Training Your Super Puppy To Be Fearless

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Baby Oliver Plays With a Soft Plush Toy

Are you planning to add a furry member to your family this holiday season? You're not alone. Although the downsides are often touted, a well thought out addition is fine. The reality is that many families choose this time of year in order to use the extra time off to begin house training and bonding with their new family member. Today I'd like to offer a few tips from the Whole Dog Journal, along with my own enhancements to their ideas, sure to aid in helping you raise a fear-free pup.

Although ideally you'd want your new little buddy to have these experiences prior to entering your home, adding these enhancements to your holiday playtime will most certainly be good for his growth and potential to be a wonderful family member:

• Give your pup a chance to experience walking on 7 types of surfaces: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, and wood chips. Each different texture will have its own lessons, most importantly that different footing is needed and nothing should be feared by a variety of textures under the pads of the feet.
• Offer 7 different types of play objects for a variety of stimulation: big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard (toilet paper/paper towel centers are perfect), metal items (without sharp edges and sticks or pieces of hose. Remember that all playtime with toys should be supervised to assure your puppy's safety.
• Include 7 different locations in your puppy's experiences: front yard, back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room and bathroom. You'll want your little one to know all of these places are safe and fun, so make sure to offer pleasant experiences in each.
• Introduce your pup to at least 7 different types of new people: babies, children, seniors, people with canes, walkers, or wheelchairs, people in uniforms, people wearing hats, and men with beards.
• Provide 7 different challenges for your pup to work his problem-solving skills: climb around inside a box, climb off the top of a box, go through a tunnel, climb up steps, climb down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide an seek, go in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence. Surely you'll be able to find even more challenges like these. Each will teach your new friend lots of ways to solve new problems.
• Offer meals in a variety of different containers: metal, plastic, china, cardboard, paper, pie plate and a frying pan. Don't forget to also use food-dispensing balls for a slower way to serve a meal, while your dog learns to push the ball around the house to retrieve his dinner.
• In addition to these ways to eat, your pup should learn that eating in a variety of locations is also a good thing: crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom and even an RV. The lesson is clear; wherever you offer food to your pup, it's still yummy!
• Exposure to many different types of noises will help your pup learn that sound is not a scary thing. Include as much variety as possible, focusing on things like banging pots, thunder, loud music, traffic, sirens, vacuums, landscaping equipment, fireworks, dog parks, and crowds

Want to get your puppy started as a doga partner early? Try our short yoga videos that include tips on yoga poses as well as how to include your pup in your practice. Join us for more doga fun as we continue to expand this series.

What are your ideas for helping your littlest new family member get a good start? I'd love to share your tips. The comment link is always open!

Ask the Dog Trainer About Quelling Puppy Biting Behavior

Michael Baugh CDBC CPDT-KSA

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courtesy Michaels Dogs
Puppy Biting Hurts!

Sure they're cute. But puppies bite. In fact, they can be little piranhas. And, puppy biting hurts.

There is good news, though. Seriously. Most puppies do grow out of their nasty biting habit. Better still, there are things we can do to help speed up the process.

So, grab a paper towel to stop the bleeding. Then check out this video for a quick course on how to keep your puppy’s sharp teeth off your delicate skin.

If your puppy is a bit older and still bites to get your attention, take a look at this article on play biting.  It may not be aggression but it hurts too. Young puppy or older puppy – either way, a qualified training professional can help bring some sanity back to your life. 

Michael Baugh CDBC CPDT-KSA is a dog trainer in Houston, TX. He produces TV segments on dog training and behavior for KHOU-TV in Houston and WFAA-TV in Dallas.

#PetCharityDonations Puppy Pack Winners

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

The puppy pack entries seem to have just flown by. I really enjoyed the tips our readers have left for fostering dogs and for adopting a new family member. Thanks for everyone who participated in this activity. Your tips were terrific! So good, in fact, that I'd like to share a few of the gems:

• My favorite tip for acclimating a new pet to your home is to use the scents of security blanket, by RitaMeow.
• Pay attention to your puppy's nuances, by Jaime Leigh Martin.
• Give puppy time to acclimate! Patience is key. Remember that the environment is filled with new sights, sounds, smells, from Carly Smith.
• Teach your dog that you will be coming back by leaving for only short times at first and build up to longer times, from Bunniker.

I've collected three packages of goodies for three lucky adoptive puppies. There are treats for training, leashes, harnesses and pee pads. A New Beginning will be so thrilled to see us again. They were very excited to receive the new dog crate we delivered on June 22 on behalf of an anonymous winner. We have very generous readers!

Todays 3 winners are Abby C. Samantha D. and Michelle C. I'll be in touch via AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. Please watch your inbox and your spam file for my message. Thank you again to everyone who joined in entering to win these donated materials for a new adoptive family. I know the new pet parents will be grateful. 

