To dress or not to dress...

Costumes for puppies? Opinions on this subject span a broad range of reaction from intense dislike to apathy...to bizarre obsession. But you might want to consider some of the positive impacts of "dressing" your puppy up from an early age. By getting your puppy accustomed to the feel of items around their necks and chests, it often makes it easier if and when you need to put a cone or veterinary sweater on your dog for medical reasons. Additionally, if you live in climates where sweaters or rain jackets make your pups much more comfortable, getting puppies used to wearing clothing starting from an early age will reduce future hassles.

In our family, our two daughters used to constantly "dress" their canine buddies in shirts, skirts, scarves...whatever the puppy would put up with. Of course this all needs to be done under supervision by an adult, and before children costume their canine friends, you have to teach them how to do so safely. And if they either like or put up with it, you might even get some very cute pictures!

Temperature control and comfort is an important factor to remember when you first bring your puppy home. Often your puppy just left an environment that was full of several heat-generating brothers and sisters. Romping around solo could be a very new and uncomfortable experience. So remember to make sure your new puppy is warm enough to be comfortable and content.

Another common mistake - first night alone!

Do all puppies whine at night? In my experience the answer is no. Most puppies don't whine at night, and even if they do, they quit after a few minutes. Then why do so many new puppy owners complain of nights full of crying puppies?

Imagine that you are sleeping in your own bed. Your spouse beside you, and the temperature set perfectly so you can get a comfortable night's sleep. Then the next day when you go to work, instead of going home, you are taken to a restaurant you haven't been to before, then put into large warehouse you haven't seen before. You are left alone with only a cot and a blanket. It's much colder than you are used to, smells different and there are noises you've never heard before. You don't see or hear anybody around, so you feel very much alone.

Chances are you would start yelling out loud, trying to get out or at least trying to figure out how to become more comfortable and make sense of what is happening. Well, this is the situation a lot of puppies are thrust into on their first night in their new home. Gone are their siblings and their warm body heat and calming breathing. Gone are the familiar bed, smells and noises that they have known most of their lives. Instinct tells the puppy to hide in her den and to call for mom to come protect her. But there is no mom and no den. So the calling continues.

Think about that when you bring that puppy home. You can't control all the factors, but you can try to do the best you can with those you can .

• An open expanse makes your puppy feel vulnerable and makes it hard to stay warm...especially with no other pups to provide body heat. Using a crate (one that is the right size for your pup) reduces these problems. If you insist on not using a crate, bear in mind that the puppy will need to keep warm and may prefer being in a box turned on its side rather than out in the open. 
• Don't banish the puppy to a part of the house where she can't hear that you are near. I prefer to have my puppies' crates in my bedroom so they can see me and hear me breathing. 
• It may also help to mask night sounds with a softly playing radio or a fan while they sleep. Usually I haven't had to do this, but in extreme conditions (such as a puppy coming from a very quiet environment into one that is noisy) this may help.
• If your puppy sees you and keeps whining - try to block their direct view of you while retaining their ability to smell you and hear you breathing.
• Don't forget that whining may be a signal that they have to go outside to pee or poop. Take them out and if they don't do either, put them back into their bed without letting them run around.
• Make sure they have a 'comfort' toy and a 'busy' toy with them in their bed. A comfort toy is exactly what it sounds like, a stuffed doll or something soft that they can snuggle up to. A busy toy is a Nylar bone or Kong...something they can quietly chew on if they are awake or nervous.

Your puppy will have a much easier time.

Possibly the most common mistake in potty training

I always emphasize how important it is to develop a schedule for your puppy. Eating at regular intervals, sleeping at approximately the same time every day...sticking to a schedule until your puppy acclimates to his new home and matures enough to control his body processes makes all other training all that much easier. But it is extremely hard, if not impossible, for young pups to keep urinating and defecating on a schedule.

You will be best served if you accept the fact from the start that peeing and pooping for young puppies is never on a regular schedule. You can take your puppy outside, see him pee, take him inside and have an accident within two minutes. Getting mad does nothing except cause both of you stress. Understanding that your puppy can't 'hold it' very well and changing YOUR behavior to compensate will make all the difference.

