Excaliburk9
03-11-2007, 01:51 AM
HI there and here is some advice from an old dog trainer and German Shepherd breeder. All of my dogs love their crates and go into them on a regular basis. Some sleep in them at night, while others sleep in my bedroom on their doggy beds. I have eight dogs, 7 German Shepherds and 1 Border/Newfi and three cats. During the day have your pup with you, if you have to have him teathered to you that way you dont have to worry about potty mistakes. Or keep all extra doors closed. But if you are too busy to watch him, just crate him with a good old knuckle bone in it, so he is busy. If you let him out every time he crys he will soon learn to cry to get attention. Dont wait till he quiets down then you can let him out. I crate train all of my pups by the time they are seven weeks old before they leave for their new homes. But here is some more advice I give my puppy buyers, to help them to crate train their pups and just have a better adjustment time. Getting your first dog
welcome to the board and congratulations on your New GSD. You will find they are the best dogs in the world, But they need lots of time, attention and training. Some good books are THE ARE OF RAISING A PUPPY, //// HOW TO BE YOUR DOGS BEST FRIEND. Both are by THE MONKS OF NEW SKETE. Here is also some information for you to start your way with your dog. It would really help, you if you can take obedience classes with her to teach you how to handle and control your dog. Good luck and welcome to our little home away from home.
Raising a puppy
This is what I do when I first get a puppy, I have the house puppy proofed as much as possible. And a crate all ready with lots of stuff toys, chewies, Kong’s and balls. I have a good quality large breed puppy food, or adult food. I plan on having no new people over for the first week as this is a time of great stress for the pup. I also tether the pup to me, so no matter where I go, he goes with me. Every time he wakes up, gets done eating, gets done drinking, stops playing, starts sniffing the ground we go out side to go potty. A puppy is a social animal and leaving his dam and litter mates is very stressful. So he is never allowed to be alone. They do not find it safe at all to be left outside, and this will cause crying, and unwanted behavior due to stress. Out in the wild in a real pack a pup is never left out alone where he feels unsafe. There is always an adult around for protection. So why just throw your pup outside to go potty. Also if you do that, you can never let him know when he does good by seeing him by going potty, and by being rewarded he is potty trained so much faster. I always have them on a long line or leash and when I put him down on the ground I will say go potty. As soon as he goes he is praised and petted warmly to let him know he did GOOD POTTY! Telling your pup that he did good, is very important much more than all the no’s he will be getting in the future. All of my dogs are taught to go potty on command which comes in real handy when you go on trips or a dog show. Where they are not allowed to go potty in the ring.
I then will allow him to play outside after he has gone potty under supervision. I will take him on little walks to let him explore if he wants to. After we are done with being outside I will then bring him in, so he can roam thru out the house (with certain doors closed) under strict supervision. If I think he is going to have an accident then I will say a NO or ugg in a deep voice to let him know that is not allowed. I take him out again and praise as needed. Pups are that pups and they get into trouble, cause problems and are generally great fun, but they do have to be watched all the time as they can get into a lot of trouble. I have like I said lots of toys just for that pup, and also a lot of no cans thru out the house (empty soda can with pennies in it covered with tape). I find a no can will stop all bad behavior or non wanting chewing on furniture or objects in the home and including chasing any of my three cats. I will say uggg with or a NO, and shake the can to stop the behavior and I then give it something to do instead. I will give a ball, or a chewy just to get the pups attention off of the offending actions. I will then praise the pup to let them know that this is what I want him to do instead. That includes biting my hands which I never allow a pup to bite or nip at my hands or face. This is discourage from the very start. Do not play on the floor with the pup as this is communicating to him that your one of his litter mates and on the same level as he is. Instead be on a chair or couch and play tug of war, fetch or numerous games that you can play.