Watch for our next #PetCharityDonation event, coming soon: Treats, treats and more treats!

Thanks much,

Products being donated are either conference swag, unrequested review products or items we are unable to review. There has been no compensation to All Things Dog Blog for these products or donations. All donations will go to shelters, rescues and foster families.

Badge artwork courtesy Peter Mooney via Flickr.com

Win to Donate 3 Puppy Packages: #PetCharityDonations

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

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Our first effort at a #PetCharity Donations giveaway was extremely successful, due largely to your generosity. Thank you for caring about shelters, rescues and foster families! If you missed this new feature, please read all about it at the link above.

Oliver and I delivered the dog crate to our local Petfinder shelter, A New Beginning, on Sunday. This shelter is where we adopted our Xena and our Patches. We took the photo below in front of several crates full of Wheaton Terrier/Poodle puppies that were absolutely to die for. It took all the resistance I could summon to walk out without one!

Large Crate Delivery June 22, 2014

Next up for our shelter donations is a 3-pack of Puppy Kits. Each will be unique, but will include items of importance to each household with a puppy. The assortment will include harnesses, pee pads, leashes, bowls and treats in various sizes for small to larger puppies. In addition, we'll be handing off some gently-used items for use within the shelter, such as collars, cones, and more.

You can enter to win these prize packages for delivery in your name. As you'll see in the photo above, the crate was presented with a label. Your name can be placed on this label if you wish, making this gift a proud example of your philanthropic side. 

Entries will be accepted through Thursday, July 10 with the winner being announced on Friday, July 11. The delivery will be made at an upcoming adoption day following the announcement. 

To enter, use the Rafflecopter entry form found at the bottom of this post. If it's not on duty, you may need to send out a Come Command by clicking the title of this post to call it to you. It works well; enjoy your entries. Thank you for entering!

Products being donated are either conference swag, unrequested review products or items we are unable to review. There has been no compensation to All Things Dog Blog for these products or donations. All donations will go to shelters, rescues and foster families.

Badge artwork courtesy Peter Mooney via Flickr.com

Puppy Training Tips: Part III

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Make Crate Time Great Time

Today we're going to toss out some tips for potty training/house training your new puppy or rescued dog.The more consistent you are the more successful you will be:

• Choose a crate that will grow with your puppy. Too large of a crate will allow your pup to sleep in one corner and use the other corner as a bathroom. The crate should be large enough for him to stand, lay and turn around, but not much larger. As he grows, the movable panel can gradually grow with her, allowing more space as needed. Eventually, the panel will likely be removed when the pup grows into the crate.
• Crate your puppy frequently throughout the day for short periods, allowing her to become acclimated to spending time there. Praise her when she rests peacefully without making a fuss, as well as when you remove her to take her outside. As she becomes more comfortable with these rest periods, you can begin to leave her for short outings to test her comfort level and staying power. This will take time; go slowly.
• While at home, keep your pup near you and under your supervision constantly. If you move around from room to room, tether him to your belt or waist using a leash, so you can keep an eye on him in case he begins to show the tell-tale signs of needing to go.
• Know those signs: pacing, circling, sniffing at a certain spot or in a circle, squatting (oops, you're too late)
• Make a habit of always taking your pup out immediately after sleeping, eating, playing, exercising, drinking, or anytime you see the above signs.
• Having selected the spot you'd like your pup to always use, don't waver by allowing her to drag you around. THIS is the spot; wait there until he gets the idea and takes action. The scent of his prior visits will build up and eventually give him a faster-acting release. Give him your encouraging words, such as "Go potty!" and treat immediately when he is successful.
• Once action has begun or immediately upon completion, praise sweetly and gently. Don't make too much of a fuss or you may interrupt the important event :)
• Call your puppy to his potty spot with the same sweet voice and special words each time, so he'll begin to associate these with this action. 
• If your puppy exhibits a behavior that becomes a natural signal of her need to go out, encourage that signal to alert you. Praise and treat her with your training treats as a way of encouraging this behavior that notifies you when it's time for a visit to the grass. Any signal that is acceptable to you will work: a woof, whine, scratch at the door, nose bump on your hand, ringing of potty bells that hang on your door--whatever works for your dog and you to communicate.
• Young puppies and toy dogs often have trouble house training in larger spaces. They may quickly become averse to using rooms they spend time in as a bathroom; however, other rooms may sometimes take on that role for these smaller pups. I've learned that one way to prevent this is to allow them to spend time in each of these otherwise less-frequented areas. This may be inconvenient for you while you supervise him there, but hopefully you'll find a way to accomplish a task while giving your dog time to bond with this area of your home that he rarely spends time in.
• If you catch your pup in the act of pottying indoors, scold quickly while immediately taking her outside to her special place, spending a few minutes to allow her to remember this is where she should have taken action. Do not rub your puppy's nose in his business or swat him, as he may become fearful of pottying altogether.
• If your puppy is left in a crate too long and has an accident, don't correct her. It's your fault, not hers. Simply clean her and the crate up and don't make a fuss.
• Same goes if you've left the pup alone too long in the house and you find a mistake. Often they will leave their deposit at the door or near a window, indicating their effort to get outdoors.
• If you've chosen to keep your puppy in 1 room, not using a crate, you'll want to use potty pads or a dog potty with faux grass included, in order to protect the floor, as well as to help your pet know where you want his deposits to land. It's nice to know where you can and cannot step when entering the room :) This target training is important to eventually working your way outside, if that is desirable.
• Once your pup is regularly hitting the puppy pad, you may choose a long weekend when you can spend several days working with him on the transition. Begin moving the pad gradually toward the exit, keeping your eye on the pup. It's imperative that you throw a big party every time he locates the pad and uses it. Lots of praise and a treat will help him understand that following the pad is exactly what you want.
• Once you reach the exit door, begin cutting away small sections of the pad, or closing the door over an area of it, reducing the available amount. The idea is to help Fido understand he needs to assist you with knowing what he wants--verbally or with some sort of noise or action. Many pad users will place potty bells right where the puppy is likely to bump them while using the pad, helping you to be aware of his actions. Praise and treat your little one for ringing the bells as well as using the pad. You're on your way!