Some points to note:

• If you have recently lost an older dog, or have older dogs in the household, remember you can't expect your puppy to have the same control of their bladder of bowel movements as older dogs do. An older dog can go eight hours without eliminating...as impossible for a puppy to accomplish as it is for a newborn infant.
• The puppy doesn't have any 'intent' when it has an accident after they just came into the house. They aren't punishing you for not paying attention to them. They simply forgot to completely empty their bladder or go poop when they last went out.
• The age when a puppy starts being able to "hold it" longer varies greatly between individuals. However, if you don't start seeing improvement over time after they are 10 to 12 weeks, you may need to be more proactive. Crate training during the day can be very helpful in helping your puppy to be better at delaying elimination.
• Having a puppy is not a passive activity. Look for signs that the puppy needs to go potty. Sniffing vigorously. Wandering around in tight circles or hurriedly with nose down. Slight puffing out of their anal opening...these are all signs that the puppy has to either pee or poop.
• Whenever the puppy wakes up...in the morning or from a nap, take them out immediately to see if they need to pee or poop.
• After they are fed, take them out to pee or poop.

I don't know how many times people have complained to me about how bad their puppy is at potty training,  then I find out that there are six hours or more between times they take the puppy out. Even if the puppy is in a crate and doesn't want to dirty it, a puppy can't wait that long. So the result is that you 'teach' the puppy to urinate in his crate (creating all kinds of other problems) and create unnecessary stress for you and your puppy. 

So what should you do? When I decide to get a puppy, I prepare myself for taking him out at least once an hour and whenever I see any behavior that may indicate he has to go again. Even it we just went out a minute ago. When I see that he doesn't need to go out that often, I stretch that out to every two hours, and so forth, gradually lengthening the time between when they have to go out. All the while, I always look for the other indicators that he has to make an unscheduled visit outside, (and don't forget after they wake up and after they eat trips outside).

At night, I always put the puppy in a crate and turn out the lights. This signals that it is time to sleep and not to be active or to pee. For young puppies (8 to 10 weeks), I set my alarm for six hours or less and take them outside. For older puppies, if they seem to be able to handle it, I set the alarm for 8 hours. Any time they whine, I take them out. If they don't go, I put them back in the crate.

Realize in advance that this schedule will create a fair share of 'false alarms' where the puppy neither has to pee nor poop. In any case, if they don't do either, don't allow them to play...they need to know these are not playtime visits. Remind yourself that these 'false alarms' are all part of the training that will establish a good poop / pee reflex in your puppy and to teach them where and when it is right to go potty.

If this is all too labor intensive for you, or you have a job and can't be around every two hours, here is an option. During the day, put the puppy in an easily cleanable, safe, enclosed area. A pen in the garage or in your bathroom with the door closed will work.  MAKE SURE THAT THE PUPPY CAN'T REACH ANY THING HARMFUL! Puppies, like toddlers, can open cabinets and reach cleaning supplies. Puppies also may be able to break out of a pen if you forget to close a latch completely, so make sure you have locked all dangerous items away. I would also move anything breakable or 'shredable' away as well.

In this safe, combined area, make sure you clearly delineate an area where it is ok to pee and an area that should be the clean, comfortable 'den.that the puppy should keep clean. I like to put a dog igloo in my puppy pen and put a comfortable dog bed in the igloo, and a water dish and plenty of newspaper outside the igloo on one side of the pen. If you need to put your pup in the bathroom, I suggest a puppy bed in a cardboard box (on its side like a little cave), again with water and newspapers away from the bed.  You might want to use puppy pads instead of newspaper, however my experience has been that puppies (except for the very young) tend to shred those much more often then they do normal newspapers, so word to the wise.

In either case, make sure plenty of age and individually appropriate toys are available. When you come home, take the puppy outside immediately and let them pee and/or poop. Then clean and disinfect the area where they eliminated inside (hopefully on the newspaper).  

If you avoid making the common mistake of having your pup wait too long to go...things should go much smoother on your journey to complete potty training.

Toys!!!!

Something that may seem so much common sense now, but wasn't commonly known when I studied animal behavior back in college, is that toys (sensory and behavioral stimuli) are crucial to the development of your puppy's brain functioning.  Regardless of how intelligent your new puppy is, or how intelligent you might feel she is, having some good, safe toys around will help her learn and be happy.

