New member of our family / Dog thread

[pomi]

Finally, my childhood dream went fulfilled and I have a dog (first in my life).
Our puppy-boy is 8 weeks old, his name is Bodie and he's a hovawart (= when he's adult he's as big as a smaller cow ).

Right now, I've read some clever articles and forums about the dog breeding and training once again and am worried (as always, actually). Lots of methods and approaches and everyone says that if you don't do it exactly that way he's writing, you get the dog wrong forever...blah blah blah. Gosh, who is the right and wrong dog? The wrong one is when he's sleeping in your bed? (our doesn't...just because the baby is sleeping there ).

Share the pictures of your dogs with me! Bodie would love to meet his Sweet Shoppe friends! (yes, even those we've seen already... yes, even those we've seen already many times, Col! LOL)

[jessica31876]

beautiful dog!! I love it. It almost looks like a rottweiler but is more furry and softer looking. Anyhow congrats on your new family member.

[jessica31876]

oh and I dont have a puppy but here is my most agreeable fur-baby (she loves having her picture taken)

[ColleenSwerb]

*giggles* I love that you called me out

For one, don't stress yourself about your training methods. Consistency is the greatest training tool there is.
2 - I'm not sure what breed that is (I agree he looks like a Rottie), but if they are a stubborn breed, or he turns out to have a dominant personality, be prepared to work on training FOREVER. Literally. Tigah-now is a dominant personality and she is ALWAYS testing her boundaries (I liken her to a toddler, always pushing just a little, just to see what they can get away with). We are constantly correcting and reinforcing the rules with her. She lost bed privileges for almost 2 weeks because she had been acting up!
3 - Find a training method you're comfortable with, and just stick with it. There are as many training methods and philosophies as there are breeds it seems, and someone will always be there to tell you you're wrong. Whatever works best for you and your dog is the right way to go.

HAVE FUN!! I LOVE having a dog in my house, and I don't think I will ever NOT have one. Of course, I haven't yet had a puppy of my own to house break yet

I will be back shortly to share some NEW pics of Tigah-now that I got the other night Not even scrapped yet!

[NettieB]

Majda! he's gorgeous! kisses for him from here

Col's hit it on the nose - just be consistent - and it looks like you will need a chew rope ASAP. Get one for puppies, then advance as those chompers get stronger - trust me your shoes will thank you.

[meganmecrazy]

OMG Bodie is ADORABLE!!!!!!

This is Remmy Dee! Our OE Bulldog we got 6 months ago!

Here she is the day we got her:


and here she is now:

[Julie Billingsley]

aww, what cuties!! I'm hoping to get my puppy sometime this year. I've been working on my DH for years about getting one and he very sweetly said yes last year, but life has been giving us a bunch of curveballs lately. sigh. Once we figure out if/when we will be moving, then we will get a puppy. I love looking at doggy layouts so be sure to post in the gallery!

[neenee]

He is just adorable! I love him! I have no advice on the training. Mine are chihuahuas and I just spoil them rotten. They probably aren't real well behaved according to the norm but, I just let them be who they are going to be and they are so little that they don't bother me much when they are a bit naughty. They have never chewed on furniture, etc. so I got lucky on that. LOL

And Remmy Dee....she is just gorgeous!

[pewtertm]

Oh so sweet!

[Nathalie]

What a cutie! As you probably already know it is a guard dog. As such I agree with all the others, consistancy is the key. Make sure the dog learns from day 1 that your whole family is above him in the pack order, even the little ones (don't allow him to take toys away from the kids, but he would have to allow the kids to take away his toy, for example). Don't accept playful biting, ever. Personally I tend to lean towards positive training, however, the dog has to learn his boundaries and limitations.

Being guard dogs they can become dominant and become aggressive towards other dogs - Can, not will They need long walks and something to "work", check out the dog sports available. Personal experience has shown me that a lot of dog owners think that if they absolved a puppy training course they have done everything they can to teach him. How many times people tell me, their dog is just plain stupid, doesn't learn new tricks, never listens, is stubborn, etc. Yes, some dogs learn better than others but people need to send clear messages, the same all the time, do a little training every day - yes, be consistant

Have fun with this little, soon to be big darling!