When the little guy or gal is ready for a nap allow him to sleep in his crate, on a soft clean blanket, where he will soon feel safe and sound. If he cries at first ignore him as this will teach him if he cries he is taken out of the crate when ever he wants out. I also will use my older dogs that love to sleep in their crates to reassure him that being in a crate is not a bad thing. Learning to be in a crate soon gives him the feeling of being safe and sound when your not around like at work or shopping. Never leave him in a crate more than a couple of hours at first as they really can not hold their bladder than long. Also remember never allow children to tease a puppy no matter what especially when their sleeping. Supervise, supervise all children around pets always.
Now at a bedtime take the pup out one more time, and then either do a tether to your head of your bed, not allowing a real long line. But just enough for him to move around a little on his bed on a nice soft cuddly blanket. Have a favorite chew toy or soft toy for him to play quietly with. If he wines sooth him but do not allow him on the bed. He must learn to sleep where he is. Or you could put a crate next to your bed so if he gets scared or upset you can reach through the bars to sooth him. Now if he starts to cry in the middle of the night he probably has to go out to go potty. You will have to get up take him out, personally so he can go in safety. I know, I know its probably cold out and not to nice in the middle of the night but your baby needs this security of you being there with him. When he is finished take him right back to his bed and have him lay down. The main reason you want the pup in your bedroom is so he will be able to smell you, hear you and feel like he is part of your pack. He will sleep better and so will you!
When it comes to giving baths, picking them up, brushing them or just handling my puppies. I do a lot of hands on with my pups. Esp. if they argue about it or complain, then I will work with them on that problem even more. If I pick up a pup and they growl I will say no, or a ugg and grab their little muzzle and gently shake it. I will then hold the pup in a calm manner even if he is fighting me, or trying to get down. I will become calm with in myself and transfer this energy to the pup. I want him to know that complaining about being handled will not work. But by me being calm and relax this will communicate to the pup, that there is no reason to be upset. What every I do with the pup is to be excepted with out complaint or argument. But at first they will, but the more you handle your pup the more they will except and get used to. Plus this teaches them to trust you and except you as the boss. I will sit on the floor and hold him in my lap with my legs wrapped around him, holding and petting him in a calm soothing manner. Some pups except this rather easily others do not. For them is a lack of control on their part and they do not like it. So It is up to you to teach him that being handled or messed with is a good thing. If a certain thing upsets them I will make sure we work on this a lot. If the pup does not like being brushed I will brush him on daily basis, esp. after I brush on of my older dogs so he or she can watch.
Another thing I want to cover is that you are you pups life support system what I mean is that your are reasonable for his or her safety. In a real pack the pack leaders are always on the look out for dangers. So while on your walks or adventures make sure you are on the look out for dangerous that can harm or kill you pup. But at the same time do not transfer this fear to your pup, just think of it as at look out for you pup. Good luck on your pup, and remember this in a new journey for you both so enjoy the path you will both walk together! Happy trails!
Teaching a Puppies first commands:
I thought I should write down some more on the puppy being home now several weeks. By now, you should know your pups personality, and how she or he needs to be trained. He is comfortable with your home now, and is feeling comfortable enough to act up and be his self in your home.
You need to become more in tune with your dog as far as his temperament goes. Match your style of dog training to your dogs temperament. If he is a more mellow or easy going puppy or even shy, you must become upbeat and very animated in order to get and keep his attention. If he is excitable or higher drive, you will want to concentrate on being calm and transferring that calm to your dog in order to settle him down.
Now for the commands you will be using:
Make sure that you use “Down” for laying down, “Off” for getting off of you or the couch. “Sit” will be for sit. “Heel” for being by your side when walking. “Easy” for when you want him to not heel but not to pull on the leash either. I also like a command to let the pup know that he can relax and be a pup or dog now. I like to use the word “OKAY!”
It is very important to not repeat your commands (“Sit, Sit, Sit“), as he must learn that Sit, (or Down, or other command) is done on a one time command.
On your corrections, you first say “NO!” and give his leash a good pop to get his attention back onto you, then tell him what you want him to do. Remember that this correction is NOT A PUNISHMENT, but an attention getting device to stop what he is doing, and then since you tell him what you want, he will then do what you tell him. Always follow this with praise (“Good sit“, “Good down“, Good off“, etc).