I found a good, concise discussion about this on eHow.  Some of the points I would like to highlight:

• Safety is rule #1
• Using discarded clothing and shoes as clothes can create a problem because puppies (and people for that matter) can have a hard time differentiating between old shoes and your brand new Michael Kors sandals
• Also, if you have young children with favorite stuffed animals, avoiding stuffed animal puppy toys may help avoid major conflict and drama
• Pups go through many different stages of development, so things that were appropriate and interesting last week, may lose their effectiveness this week
• Toys made from soft materials can be very dangerous.  And each puppy is unique.  I have had puppies who couldn't (or wouldn't) even rip a paper towel.  I've had others that could shred any dog bed made.
• Kongs and Nylabones are great!  They come in a wide range of sizes to match the wide range of puppy sizes.  And they are made to withstand usual puppy wear and tear.

Some things I would also add:

• Soft toys can be dangerous, but so can soft towels, blankets or dog bedding.  While most dogs won't rip up their beds, puppies are curious and teething.  A wool blanket could become a choking hazard.
• Other things to be careful of are "puppy pads" that are designed to help potty train your pup.  Puppies think the entire world is a toy, and this often includes puppy pads.  And if your puppy rips the pads apart, she can ingest the padded linings which can either choke her or cause digestive issues.  I have found that unless the puppy pad is physically separated from the puppy by a screen, or I am around to stop them from ripping the pads apart, only very young puppies will leave the pads alone.  
• I have had a lot of success putting Nylabones in the puppy's crates at night.  I make sure that they are large enough that there is no possible way for the puppy to swallow them.  I find that if the pup gets up in the middle of  the night, or even if they get up a few minutes before me, they learn to quietly chew on these as pacifiers or just to keep them occupied until they either fall back to sleep or I get up.  And those last few minutes of sleep for me are GREAT!

• Even the best toys need to be checked often.  They can become damaged and no longer be safe because of sharp edges or broken pieces.  And never underestimate your puppy.  I once had one who could slice a Kong.  This was extremely rare, but if I didn't check, she could have possibly hurt herself with a piece of the toy.

• Think carefully before you engage your puppy into tug-of-war games.  Many breeds love this game, but consider how big and strong your puppy will be when she is fully grown.  Also, if there are small children around, think of what may happen if your puppy starts tugging on their clothes.  When my kids were small, just as I avoided giving my puppies stuffed toys, I thought it best to avoid tug-of-war games.

And finally, YOU will of course be your puppy's favorite toy.  But try to be an intelligent one.  

• Handle your puppy appropriately for her age, 
• Provide guidance to teach what is OK to do and what is not OK,
• Avoid letting them use YOU as a chew toy.  As they grow older and stronger this won't be so cute.  Also, it may not hurt you, but puppies chewing on small children can cause unnecessary injury and fear.
• Remember they are babies, and like babies they may suddenly get tired (or cranky because they are tired) so watch for the signs of over-stimulation and let them have time and space to rest.

It's all Greek to your puppy!

The hardest thing for me to do when I am helping others with training their puppies is "training" their family.  With puppies, the cuteness factor helps to scramble the brains of otherwise smart and logical people.  The drive to be successful with their puppy's training often makes people panic when they try to learn how to give even a single cue.  For example, I always start with explaining it's crucial to keep it simple and keep it consistent.  Commands must especially follow this formula.  So, when we start teaching a puppy to sit, I recommend one single word (usually "Sit") coupled with one consistent hand gesture.  It really doesn't matter what the verbal and hand commands are, just that whatever you use, use it all the time to mean the same thing, and don't use several different commands to mean the same thing.

However, after explaining this clearly to a puppy's family and starting a puppy off with a base of learning to sit with the command "Sit," it's not unusual for something else to happen.  The puppy's family member will say, "Sit!"  "Down!"  "No!" "Please Sit!"  "Sit down!"*  The puppy will usually lose interest at this point and and not only not sit, but his attention will start wandering away.  But put yourself the puppy's place.  The puppy is learning a new language.  This would be tantamount to you not knowing English and someone saying to you, "Get me a soda!"  "A beverage!"  "No, not that! Get me a pop!"  Since you don't know what any of those words mean, it's impossible for you to know what to do.  And if this is paired with the person flailing their arms or jumping around, it's probable that you might just give up too.

So, if you are determined to train you puppy, think about the fact that it will really help if you are equally focused on disciplining yourself as well.