[g8rbeckie]

Oh Majda, he's just gorgeous!!

No pics from me...we're currently pet-less. Unless you count the guppies (fish) we have. We started with 5 and there are now close to 100 of them!

[pomi]

I knew you were to comfort me, girls!

Col, Nettie, Nathalie - thank you so much for your advice! You named exactly the things that I also think are the most important ones.
I'm going to attend a puppy training with him and then as we are quite a sporty family, I think he'll just join us on various walks and hikes and trips and almost daily runs with me and DH. OK, I'm not in my best shape right now and probably NeeNee's chihuahuas could hold my pace, but times are going to be better. He's also one of the calmest puppies in the litter. I was thinking a lot when it is the best time to get the puppy, right now there is a 3yo and 8mo in my house which isn't easy with the puppy, but on the other hand, I'm going to be SAHM for other 2 years (maybe a little bit more) and therefore can spend a lot of time with the dog.

Megan - she's a cutie!

Beckie - I'd count the guppies, too.

[ColleenSwerb]

See, all my friends think I'm INSANE because I plan to get a puppy when I've got a newborn in the house. Yes, you read that right, LOL! I figure if I have to be up all hours of the night with the baby, I might as well put the dog outside the be house broken while I'm at it, lol.

Realistically, it might not happen. But still. I want to get a puppy when I'm a SAHM/WAHM so I can really train him/her.

I misplaced my card reader, and then LR needed some updates last night. I'll post pictures soon

[pomi]

That's exactly the point, Col!
The nights aren't bringing any addition to the tireness that's already there; our baby sleeps far worse than the puppy, so after one or two nursing rounds during the night I just go down and let the dog out. I can say it's not much more work with the puppy here, the tricky thing is to co-ordinate the routines somehow.
I am being told that I'm insane from the vast majority of people and unfortunately, I doubt about myself then. Even when I see that it actually goes quite well and smooth here, I am stressed inside.

[nonnie]

He is SOOO sweet - I have huge puppy love!!!!



Here is my old lady - she is 6 at my feet as always -

She is a golden retriever

[ColleenSwerb]

Awww, don't be stressed hon! It'll work out just fine! You can tell all those people that THEY dont' have to get up with the dog or the baby, so it shouldn't make a difference to them what you do. AND you get snuggly baby kisses, AND snuggly puppy kisses as a reward for all the hard work.

If you're doing well, there's nothing to stress about!

[junebug]

he's cute!! here are out two annoying dogs, lol.

Yogi is a Golden Retriever. he's mainly my husbands dog. he is a big baby and gets on my nerves, lol. but he's a good dog. i think he's two? i forget, lol


and here is Sadie, our Beagle. she'll be one next month. she can be annoying as well, with her bark and wanting in and out constantly and running off. but she's a sweetie.
bad un edited pic, sorry.


Now, i want a cat again. i miss having cats. we've had them before. i just want one. we need a mouser anyway.

[pomi]

Thanks so much, Col! (Hugs)!

Nonnie, Corey, the goldens are adorable.

And Corey, Sadie is a sweetie. I'd like to have a cat, too. After Bodie is settled down.

[ColleenSwerb]

Anytime! As the owner of a pit bull, I get all sorts of judgement passed on me all the time. I've learned to let it roll off my back (at least in the doggy department of my life, not so easy with other aspects, lol!).

[Paula]

What a cutie pie!! Congratulations.

[chloe]

Such cute pix!!

Ditto to Col's advice about consistency. It's important that every human, kids, husband, everyone, follow the same rules with the dog: if getting on the couch is forbidden, for example, the rule must be reinforced by everyone, kids included. He must also understand that the humans come first (are dominant) and that he must respect them, no matter if they are babies or grown ups. If you manage to make him understand this, it will be really fun and stressless!