Now we will teach your pup that you’re the leader of the pack in a non violent way, so he will respect you with out an all out fight. Practice teaching him to sit, down, or stay on a regular basis. Every time you call him, have a juicy treat hanging from your mouth or a toy under your chin. I really like the tennis ball for this as it’s easy to just let go at his face for him to catch. This will teach him to look at your face, which will be the starting point of his solid watch command, by always looking up at you. You can do this either by standing over him or sitting in a chair where he can look at you easily, while you are saying a happy “watch, watch“, He will learn to look up at you, to see the treat or toy. Preferably, if you can have the food hanging from your mouth is better. We want him to learn, to look up at your face for all commands and exercises.
I do not like to do a whole lot of corrections with a puppy at this age. I prefer to get him to trust and look to us for all rewards or treats. I love a happy puppy, so be happy with your puppy. I want you to say his name as much as possible before you start any command. (Example is “Bruno, Watch“, “Bruno, Sit“, “Bruno, Down” etc.)
Talk a lot to him and use a happy tone, and by talk a lot, I mean a lot! If your neighbors don’t think your crazy by talking to your pup, then you’re not talking to him enough. Call his name and get his attention to you, because if he is looking up at you, he is not looking elsewhere and getting into trouble.
Also, do not be afraid to touch your pup to let him know that he is doing good! A good rub or petting is always welcomed and helps the pup feel more excited during the workout. Tell your pup to “watch watch” over and over as much as possible.
Puppies have real short attention spans so we use lots of juicy treats and a hungry puppy to work with. I like to use chicken, string cheese or hot dogs, anything they like that you can cut up into long pieces. Long, so they can hang from your mouth and be easily seen. Just be sure the pieces are thin, so their hunger isn‘t sated too quickly and to help keep expense down. We also want them to be able to eat them fast and quick, so we can go on to the next lesson.
Let your puppy see you put a treat into your mouth. Make a big deal out of it. You may have to bend over to his level so he can see better, but be careful so he doesn’t jump up and bite you in the face. Now tell your pup to “watch, watch”, pointing to the treat. As soon as he looks right at the treat or your face, drop the treat into his face if possible, or onto the floor next to him. But make sure he saw the food fall. Make sure at the beginning of this exercise that he never sees your hands touch the treat. We want him to think face/ treat, not hand / treat.
By the end of the first week or so, after he has figured out that your face is a treat machine, every time you say “Bruno, Watch”, he will be looking up at you. Now, try and have someone distract him so you can gently get him to redirect his focus back to you. I like to take the treat, put it up to his face, say “NO Bruno, Watch“, and put it back into your mouth. You should practice this exercise at least ten repetitions every time you do it. By the end of ten days your pup will be looking at you every time you say “Watch“.
Now for the sit command. Call your pups attention to you by calling his name. Have him on a leash so you can easily get his attention. You’re going to do this: Call his name “Bruno!” He will look up at you and you say “Watch“. Show him the food hanging from your mouth. Put the treat into your hand. Now he is going to be looking up at you, so move over his head towards his spine with the treat saying “Sit!”. He can’t look up while he is in the standing position, so he has to sit in order for him to see you. He will automatically go into a sit position. As soon as he does, you put the treat back into your mouth after telling him “Good sit! Good Sit!” . With tons of praise and treats falling from your mouth. Also, don’t forget to touch or pet your puppy in praise.
Your timing must be really close to when he does sit, so that he is praised the second he sits for you. Timing is a really big deal when it comes to training dogs or puppies. You must praise the millisecond you see them do what you want to reinforce exactly what behavior is good and expected. Now as soon as you give him the treat you also give him tons of praise as well as good body rubbing or touching.
Now, on to the down. This is very simple, as you place the treat in your right hand and show the pup you have the treat in your hand. As always, call his name “Bruno!”, then say “Down!”, lowering your hand till it reaches the floor, just far out enough from him so he has to lay down to reach it. Again, give the treat while saying “Good down, Good down” with lots praise in your voice and physical touching to let him know what a great dog or pup he is.