Puppy training cha-cha

Unfortunately, dog training is like everything else.  There isn't a smooth direct path from beginning to success.  The process is a constant "Cha-cha" -- two steps forward, one step back.  The key is to understand this and accept it from the beginning.  Unrealistic expectations lead to unnecessary frustration.  Unnecessary frustration leads to worse results.  Instead of moving forward, you move backwards and everyone becomes less happy.

Each puppy, (like every person) has his own schedule, and if you expect your puppies to always learn to be potty trained in 7 days, chances are you'll be disappointed more often than not. Ask your mother if you and all your siblings were potty trained by the time you were 1 year old.  But if you don't sweat the setbacks and celebrate each little victory, you should find yourselves progressing forward and the learned behavior more persistant.

Also, remember that training a puppy is a process that requires that both of you learn.  They learn new behaviors....you learn how about particular puppy's unique reactions to the different situations you provide him.  Always pay attention and you'll learn a lot from your puppy's failures.  And, pay equal attention to the circumstances around your puppy's successes.  Too often people forget to reevaluate what are the variables surrounding success.  They just take it for granted.  Then, when there's failure next time, you can't figure out what caused the failure.  For example, I had a puppy who would do well without having potty problems when I left him alone with his sister at home.  Then one Fall day I left them alone and went to dinner.  When I came back, the puppy's sister was fine, but the little boy had left me a little pile in the middle of the floor.

What I had noted about the other successful times was that I always took the puppy out to poop and pee before I would leave, but then left him free in the house during the day.  If it was nighttime, I would put the puppy in his crate before I went out.  Since it was Fall, it got dark much earlier than I expected.  I realized that all the successes had been when the sun was out.  This time, he was out in the open, in the dark.  Sure enough.  Any time I left this particular puppy out of his crate, if I left the light on, we didn't have any problems.

I have handled many more puppies (and other baby animals) than probably 95% of the population, but I never fail to learn something new from each new puppy I get.  And, the next puppy down the line gets the benefit of that learning.

At this point, I know most of you reading this are probably saying, "blah, blah, blah!"  But if there is a lesson that will make the most difference in how successful your puppy training will be, it's this one.  And, the more patient you are, the faster the training will accelerate.

So, if you really love having the sweetness of a cute puppy in your home, but you can't learn to have the patience you need to deal with the bumpy road to progress, you might seriously consider having someone who is skilled in puppy training take over or help you train your puppy.  Both your puppy and you will be much happier.

My puppy won't stop biting her leash!

Okay.  By now you have your puppy NOT biting at her leash, at least most of the time.  If your puppy is able to ignore the leash some of the time, but still insists on trying to keep biting it and won't stop when you say eh-eh and take it out of her mouth, remember, she isn't trying to be bad.  She may just be getting bored or overwhelmed and looking for a diversion. To combat this you may want to try to replace the leash with something more appropriate to chew immediately after you remove the leash from her mouth.  This can be an 'easy to carry' chew toy or stuffed toy, but shouldn't be anything edible (including pig's ears or rawhide chew bones) or something hard for the puppy to control (like a ball).  Those things tend to distract the puppy too much from the task at hand.

I like to use a length of ordinary clothesline rope.  I make it long enough so it is at least 1 to 2 times my height. I also make sure that this rope is cotton (or polyester) not treated with any chemicals, and wash it with soap and bleach then fully dry it before I use it with my puppies.  Once the rope is ready to use, I put a large knot at the end of the rope and then create several interlocking slip knots, pulling the lose end through the last loop.  If the puppy is small, I make sure these slip knots are very tight so she can't catch her head in any of the loops.  I put a knot (or knots) on the other end as well so the rope won't easily slip out of my hand if the dog grabs and runs with it, but generally hold this rope trainer near its middle.

I use this rope for several different things when I train my puppies, but with regard to leash training, I use the slip-knotted end as a diversion if the puppy insists on chewing her leash.  When she starts chewing on her leash, I say "eh-eh" (or "no" if the puppy has been trained to respond to "no") and take the leash out of her mouth, replacing it with the rope end.  After repeating this a few times, instead of actually reaching down and taking the leash out of her mouth, I say the "eh-eh" command to stop and then drag the knotted rope end past the puppy slowly, giving it a few shakes while it goes by.