I've always have dogs, and I remember being about 18 months old and lying on our doggy Praline, playing with her ears. She growled at me sometimes (when I really really got on her nerves after playing with her ears for way too long) but never bit me. She understood I was fragile and that she was the "grown up" there and had to take care of me, so when I got her upset she simply walked away... Wise dog! LOL

[profiler_mar]

Oh my! He is SO adorable! I only have a cat, so no training advice here! But enjoy him, I bet he will be so much fun!!!

[pomi]

After one week at home I can see that everything goes much smoother than I expected. The rules are set up and the routines and schedules are settling down.

Nathalie, thank you for your advice not let him do that playful biting! I thought the same thing, but you know what, everyone is just always "awww, but he's just playing". So the rule here is "no biting in any body" (I don't care about the wooden furniture though, so I think it's a pretty good deal, right? ).

He also is calmer now and not nervous at all, so he can spend more and more time in the garden alone (like one hour 3-4 times a day), which again makes it easier for all of us (including the puppy ).

And he sleeps all night! May he teach that my younger DD...

I can also see there is the same method as with the kids - try to make him tired LOL. He's small, so 30 mins walk twice a day does the job.

Chloé, that's wonderful with Praline. That's what I'd like my kids to remember - the dog as their great friend.

[Nathalie]

Majda, I know it is hard but you shouldn't allow him to chew the furniture. Maybe you don't care about this furniture but you might get new furniture in the future and you would not want him to chew that, right? Of course, puppies do chew and need to but get dog/puppy appropriate things to chew on like chew ropes, kongs, etc. Praise him with an excited voice when he chews on that, should he choose the furniture a loud, deep "uh" should do the trick, distract him with the kong or rope directly afterwards, if he goes for the kong/rope, again praise!

This might not always work - well, as with children, how many times you tell them not to and they do it anyway We had a lot of chewed objects In most cases they grow out of their chewing habits though. Nevertheless I would nip it in the butt from the beginning.

[pomi]

Nathalie, thank you again! OK, you're right. He has a big amount of chewing toys and things and ropes and whatever, but like the kids - he's most interested in chewing everything others. I have heard they grown out of the chewing when their teeth are changed.

[ColleenSwerb]

Tiger is 5.5 years old, and she is still a BIG chewer. Some dogs just like to chew things, lol. I'm lucky in that she never (well, rarely) chewed anything that wasn't hers when I first got her. And whatever she did chew, was my fault for leaving out for her to get to.

But yea. When you catch him chewing on the furniture, or something he shouldn't (like a shoe), tell him no, take it away, and replace it a chew toy of his own. Eventually he'll "get" it. If he likes shoes, make sure all shoes are put away in closets so that he can't get to them. If you leave it out for him to get, then it's your own fault if he chews it since right now he doesn't know better.

[chloe]

Ah, that reminds me: having a baby pet at home (dog or cat, BTW) is often the best motivator to put everything away and keep your house in perfect order! That's not why we got our cat, but that's a nice benefit! LOL

And since you asked for pix, here are two LOs about my doggie and my cat:

[Nathalie]

As you can read, some dogs stay chewers forever. Some just need to chew a lot, some do it out of boredom.

Don't give him all the toys at once - if the toys are around all the time they get boring, nothing exciting anymore, kwim? Only give him 2-3 toys at a time, store the others away and exchange the toys every 2-3 weeks. If you notice that he ignores the toys after a couple of days, replace them after a week.

And if he is chewing on something he isn;t allowed, don't pull it out of his mouth, because then you make it an exciting game Try to make him drop it, or stop chewing it by saying a calm, deep "uh!", squeek with another toy. As soon as he drops it, get closer and claim the object as yours, cup your hands over it, stand/kneel in front of it and don't let him touch it again. And as I said before, if he takes his toy instead, reward, reward, reward!

Use a bridge word that you use to mark the event. It has to come as soon as he does something good - like you would take a photo right in that moment. Use yes, ok, good, for example or make up a word.