If he is a little stubborn about this, (as it is a form of submission to him) you may have to grab his front legs and pull them towards you so he has to down.
After he gets this down really well, and knows what the “Down!” command is, you will then teach him to down faster and just as soon as you tell him do so. I call this the “Lever action”, as you will place your foot on the leash close to the collar. You call his name, and tell him to down. He is going to be thinking about it, but is slowly going to the ground. You place your left foot onto the leash right next to his collar and pull on the leash, thus levering him to the floor or ground. You do not repeat the command, but if you have to, you may push him down with your left hand . Again, as soon as he downs you must reward with praise/treats/ voice/ touch.
Remember the Rules of Correction with both voice, “NO!” and a snap of the leash, then tell your pup what you want him to do with a command “Sit“, “Down“, “Stay“, “Off“. . Again, it is very important to tell him “Good Bruno“, “Good sit“, “Good down“, “Good off“. If your puppy is doing a sit or down he can not be jumping on people, or doing something you don’t want him to do.
I have the found the major thing with pups and dogs is your voice. Talk to them on a regular basis, as it is a foundation to getting them to watch you at all times. Well, good luck with your first couple of weeks of training.
Dog Housetraining
The basic rules to remember are:
A dog needs to relieve himself after he eats, after he drinks, when he wakes up, after extensive playing (especially chewing), and after a trip in the car.
For a dog to learn anything through reward or correction, this reward or correction must come WHILE he is having the wanted or unwanted behavior. In other words, punishing the dog for having accidentally soiled the carpet during your absence will be absolutely useless, and can result in far greater problems.
You must catch him in the act or ignore it!
If it is a new puppy that you bring home, it will be easy to housetrain him. However, if it is a dog with a bad habit already, it will require more time and patience. Here are some ideas which will help:
Feed always at the same time and the same balanced diet. No snacks or scraps from the table. This way, you will be able to predict when he will need to go. Dogs usually need to go 15 minutes to 1 hour after they eat, and you need to remember that many dogs go twice within a short period of time. It normally takes 8 to 12 hours for a dog to eliminate what it eats.
Leave the dog outside for one hour after feeding him his meal, and 10 to 15 minutes after he goes out to drink.
If the dog lives inside, take him out to drink every 3 hours, and every 2 hours if it is a puppy or very warm inside. Remember to leave him outside for 10 to 15 minutes.
If you leave the house with the dog inside, or if you live in an apartment, take the dog outside just before leaving and immediately upon returning. In fact, for dogs living in an apartment, it is best to water them only in the morning and in the evening.
If you see the dog eliminating in the back yard when you put him out, Praise him verbally.
If the dog has an accident in the house and you see him do it, scold him by giving a sharp “NO!”, and take him outside immediately, wait a while, and praise him when he does “it” outside.
Clean up the accident when the dog cannot see you. Use a solution of 25% white vinegar and 75% water, (This should be safe for your carpet, but try it in an inconspicuous spot first!) or use “Odormute” which can be purchased in pet stores. Also Zero Odor works wonders.
If the dog sleeps inside, withdraw food and water two hours before retiring for the night. Then take the dog out just before retiring for the night and again as soon as you get up in the morning. Of course, he must be crated or on a short leash for the night.
Following these simple directions will make housebreaking your new dog much simpler and easier, but it will still require some time, patience and effort from you.
Using a crate
One of the most useful devices for raising a puppy is a dog crate. This device can aid in housetraining puppies. It can also save hundreds of dollars in damage to household items. Since the crate is portable, it can easily be taken along on trips. This makes overnight visits or vacations with the family pet more enjoyable. People who raise, train and show dogs have been aware of the benefits of crates for a long time. Unfortunately, the new pet owner may not be as well informed.
This recommended procedure to prevent problems is soundly based on canine tendencies: the pup’s preference to bed down in a sheltered, den-like atmosphere, and to learn by association.
The crate should be big enough for an adult dog of this breed to turn around unimpeded
Introduce the pup to the crate by placing several treats in and around it. Also, feed the pup several meals inside the crate.
