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Training Your New Puppy!

Have you recently added a puppy to your family, or are you visiting shelters trying to find your perfect puppy? Spring is just around the corner and is a wonderful time to raise a puppy. The weather is getting warmer and there will be plenty of opportunities to take your puppy out to socialize and learn the ways of the world. Puppies are exciting and fun, but they are also a lot of work. In the next few weeks, your puppy will develop his personality and temperament, and there are things that you can do to help your new family member grow into happy well-balanced dog!

First things first, socialize your puppy to help him gain confidence and learn good behavior. You are probably looking at your puppy running around the house, thinking to yourself, “Gain confidence? My puppy is full of confidence!” You are probably right. Your puppy is quite confident and comfortable at home, but how will he do in strange and unfamiliar situations? There is only one way to find out: go many places and do many things to help your Jack learn how to be a confident and polite puppy!

Don’t be afraid to show him off! He is very cute, and he will only be a puppy once. Let different people handle him and give him treats. Take Jack to at least 3 new places every week, and walk him on different surfaces-grass, gravel, sand, and pavement. I am sure you have seen a dog put on the brakes at the vet or at a pet store when asked to walk across a shiny floor. You can avoid this by showing your pup as many different surfaces a possible. Look for all sorts of new things to introduce Jack to (make it a game!). Places like an empty playground can become a wonderful obstacle course with many surfaces. Having a puppy gives you a wonderful reason to have fun.

Do you know who loves puppies? Kids! Walk him near playgrounds. Many puppies naturally love children, but to some pups children can be very strange and scary. Let Jack have positive interactions with children to help him learn there is nothing to fear. Give Jack a few treats and lots of praise when kids are petting him. Remember that when walking near children, keep your distance at first and slowly work up to being petted by multiple children.

If your puppy appears frightened while you are out exploring, don’t coddle. Let him take a good long look at whatever is frightening. Use treats and lots of motivation “Atta Boy” to help him get closer to a scary leaf or that suspicious looking grocery bag. Approach the place or thing repeatedly until your puppy is no longer frightened. This will teach your pup how to deal with scary situations which is an essential skill that will be handy throughout Jack’s life as he matures and encounters new and exciting things.

Your puppy will grow and mature in leaps and bounds over the next few months. There will be challenging times as your pup matures, but those are far outweighed by the good. Stay consistent and positive, and above all remember to HAVE FUN!

Have questions about training your puppy? Leave them in the comments below and I’ll pick one question to answer next month!

Katie’s Dog Training offers private, in-home training sessions so that you can experience the loyalty and companionship that a well balanced dog offers. Even though she has graduated numerous training schools, the dogs themselves tend to be her most beneficial teachers. She and her husband share their home with three wonderful dogs, Luka, Jazzy and Honey as well as a crazy cat named D’Angelo.

by STUDIO MANAGER

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Sara Williams - March 4, 2010 - 10:56 am

I’ve recently adopted an older dog…an 8 year old chihuahua. Although he goes potty outside every time I take him out, he also potties inside while I’m at work. He also frequently sneaks away and potties even while I’m home. It’s awful! Is it possible to potty train an older dog? If so, got any tips? Thanks!!

Sara

ange; - November 13, 2013 - 12:13 pm

This little pup is adorable! Is this the same one on your header slide show in front of some fencing? I was wondering what kind of dog it is. Our kids and I saw him and would like to do some research on this breed. Thanks! LOVE your work!

Adrian Hitt - November 14, 2013 - 7:39 pm

Hi Ange! It’s a Pomapoo – every one loves him!

Tasty Treats to Make Tails Wag

At our bakery, See Spot Eat: A Doggie Bakery, we love to try out lots of different recipes to see which ones the pups prefer. We have found that they really tend to like banana treats (which surprises a lot of their ‘parents’). Try out the recipe below and see what your own furry best pal thinks! We bet it will get that tail a’waggin!

Bow Wow Banana Bites

2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1 egg
1/3 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 beef buillion cube dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water

Mix all ingredients until will blended. Knead for 2 minutes on a floured surface. Roll to 1/4 ” thickness. Use a 2 1/2″ bone shaped cookie cutter (or any one you prefer). Bake for 30 minutes in a 300 degrees oven on ungreased cookie pans.

Kat Martin owns See Spot Eat: A Doggie Bakery. She is motivated by a desire to provide holistic, healthy, dog friendly products to Nashville’s canines and their loving families. See Spot Eat offers homemade treats using only human quality ingredients. The bakery also carries holistic dog foods, toys (including great interactive toys), leashes, collars, gift baskets, and much more.

Canine Genius Toys

Have you ever wondered how I spend my mornings? Well, after a few doga stretches and a quick minute outside, I usually run straight to my toy basket. If I’m not in the mood to chew on my rawhide, I go straight for my canine genius toy. I take it to my mom and she fills it with treats, kibble and organic Cheerios. Yum! I love this thing. I hit it, throw it, chew on it and treats just magically fall out. How rad is that? I usually play with it until I’ve eaten all of the treats or fallen asleep for my morning nap. And there you have it – one of my favorite toys and how I spend my mornings. Woof!

