard if left unattended for to long. I have a 4 yr old daughter and the pup nipped a lot while playing in the beginning but that’s pretty much done now.  Patience and consistency pay off.  
Right on, totally agree.

More specifically how did you go about successfully potty training....what was/is your routine?   Did you learn anything from it that you would've done differently, or things that you figured out amidst the training that made it more efficient or effective?

You say nipping was an issue at beginning, but no longer an issue. Anything specific you did to curb it?  Just saying No?   Or saying No with a tap on the nose?   

Specific things like that are what I'm curious about.

 
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Yeah, it's just a lot of saying no, like dkp said.  Catching them in the act of doing something bad and telling them no.  Expect everything you own to be chewed or destroyed.  If it isn't, consider that a major win.  

For potty training, it's just trying to take them out every couple of hours and standing there until they go.  When they go in the house, say no.  As you see them starting to scout an area to pee or poop, scooping them up and whisking them outside.  

Puppies are great, but they require a lot of love and effort.  When you're not at home, you crate them and they usually won't use their cage as a bathroom if they can help it.  Our second puppy just turned 1 today.  He rarely goes to the bathroom in the house, but he's still chewing on things.  Not a lot, but every so often I'll come home to the couch being relieved of some of its upholstery.  

But for all of the trouble, they are totally worth it.  

 
It might be silly, but the lady I went to for help with my pup (petsmart class) said not to say no. Because no is a word they will hear in normal conversation. Instead she suggested saying something like eh eh eh. Worked for us. Dogs are smart. They figure things out. 

Outside of that, a clicker worked when we were training. Crate training is important if you dont want accidents in house. 

 
A few things that I read before I got my dog that I tried that seem to have worked.

  • As soon as you see him look like or start to go to the bathroom, get him outside. Don't yell or stick his nose in it or anything. All positive.
  • And then when he is outside looking to go, be repetitive. I used to say, "Bathroom," over and over. Mostly because I didn't want to say potty. But I kept saying it over and over so he would know its time to go.
  • Once he goes outside, praise him effusively. "GOOD JOB BUDDY. WAY TO POOP!"
Using these, my dog was house trained in like two weeks. Of course, he is a genius.

  • When we were in the house, if he was barking loud or misbehaving, I would go into another room and shut the door. Kind of like putting him on a doggie timeout.
  • Finally, I read that you should sit him on your lap and play youtube videos of thunderstorms and fireworks. I did this repeatedly. And because of it, he sleeps through both. Of course, just as he is a genius, he's also as brave as Superman.
 
Right on, totally agree.

More specifically how did you go about successfully potty training....what was/is your routine?   Did you learn anything from it that you would've done differently, or things that you figured out amidst the training that made it more efficient or effective?

You say nipping was an issue at beginning, but no longer an issue. Anything specific you did to curb it?  Just saying No?   Or saying No with a tap on the nose?   

Specific things like that are what I'm curious about.
Potty training in the beginning is the one you have to be all over it. Especially the younger they are. When we first brought her home it was basically every 15 minutes we brought her out, every time after she drank some water or ate some food, every time she woke up from a nap, etc. etc. etc. We have a sliding glass door which we attached a hanging bell to and we tap the bell and taught her to tap the bell every time we went out. So now every time she has to go she goes to the door and rings the bell.  You have to be unrelenting the first two weeks and you’re in the backyard, or wherever you’re teaching them to go, Constantly.  Every time they go to the potty where you want them to it’s like they cured cancer in the praise that you give them. Treats and tons of love for the tiniest little squirt of pee.  Our pup was 98% trained within two weeks, and the only time she had an accident was likely due to us not paying attention to the signs. 

With the nipping, and ours did it a lot, it was constantly saying “no biting” and a pat on the nose. That was the hardest one for us because my daughter constantly wanted to play with the pup and the pup didn’t know how to play without nipping, so it was non-stop “no biting, no biting”.  That’s the thing that took her the longest to get over and still happens maybe twice a day but it is significantly better. 

 
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Yeah, it's just a lot of saying no, like dkp said.  Catching them in the act of doing something bad and telling them no.  Expect everything you own to be chewed or destroyed.  If it isn't, consider that a major win.  

For potty training, it's just trying to take them out every couple of hours and standing there until they go.  When they go in the house, say no.  As you see them starting to scout an area to pee or poop, scooping them up and whisking them outside.  