Well before bedtime, place the pup inside the crate, in the bedroom and offer a treat. Close and lock the gate.
Leave the room but remain just outside in order to audit the pup’s behavior.
Usually the pup will settle quietly in the crate after three to eight attempts at emotional responses. After the puppy is quiet, keep it inside for about 10 minutes. Do not praise or pet the pup immediately after releasing it. This can reinforce the desirability of leaving the crate.
After an interval of 30 to 45 minutes, repeat the procedure. Extend the pups quiet time in the crate to about 30 minutes.
While the pup is inside the crate, provide ONE chewable toy. Also, remove any collars or leads to prevent possible entanglement.
By the time bedtime arrives, the pup will have associated being quiet with being inside the crate. Also, the effects of separation are lessened because of the crate being near where a family member sleeps.
Be advised that usually after waking, the pup will eliminate. It will probably whine or bark, since dogs tend to avoid eliminating in their bedding areas. The pup should be immediately taken outside so he can eliminate.
This procedure has several advantages:
The pup does not form the habit of eliminating in the house.
The pup can be placed in it’s “den” when it cannot be watched during the day.
The separation anxiety reflex is reduced, curtailing possible side effects related to stress.
A pup which has been successfully crate trained will prefer it’s “den”. As the pup matures, it will voluntarily seek out the crate and enter at the appropriate times. The owner can enjoy peace of mind knowing the dog is quite comfortable and not destroying the house.
The pup should not be left in the crate for longer than two to three hours, except at sleep time. The exact amount of time will depend on the particular dog.
Kat Peterson
DannysMommy
03-11-2007, 03:39 PM
WOW!!!! Thank you so much!!
A lot of what you said about our first 2 weeks, I did do right! I was going more off....... what would I do if I brought a toddler home? LMAO! Honestly! I cut off most of the house, he was in his crate right away, he got lots of attention as far as going out after naps, after eating and drinking, he was with me EVERYWHERE I went.............I told the kids he is not allowed to nip at the hands or face, (I had to train them this was not cute, but a problem in the making)..... Any time he chews on something he is not supposed to, I would say "Danny, NO" and then get up or stop doing what I was doing and take him his chew toy. He has done better than I EVER THOUGHT with it!! REALLY!!! (With the Danny no and then give him his chew toy....... again I was thinking when a child does something wrong....... you re-direct........ LOL...... so I was going off treating him like a 2yo toddler.)
But I had to laugh at the part that said something like........ Ok so now it's been a couple of weeks since your puppy came home and he feels safe and is starting to get into trouble!! LMAO
Danny has been awesome! 2 weeks with us (He's almost 10 weeks now) and he's had about 3 or 4 "accidents".
Just as I read this, we just had a cook out and the kids didn't eat up as many hot dogs as we thought, so I'm going to be packing those away for my treats over the next day or two as I start to try the ways you have given me!
I am so excited! LOL
There was a lot I had not thought of, and I think the Watch one is going to be the most powerful. Danny has proven that he can IGNOR me as if HE WERE my 3rd child!
He knows where I don't want him to go in the yard, but when he can stand it no more, even when I call and say "Turn around"......... he doesn't even turn to look at me anymore! LOL. Just like a stubborn 2 year old toddler! LOL!!
Anyway...... Thanks again and I'll let you know how things go with us.
I am trying to look for a class here so I can get some good visual on the commands and such. I just hope I can find them! I think no matter what kind of dog he ends up being....... it can only be good in the long run.
He's not hyper. Not snuggly. But he seems VERY FAST and SMART and soaks it all in. I think if I can find classes here on Island, he is going to be head of the class! LOL
Thanks again,
Rayna
PS again I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH. :cool: I felt excited about training him, but worried that I would never be able to. Knowing that with out ANY information prior, I was already doing A LOT of the first couple of weeks right, has given me the confidence to venture on to the unsure area of commands and training! *Sigh* *deep breath*
I think I can I think I can I think I can I think I can! :D
Again, I will keep posted here, and any other advice or book advice is Welcome! I'm new, so feel free to toss it ALL out there!
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