Most puppies will drop the leash and go after the rope.  After I let her play with the rope for a few seconds, I pull it up out of her reach and go back to leash training.  This has worked for me with all kinds of different dogs.  Whether the puppy is an Australian Shepherd, Australian Cattle Dog, Poodle mix, Terrier, Catahoula Leopard Dog, Chow chow or Chihuahua, my rope distraction usually works for me when the puppy has trouble not biting her leash.   However, to make this work you must remember the following:

• You have to be consistent 100% of the time when your puppy attempts to bite her leash. If you only stop her on occasion, she will take much, much longer to stop this behavior.
• If you use the clothesline method for distraction, you can never yank at the rope once it is in the puppy's mouth.  You can injure the puppy and pull out some teeth.  Once the puppy latches onto the rope, put absolutely no pressure on it (but don't let her get the rope so far into her mouth that she could swallow it!)  Let her play with it and carry it in her mouth until she drops it to follow you when you move.
• DO NOT let your puppy get the rope so far into her mouth that it can be a choking hazard.  The bigger the puppy, the bigger the rope and knots you should use.  
• Never let your puppy play with the clothesline at any time if you are not connected to the other end and controlling it every second she is in contact with it.      

And although I have had this work in many cases, making short work of leash biting behavior, there are always exceptions.  One puppy I had who was a hound mix never would chase the rope.  She never even showed any interest in it.  To get her to stop biting at her leash, I started with her fetching a ball for very short distances in a closed space without a leash on her.  I rolled the ball further and further and had her bring it back to me each time (this was easy because we were in a space the size of a closet).  As she got more engrossed in this game, I attached her leash to her collar and continued the game.  After a few sessions like this, this puppy stopped biting the leash when I put it on her and paid more attention to whatever we were going to do.  

Beginning leash training

After you choose the right collar (see my last post dated June 17, 2010) it's time to move onto leash training.  I find that the biggest barrier to getting good leash training accomplished is that people set up the expectation that this should all be completed in one session.  Impatience will get you nothing but frustration.  Going into leash training with the understanding ahead of time that it should be broken into several small steps will not only keep you and your puppy happier, it will end up making leash training much easier and faster.

For the first step, put your puppy's collar or harness on if it isn't already on.  I have found getting on the ground and putting the puppy on your lap, petting, cuddling and scratching him / her is a good thing to do while you start putting on the collar and attaching a leash.  Alternatively, if your puppy knows the "sit" command, you can ask him / her to sit while you put their collar on and attach the leash.  Then make sure you take the puppy out or over to a place they like so they associate the collar and leash with something they like, such as a walk, or playing in the yard.

I find it best to use a strong but relatively lightweight leash. If it is a big puppy, a leather leash will be lightweight enough, but I like to avoid chains if at all possible.  Chains can cause pain to you if the puppy jets off and the links tighten around your hand.  They also add weight and noise that may distract your puppy.

The entire first lesson will be focused only on getting the puppy NOT to bite on the leash or pull back.  If there is one thing that you must remember, never, ever, ever get into a tug of war with your puppy.  If the puppy starts pulling back, either walk towards them or distract them with a diversion.  If you walk towards them, walk past or around them and stop, so there is no tension on the leash anymore, but the puppy hasn't "won" the tug of war by getting you to go directly to where she / he is trying to get you to go, but to somewhere else.

Step two: Stay put and let the leash go slack.  The puppy will likely start sniffing around and exploring.  He will take a few steps and you will let them go wherever he wishes within the length of the leash.  Once he gets to the end of the leash, if he tries to start pulling, don't let him. Stand firm or move in another direction a couple of steps (not in the direction opposite to his pulling because that will just get you into a tug of war). If the puppy follows, praise him and give him lots of hugs and cuddles.  You may want to use treats as reinforcement, but I prefer to train as much as possible without using food as a motivator.

If your puppy keeps pulling back, try picking her up (if they are small enough) and reposition her (don't pick her up and carry her, just reposition her so she is looking in a different direction).  Then repeat Step 2.

Whenever your puppy tries to chew on your leash, stop her immediately.  I like to use the command "Eh-eh" instead of "No" because for some reason, the puppies seem to respond better to it.  Take the leash out of her mouth and pull it up away from her reach. Pick her up and reposition as above or walk a couple of steps in another direction and start Step 2 again.