Puppies are great, but they require a lot of love and effort.  When you're not at home, you crate them and they usually won't use their cage as a bathroom if they can help it.  Our second puppy just turned 1 today.  He rarely goes to the bathroom in the house, but he's still chewing on things.  Not a lot, but every so often I'll come home to the couch being relieved of some of its upholstery.  

But for all of the trouble, they are totally worth it.  
Great point and I failed to mention this but crate training is ABSOLUTELY the way to go and what we’ve done.  It dramatically changes the amount of issues that would happen when you’re away (like chewing in things or going potty in the house). 

We’ve also provided a bunch of chew toys for her to have to burn that energy.  

 
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crate training is ABSOLUTELY the way to go and what we’ve done.  It dramatically changes the amount of issue that would happen when your away (like chewing in things or going potty in the house). 
School me on this.  What exactly is done for successful crate training?

 
Finally, I read that you should sit him on your lap and play youtube videos of thunderstorms and fireworks. I did this repeatedly. And because of it, he sleeps through both. Of course, just as he is a genius, he's also as brave as Superman.
That interesting. I guess I’ve been lucky but I’ve own dogs my whole life and never had one that had issues with thunder or fireworks.  

 
Great point and I failed to mention this but crate training is ABSOLUTELY the way to go and what we’ve done.  It dramatically changes the amount of issue that would happen when your away (like chewing in things or going potty in the house). 

We’ve also provided a bunch of chew toys for her to have.  
This is what I was going to post. Crate training is huge and helps with many things.

 
a clicker worked when we were training. Crate training is important if you dont want accidents in house. 
Tell me about using a clicker...when do you use it and what for?    I asked another poster, but tell me your successful version of crate training. What exactly needs to be done and for how long?

 
A little snippet copied from this article, but heard this elsewhere...

~ When you return home, don't reward your dog for excited behavior by responding to them in an enthusiastic way. Keep arrivals low-key to avoid increasing their anxiety over when you will return.

I think I saw a video of a dog trainer pointing this out when owners can't understand why their dogs bark and jump and go crazy around anybody new or coming to the house.  Makes total sense....they get all crazy and loud cuz most of the time the owner walks through the door crazy and loud and showing affection to greet them so they see that as being the proper way to greet everyone.

 
Tried the crate training for a few nights and buckled to the non stop crying.
Read that article above.  Sounds like overnight in the crate is only done after a number of other steps/wks (step 5 = overnight in crate).  

from the article:

Whining. If your dog whines or cries while in the crate at night, it may be difficult to decide whether they’re whining to be let out of the crate, or whether they need to be let outside to eliminate. If you've followed the training procedures outlined above, then your dog hasn't been rewarded for whining in the past by being released from their crate. If that is the case, try to ignore the whining. If your dog is just testing you, they'll probably stop whining soon. Yelling at them or pounding on the crate will only make things worse.

If the whining continues after you've ignored them for several minutes, use the phrase they associate with going outside to eliminate. If they respond and become excited, take them outside. This should be a trip with a purpose, not play time. If you're convinced that your dog doesn't need to eliminate, the best response is to ignore them until they stop whining. Don't give in; if you do, you'll teach your dog to whine loud and long to get what they want. If you've progressed gradually through the training steps and haven't done too much too fast, you'll be less likely to encounter this problem. If the problem becomes unmanageable, you may need to start the crate training process over again.

 
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A little snippet copied from this article, but heard this elsewhere...

~ When you return home, don't reward your dog for excited behavior by responding to them in an enthusiastic way. Keep arrivals low-key to avoid increasing their anxiety over when you will return.

I think I saw a video of a dog trainer pointing this out when owners can't understand why their dogs bark and jump and go crazy around anybody new or coming to the house.  Makes total sense....they get all crazy and loud cuz most of the time the owner walks through the door crazy and loud and showing affection to greet them so they see that as being the proper way to greet everyone.
Absolutely agree, also with the leaving too.  Don’t make the leaving a big deal, just leave.  

 
Oldest pup cried the first night in the crate and it was heart breaking.  After that, she loved that crate.  Youngest pup cried so hard the first night.  And the next night.  And on the third night, my heart was so broken, I had to take him out.  He was terrible in the crate.  At night, they sleep on our bed with us.  Once they hit about 4 to 5 months, we let them roam in the house.  We have gates to block off certain areas of the house, but they love to sit and look out the windows.  Bought a home security camera just to watch them.