Benny is the coolest pup you’ll meet. With a built-in radar for dog parks, impeccable treat tasting capabilities, an expansive vocabulary and strong squirrel sensors, he was a no-brainer for the writer of our dog product reviews. Being the rescue who inspired Adrian’s dog photography, expect to see a lot of him around here!

by Benny

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debbie - January 3, 2011 - 1:29 pm

What is the brand or name of these toys? Have a new blue heeler puppy that has the energy….well never had a dog with this much energy. Always looking for toys that will tire her out. Especially now that there are after Xmas sales.

BTW Efrain Padro gave me your name and site. I have a blog which features dog photographers and dog illustrators….actually anyone who uses dogs as inspiration for their work. May I interview you for my site? Just 3 easy questions.

…never mind…just clicked on the image and the site came up…sorry.

Sam, Sam, Earth to Saaam!

You might find yourself looking at your dog asking her the overwhelming question of, “Where do I start helping you learn better behavior?” Well I say congratulations – you have already started! By asking that question, you have made the first step towards a better relationship with your dog! Amidst all the confusing dog training books and online information, where do you start teaching your dog good behavior?

The Answer: Focus is first. I am sure that you have seen an owner at a park or even in a pet store that is calling their dog’s name Sam, Sam stop that, Sam don’t do that, Sam listen to me!! (Maybe you are that owner, and that’s okay. A dog or her owner is never too old to learn new things!) Meanwhile, the ignored owner is either raising her voice every time Sam’s name is called, or you are now hearing the pleading tone she has resorted to using. What is Sam doing during this yelling and pleading? Why she is enthusiastically rearranging (chewing and de-stuffing!) all the toys on the lower shelf or she is happily running amuck at the park! What is the cause of all this wild, embarrassing behavior your beloved pooch is exhibiting? Your pup has developed selective hearing of course! What causes selective hearing? Lack of Focus. Now the next question is, how do you avoid being the lady in the store paying for an entire display of toys (Sam is going to be set for a long time!) or the man trying desperately to catch Sam at the park in the rain?

Focus work is something even the busiest of us can find the time to work on. Here is our goal with Focus: you want your dog to eagerly look towards you when she hears her name. This might sound very simple and straightforward, but the key is to get this response anytime and anywhere. It is always important to remember that behaviors must be mastered on leash before you can expect that behavior off- leash. To develop your dog’s focus, start with her on a 6 foot lead, either inside or outside. Let you dog wander and get distracted. When you notice she is looking off into the distance call her name in an upbeat but firm voice, Sam. At the same time, give her a tug with the lead and right when she turns to look at you give her lots of praise, Good Sam or Yes Sam. Also, have a treat ready. Your goal is eye contact – if your dog is not looking up at you, then there is no focus. To get eye contact, call her name, and give the tug. When she turns, show her a treat and bring it up towards your eyes. You will see her eyes flick between your eyes and the treat. When she looks at you praise and give her the treat. Repeat this a few times until she is turning and looking at you immediately (with help from the tug). Once you have accomplished this, you can remove the tug. Now call her name and see if she turns without the help from the leash. If she does – lots of praise and a treat. If not, be quick to help her with the tug and practice until you are not having to tug and treat every time. Lastly, start replacing your treats with praise only; give a treat only every 3^rd or 4^th time. Practice this in as many different places as possible and you will be proofing. Use your walks as a time to practice – we all know there are lots of distractions during a walk! If you find your dog is having a hard time focusing in a certain area, then try it somewhere with fewer distractions. Then work your way back toward the challenging area. Stay consistent and have fun! Focus work is a great way to bond with your dog and to build a great working relationship. If you find that you are having trouble getting your dog to focus or there are other issues that keep you from taking her out in public, then give me a call and we can work on it together!

Katie’s Dog Training offers private, in-home training sessions so that you can experience the loyalty and companionship that a well balanced dog offers. Even though she has graduated numerous training schools, the dogs themselves tend to be her most beneficial teachers. She and her husband share their home with three wonderful dogs, Luka, Jazzy and Honey as well as a crazy cat named D’Angelo.

Mouth Watering Puppy Munchies

The following treat is a variation of one of our most popular treats at See Spot Eat: A Doggie Bakery. It’s both sweet and savory and you can get creative with it by changing up the vegetables you use. These treats are also soft so that even older chowhounds can partake! If you don’t feel like making your own, come by the bakery to let your canine companion try our ‘Eat Your Veggies’ treats which are very similar to these. We know they’ll love ’em!

Tongue Teasers

1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup applesauce (no sugar added)
1 cup cooked vegetables*, mashed or grated small
1 cup cooked brown rice
3/4 cup grated cheese
1 tbsp. brewers yeast
*Try out any veggie you like: carrots, peas, green beans, squash, zucchini, spinach, etc.

Mix all ingredients well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned and firm. Cool. Store in the fridge, or freeze.