Author: Christen Cupler

Bell Training Your New Dog

If you’ve recently gotten a dog, be it a puppy or an adult, one of the biggest challenges you will face with you new family member is housebreaking. In combination with house training a key factor is knowing your dog’s cues that they need to go. These can be hard to miss sometimes unless you’re lucky enough to have the dog the automatically sits by the door and Paws and/or barks. An easy solution for this is Potty Bells. There are many different variations of bells available nowadays. My very first experience with them started completely by accident. It happened to be Christmas time and I had one of the cute Santa bell decorations hanging on my door. I had a young female Tibetan Mastiff at the time named Mya. She was already housebroken at the time when Christmas rolled around. But from the bells ringing the entire Christmas season when I’d open the door to let her out, she made the association and one night my family and I were watching TV and Mya walked out of the room. Next thing I heard was the bells ringing. I was shocked, I wasn’t even into my training career at this point yet. So, I located a bell to hang on the door and have used one since.
Now teaching this with a housebreaking puppy is equally as easy BUT can harbor some challenges as well. Fast forward to my current dog, Linc. He is a fiesty Goldendoodle and a major change from the 15+ years I’ve spent with Mastiffs. One big change is his willingness to work and ability to learn. The Mastiffs were smart no doubt, but they were so low key that they were virtually perfect from day 1. Whereas Lincoln, he needed that mental stimulation to satisfy him. So, we do A LOT of training.
When I brought him home, I knew I wanted the fancy doorbell he had to ring himself, not the hanging bells. Either set the training process is about the same. But the hanging bells leave room for error because they ring automatically if hung on the doorknob. So base that decision on your own commitment and mentality. I started him off with a simple touch command. Easy to teach and I’ll attach videos to this article for you to reference. I then transferred touch from my hand to the bell. This is where the difference in the bells come in. The electric ones I use, I have to shape the behavior and reward progress as he gets better with it. Whereas the hanging bells are less targeted. Meaning it take a less specific contact to make them ring. I like the electric ones because I don’t have great hearing than that of the regular bells, so the sound is louder and most of them have cheesy ringtones including holiday songs to amuse me.
So, with the touch, at first, I would reward as soon as he touched in the vicinity of the bell. Regardless of whether or not it made the bells go off. Some dogs will use their paws, some will use their nose. Additionally, sometimes they may change this up based on their mood at the time. Linc personally varies but generally does the nose touch now unless he really has to go. But you will notice which they prefer over time.
Now a big flaw in Bell training, is distinguishing when they need to go versus when they just want to go goof off in the yard. Initially during potty training, you really have to respond every time in case they need to go.

Side Note Rant:
Do yourself a favor and don’t take the lazy approach and open the door and let your pup out on their own. If you read my potty-training blog*Potty Training 101 – Dog Training – Smarty Paws K9 University, you will see I recommend leashing them up and taking them out. I need you to think potty training a toddler because that’s what this really is. Kids get years to learn to do this and we expect puppies to have it down pat in weeks. Thats unrealistic and impossible, especially if you release a curious puppy into a yard and expect them to know what to do once that pesky squirrel runs across the fence. Give them 10-15 minutes, outside on a leash EVEN if you bring home a puppy in the middle of a cold Pennsylvania winter. Keep them on task and reward them when they go to the bathroom. A nice positive good pup, some pats and if you have a fence let them play off leash if you want.
End Rant
Now once you have a reliably housebroken puppy, which won’t be until likely 4 months or older (1hr maybe 2 hr. if you’re lucky bladder control, per month old your pup is…. EVEN if they sleep through the night without waking you to potty, it’s not the same). It’s now time to learn to distinguish and train your pups and his bladder. If you just had your older (6-7 months old at the youngest to try this honestly) housebroken pup out and he pottied while you were out there with him and you come back inside and ten minutes later, he’s ringing again, you know the chances of him needing to go again are slim. Don’t be afraid to wait it out for a bit, most the time it’s them saying hey I want to go out. The bell has become a trigger to go outside, now we have to get then to understand it’s for potty trips and not playtime. I did this at about 8 months old with Linc, if I recall correctly. His button was his “Mommy summoning button”. If I was in another room, on a zoom lesson, or left the house (even with others there) he would ring that bell looking for me. So, I made a rule at about 8 months old, if I hadn’t been at least 4 hours (barring there was no crazy play sessions, excitement, etc.) I would make him wait. I may have started with two, just because I’m strict on strong potty skills to be honest. Either way we built up from there to phase out the demanding want to be outside ringing. If you’re consistent and don’t give up on it, it’s a wonderful way for your dog to communicate the potty cue that we humans so often miss.

In Conclusion

Please remember when potty training your pup, don’t scold. If they go in the house, clean it up and ask yourself what you were doing when it happened. They have no way of knowing automatically that they aren’t supposed to go in the house and that they are to potty outside, they can only learn what we teach them. If you scold them or worse smack them for having an accident, they just learn to not let you see them go and they go hide to potty. That is a whole issue in itself.

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Dealing with Separation Anxiety
by Christen Cupler owner and trainer of Smarty Paws K9 University LLC

I hear so often in my line of work about dogs having separation anxiety. Especially now since covid changed everybody’s schedules and now with life returning to somewhat of normalcy the dogs that have been fortunate enough to stay in their homes, many have been dumped at shelters, are experiencing separation issues.
Many times, what appears to be separation anxiety really isn’t. Sometimes it’s nothing more than needing to adjust to new schedules. Real separation anxiety is rough but can be worked on in the same way as adjusting a dog to a new schedule. I’ve had two experiences with separation issues. One, was genuine Separation Anxiety.
Rodi, my side of the road foster/rehome failure Husky mix. I found him at about 10 months old according to the vet. He was never supposed to stay, I tried several sleep overs with potential homes and every time he was sent back to me. He could not handle being alone AT ALL. After the 3rd failed potential home, I realized he was staying. His separation anxiety was off the charts. So bad he would pee in circles if he got worked up, bounce 8ft off the ground if I stepped out my front door, trash pick, collapse crates, eat doors, etc.
Second, is actually Linc my current dog. He’s now about 1.5 yrs. old. His separation issue happened at about 6 months old. We had lived in the same place up till then. My landlord did the unspeakable and gave me 15 days to move out so she could sell. So, I went to stay elsewhere. I had moved so many times I didn’t think much of it with my Mastiffs, Rodi had passed by this point and the Mastiffs had always been great with moves. Linc, didn’t handle it so well. Which really surprised me because he was an amazingly confident pup. But where we stayed was an old RV with a shotty addition on it and TONS of neighbors. So, he could hear EVERY noise. When I’d pull into the driveway, you could hear him barking insentiently and he would start within minutes if walking out the door.