If your puppy doesn't start pulling back, just start taking a couple of small steps (not looking at the puppy) and stop, seeing if the puppy will follow. If your puppy follows and stops when you do, exploring the new area you have moved to, give her lots of positive reinforcement, pick her up and take her inside the house.  Once inside the house, give her one of her favorite treats. Going back into the house is one of the exceptions I make to using food as a motivator. This way, the puppies associate "home" with where they get food.  This tends to dissuade them from going far away from home without you, and gets them to come back quickly if they jet out the front door when you don't want them to.

This will be enough for the first lesson.  This lesson should be repeated several times until you find the puppy doesn't bite at the leash or pull back from you when their leash is on.  Keep each lesson short and end on a good note.

Collars - So important to pick the right one

Getting your puppy a good collar that he or she doesn't mind wearing is so important to ensuring happy leash training.  I remember the first time as an adult when I had to decide on what type of collar to use on my puppy.  A trainer I was working with told me to use a Choke Chain.  She told me that using a choke chain with a leash would be the best way to get him to slow down and learn to heel.  But it never did.  He was a very strong, exuberant puppy, and he kept pulling on the leash to the point where the chain would choke him.  I was afraid that he would hurt himself by damaging the bones in his neck.  So I would back-off his training.  It took me awhile to find a better alternative and by that time, my puppy had already developed a habit of pulling at the leash which took me a very long time to break.

The alternative I moved to was the Gentle Leader headpiece / collar, seen here to the right.  While this is a humane device, I found my puppy really didn't like it, so I had to "bribe" him to put it on.  However, I have heard from many others who swear by the Gentle Leader (or the very similar Halti), especially when working with active breeds like border collies.  But I didn't like having to bribe my puppy into agreeing to put the collar on.  Additionally, I don't think this type of head gear works well with very small puppies.

During my work for Tony La Russa's ARF, I was introduced to the "Martingale Collar."  I had used martingales before for my horses, but had never heard of them for puppies.  But these are wonderful!!!  I find that they make them in sizes that fit even the tiniest puppies.  With the martingale, the puppies never can choke themselves, and since they always release once the puppy backs off, they get instant relief.  I've used the martingale now for every puppy I have had and they all seem to respond to it.  I can get much less "wild lassoed bronco" behavior when I use these with a light leash, and they are small and light enough not to bother the puppies.  They are easy to put on or take off and easy to clean.  Also, unlike choke chains and easy leaders, the martingale can be left on the puppy even when not on the leash.

Of course you may choose to use a harness instead for small puppies, but I find that the although the harness is great at protecting the puppy from harm, it doesn't provide as much direct communication to the puppy so training them to heel, stop, and turn seems to be more difficult, especially when you are talking about a very young puppy who has never been on a leash before.

In any case, I strongly advise against the horrible "Pinch Collar" as shown here to the left.  I think it's a travesty to use this device which can cause injury to the dog.  If a puppy is so difficult to control, that no leash can help other than this type, then it's best that that puppy only be handled by an expert, and you should not try to train it yourself.  You will be much better off if you never pick a dog you can't control.

Next:  Some tips on beginning leash work.

More on crate success

Crates are wonderful, but as with any good tool, they need to be used or modified according to the situation. Just putting a puppy into a comfortably prepared crate won't guarantee success. Here are some things that have worked for me when I have a puppy that is having a little trouble becoming acclimated to his/her new sleeping place.

- This is up to you, but I strongly recommend (and have always been successful more quickly ) if at night they are close enough to see and hear someone sleeping in the room with them.

- If you get a whiner, try blocking their direct vision of you with a box or by draping something over that side of the crate, leaving the other sides of the crate exposed so they can still hear you.

- When it’s time to get up, go directly to them, praise them and take them out to pee as soon as possible.

• Young puppies can only hold their bladders a few hours depending on age and individual tendencies. It’s like a baby, you might have to wake up in the middle of the night, give them a little snack and take them out. Then back to the crate

- Many times the puppy whines in the middle of the night because their blood sugar is down. For a healthy pup, they usually should be fed every 8 hours – consistently.