Also, nothing bothers the boy.  Fireworks go off and he runs around the house growling, thinking he's all big and bad.  She didn't mind loud noises at first.  Then when she was about 6 months, a hot air balloon almost landed on our house.  Literally missed our house by inches.  And the whole time it was descending towards us, it was firing off it's torch.  Not sure if you've ever heard one of those when it's 5 feet from you, but it's the loudest thing I've ever heard.  Poor thing ran and hid under our bed shaking.  Since then, any loud noise freaks her out.  Hell, we can be out on the deck in summer and a hot air balloon is way off on the skyline.  She won't hear it, but she'll see it, and run and hide inside.  I feel so bad for her.  :(

 
Read that article above.  Sounds like overnight in the crate is only done after a number of other steps/wks (step 5 = overnight in crate).  

from the article:

Whining. If your dog whines or cries while in the crate at night, it may be difficult to decide whether they’re whining to be let out of the crate, or whether they need to be let outside to eliminate. If you've followed the training procedures outlined above, then your dog hasn't been rewarded for whining in the past by being released from their crate. If that is the case, try to ignore the whining. If your dog is just testing you, they'll probably stop whining soon. Yelling at them or pounding on the crate will only make things worse.

If the whining continues after you've ignored them for several minutes, use the phrase they associate with going outside to eliminate. If they respond and become excited, take them outside. This should be a trip with a purpose, not play time. If you're convinced that your dog doesn't need to eliminate, the best response is to ignore them until they stop whining. Don't give in; if you do, you'll teach your dog to whine loud and long to get what they want. If you've progressed gradually through the training steps and haven't done too much too fast, you'll be less likely to encounter this problem. If the problem becomes unmanageable, you may need to start the crate training process over again.
Yeah there was three or four rough nights in the beginning but ours quickly learned. The hardest part is discerning between when they have to go out and go potty versus when they’re just whining. The younger they are the harder that is to because they do have to go potty a lot even in the middle of the night. As they get older they can hold it better which makes it easier to discern a bit. I’ve crate trained my last 3 dogs and it’s just a matter of fighting through a few bad nights, the pay off is well worth it in my opinion. 

 
One other thing that is tough with puppies is that you get 'conflicting' advice that you should socialize your dog with other dogs while at the same time avoiding dogs that may not have full vaccinations.  Ultimately, you have to set up playdates for your dog with known dogs and avoid going to a dog park full of randos.   I was expecting to take my puppy to a dog park and this is a no-no. 

Other important stuff has been covered.  Bribery goes a long long way with dog behavior. 

 
One other thing that is tough with puppies is that you get 'conflicting' advice that you should socialize your dog with other dogs while at the same time avoiding dogs that may not have full vaccinations.  Ultimately, you have to set up playdates for your dog with known dogs and avoid going to a dog park full of randos.   I was expecting to take my puppy to a dog park and this is a no-no. 

Other important stuff has been covered.  Bribery goes a long long way with dog behavior. 
On the socializing front....every first Saturday of the month I take my two youngest kids to the Kids Home Depot workshop where they build little projects. One day I saw a guy in there with a new puppy just walking the dog through the crowd of kids and training him and thought that was pretty smart. Don’t think he was there to do any projects, just literally showed up with the dog to use us all as a training course. 

 
One other thing that is tough with puppies is that you get 'conflicting' advice that you should socialize your dog with other dogs while at the same time avoiding dogs that may not have full vaccinations.  Ultimately, you have to set up playdates for your dog with known dogs and avoid going to a dog park full of randos.   I was expecting to take my puppy to a dog park and this is a no-no. 

Other important stuff has been covered.  Bribery goes a long long way with dog behavior. 
Excellent point. My dog just got her final rounds of shots last week so this weekend was the first time we could take her for a walk in public and she was definitely nervous around other people. So now were in full socialization mode.  

 
Oldest pup cried the first night in the crate and it was heart breaking.  After that, she loved that crate.  Youngest pup cried so hard the first night.  And the next night.  And on the third night, my heart was so broken, I had to take him out.  He was terrible in the crate.  At night, they sleep on our bed with us.  Once they hit about 4 to 5 months, we let them roam in the house.  We have gates to block off certain areas of the house, but they love to sit and look out the windows.  Bought a home security camera just to watch them.