So how did I handle these two cases given they were both so drastically different? Honestly almost identically in both cases. Rodi had trigger points forever, so I had plenty of practice. The only thing I never accomplished with Rodi was the crate portion of it. I likely could have but at the time I didn’t need to, so I didn’t stress it. I did live to regret that though.

Tips for helping with Separation Issues and Anxieties
1.) So first and foremost, make sure your dogs are getting enough physical AND mental stimulation in life. A bored dog is almost always a destructive dog. For more information on mental stimulation see my blog post on Canine Enrichment.

2.) Next, crate train your dog. Crates, I promise you, are not cruel. In fact, they are the best training tool I can ever suggest for all ages but that is another topic. Crate training is not just stuffing your dog in there and walking away. Especially not when dealing with Separation issues. Start it out slowly.

3.) Change your leaving routine. We all have a routine, and our pets know it well. That routine can trigger your dog’s anxiety before you even get out the door. Shake it up a bit to keep your dog from picking up on the signs of you preparing to leave.

4.) Thundershirt, I recommend Ebay for this because they are very expensive, and I’ll openly admit that they don’t work for every dog. Ebay has them considerably cheaper. Pheromone collars are known to work well also. There are many available.

5.) Richard’s Organics Pet Calm, I have sworn by this for years. Natural ingredients and I’ve used it for many of Rodis triggers over the years. He hated guns (even toy guns), fireworks, storms, car rides and many other things in addition to being alone.

6.) Music or TV while gone.

7.) Stuffed Frozen Kongs

8.) Practice (best if done BEFORE its
needed*) and time
* If you have a puppy or new dog, don’t
spend every waking second with them
when you first get them, or you have
the time and then expect then to
adjust well to the sudden change of
you gone 8-10 hrs. a day. It doesn’t
work that way. A good example is all
the pandemic puppies who have been
displaced by the world’s return to
normal. These dogs now lack social
skills, confidence and everything
needed to cope with separation.

Now when I speak of practice and time. what I mean is there is no quick way to fix this. You have to put in the effort and time to help your dog learn how to cope with you being gone. What I did with mine seemed to work well with both. I would keep frozen filled Kongs in my freezer. I changed my routine for getting ready, I would give the Richard’s organics about 1 hr. before I had to leave. About 30 minutes before I would pop the Thundershirt on and spray it with pheromone spray. Then roughly 15 minutes before I would put them in their areas (Linc is crated and covered & Rodi was gated in the large empty area in whichever home), and I would pass out the Kongs. Allowing them to get into the Kongs PRIOR to my departure helped them to not notice me leaving. Again, lessening the anxiety level. Now with Linc, his was simply he needed to adjust out and once he did, he was fine and even when we got our own place again, he handled it just fine. I still went about it the first few days the same as the last move but quickly noticed he was fine. Now he just gets the Kong as reinforcement for the crate being fun when I leave for a long period of time. Rodi on the other hand since his was legitimate separation anxiety, his had to be monitored for his whole life and different situations would Amp it up. Moving was always a trigger, and unfortunately, we did plenty of that. Even moving furniture or organizing a closet was a trigger for anxiety for him. I mentioned earlier regretting having not crate trained him and believe me I did regret it but one if his first experiences in a crate he somehow collapsed the entire thing and managed to get out before it came down on him. So, I was afraid to try again. But fast forward a few years to eating doors and you’d understand why I regretted it. If I had made the crate a good place for him, he would have not had the option to be destructive to deal with being alone. Live and learn, I suppose. Once I discovered the gates worked well, it lessened the issues.
To help lessen separation anxiety issues, in addition to what’s been covered above. Be sure to PRACTICE. Practicing this is the key to making it successful. When a dog is afraid of being alone, you have to set then up to succeed at it. Take time while you are home and able to practice it. Start with the crate or gated area, teach them a cue word for the area. Once they have that down, add a release word. Followed by then closing the door. Just like any other crate training breakdown will explain. Then add in walking out of the room. Go back in a minute or two, whatever you think your dog can handle. It is most important to not make a huge fuss when you see your dog, walk out calmly and wait for them to sit or ask them to, open the door and Give release word. Remember if they break prior to the release, close the door to reinforce a calm exit. Build your time and distance. Many of us have cameras in our homes we can view from our phones…. drive around the block. go to a dinner. build the time slowly and check in via camera if you can. If not, then just set a time based on what you know your dog can handle and build up from there. Time, practice and patience will make all the difference in the world. Some get past it quickly, some will need managed their entire lives to some degree, like my Rodi. Genuine separation anxiety is always present and can rear up from time to time even with the best methods around. Know your triggers and help work them through it. Helping them build their confidence is key and that takes training and practice.
Consult with a professional trainer near you for in depth assistance. No dog is too far gone to be helped.

In dog training, you will often hear about hand-feeding. Hand-feeding is a powerful way to build a bond with your dog and make yourself a super-asset to your dog.

The problem with hand-feeding is it’s often not properly explained to an owner. Hand-feeding small pieces of dog food to your dog sounds daunting, honestly, but the idea of hand-feeding is much more than simply handing food to your dog. It’s about turning your dog’s daily food into fun.

I’ve been training dogs professionally for roughly 15 years, and I can’t count how many times I’ve heard owners talk about how their dog isn’t that into food and couldn’t care less about their meals. I’ve never quite understood it myself.

I’ve always had large “lazy” dogs who LIVED for their meals and didn’t waste a moment. My female Mastiff used to do what we called the “Gorilla Goat Dance” — she looks like a gorilla and would bounce like a baby goat when she saw her food dish, which was rather amusing — and my Husky mix would prance in happy circles and bark happily as we got the food ready. So not wanting their food baffled me.

As years went on and my kids grew up, I started diving deeper into my education and knowledge in the world of dog training. One of the subjects I found fascinating was Canine Enrichment, and I’ve sworn by it. So much so, I can count on one hand how many times Linc, the newest dog in my life, has eaten from a regular food dish.

Then I discovered hand-feeding and concept training (game-based training). This threw me for a loop, and I was hooked. I jumped fully into it all, took as many courses through the group that got me hooked as I could afford. A phrase you hear in that group and likely from me at some point is “Ditch the Food Bowl.” So what exactly does it mean?

Imagine a dog in nature: Is their food served in a bowl? Of Course, not. Whether it’s a wolf, feral dog, or simply a stray or lost dog, they have for hunt, forage, and work for their food.

Finding food is a lot of work for them and sometimes hard to come by. So, when they find something, they are eager to eat it because they had to work to get it, therefore the value is higher.

So, our pet dogs who have their food served to them daily in a dish see no real value in their food. It took nothing for them to get it, it held no experience and is readily available — typically at the exact same times daily as well. Therefore, the excitement or value isn’t there, often leading to a dog who isn’t very interested in eating.

There are so many easy ways to ditch the bowl and turn your dog’s meals into a fun experience. The first thing is hand-feeding.