• If you avoid free-feeding and feed on a regular schedule, the puppy will most likely also quickly develop a poop reflex. The puppies will be ready to poop soon as they finish eating.
• So, it becomes an easy routine, give the pup food. Then take the pup immediately outside ( when I have multiple pups, I make it easier by feeding them out on the grass and never inside until they are potty trained). Wait till they pee and poop (patience, patience).
• Then praise them, give them a treat and take them back in to play or the crate to sleep.

- Always take the puppy in the crate when you need to drive in your car – resist the temptation to have them ride next to you until they are older and trained to sit still and not pee.

• Again, make sure they have “safe” toys in the crate and that you carry extra towels and a plastic bag in case you have to make a quick clean up of the linens
• Put the treats in the crate to get them in, but don’t add more during the trip.
• Again, it is probably better if they can see and hear you.

- Schedule is EVERYTHING until they are big enough to keep their blood sugar and other bodily processes going steadily. So, if you can keep them to as close to a feeding sleeping schedule as possible, it will pay dividends in both a healthy and calm puppy.

- If you can’t go to sleep when the puppy has to, simply put them in their crate and turn down the lights. You can work quietly or watch TV in the same room.

- If they wake up during the night NEVER let them sleep with you. If they fall asleep in your arms, transfer them into the crate, make sure little treats are in there and close the door.

- If they get up and it is not time for them to eat, take them outside ON A LEASH. Don’t let them run around.

• Once they do their business, or show that they aren’t going to do their business, repeat the process you use when you first put them to sleep.

Any other crating tips out there?

Crate-training 101, or "Your dog's crate is your best friend."

Dogs and other pack animals have developed the behavior of sleeping in dens. So taking a new puppy and expecting it to be comfortable sleeping in the open on the floor, or on the bed with you is unfair and often will be an unsuccessful endeavor. Using a crate and teaching your new puppy to sleep in it will provide a multitude of benefits for both you AND your puppy. It provides your little pup with his special place where he/she can feel safe, secure and comfortable.

Either a wire crate or the many plastic commercial crates available today can work. Because of the 'security' component, and the closer approximation to a den, I prefer using the plastic crates with wire screen doors and windows. They are also easier to sanitize and move.

Pick a crate that fits your puppy - one where your puppy can turn around easily, but not big enough where he/she can run around like a wild banshee. Too large of a crate will make it more difficult for the pup to feel 'safe' and too small of a crate will be uncomfortable. If you are unsure of what will work, ask your vet for suggestions.

Here are my pointers on things you can do to help make your crate the best friend you AND your puppy can ever have:
- Always, always have the baby sleep in the crate at night – from the first time you bring them home if they don’t have their mommy with them.

- If they have siblings, consider having them sleep in separate crates next to each other

- While they are awake, you can leave the crate near you with the door open. That way they can go in and out when they want.

- After awhile, they often go in on their own to sleep with the door open

- Make the crate really comfy with old towels or other warm, cuddly comfort materials

- Leave some nice toys in the crate whenever you have to close them in

• Not kongs or other toys you play fetch with, but a soft stuffed animal; I have found larger stuffed animals (about 2/3 the size of the puppy) very effective.
• And a chew bone (depending on the ability to chew – don’t let them have one they can break pieces off – rubber or plastic work well). They often chew the bones when they are stressed or bored. It comforts them and helps to keep them quiet. Rubber ball or tennis balls in a tied up sock can also be good, but may teach your pup to go after socks in general.
• Just like little kids, if they seem to have a favorite toy, make sure it goes into the crate whenever they do unless the toy could be a choking hazard.

- They “usually” won’t mess their crate because their genetic behavior is to keep the sleeping den clean so predators can’t smell them

• That being said, it’s not unusual for a slip up (once they do that my experience is that they don’t like it and likely won’t do it again). If they do, change the linens as soon as possible, clean the crate and toys (and the puppy if necessary!) and don’t make a fuss about it.

- Every night when you go to bed, put them in the crate to sleep with the door closed

- Whenever you put the puppy in the crate put a few little treats in there. Soft treats (Trader Joes has some good ones) should be broken into little pieces and placed around the crate like easter eggs. The pieces can be as small as trident gum pieces…it is more about smell and taste than to get full on anything.

• While he is searching them out, quietly and gently close the door.
• Never give him treats through the grate of the crate – only inside. If you do give him treats through the grate, he will whine for them.

