Kindle Notes & Highlights
WHEN TO SOCIALIZE YOUR PUP Now is the right time! A puppy’s brain is not fully formed until the age of five months. However, there is a “critical” or “sensitive” period of socialization from 3 to 12-14 weeks of age that is especially important.
Timing is crucial: If you give your dog a treat for sitting at your feet after she’s come when called, you’ve just reinforced sitting, not for coming when called. Give your dog a treat, immediately upon completion of the behavior you wanted.
Give your dog a tiny, tasty treat every time he happens, all on his own, to look in your direction.
Try this in short sessions (3 to 5 minutes are plenty), several times a day if you can. Once you’ve given him five to ten treats, end the session.
Begin by taking him to the area designated as his toilet area. Sometimes it helps to take him out on a leash, even in a fenced backyard, to keep him focused on one spot. If you always take him to this same place, he will tend to seek it out in the future. Stand still and quietly wait until he looks ready to eliminate. As he squats, quietly say the cue you have chosen. (“Go Potty” is popular, but we like “Hurry Up,” living as we do where it can be below freezing much of the year!) Wait quietly as he goes, and as soon as he is done, immediately praise him and hand him a tasty treat. The treat is
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The best way to housetrain your dog is to give treats immediately after he potties outside.
If you do see your pup begin to squat in the house, make a loud, abrupt noise to startle him. (We avoid clapping since it is a great way to encourage your dog to come when called.) Something as simple as a slap on a nearby wall or table can be enough to startle and interrupt him. Then immediately rush him outside (cheerfully) and give him tons of praise and a treat for eliminating outdoors. Come back in, and put him in his crate for a moment while you clean up his accident.
Take him outside to potty before you go to the new area.
Don’t worry about occasional back sliding – all learning curves go up and down a bit.
Puppies need enjoyable exposure to a variety of people, other and different environments to develop into stable, adaptable adults.
• Positive reinforcement (which is something your puppy loves, not something that makes you happy!) is the most effective way to influence a dog’s behavior. Using treats to teach a new behavior isn’t “bribing,” it’s creating good habits that will last a lifetime.
Don’t expect your dog to pay attention to you just because you want her to! Teach her it’s to her advantage to pay attention to you by taking her out of the house ...
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Successful housetraining requires you to manage your puppy at all times: she should be either outside with you (and getting a treat for going potty in the right area), under careful supervision in the house, or in a crate or small sleeping area. It’s labor intensive at the beginning, but doing it correctly will save you endless problems in the long run.
Begin by yelping only on the hardest bites, ignoring the softer bites. As you progress, yelp at gradually softer and softer pressure from your pup until he eventually mouths you with no pressure at all.
Have a toy ready at all times—carry one around in your pocket & encourage your pup to bite on it instead of you.
Hand claps work especially well: In Patricia’s research on acoustics and canine responses, it was found that hand claps were the most successful of ten different sounds (like claps, words and whistles) to get puppies to run to the sound source.
Dogs like to chase, so when you call your dog to come, turn your body sideways, and move away from your dog as you call.
From no more than ten feet away, call out your dog’s new cue, turn your body sideways, and then start clapping and running away from your dog. As soon as he moves even a few inches in your direction, sing out “Good Dog!” and keep going. When he catches up to you, have a party! Praise him to the skies and give him extra tasty treats. If he likes it, give him some great rubs on his chest or rump.
Be sure that your dog loves the petting you provide as reinforcement—otherwise, it won’t work.
You’ll want to call him to come to you at least 20 or 30 times a day during early training.
Be sure to avoid calling your pup for something he’s not going to enjoy, like getting a nail trim or going into his crate if he’s still full of energy. In that case, simply go to him and snap on his leash, keeping a friendly and upbeat attitude, being sure to avoid linking the word “come” with something he doesn’t like.
USE CRATE REST WHEN: •You are too busy to watch your pup. • You are leaving the house for awhile. • Your puppy is being wild and crazy and needs a little “time out” (or you do!). • When you are sleeping.
We advise keeping the crate in the bedroom at night, so your puppy is sleeping with you, but is unable to potty on the carpet while you snore into your pillow.
Always be ready to interrupt your pup from doing something inappropriate and to redirect her to something that is.
If you want your pup to sit at the door when cousin Harry and his five children come to visit, don’t bother saying sit unless are right beside your dog with a piece of chicken in your hand.
One of the best pieces of equipment you can get is called a “front attachment body harness.”
Start off your pup’s leash manners by playing the Follow Game. Go outside with some treats in your pocket, choosing a place that is relatively quiet. Show the treats to your dog, then turn away and walk a few feet from your dog. If your pup follows you, praise and treat. Continue moving a few steps away from him, and treating every time he catches up to you. Try to treat him as he is parallel to you, before he swings around to the front as if to sit.
Once your dog has the ball, encourage your dog to move toward you whenever you can, and avoid moving toward your dog.