As I said, this isn’t simply handing your dog pieces of kibble for your entire meal. There are hundreds of simple ways to animate your dog’s meals and turn mealtime into a fun learning experience.

The most fun, of course, are the games I’ve likely shown or spoke of in lessons.  Every game has a purpose, whether it’s for recall, proximity, loose leash walking, heeling, reactivity, distraction, boundary practice, or calm.

These games center around making you the coolest thing around them. Because you have taken that food and turned it into an excited animated experience thus creating a tremendous bond between you and your dog. Best part is all the games should stick to 3 minutes each max and move on.

Another simple way is to put away your dog treats, use your dogs kibble as rewards for training. This has so many benefits.

The largest benefit is you are setting your dog’s pay grade way, way lower than some crazy-high-value treat. Not that high-value treats are bad, but what happens when you’ve been training with high-value treats from day one and suddenly find yourself in a situation that has your dog’s arousal level up so high and they have zero interest in what’s typically their favorite treat. That stems from their pay grade being way higher than what is being expected of them.

If you set you pay grade lower, when you need something higher value its achievable and easier to bring your dog’s arousal level back down and manage the situation accordingly.

So, all of this works great but what if your dog is larger and eats 2-3 – cups or more in the case of my mastiffs — or you don’t have the time or desire in a particular day to commit to a game or training session? I get it. It happens to me more than I would care to admit. Just because I’m a professional trainer doesn’t mean I don’t have days where I’m just not feeling it.

Those are days, you likely shouldn’t anyways, as it doesn’t make for a good experience for your dog. In these cases, there are so many options available for enrichment feeding, visit my blog on Canine enrichment to read that post.

Some examples are puzzle feeder games, food balls, snuffle matts, scatter feeding, stuffing toys such as Kong’s and many more, lick mats, maze bowls, food games, toys, and so many more. You can also incorporate simple things around your home you would never think of to use.

Another issue you may have is feeding a raw diet.  Get a treat dispenser, squeeze tubes, cut your meat into smaller chunks, scoop minced food onto a spoon and feed from that, or roll them into meatball or mold and freeze. Lick Mats & Kong’s are also excellent for raw diets.

When you choose to ditch the bowl you are choosing to enrich your dog’s life and strengthen the bond you two have in so many ways. You are building the value in being beside you and enriching the feeding experience no matter which method you use at which time.

The best part is there is no real wrong way to do it, any enrichment to a dog’s life is so incredibly valuable to them. They are only with us for a short period of time, so we owe it to them to make that time the best we possibly can.

I used to live by the motto, a tired dog is a happy dog. To some degree, that’s true, but my motto is now a calm dog is a happy dog.

A dog who gets proper physical and mental stimulation is proven time and time again to have fewer undesirable behaviors and be a calmer happier dog.

Canine Enrichment

By Christen Cupler/Smarty Paws K9 University LLC

Today I am going to talk about Canine Enrichment. What it means, how to accomplish it, why it is important and some examples of it.

Dogs were not intended to live a sedentary life; dogs originally were wild animals. Through domestication they were breed with the purpose of specific jobs in mind to help make our lives easier. Nowadays, we have ample machines and gadgets to help us accomplish most the tasks they were used for. By default, dogs have become pets, companions and even replacement children for some of us.  There is nothing wrong with any of that, but we need to remember all those things we geared then to be are still in there. One of my favorite questions to ask a client is

what their dogs exercise routine is. I cannot tell you the amount of times I hear a walk, or they run in the back yard. Not that any of that is bad but the issue is, it is not enough. When you are confined to one area or space, no matter what you are doing in it eventually that spot loses its appeal.

This is where Canine enrichment comes into play. In addition to physical and mental stimulation, like exercise of walks, dock diving or agility and training exercises. Canine Enrichment helps to cover a more natural behavior for them such as sniffing things out, foraging, chewing, ripping, scavenging for things. All things they would have done many moons ago when they were on their own.

So, when I speak of enrichment, it does not have to be expensive activities or clubs. Enrichment activities comes in many

forms. There are many available for sale in retail locations. There are Puzzles, treat balls, food bowl mazes, lick mats, snuffle mats, Kong toys, etc. The list goes on and on. You can also put together your own enrichment games with stuff laying around your house and your dog’s meal or treats.

Dogs were never intended to be feed from a bowl and have it made for them and set in front of them. Dogs would have been out hunting, scavenging, and foraging for food. An excellent way to enrich your dog’s mealtime is to make them work for it. This eliminates the infamous food vacuum behavior that is so dangerous for our dogs, as well as turning feeding time into a fun activity.

Food Enrichment

(these can be meals or treats, vary as you would like)

🐾 Snuffle Mats: Scatter your dog’s meal

into it and watch them work to get it  out.

🐾 Kong’s: Regular or Wobblers, either one

they must put some effort into getting

their food out.

🐾 Scatter it: On your floor or in your yard

and watch them have a blast retrieving

it all

🐾 Treat find: Show your dog a treat, toss

it and have them go find it. You will find

this game extra helpful for getting your

dog to focus on and always come back

to you. Add, some fun to it as they

increase their skill. Have them sit,

smell, and wait while you toss, then

release to go find it.

🐾 Boxes & paper: Wrap treats or kibble

inside paper and put into boxes. Allow

the dog to sift through and unwrap.

🐾 Puzzles: Store bought or homemade,

put kibble or treats in. Let them have

fun with it

🐾 Bottle Games: Put treats/kibble inside

a bottle on a stick, let them figure out

how to get the food out

Walking Enrichment:

🐾 Sniff walks: Let them have an entire walk of sniffing. Sniffing is the most stimulating activity a dog can have. Take them out somewhere, use either a long training lead or if you’re in an off-leash place and you have full distance control of your dog, allow them to walk along and sniff and explore their world.

Tip: If you would like to make this a good learning exercise as well, use every time they come back to you as an opportunity to reward coming to you. if you would like to make it more fun and they lag, continue walking ahead. Leave a trail of treats leading to you, then jackpot when they get to you.

🐾 Explore new areas: Hike, fish, parks,

beaches, whatever you have available to

you and dogs are allowed.

Tip: Follow the rules if dogs are

required on lead, Keep them on lead

Enrichment Games

🐾 Flirt Poles: Use a flirt pole to stimulate their natural instincts

to chase and catch

Canine enrichment takes your dog to the next level of happiness and will increase the bond between you. Dogs who get enough mental and physical exercise and lead an enriched lifestyle are happy and content dogs. Happy and content dogs are far less likely to have undesirable behavioral issues such as destructive chewing, excessive barking, hyperactive personalities etc. Enrichment is equally as important as remembering to feed, walk and take in general care of them.