Also, nothing bothers the boy.  Fireworks go off and he runs around the house growling, thinking he's all big and bad.  She didn't mind loud noises at first.  Then when she was about 6 months, a hot air balloon almost landed on our house.  Literally missed our house by inches.  And the whole time it was descending towards us, it was firing off it's torch.  Not sure if you've ever heard one of those when it's 5 feet from you, but it's the loudest thing I've ever heard.  Poor thing ran and hid under our bed shaking.  Since then, any loud noise freaks her out.  Hell, we can be out on the deck in summer and a hot air balloon is way off on the skyline.  She won't hear it, but she'll see it, and run and hide inside.  I feel so bad for her.  :(
Our dog might be afraid of hot air balloons too, but we may never know. 

 
A couple points that help with crate and potty training that might not have been mentioned:

1 - If someone is able to be home with them in the day, play with the a lot so they don't nap, make sure they are super tired at night.  During the day keep taking them outside whenever you suspect they need to go.  At night hopefully they will sleep mostly and only need to go out once or twice until their bladders are developed.  Every time they stir in the middle of the night get up and take them out.

2 - Hang a bell on the door knob.  Ring it every time you take them out.  Once they are potty trained they should be conditioned to ring it to let you know they need to go out.  Positive reinforce with treats.

 
Yeah, all of us spent (spend) all of our free time playing with them.  I got them big into playing tug of war.  The key with that is to let them win about 50% of the time.  I've turned our two corgis into brutes when it comes to pulling.  We just recently got a dog walker to take them out during the weekdays and she said they pull stronger than most large dogs.  #ProudPapa

But, yes, it's all about tiring them out of their puppy energy.  Because they are balls of energy.  

 
Buddy used to train 5 figure duck dogs for a living. I've followed his process with his dog Baron (British Lab) closely. Also helped train a roomate's boxer pup (Parker) that was impeccably trained. Both dogs were obedience machines. 

Some great advice in here. 

Crate training properly is critical. If done right the dog will love their crate and see it as their safe space /home. Try to avoid using it as punishment.

Repetition/Consistency are gospel. Having a wife/kids who don't abide will greatly reduce your success and or possibly eliminate it entirely.

Non-food rewards work as well as food rewards. Baron's favorite toy was a tennis ball. He was trained on them as rewards, then didn't get them unless he was being rewarded. He would lose his #### (excitement, not tearing stuff up) when you showed him one.

Socialize early, AFTER you've got basic control/discipline in place. Crowds. Loud Noises. Both Baron and Parker could walk through a huge crowd at a fireworks display, then sit watching the show without being spooked.

This is later, but still important for puppies... Leash discipline is huge. Train to heel. This will be useful later even when off the leash (A loud "Heel" in any environment will bring them right to your side if properly trained). 

With puppies you have to set them up to succeed. As others have said, you have to be a hawk when potty training. You have to try to puppy proof the house a bit when chew training. If you do your part, it will help them tremendously. If you don't, you're likely going to fail. 

The happiest dogs are almost always well trained dogs. They love structure. They inherently want to please their master. 

 
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I taught the girl how to high five using food as a reward.  That might have backfired.  She's great at high fiving to get a treat.  But if I'm eating some food she wants, she comes flying over to me trying to give me high fives.  And if I don't high five her back, she will eventually start to try to high five my face.  All this while never losing eye contact with the food.  :lol:

 
2 - Hang a bell on the door knob.  Ring it every time you take them out.  Once they are potty trained they should be conditioned to ring it to let you know they need to go out.  Positive reinforce with treats.
Yeah, bell training is something I was interested in learning more about.

So, you hang a bell on a string from door knob but it hangs low enough that they can hit on own correct?    It sounds like even after they are trained this bell should remain in place long term so they can always ring it and tell you.  I'd think a bell on a string on the door would get annoying long-term.  Any other good solutions that anybody has had...I'm envisioning a bell mounted to the floor/wall/baseboard near the door so it's not ringing every time the door opens.

ETA: just looked on Amazon and they actually have Dog door bells that they can press when need to go out.

https://www.amazon.com/KISSIN-Wireless-Touch-Training-Waterproof/dp/B07P17DQF6/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_pm?ac_md=3-2-QWJvdmUgJDI1-ac_d_pm&cv_ct_cx=dog+training+bell&keywords=dog+training+bell&pd_rd_i=B07P17DQF6&pd_rd_r=4f2b47ab-8f7f-4b25-b216-304a27e40e20&pd_rd_w=Vh62q&pd_rd_wg=agMI4&pf_rd_p=516e6e17-ed95-417b-b7a4-ad2c7b9cbae3&pf_rd_r=FZVDE3M6RZR6GKVK7E4J&psc=1&qid=1581369700&sr=1-3-22d05c05-1231-4126-b7c4-3e7a9c0027d0

 
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Yeah, bell training is something I was interested in learning more about.