Keep in mind that rewarding your trainee each and every time he tries to get it right will be continuously building a more reliable behavior that you'll be happy to see. Zukes

courtesy Zukes

Mini Naturals are a terrific, tiny treat for rewarding good behavior, and one that your pup will love. These healthy, natural treats are made in the U.S.A. with no wheat, corn or soy, ingredients that many owners try to avoid due to possible allergens. You'll find a Store Locator at this link so you can take a personal peek and see what your local retailers are stocking of the Zukes varieties.

In less than 10 days, Event Barkers will be officially announcing a Twitter Party for Zukes. Yes, you heard it here first! While you're waiting on details, you can go ahead and check them out online at their website and on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Watch for more details  soon...and a giveaway coming shortly!

All Things Dog Blog and our Event Barkers partner, DogTipper, will soon be announcing a Twitter Party promoting some of Zukes products, including the Mini Naturals reviewed here. Soon you'll be learning about more of their hard working treats so stay tuned to our sites for additional details.

Puppy Training Part II: Start with Motivation

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Oliver Continues to Love His Crate Today

It should come as no big surprise that most dogs are food motivated.  Hold out a particularly yummy smelling treat and you've got Fido's attention until you give it to him. That makes training treats an incredibly powerful training tool--quite possibly the most important one you'll find for most dogs. 

You can harness that motivation and use it to train a dog to run an agility course, perform freestyle dance, and yes, even love his crate and potty outside. You simply need to get a treat with a strong aroma and make certain your timing is spot on. When you associate receiving that delicious morsel with the exact moment that your dog runs into his crate or tinkles on the grass, you've got a winning combination that will soon have your pup building the good habits you seek.

In the agility world, many of the trainers refer to a strong-scented treat as a 'high value' treat. These are the ones your dog will overcome fears to earn. So if a crate is new to your rescue dog, try burying a few treats inside his crate, under the bedding and give him a chance to bond with that crate over the yummy goodies it delivers. Build on short visits inside the crate, assuring a very comfortable bed and a location that allows him to see you and your family wherever you spend most of your time at home.

With each visit that gets a little longer and increasingly easier, offer a reward to build that comfort level even more. Make sure you use small bits, so as not to upset your dog's tummy, going especially tiny for your puppy while training her. 

One popular choice for your toughest training jobs is Zukes Mini Naturals. These moist miniature dog treats are easily broken up for the tiniest of puppies, but suitable for frequent rewards during daily training with your older dog as well. Available in 4 flavors (peanut butter, chicken, salmon and rabbit), test them all to learn which appeals to your pup's senses the most. You'll want to determine his greatest motivator. This will be the treat of choice for the more challenging training to come.

courtesy Zukes

With no wheat, corn or soy, you'll be giving your pet a low calorie reward (less than 3 1/2 calories per treat) that isn't likely to aggravate any allergies and is filled with whole food antioxidants for good health. To learn more about their extensive line of products, join Event Barkers for our upcoming Twitter Party. Healthy nutrition is at the root. Stay tuned for more details coming soon...

Event Barkers is helping Zukes get some promotional exposure on Twitter with a Twitter Party to be officially announced soon.Watch for details to come here and on our other team blogs.