Remember, they are a part of our life…. we are all of theirs. We need to help

make it the best possible life for them to have by providing for ALL their needs, not just the essentials.

Happy Training!

Board and Train Services: My Two Cents
By Christen Cupler: Owner and trainer at Smarty Paws K9 University LLC

In my last blog I talked about the truth of dog training and you, the owner’s responsibility in the training process. This time I am going to touch on board and train services and my thoughts on them.
I get the question all the time, “Do you offer board and train” Most of the time I just say no but occasionally I get a new puppy owner and I give it a whirl and offer it.
Board and train IS NOT a cheap service at all. From a trainer standpoint, the trainer is taking on FULL responsibility, care and training of your dog 24/7. With the average private training hour running between $50-$100 an hour at least, multiple that by the amount of days your dog will be in the trainer’s care. Even at the lowest average being $50 an hour. 24 hours in a day and say a 10-day board and train, that comes to a staggering $12,000.
Obviously, no one charges that, but most board and trains are a large chunk of money, typically $1500-4000ish give or take. I stay on the lower end because I am completely against charging a fortune for something I genuinely enjoy doing and something I know can benefit a puppy and their family. BUT even at my prices, people shy away due to the price.
Now you may be wondering why I do not offer it for older dogs, and I stick to puppies. This stems back to the simple fact that puppies are sponges and if given the right start early on they are far easier for owners to handle later. Now when people are wanting board and trains, the dogs are adolescents and typically out of control. Now the owners are willing to invest the money because they are at their wits end with their dog’s behaviors. I could make a fortune
Plain and simply stated, I don’t have the set up to house a board and train dogs and I surely do not want the house I work to keep tip top, destroyed by someone else’s out of control dog. That is my own personal decision, puppies I am more than willing to mold them into wonderful family members, but I do not want someone else’s issue at my home.
Beyond that, my biggest issue with board and train is the fact that more times than I care to admit, the results you see when you get your dog back will not last. Your trainer is going to return your dog to you all prim and proper and well behaved, yes indeed. They will show you their methods, a lot of time involving a fancy named collar (I’ll use the one I’ve seen used a few times over the years: “a big named franchise” collar, nothing more than an electronic static collar, commonly known as a shock or correction collar) they have used to train your dog that you pay for in your package. My favorite is when they advertise “Off Leash Training”…. again, electronic collar used if the dog does not recall. In other words, an invisible leash that beeps and or gives a static shock to correct your dog.
Not all trainers use the shock collar, but many unfortunately do and sadly not many know how to use them properly. Electronic collars are not my choice personally, I do not like them, and I feel it is a terrible way to train but honestly used CORRECTLY the genuinely are not horrid and can be a great tool. They downfall is MANY are not skilled on how to use them and train their clients wrong on how to use them. Not to mention not using it eventually, either by choice or accidently forgetting to have it on.
So, the trainer shows you all the wonderful and complaint behaviors your dog now knows. So here is the flaw, much like I have said before dog trainers are dog trainers because they can get dogs to respond to them.
In other words, we know what we are doing, at least most of us anyways (there is a few exceptions) We are fluent in our motions, patient, consistent, assertive and know how to make it fun for the dog.
So, upon pick up, the dog looks simply awesome of course. You take your dog home and apply EVERYTHING you were shown for a while but human nature kicks in and you fall out of the routine. Skip a day or two here and there. Next thing you know it’s been months since you’ve genuinely worked your dog’s mind and even worse the collar is on the counter because you took it off to bathe your dog or needed to recharge it and forgot. The behaviors you just paid a small fortune to get rid of start resurfacing again.
This goes back to personal accountability, probably the best example of it. There is no amount of training in the world that you do not have to follow to a tee or at least darn close to for the results to be lifelong. My favorite example is Algebra in school…. how many of you have practiced algebra since school? So, if you had to do it now, could you recall what to do easily without fail or help? Your answer is likely no and that is because you have not practiced and the skill and knowledge set that was embedded in your brain has faded over the years. Our dogs work virtually the same way. A command is a learned behavior, they do not naturally know them. Yes, a dog naturally sits and lays down and various other thing BUT that is only the motion, not doing it on “command”. In other words when we the human asks for it. It is our job to teach them and practice them. They also do not generalize well.
Meaning they do not understand “sit” in the kitchen mean the same as “sit” while out at the park with other people, dogs and those pesky squirrels. They may need a reinforcement or reminder of what they are supposed to be doing and that is your job as the owner to give them that extra help where it is needed to reinforce and mark a correct response.
So, all of this tied in together is why I rarely offer board and train. One thing that a major pet peeve of mine is when I work a dog for ages and keep getting the same feedback, being “My dog won’t do this for me, only you”.
IF your dog is not doing something for you, that you have witnessed them do with their trainer, this means YOU are doing something wrong in your work and you need to address the issue and hear out your trainers feedback. I have literally looked at clients and politely said, “The issue isn’t your dog, the issue is you” Dogs naturally feed off their owner’s energy levels. If you are a naturally hyper person who goes a mile a minute, its likely your dog will as well. If you are negative and say, “my dog will never do that”, your darn right that dog will never do that because you have already set him up to fail. If your flighty and forgetful or unable to handle your dog, again your dog is going to know this. When you are working with a dog, confidence is KEY. Now on the opposite end if you are a calm, patient, positive and confident leader, this will feed right into your dog and create a happy willing to work moldable dog.
There’s nothing worse for a trainers mind than to see a client/dog team not succeeding or the infamous “I’ve tried training, it didn’t work or my trainer didn’t train my dog” Most trainers are extremely passionate about their jobs and pour their heart and souls into training, so to hear that kind of feedback is devastating to them.
I have had to learn to separate myself from some of it and some people because I realize I can only do so much, and the rest lies in the hands of what happens when I’m not there.
The same rules apply to board and train, just because I spend 10-14 days with your dog, DOES NOT mean your dog will be perfectly behaved FOREVER with no practice or even GASP….MORE TRAINING. Training is not a one and done thing, training is a lifetime commitment to your dog for you to provide BOTH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL stimulation for your dog, daily for the rest of their lives. The backyard running or walk around the block IS NOT stimulation for the record.
So, for these reasons if people are not willing to commit to a board and train at the very beginning, I am not willing to offer it when your dog becomes an issue. I am obviously not a fan of it to begin with, unless you have a good reason. I would much rather see an owner and dog work together towards lifelong goals in group courses or private training, rather than charge a small fortune to train your dog for you knowing that the chances of it lasting lifelong are slim. It is not in my nature. And in my opinion, shock collar or “Electronic Static Stimulation” collars are not ideal for 95% of the average dog owner out there.
I hope this sheds some light on the subject for everyone considering board and train. Always check out your trainers and their methods PRIOR and do not fall for gimmicks, fancy terms or catch phrases that promise things and fancy advertisements. There is no quick fix to training that does not involve follow through on your end.
In conclusion, PLEASE invest in your puppy’s education early on and do not wait until there is a problem. And please, select a breed appropriate to your lifestyle, strength and abilities. Not due to their looks, nor the dog you meet last week that was perfectly behaved and wonderful and you just must have one. Not training early on and selecting purely based on looks is a recipe for disaster. Not to mention unfair to the dog. A dog is a lifelong commitment and all factors, from size to activity level should be considered before selecting a breed. Research different breed characteristics and traits to match them to your lifestyle. It will make for a happier lifestyle all around.

