tips for pups before formal training

Getting your dog used to the collar and leash:
If you adopted or purchased an older dog chances are he is already used to wearing a collar and dragging around a leash. Puppies on the other hand may have had little to no experience with a collar or leash. Make sure the collar is the proper size and check the collar weekly as puppies go through growth spurts. You should have room enough to put two fingers under the pup’s collar. Place the collar on your pup. He may try to get this new intrusion off of his body at first so take his attention off of the collar by giving him a fun play session and some treats. It won’t take long before he forgets the collar is around his neck. Next attach the leash and let him drag it around. Should he try to chew it you can spray it with Grannicks Bitter Apple. (Found in most pet stores) If the pup seems to be overreacting to the leash use something lighter, like a short piece of clothesline rope. By dragging it around, he will will eventually step on it and will start getting used to a little pressure on his neck. Never leave it on when the dog is unattended!
Try playing with him as you did with the collar. Once he is used to the clothesline you can retry the leash.

teaching your pup to stay by your side
If you purchased an older dog he should be able to get the routine of the household down fairly quickly, a puppy however should not get free reign of the house for at least one year. There are too many hazards in the home that your pup will certainly find. If the pup accepts the crate you can put him in there while you are busy. If he is not yet used to the crate take the twenty foot lead you bought for training, tie it around your waist and put the puppy on the other end. This way he must follow you when you are doing your daily chores and at the same time you are actually training him to stay close to you. This also works well for when you are doing outside work, such as gardening.

Socialization:

I cannot express enough how important it is to get your dog well socialized, which means taking him to meet as many different dogs and people as possible. You should also get him used to different inside and outside noises. The earlier you start this, the more likely you will have a well rounded dog. The dog that fears his surroundings from the onset will begin to develop unwanted behaviors later. Such as excessive barking, chewing, or fear aggression. If you want your dog to pass the Canine Good Citizen and the Therapy Dog test they must get used to being in different situations. If your dog is already friendly take him out to a shopping center where he will come in contact with lots of people. Don’t forget your clicker and tasty treats! Ask the strangers that approach you to give your dog a treat. The dog will remember this action thereby letting him know that being around strangers is a good thing. If you should happen to come in contact with other dogs that are friendly, have the owner of the other dog feed your dog a treat as well as this shows your dog that when other dogs are around he gets something good. If at any time during the socialization practices your dog shows fear of something then move farther away until he is comfortable. Don’t push the dog into doing something he is not comfortable with as this memory will surely last. Also, don’t just visit the same shopping center each time but take him to many as different areas have different street sounds.
Get the Most Out of a Training Session:

Each formal training session should not last more than fifteen to twenty minutes three to four times a day for a puppy. For an older dog you can go for a half hour, or as long as the dog shows interest in continuing. Once any agitation or boredom is shown by the dog, or you, stop training immediately and try again later. Your body language and tone of voice will make a difference in how the dog views his training. It should be fun for both of you!
Do not feed, play with, or exercise your dog before a training session. Commands should be consistent and kept to one to two word phrases. Do not confuse him with a bunch of human garble. Try to take a full week to teach the dog only one command. If you try to teach too many commands at once the dog may become confused and take longer to learn them. Does this mean you can’t ask the dog to obey other commands while you are teaching him the one per week? No, you may still teach other commands but more informally, do not punish, or scold if he doesn’t comply completely. Also, just because your dog has learned to sit in the kitchen does not mean he can carry over that behavior in the living room. Teach him his commands in every room of the house before taking him outside to try them. Also train in a quiet place at first, don’t try training when the kids come bouncing through the door after a long day at school or when Aunt Lucy comes for tea.

There is a difference between formal training and informal training. Formal training is when the dog is on the leash and you are giving him commands. Informal training is done throughout the day in play. For instance, when playing fetch with the dog you are teaching him informally and in a fun way to return to you. If you are rough housing with the dog and he bites a little too hard, you yelp, stop the game and walk away, thereby teaching him bite inhibition. By playing a game of ‘Come Here’ between several family members, the dog is learning what come means.
Keep in mind that when training your dog he will only do as much as you expect of him. If he offers you a crooked sit and you accept it by not asking for better, that is what you will most likely get each and every time. It is up to you to decide what you want out of your dog. If you are not training for an obedience contest, but just want the dog to sit when company comes over, a crooked sit is fine.

potty training 101

“Ah, isn’t he cute, just look at him…peeing on the floor!” A dog will not pass the therapy test if it cannot hold its bladder so proper potty training is essential.
Don’t fret this as potty training is easy, but you have to make the time to do this. A small puppy should go out after play, after every nap, after eating, and every hour in-between! If you purchased an older dog that was kept in a kennel thereby eliminating when ever he felt like it you will also have to start a potty training regiment. Although an older dog may not have to go out as often, you must still keep a watchful eye on him. Take the dog on a leash to the area in the yard you want him to eliminate. Repeat the phrase ‘go potty’ (or whatever phrase suits you) over and over, even as he is eliminating. Don’t speak in a high pitched voice as it may confuse him and he’ll forget about needing to potty and want to play. Use a calm monotone voice as if you were a robot. Once he has finished his business, click (with the clicker you bought for training, see below if you have not started basic obedience yet)  and reward.

 There will be times when you will take the puppy out and the slightest breeze in the air may turn his attention away from eliminating, try to get his focus back to the task at hand by walking in a circle and returning to the potty area. Should he just stand there and look at you, give him a few seconds to rethink what he is out there for. If after a total of ten to fifteen minutes he does not eliminate bring him back inside and keep him under a watchful eye. Wait another ten to fifteen minutes and try again. To keep him under watchful eye you can either crate him or tether him to you so he must stay near you at all times. The younger the dog the more distracting the outside world will be so your reward has to be something  to work toward for the dog and it should be the only time the dog gets this particular reward. Hot dog slivers or cheeese chunks work well.

Should your dog ever have an accident after you have brought him back inside or whenever you have left him alone, never scold him. If you catch him in the act of eliminating in the house, calmly say “oops” and bring him outside to finish up. Remember to click (with the clicker you have bought for training) and treat once he is done. Let me explain what your dog thinks when you walk through the door and find he has left you a special package. The door opens and your dog greets you whole heartedly even if you’ve only been gone two minutes. You see the mess and start ranting a bunch of human garble as your hands are trying to scoop up the poop. Your tone of voice is getting angry as the poop rolls off the paper and back onto the floor hitting you new leather shoes! It is your tone and body language that sets the pace for the dog’s reaction as he slinks away from you, his head seemingly hung low in guilt. “He knows what he’s done, right? Wrong!” The only thing the dog takes from this experience is that every time the person he adores walks through the door he gets hollered at. He has no idea why you are angry, rather he only associates that mood with you walking through the door. The best thing to do is greet him happily as the damage has already been done and you can’t turn back the clock, so just clean it up with no reaction. I have also heard of people who say you should rub his nose in it. So I pose these questions to them. “ If you poop and I rub your nose in it each time, wouldn’t you eventually start pooping in spots so I would not find it?”

Well, that is what your dog will start doing. To avoid an unpleasant greeting he will start pooping in your closet, your shoes, and behind furniture. Toilet training your puppy is the same as toilet training a two year old child, it takes time, patience, and repetition. Should your dog soil in the house use a solution of white vinegar and water to clean it up. Never use ammonia based cleaners as a dog’s urine is ammonia based and his nose will lead him back to that spot. There are also cleaning solutions on the market specifically for dog and cat markings.

basic obedeince training method for clicker  www.clickerlessons.com