So, you hang a bell on a string from door knob but it hangs low enough that they can hit on own correct?    It sounds like even after they are trained this bell should remain in place long term so they can always ring it and tell you.  I'd think a bell on a string on the door would get annoying long-term.  Any other good solutions that anybody has had...I'm envisioning a bell mounted to the floor/wall/baseboard near the door so it's not ringing every time the door opens.
We never did the bell.  When they need to go out, they sit by the doorway and stare at us.  If we don't notice them, they'll start to grumble and growl until they get our attention. :shrug:

 
Yeah, bell training is something I was interested in learning more about.

So, you hang a bell on a string from door knob but it hangs low enough that they can hit on own correct?    It sounds like even after they are trained this bell should remain in place long term so they can always ring it and tell you.  I'd think a bell on a string on the door would get annoying long-term.  Any other good solutions that anybody has had...I'm envisioning a bell mounted to the floor/wall/baseboard near the door so it's not ringing every time the door opens.
Yes, at nose height.  It's the door to the back yard, it's doesn't get a lot of traffic other than the dogs.  But, if you're having a party or something it takes 2 seconds to take it off.

 
Yeah, bell training is something I was interested in learning more about.

So, you hang a bell on a string from door knob but it hangs low enough that they can hit on own correct?    It sounds like even after they are trained this bell should remain in place long term so they can always ring it and tell you.  I'd think a bell on a string on the door would get annoying long-term.  Any other good solutions that anybody has had...I'm envisioning a bell mounted to the floor/wall/baseboard near the door so it's not ringing every time the door opens.

ETA: just looked on Amazon and they actually have Dog door bells that they can press when need to go out.

https://www.amazon.com/KISSIN-Wireless-Touch-Training-Waterproof/dp/B07P17DQF6/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_pm?ac_md=3-2-QWJvdmUgJDI1-ac_d_pm&cv_ct_cx=dog+training+bell&keywords=dog+training+bell&pd_rd_i=B07P17DQF6&pd_rd_r=4f2b47ab-8f7f-4b25-b216-304a27e40e20&pd_rd_w=Vh62q&pd_rd_wg=agMI4&pf_rd_p=516e6e17-ed95-417b-b7a4-ad2c7b9cbae3&pf_rd_r=FZVDE3M6RZR6GKVK7E4J&psc=1&qid=1581369700&sr=1-3-22d05c05-1231-4126-b7c4-3e7a9c0027d0
We hung the bell on the wall right next to the door. So it only rings when touched not opening or closing the door.  

 
We never did the bell.  When they need to go out, they sit by the doorway and stare at us.  If we don't notice them, they'll start to grumble and growl until they get our attention. :shrug:
Yeah, eventually smart dogs will come tell you.  Our dogs have a huge vocabulary.  We don't really need the bell anymore, but, it's always been there.  I think it's helpful for them to reinforce the sound with the action in early development. 

Side note, my 4 year old not only gets my slippers but he now waits for me to get home and comes out, down the driveway to get my lunch box.   He takes it back in the house, up the stairs and into the kitchen to my wife.

 
If you can get the crate next to you by the bed at night you can reach out and let him smell you and talk to him to reassure the pup. Also I found if you get an alarm clock along with a couple of stuffed animals helps at the beginning. The ticking of the clock calms them.

 
If you can get the crate next to you by the bed at night you can reach out and let him smell you and talk to him to reassure the pup. Also I found if you get an alarm clock along with a couple of stuffed animals helps at the beginning. The ticking of the clock calms them.
Good advice.   The ticking sound of the clock is interesting.   I sleep with a fan on every night...would that sound soothe them or would it need to be a rhythmical sound like a ticking clock?    They have white noise sound apps for phone and ipad that would probably be an easy fix.  I use that for the fan noise when in hotel rooms and stuff when not at home.

 
@offdeeI have owned dogs my whole life and I'm an old guy so there has been a lot of pups. I have always used the alarm clock and it seems to help it is supposed to remind them of there mother's heart beat. I have even warmed a towel and put it around the clock then put the pup next to the towel. Between the warmth of the towel and the ticking it sooths the pup.

As far as crate training my bloodhound was the first time I ever tried it but having it close to the bed and me seemed to help Bocephus.

 
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16 week old Border Collie/Australian Sheppard.  It is a ball of energy indeed.