Happy Training!

 What to Expect, When You Are Expecting…

A Puppy

        By Christen M. Cupler/ Owner of Smarty Paws K9 University LLC

The Planning Stages

Your family has made the decision to add a dog to your family, and now you need to pick your new family member. 

Yes, you are adding a family member. A dog is a lifelong commitment and shouldn’t be taken lightly. You must take many things into consideration before picking your new family member, and it should never be a spur-of-the-moment decision. The first decision is whether you want an adult dog or a puppy.

There are pros and cons to both choices. Adults are usually calmer and past many of the more challenging puppy traits like housebreaking and chewing, but they can still be dealing with these issues. No matter which decision you make, you must make it as a family. Everyone must be committed to your decision.

Another critical decision to make it whether to go with a breeder or rescue. That decision must be yours and nobody else’s. Both are excellent options regardless. 

Rescues have wonderful adults and puppies. Every time you rescue one dog, you save two lives: the one you rescue and the one who can take the spot yours was in. Sometimes, there is a reason a person or family wants a specific breed and chooses to use a reputable breeder. 

No matter which you option you choose, breeder or shelter, select your breed and research before picking your dog. Ensure you are selecting a breed that will mesh with your family’s lifestyle. For example, if you are a family of couch potatoes, don’t select an active Lab puppy or German Shepard. On the other end of the spectrum, if your family is active and always on the move, don’t select a Mastiff or a Chihuahua. 

When selecting a mix, look into the known or suspected breeds in the litter and research the specifics of each for some clues on what you may be getting.  

🐾Preparation

Now that you’ve done all your research and selected your puppy or dog, you must now plan for your new family member. Let’s first explore the world of preparing and raising a new puppy. 

First, gameplan with everyone in your family. Make sure everyone is on the same page with the rules, tasks and schedules, including bedtime, feeding and walks, and sticks to them. 

Raising a puppy requires the same level of consistency, rules and patience as raising a human child, but a puppy is only able to learn what we teach them and they do not speak our language. The rules can’t vary from one person to the next—that only confuses the dog and frustrates the family. With that said, you must establish all this before your puppy comes home. 

Kick-off your preparation with a base shopping list for your pup:

🐾 SHOPPING LIST:

          Collar

          Leash

          Harness

          Nametag

          Crate: Large enough to house your dog at its adult size. Use the included divider while 

                 your puppy is growing. 

          Crate pad or blankets: Start with blankets to see what your puppy’s destruction level is.

        Bowls: For larger dog breeds, select elevated dishes for better digestion and to aid in the 

                 prevention of Bloat ( a condition where the stomach flips from inhaling food too quickly.

                 Think back to Marley & ME)

          Age- and size-appropriate toys

          Bed

          Nature’s Miracle or other enzyme-based cleaners for cleaning messes

           Potty bells

           Sour spray: Bitter Apple or Phooey

           Brush

           Nail clippers (If you’re comfortable doing them)

            Toothbrush

    🐾 Necessary Contacts:

              Vet : _____________________________________________________________  

                  Groomer: _________________________________________________________   

                  Trainer: __________________________________________________________

                  Dog daycare: ______________________________________________________

🐾 Coming Home and Getting Through the First Few Nights and Training

With your choice made, puppy picked out and your prep work complete, you’re now able to bring your new family member home. 

The first thing to remember is how nervous the pup or adult dog may be on their first several nights home. An excellent way to alleviate this is to purchase a stuffed toy and blanket and leave them with your pup after choosing it and before bringing it home. These items will collect the scent of the litter and mom to help ease the pup’s transition. Obviously, this may or may not be possible when rescuing your new dog. 

Plan to pick your pup up during a time when losing some sleep won’t be a huge issue, as you may have a few nights of limited sleep. This block of time will also allow your pup to have some bonding time with you and your family. 

Now, on to getting through those first few nights and puppyhood. Crate training, potty training and feeding go hand in hand. I will explain along the way. 

CRATE TRAINING:

I promise crates are not cruel. By nature, dogs are den animals, and their crate becomes a den. Crates are the dog equivalent to a playpen for a child and yes, they make playpens for dogs too.

Think about a baby. A parent would not leave a baby unattended for, even for a few short moments. The parent would make sure the baby was someplace safe from harm while they are out of sight. A puppy is a baby. Like a human baby, they don’t know the dangers of the world or what’s safe to put in their mouths. 

A crate or playpen is the best way to keep your pup safe. As an added bonus, most dogs’ instincts keep them from pottying where they sleep. Making crate training a key element in housebreaking keeps your puppy and house safe.

Crate training varies in ease by the dog, but one consistency is a dog can learn most anything that their person teaches them and follows through on. Specifically, something as natural for a dog as a den.

Your first few nights will be the hardest, but this is mostly due to them being away from their siblings and mother, and adjusting to a new environment. The scented blanket and toy will help with the adjustment. 

When preparing to put your puppy to bed, calmly walk toward them and lead them to the crate with a toy or treat. Make this as fun as you can. As the dog enters the create, simply tell them “go to bed,” “kennel up,” “in” or “crate.”. Whatever word you choose, be consistent with it. Release the treat and reward with a “good girl/boy” as they go inside.

Some Get lucky and have a puppy who takes right to the crate and never have an issue. The fact that a lot of breeders now use some form of a crate helps this process. Others get the bellowers, and some get the in-betweener. 

If you get the screamer or the in-betweener, it’s important that you stand your ground and do not go get them. Puppies learn quickly how to get heir way. Ignore it, turn the on the TV or do something else and let them go to sleep. 

Again, some will get lucky and get a pup that sleeps straight through the night, and some will wake and need to potty. If your pup doesn’t wake you overnight, don’t wake it. This creates a rather annoying habit that you will regret later on. 

If it does wake you, take it straight out to potty and back to bed. This will likely start the crying all over again. Use the same process as before, and your puppy will start to figure it out within a few days to a week.

🐾  Key Crate Training Points:

           Select a crate that will house your puppy at its adult size and use the included divider.

           Never use the crate as punishment!

           Make it fun and stress-free as possible to get them into the crate. 

           Take collars off in crates, as they can be a safety hazard.