- Turn the lights out or down

- Say goodnight!

- This is up to you, but I strongly recommend (and have always been successful more quickly ) if at night they are close enough to see and hear someone sleeping in the room with them.

- If you get a whiner, try blocking their direct vision of you with a box or by draping something over that side of the crate, leaving the other sides of the crate exposed so they can still hear you.

- When it’s time to get up, go directly to them, praise them and take them out to pee as soon as possible.

• Young puppies can only hold their bladders a few hours depending on age and individual tendencies. It’s like a baby, you might have to wake up in the middle of the night, give them a little snack and take them out. Then back to the crate

- Many times the puppy whines in the middle of the night because their blood sugar is down. For a healthy pup, they usually should be fed every 8 hours – consistently.

• If you avoid free-feeding and feed on a regular schedule, the puppy will most likely also quickly develop a poop reflex. The puppies will be ready to poop soon as they finish eating.
• So, it becomes an easy routine, give the pup food. Then take the pup immediately outside ( when I have multiple pups, I make it easier by feeding them out on the grass and never inside until they are potty trained). Wait till they pee and poop (patience, patience).
• Then praise them, give them a treat and take them back in to play or the crate to sleep.

- Always take the puppy in the crate when you need to drive in your car – resist the temptation to have them ride next to you until they are older and trained to sit still and not pee.

• Again, make sure they have “safe” toys in the crate and that you carry extra towels and a plastic bag in case you have to make a quick clean up of the linens
• Put the treats in the crate to get them in, but don’t add more during the trip.
• Again, it is probably better if they can see and hear you.

- Schedule is EVERYTHING until they are big enough to keep their blood sugar and other bodily processes going steadily. So, if you can keep them to as close to a feeding sleeping schedule as possible, it will pay dividends in both a healthy and calm puppy.

- If you can’t go to sleep when the puppy has to, simply put them in their crate and turn down the lights. You can work quietly or watch TV in the same room.

- If they wake up during the night NEVER let them sleep with you. If they fall asleep in your arms, transfer them into the crate, make sure little treats are in there and close the door.

- If they get up and it is not time for them to eat, take them outside ON A LEASH. Don’t let them run around.

• Once they do their business, or show that they aren’t going to do their business, repeat the process you use when you first put them to sleep.

Any other crating tips out there?

The myth that there is one "Right Way" to train puppies

When my friends were pressing me to start this blog, I researched the information already available on the subject. One of the first thing that stood out to me was that most of these resources espoused 'The Right Way' to train puppies. When I first saw that phrase it made me wince. If there is anything I learn with each new puppy in each new litter, there is no single right way to train any puppy. Each puppy is unique and like humans react differently based on his/her genetics, physical environment and learning to date. In a single litter, one pup may be totally food motivated so that training without treats is close to impossible. Others may be responsive to visual commands, verbal commands alone are less effective. Some can't stand being wet or soiled. Others relish rolling in their own poop.

What I feel very strongly about is the right way to train your individual puppy is to spend quality time observing your puppy. If you can't remember what you see, write it down. And when you start trying to train your puppy, treat every instance as a 'test and learn' opportunity. In college and graduate school, I studied learning theory and behavior modification. That's why many of my techniques and the process I go throug with each individual is based on a systematic series of observation, test and modification, repeated in a manner that moves us closer to the desired behavior. Even if something works, I suggest you also try something else. For instance, if you try motivating behavior with a affection and praise and that works, try it sometimes without the verbal reward. Then sometimes with only verbal praise. Try it back and forth and see what works better, or if one type of reward works better.

I prefer to train puppies using affection and praise as much as possible, using treats only when asking the puppy to go into its crate. I will be the first to admit this doesn't always work. You simply can't get some puppies' attention unless you give them a treat. However, I have found that with many, many young puppies, attention and praise, cuddling and rubbing whatever their favorite spot is (ear, chin, tummy) works best. And in my foster-mom role, I prefer to try to train the puppies so they will respond to their new parents without increasing their caloric intake, and so they equate their puppy parents as someone to obey even if they can't smell the presence of treats.

Even extremely young pups can learn basic behaviors such as being happy to be in a crate, being led on a leash, and believe-it-or-not, to be house-broken before they are 12 weeks old.

The important thing is like everything else, each individual has their own abilities and own time-table.