One of the treats we found has worked well is a bully stick.

The bell on the door is money.

This dog poops a TON!

 
Yeah, eventually smart dogs will come tell you.  Our dogs have a huge vocabulary.  We don't really need the bell anymore, but, it's always been there.  I think it's helpful for them to reinforce the sound with the action in early development. 

Side note, my 4 year old not only gets my slippers but he now waits for me to get home and comes out, down the driveway to get my lunch box.   He takes it back in the house, up the stairs and into the kitchen to my wife.
On that side note Tony.  You carry a lunch box? I’m picturing one of those old-school metal ones with the thermos attached. 

 
I suggest taking off of work for two weeks. That might seem like crazy talk but it’s not when you consider that you’re essentially raising a baby. 
 

The other tip is to only hand feed the puppy for the first 6 months but be sure to give a command each time. 
 

Ive raises 3 labs, a pit bull mix and a Presa Canario this way and all of them obeyed my every command.

 
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I'm considering getting a new dog within the next year (no rush at all, just at beginning research and consideration stages).    

PLEASE let's not get into the "get from a rescue shelter!?!!" soapbox...hoping to keep this to techniques that worked for those that had new puppies, recommendations on products, general thoughts to keep in mind, links to good articles, etc.

I realize I could read books and watch videos, but have found in the past that the FFA drops great knowledge.     Some misc. thoughts from me....

- Being in Midwest weather (Milwaukee), ideal time to get a new dog to train would be June through October (want to avoid new puppy during holidays and rainy spring weather)

- Dog will be on the smaller side (15lbs), if that matters for training suggestions

- My main concerns to train away....barking, chewing on furniture/shoes, nipping at hands, jumping up on people, being overly excitable around visitors and new people
DO YOU KNOW MY WIFE AND DID YOU OUT HER UP TO ASKING ME TO GE A DOG?????

:censored:

 
  • Finally, I read that you should sit him on your lap and play youtube videos of thunderstorms and fireworks. I did this repeatedly. And because of it, he sleeps through both. Of course, just as he is a genius, he's also as brave as Superman.


I trained a Brittany spaniel myself as a bird dog. I would love to say that the fourth of july was a confusing holiday for her, but by the time she hit 3 or 4 she was quite used to not finding anything after a loud bang. Although in my defense my dad is a worse shot than me, i didnt stand a chance.

 
Tell me about using a clicker...when do you use it and what for?    I asked another poster, but tell me your successful version of crate training. What exactly needs to be done and for how long?
The clicker reinforces a behavior you want your dog to do (sit down, paw, go pee pee etc). When the dog does what you command, you click immediately and then positive reinforce with good pup and give a treat. Rinse and repeat until the are constantly doing it.

Crate training is a little different from dog to dog and owner to owner. My success story goes like this. We had the dog in the crate every minute we were not able to watch her. This included times that we could watch her, but wanted her to know this was her space and she needed to understand that. 

Dogs will not go to the bathroom where they sleep so unless they cant hold it and are sick, they wont go to the bathroom in the crate. I was very militant in the times I would take her out to the bathroom. I can not imagine training the dog with a job. I am a teacher and had the entire summer to train her. When she got done going outside, we would allow her time out of the crate for an hour or so and then back in the crate. People dont want to do this because it defeats the purpose of getting the dog, but this is a long play

We kept the crate downstairs so we didnt have to hear her whine. She did for the first few nights but got used to it. We kept her in the crate at night for her first year or so. Now she sleeps with us but that is another story

It would get to the point where I would say, OK crate time and she would go in on her own. She never liked it enough to go in when she didnt have to though. I know some people say their dogs will

ETA: We crated her for about a year when we werent home. Maybe less. But not until we were confident that she would not have any accidents or mess up the house

 
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Excellent point. My dog just got her final rounds of shots last week so this weekend was the first time we could take her for a walk in public and she was definitely nervous around other people. So now were in full socialization mode.  
@Brony originally wrote this that @dkp993 replied to above: One other thing that is tough with puppies is that you get 'conflicting' advice that you should socialize your dog with other dogs while at the same time avoiding dogs that may not have full vaccinations.  Ultimately, you have to set up playdates for your dog with known dogs and avoid going to a dog park full of randos.   I was expecting to take my puppy to a dog park and this is a no-no. 

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Help me understand this better.     if your dog isn't fully vaccinated they can't be around other dogs at all?    Or can they be around other dogs if you know for sure the other dog(s) are fully vaccinated?    

 

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