           If your puppy struggles with crate training, you can also do small segments of time 

                 throughout normal hours to help acclimate it. Use the same process 

                 but have them in a few minutes at a time. Only let it out of the crate when the pup is 

                 calm and quiet. Do this throughout the day, slowly increasing the time as they improve. 

           Cover the crate with a blanket for a more den-like feel.

           Keep a blanket or towel with your own scent on it to give the puppy while it’s in 

                  the crate. 

            You can also use a Kong toy to help soothe your puppy’s behavior while 

                   crated.

            Patience and love

When used appropriately, crate training is not the enemy and can be a wonderful tool to help keep your puppy safe, curb destructive behaviors and potty train your puppy. 

Puppies or dogs should never be left in a crate for more than eight hrs at a time, which is a typical night’s sleep or workday. If your workdays are longer or you have plans, look into a dog daycare or dog-walking service to avoid boredom. Boredom and lack of exercise are the leading cause of destructive behaviors and most behavioral issues.

🐾 Potty Training 

Potty training can be one of the most frustrating processes and takes tons of patience, consistency and routine. The first thing to remember is that your puppy only has the ability to hold their bladder for about an hour per month old they are. So your 8- to 10-week-old puppy only has about 2 to 2.5 hrs of control. 

Here are the basics of potty training:

If you can’t watch them contain them

Scheduled feed and control water: This allows you to have a general idea of when a potty trip is

       needed and have some control over it.

When you first bring them home—maybe your first week—take them out once every hour or two.                                                                           

       This is mainly so you learn their schedule and signs.

Take the puppy out on a leash. This keeps them on task. Like a human child, they will

       get sidetracked and forget to go.

Use the same door every time and add potty bells to said door. Before you go out the

      door, ring the bells. You can fuss with it and try to teach them to touch the bells, but it’s not necessary.     

      Your puppy will do it on its own once it makes the association between the bells and potty time. 

As for your walking during potty trips, give it a “go potty” command. Once it goes potty, offer   

      immediate praise and a treat reward.

Be forgiving of accidents and use specific cleaners for urine clean up, regular household cleaner 

      will set the smell in—if it smells like a potty, it is a potty. If your dog or puppy that’s housebroken

      or close to it starts having sudden consistent accidents, consult your vet to check for issues such as   

      urinary tract infections. An occasional accident is nothing to worry about, but frequent ones can 

      indicate a potential issue.

Do not yell or discipline over an accident. This will only make you pup less willing to go to the   

       bathroom anywhere near you. If you catch it in the act, you can make a  noise like a clap or 

       pick it up. This should stop it midstream and allow you to rush it out to the appropriate spot. It may     

       take a minute to restart the flow after the interruption. 

Know your key potty times:

Immediately after waking up

After a play session 

      –      15-30 minutes after eating or drinking

Patience and consistency are key to achieving potty training success. You can expect to start to see some success around four months with the potty training. Keep in mind, this will vary by dog. 

One component to factor in is small breed versus medium/large breeds. Small dogs can be a bit more difficult, due to their smaller systems. It’s not just their bodies that are tiny, so they may require more trips. Larger dogs’ bladders grow along with them, meaning they gain control a bit quicker than their tiny counterparts. This doesn’t mean one is easier than the other, as I’ve seen dogs totally opposite of this commonality. 

Anytime your puppy has an accident—whether it be chewing something or pottying on your floor—your first question needs to be “why wasn’t I watching my puppy?” Remember, dogs can learn to do almost anything we teach them, but they will only learn what we teach them.

🐾  Training, Daycares, & Groomers :

As you are going through your checklist, I’m sure you noticed I added a trainer, daycare and groomer in the necessary contacts section. You want to start all three of these as soon as possible

. 

Depending on your dog’s breed and coat, you will have varied grooming needs. The earlier you start the grooming habit, the better. This includes you brushing the coat in between full grooms and touching feet, ears, and teeth to get them used to it. Your groomer will thank you, and you won’t pick up the dreaded had-to-be-shaved dog.

Daycares are wonderful places for playtime, socialization and exercise. Unlike the free dog parks, dog daycares are monitored for proper vetting and that the dogs coming in are temperament tested to ensure a proper fit in playgroups. Most dog daycares also offer boarding services, if that’s something you may need at some point. This allows your dog to play while you are at work and busy. So you can bring home an exercised and tuckered-out dog at the end of your day. Most daycares start with a day where they have your dog come in to make sure they are going to like the daycare environment. They also typically offer full and half days, typically in packages of some sort.

Last but not least, my personal favorite: training. Training may seem like something you can just read a book on or go online to learn everything you need. Yes, there is a lot of info available, but you can’t always trust the information you find online. Much like this booklet you’re reading, what you read in a book or online is primarily one person’s viewpoint and opinion on the subject. I will use the human child comparison again. Not many people would willingly decide to strictly homeschool their child and not socialize them. That’s not considered ideal for a child, so why is it okay for a puppy to not have a professional teacher and never see the outside world. A trainer is not just training your dog, they are there to help you along the way with the challenges you may face while training your dog. They also demonstrate proper methods while allowing you to watch, learn and then try yourself. Training is a wonderful way to establish proper leadership and build strong, lasting bonds with our four-legged family members. Training is also a great tool for mental stimulation. There is very little that a dog can’t be taught to do with the proper methods. My favorite four sayings in regards to dog training are:

“ It’s amazing what a dog can do, if you give them a second to think”

“Dogs do speak, but only to those who are listening”

“If you don’t train me, Don’t blame me”

“ A tired dog is a happy dog… work your dog”

And my own personal business line is  “ Train with love, not fear” 

With that said, not all trainers are created equal. Select carefully. Ask about training methods, experience, and visit their sites, social media, website, google pages, etc. to look at reviews. 

In my opinion, look for trainers who work with positive, reward-based training. Steer clear of ones who jump directly prong collars, shock collars, which they disguise as e-collars to make them sound better, and noise cans. 

Don’t mistake me as someone whos against the using them. I’m honestly not at all. They are wonderful tools when used properly and excellent in some cases. However, that is not the case with puppies. I don’t believe there is any reason at all to start with those tools before positive methods have proven ineffective, which is rarely the case. 

The earlier you start these tasks, the better your bond will be with your pup and the happier your dog will be with its life. Dogs love to have things to do, as they were not designed to be the couch potatoes that we have a habit of being ourselves. 

Remember, dogs we domesticated to perform various tasks for us. Keeping your dog physically and mentally stimulated will curb unwanted behavioral issues before they start or help to eliminate them if they are pre-existing. Behavioral issues are the leading cause of dogs being surrendered to shelters. Proper training and exercise can help to put a stop to this issue and keep dogs in their homes forever. 

Congratulations on your new family member. I wish you a long and happy life together! Happy training. 

