Rachel's Guide to Puppies

Hey everyone (all like 4 of you that read this haha)! I just wanted apologize for not posting for a while, but I've got finals coming up so I've been busy busy!

I'll get back to posting regularly after next week. One thing I did want to mention first is a bit about training. Someone asked about where to take their dog for training today, and I realized I hadn't posted about that like I meant to.

Petco in Lawrence (and I'm sure all the others do too) offers puppy training classes as well as other training classes for advanced dogs. The puppy classes are $100 (or $10 per class if you like to think of it that way). I'm pretty sure there were 10 classes, at least. They did a great job not only teaching my dog how to behave, but they also taught ME how to teach my dog...and even better how to UNDERSTAND him.

I realized just how much they had taught me when I saw a couple with their first dog out at the dog park the other day. Their dog was timid, but not scared by any means. They thought their dog was SO scared and that all of the other dogs were attacking her. I tried to give a little bit of direction, but I don't like to be too overbearing...if people don't solicit my help, I try not to give it (except on here). But I remember being just like them when I first got Koopa. I thought he was so fragile.

When I went to the first free Puppy Socialization that Petco offers, I was SO offended when Ashley the trainer called my dog a scaredy cat. He was so little and those other dogs were bullies! He had reason to be scared!

But now I see that he was a wuss. She helped him learn how to be a dog, and she taught me how to let him be a dog. Now I know exactly when he passes him comfort level with bigger, aggressive dogs and I know when to step in. I know to not pick him up if he whines because that will only make him think he should be scared when somewhat scary things happen.

I'd say half of what I learned about dog behavior came from the FREE puppy playtimes. I don't think I mentioned it, but they hold them on Sundays at 2pm. You have to show that your dog is up to date on shots and things like that, but they are free free free! If you can't afford the actual classes, do yourself and your dog a favor and go to these every week.

If anyone has any questions about the classes, please let me know!

I'm not quite ready to tackle a complete post on potty training...I might get to that this weekend. But here are a couple of quick potty training tips that have been on my mind this week. As we're looking into getting another puppy, this is what I fear the most! I'm hoping it will be 50 times easier the second time around.

• If your dog goes potty or poop in your house, it is your fault. NEVER scold the dog or yell at them. EVER!
• This one is so hard for new dog owners because most of us remember our parents shoving our dog's nose in their business to "teach them"
• This is NOT positive reinforcement. Dogs don't understand what you're doing because by the time you find their mess, they've already forgotten they've done it. This means your dog will only learn that you are a mean mean human if you do this.
•  Take the puppy out at least every hour until you are used to their elimination patterns. I think I read somewhere that they can hold it for 1 hour past their age in months. (3 month old can hold it for 4 hours)- I'm not sure I would trust this. If you're home, just take them out hourly & you'll avoid some messes.
• Exceptions:
• After they drink water, take them out 15-20 minutes later
• After they eat, take them out 15-20 minutes later
• Take treats out with you. When the dog eliminates act like they just won the freakin lottery! This is a huge deal going potty/poop outside! Reward them with a treat along with all the praise. 
• Make sure not to scare them with your praise!
• If you don't crate train, you should. It makes it so easy to contain messes they may make while you're away from home. 
• Pick a word for going outside to go to the bathroom. We started out with "potty" so I'd say, "Potty outside" every time we'd walk out the door to go to the bathroom. When he'd eliminate, I'd praise with "Good potty outside!" 
• As he got older & could tell the difference, we started differentiating between potty and poo, but puppies won't be ready for that yet.

House breaking is really just trying to predict when your dog is going to need to eliminate and getting them outside before they do it! It can be SO frustrating, but if you stick with it and continue to be consistent with the timing and praise, your dog will be housebroken in no time. You also have to remember to contain your initial anger when you see a mess. But just keep it in, grab the dog & head outside, then clean up the mess after they've eliminated in the correct place.

Well, that turned out to be more complete than I thought it would be, so if you have any questions about anything you think I've left out, let me know!

Good luck!

Taking your puppy on short trips to fun places is very important in the first few months. Since puppies usually require many trips to the vet, they will learn that the car is a bad thing that takes them to scary places if you don't show them the opposite.



Take them to the dog park or the pet store for a new toy. Even driving 5 minutes down the road then coming back home is better than nothing. Just make sure they are in a crate if they can't maintain their balance well and that your seats are covered with towels.


Also, don't forget to allow them to pee or poo before getting in the car! Happy travels :)