For more topics and information, please visit www.smartypawsk9university.com or visit my Facebook page @ fb.me/smartypawspositivedogtraining

            Smarty Paws K9 University LLC

The Cold Hard Truth of Dog Training
By Christen Cupler

Smarty Paws K9 University LLC

I have been training dogs professionally for over 10 years now. I started in a retail pet store running classes, and it grew mundane. Minimal class offerings, corporate rules, wearing too many hats, and no real income to be made. I branched out on my own in 2013 while still working in retail there and began to see the advantages of working for myself.

I eventually left the big-box store and went full scale on my own. It’s been touch and go, particularly in the last few months due to the coronavirus pandemic, but my clients are slowly booking their remaining classes and lessons. New clients will hopefully start flowing in soon.

My point to this is not to bore you with my story but to give you some inside dog-training info. I don’t know many people who’ve never had a dog. I also know many people with differing opinions on how to raise and train a dog. So what’s the correct way? How are you supposed to know the right way when there’s a dog trainer everywhere you look.

We’re everywhere, and we each have our training methods. The question is, will your dog trainer’s methods work? The answer to that is simple. Are you willing to employ those methods daily and commit to practicing with your dog continually throughout its life?

The answer to that question will help you choose a training method and ensure it works. Think about anything in your life: workouts, diets, savings, etc. If you don’t employ the methods you used to accomplish your goals, even if you achieve them, they won’t last if you stray from the routines that got you there.

Here’s a fun fact about dog training that everyone needs to know: It’s not your dog trainer’s job to teach your dog. You may be asking yourself, “what am I paying for, then?”

Again, there’s a simple answer: You’re paying your trainer to share their knowledge and skillset with you. Most trainers train by explanation (explaining what they will be showing ), demo (showing you with your dog or a dog how to do a command), and practice (having the pet parent practice what they learned).

You have the dog seven days a week, and we typically have them for an hour a week. Your practice and commitment is the only way those lessons are going to imprint fully on your dog. If you don’t practice between your sessions, that’s not your trainer’s fault, and you’ve wasted money.

I hear ALL the time, I did training with my dog, but it didn’t work. That’s false. Your trainer trained your dog, but you didn’t work on what you learned. Or the dog works great for the trainer but not me. Dogs work better for trainers because we have years of experience and understand how to communicate what we want out of the dog fluently.

Learning this fluency takes practice – just like your dog needs to practice what we are teaching them. Communication and body language is critical when working with dogs. Yes, they learn some words over time, but dogs communicate with body language and very few sounds.

As humans, we have a terrible habit of over-talking to our dogs. Talking to your dog to keep it engaged is great, but we must realize they don’t understand full sentences. Simple words, phrases, and noises are the best means of communication with them.

A perfect example of over-talking a dog – and my biggest pet-peeve:

Trainer: “OK, id like to see you run your dog through some commands. Let’s do sit.”

Pet Parent: “OK, Fido, Fido, Fido, can you sit for mommy? Sit, sit, sit. No, I need you to sit. Sit, sit, sit (dog sits but immediately gives its paw out of confusion). OK, that was close enough. Good boy (gives treat).”

I get the point and understand to some degree, but the issue is your dog doesn’t understand. All those extra words and the frantic sound in your voice aren’t helping. Instead, they make the dog think, “Oh my goodness, what in the world does this human want me to do. I just don’t understand. Well, let’s try this and see if it works.”

When the dog gives the paw and receives a reward, it thinks, “nice, i got the treat. She wanted my paw! Yay me!”

Dogs need a level of guidance and fluency to help them understand things properly and learn the behaviors we want. Yes, the dog followed the “sit” command, but the problem lies in the fact that:

🐾 The rapid name use and frantic sound as you plead sends an unnecessary sense of something being wrong
🐾 The use of “sit, sit, sit” taught him that the cue (word) for this position is “sit, sit, sit” and not “sit.”
🐾 Rewarding after the paw negates the “sit” command. When this happens, a simple ah-ah (remote correct) and holding back the treat reminds them that the behavior you wanted was a sit. Typically, the dog will put the paw down upon hearing the correction, and you can then reward for the sit. If they repeat the paw, repeat the correction until you can offer the treat without the dog offering the paw.

You must execute all your commands this way. Short, clear, precise, and confident. Along with proper follow-through on the command. This follow-through means you correct the dog deliver a “sit” command, but it sits then drops into a down. Make the dog sit back up before rewarding it.

Now, I need you to think about your dog inside versus your dog outside and remember this tidbit: Dogs don’t generalize well. They don’t understand the “sit” command at home is the same as when you’re out on a walk and a stranger approaches with baby talk. This is where your dog needs extra help. Help your dog by showing the reward. You can even lure if you need to help the dog along.

All dogs will progress at different levels and will understand these things over time. The key is remembering it’s our job to teach them what we expect. They are only capable of learning what we teach and reinforce. If we aren’t clear on what we do and don’t want and don’t test them on what they’ve learned, they will forget what they’ve learned.

No matter what you’ve spent on training, that’s your lifetime responsibility, and no one else’s.

By the time most of you bring home your puppy, its well into its Socialization Phase. This phase begins at 4 weeks old and lasts until they are about 12 weeks old. At this point in their lives, they are like furry little sponges. Everything they encounter will shape their lives and personalities. They need to be exposed to new sights, sounds, dogs,people and places. This should all be done in a positive way because any negative experiences can have lasting effects. This is the ideal time to start a training class, group or private, or consider a dog daycare or age appropriate playgroup.

Between 13-16 weeks old, a puppy will try to assert their role in the “pack” (your family). They try to claim more authority for themselves at this point. This is when problem behaviors can start. Such as chewing, nipping, grabbing at the leash during a walk, not coming when called and signs of dominance. This is when you, as the “pack leader” need to patient and also firm. Assertive and effective leadership takes consistency and NEVER rewarding unwanted behaviors, as well as rewarding good behaviors.

At 16 weeks, your puppy will enter its Adolescent Phase. During this phase, they behave much like a human teenager would. They become more unpredictable and more independent than they were previously. Channel their adolescent energy into play and learning to avoid destructive behaviors.

You should also be prepared to experience another “Fear/Avoidance” period between 6 months and 14 months, much like when you first brought them home. An otherwise confident puppy will suddenly start to seem frightened of encountering new things or things they haven’t encountered in a while. Your best response to this is to let them resolve it on their own , as reacting to it or keeping them away from it will only reinforce the behavior and cause it to continue. Some dogs when they hit this phase its hardly noticeable and others require major training through this phase.

Consistent and continued training will curb a lot of unwanted behaviors in any age but being consistent from the beginning is the key to successfully living with a dog. Behavioral issues are the #1 reasons why dogs are turned into shelters every year . Remember proper mental and physical stimulation can completely eliminate most behavioral problems in time.

In conclusion, keep in mind dogs and puppies alike are result driven animals. When a behavior they have offered produces a positive outcome, they will be more likely to repeat this behavior.I.E., teaching your puppy a simple sit…they puppy gets a happy marker word and a treat every time his bum hits the ground. Therefore teaching the puppy that to get that treat he must sit. If they get an undesirable result consistently, they are less likely to repeat the behavior. I.E, every time your puppy gets too rough and starts nipping  while playing you make a high pitched noise like a puppy and get up and walk away …play time stops and the puppy learns if i want to  continue playing I can’t nip.Therefore eliminating the nippy play.  Consistent training and leadership from day one is key to raising a well-  rounded member of your family. Four basic rules are: Repeat & repeat, keep it short and simple, make it fun, and lastly, don’t send mixed signals!

Potty Training is one of the biggest concerns and hurdles new puppy owners can have . It goes without saying it can be a very frustrating, challenging, and potentially long process. However it is also easy to overcome with enough diligence and consistency on the pet parents part .

First lets start by saying,  your new puppy only has the ability to hold its bladder for about an hour for every month old it is . Now in no way does mean if you get lucky enough to have a puppy sleep straight through the night, that you should go wake it up. It doesn’t happen often but that puppy does happen periodically. Waking them will only create a routine/schedule that later on you won’t appreciate . Also take into consideration your puppies breed…..small versus large basically . Larger breed=larger bladder and smaller breed= smaller bladder. Not that it makes one necessarily easier than the other but smaller breeds generally take a smidgen longer in most cases.

So now your basics…..

1. ) 1 hour of bladder control per  month old
2. ) Don’t expect to see house training success until 4-6 months old (be forgiving of accidents even after)
3. ) If your puppy has an accident…..DON’T yell at them, rub noses in it, etc. Particularly if you don’t catch them in the act . Once it’s done, it’s done and they’ve forgotten about it . Harsh discipline will only make it more likely that they WILL NOT alert you to having to go to the bathroom and more likely to do it in a hidden location away from you. However , if you catch them in the act ….make a loud noise, typically it will stop them in mid stream and allow you to rush them out to their potty spot. PRAISE and make a fuss to reward them for finishing in the desired location.
4. ) Don’t free feed…..scheduling feedings will allow you to have some control over when they need to go. General rule of thumb is 15-30 minutes after meals.
5. ) Use the same door EVERY time .
6. ) Add a bell to said door ….it will ring automatically and your pup will associate this with telling you its time to go potty . In no time they will be ringing the bell to alert you they need to go to the bathroom.
7. ) Take them outside on a leash . Sending a puppy outside on their own to potty is similar to expecting a potty training child to  stop in the middle of playing and go to the bathroom . Just like kids, puppies can get easily distracted and literally forget to go . Going out with them allows you to keep them focused and on task .You can even give them a command like ” Go Potty ” . Have a treat ready and when they go , praise them . If they are able to safely play outside off leash , let them off and play as a reward .
8. ) If you can’t supervise them , either kennel them or gate them off somewhere .
9. ) Patience
10. ) Consistency

Remember your key times for a potty trip as well ….. Immediately after waking up , 15-30 minutes after a meal, and immediately following a play session or excitement . Also ALWAYS use a product specifically designed to clean up pet urine ….if not you could be unknowingly training your puppy to potty in that spot . Their noses are way stronger than ours and even when we can’t smell it they can when using regular cleaners .

Following these rules will help ensure your success with housebreaking .Expect the occasional accident during the course of training . If your pup is housebroken and suddenly starts having accidents again, evaluate the scenario….for example, has anything in your day to day routine/life changed . If there are no changes to be thought of consider a trip to the vet to check for issues .

HAPPY TRAINING !!!

From the moment your puppy and/or dog enters your life , consistency is key . Deciding what your puppy is allowed to do and the boundaries for what isn’t acceptable is of the utmost importance . A good example of this would be bringing home your 10 week old Mastiff puppy and allowing her to jump up for attention because she’s little and cute. Keeping in mind that this puppy will top the scales between 150-200 lbs …..suddenly this once cute behavior is no longer cute and quite frankly it hurts . Now ,had you banned this behavior from the start , it wouldn’t have become an issue and you’re now stuck correcting the issue. As a trainer I can tell you, it’s trying . Preventing bad behaviors is easier than retraining correct behaviors .

Boundaries and consistency are equally as important in dogs as they are in children . Equally as important is making sure EVERYONE involved in the dogs life is on the same page ….rules can’t differ from one person to the next. Lay out a game plan from day one with the family involved and stick to it.

Training classes , whether group or private, can help get everyone on the same page . Some trainer will only work with one handler , some want the whole family present if possible. I’m in the second group….I prefer everyone present , particularly children . Now the big question is when do you start training ….That’s going to vary based on who you talk to . I personally used to be big on as long as they’ve had their shots , you’re good to go . My opinion on that has changed some  over the years . I still stand firmly by starting withing a week of bringing your puppy home getting them started on training .  Start with a private in home lessons to allow your puppy to learn from the start and to get your family on the same page , not to mention to allow your puppy to get a better grasp on commands before being thrown into a classroom situation with multiple other dogs and people (This can be overwhelming and rough on any puppy ) . Now on the the other end of the discussion is a lot of vets are saying to wait till the shots are completed( for small breeds that can be all the way up to 6 months based on their weight) …..I love the idea behind this for safety reasons BUT you miss a crucial time where puppies need socialization and exposure . Private lessons, diseases and whatnot aren’t an issue but groups, can be a bit more of a risk .   So there is risks with both aspects of the debate, obviously . So now, which way do you go ? I personally started ALL of my pups from day 1 …..literally if memory serves me right and haven’t had an issue . However times have changed and my youngest dog is going on 6 years old …..nowadays we have people not even vaccinating their children . So in my opinion , be selective of where you choose to train at…. use a reputable trainer who asks for copies of vaccination records and flea meds , unfortunately avoid the allure of the big box pet store classes : not for lack of ability on their part , most are great ( I got my start in one) BUT the only vaccinations checked are those going into grooming or training. Meaning people can bring in un-vaccinated , flea infested, disease ridden dogs ALL coming in contact with the same floor as your brand new puppy . Most puppy shots are completed about 4 months old , so the easiest option is to start off with in home private lessons and move up to group classes when your pups ready .  If your trainer has a same age, vaccination and flea checked play group to offer in the meantime , join it to get in that super important socialization .

Puppies are like sponges and absorb so much in their first few weeks home…..it is important to start them ASAP into some form of training to get them and yourself off on the right track . Regardless of what you decide on , its ultimately your choice with what you feel most comfortable with. The only mistake is to skip over training and socialization . So the answer is …. It is never really too early nor too late to start training. However in my opinion and I believe I can speak for most trainers across the board, sooner is better.

HAPPY TRAINING!!