Sorry for rambling - as you can see I am very passionate about this

[pomi]

Originally Posted by chloe

Ah, that reminds me: having a baby pet at home (dog or cat, BTW) is often the best motivator to put everything away and keep your house in perfect order! That's not why we got our cat, but that's a nice benefit! LOL

That's true, Chloé. We put a lot of things away because of our crawling baby and the rest went away when the puppy came in. No shoes etc. I also take it as my own fault when he gets to something to chew.

Nathalie, love your rambling! Is that a reason for you not to apologize and to carry on? LOL. My DH greets you - I told him that you wrote here that it's better to let the puppy not chew anything that's not his and he said he was so glad because he wasn't able to remember what Bodie is allowed to chew and what not. He said you're a smart girl!
Could you please add on some rambling about puppies and kids? You mentioned that toy thing which we practice, he isn't allowed to play with kids' toys. Do you have any other tips?

Unfortunately, I've read and heard either things and info, that are too general or their authors are like "awww, poor little one, you don't let him chew the kids' toys? what did you expect when you got him? it's a tiny little puppy!" etc. etc.

[ColleenSwerb]

Originally Posted by pomi

Unfortunately, I've read and heard either things and info, that are too general or their authors are like "awww, poor little one, you don't let him chew the kids' toys? what did you expect when you got him? it's a tiny little puppy!" etc. etc.

And those are the people that have out of control/rude/play biting dogs.

When you provide toys for the dog, you give him options. When the dog chooses to chew on something of YOURS and not his own toys, it's a sign of disrespect. Yes, he's only a puppy, so in the beginning he doesn't know any better. But as he gets older, he WILL know, so it's important to send the right message right from the start. What's mine is mine, and what's yours is yours.

For example, Tiger is an indestructible force when it comes toys. I had read on some boards that old jeans can make for a strong toy, so I tore a pair up and tied the pieces into big tough knots. She LOVES to pull things apart and undo them, it's like a puzzle for her. But, she knew that that pair of jeans were HERS, and all other jeans were mine. You could put that pair in a pile of my regular jeans, and she wouldn't touch the other ones because they were MINE. Respect.

Sometimes it helps to think of other people's dogs, and what you enjoy about them. What behaviors you would like your own to do as well, that would make you happy and bring peace to your home. Such as dogs that don't jump on visitors, dogs that don't pull on leashes, dogs that don't run like crazy inside the house. If you start teaching him these things now, when he's young, and are CONSISTENT with him in the future, he won't know that other dogs jump, or other dogs pull, etc. He will know what brings him positive reinforcement, which is the greatest thing in the world to a dog (next to a treat - but the 2 can often go hand in hand ).

[pomi]

I love what you are writing, Col! I'm going to note it down for me. Similar to that, I've already started asking myself "Do I want him to do that when he's adult?".

I know I may overthink the whole thing. But I just want to have - like you wrote - "peace in my home".

Chloé, I love your pages!

[ColleenSwerb]

It's much easier to train a puppy not to do something, than to change an adult dog from something he's been doing for years. Tiger is a very dominant, very difficult dog to train. But because we're consistent, she's also one of the best behaved dogs people have ever met. Does she still act up? Of course she does. But you know what? She KNOWS when she's doing something bad, because she'll put herself in punishment! Lol! Like I said, I liken her to a toddler. Always pushing her boundaries, seeing what she can get away with (even when she knows it's wrong).

I wouldn't trade her for the world though

[Andrea Gourley]

Oh cute furbabies

I have a puppy called Haggis. He is a West Highland Terrier and is full of mischief, he was one year old just before Christmas and he is our baby.

I totally love him to pieces

[pomi]

Haggis is a cuuutie!

Col, is Tiger your first dog? Or have you had dogs since you remember?

[ColleenSwerb]

I love Haggis SO cute!!

I've had dogs all my life. We had a black lab (who had to be rehomed due to an aggression issue), an Old English Sheepdog (who was wonderful, but also had a personality like Tiger's, we did a lot of obedience training with him when I was in 3rd and 4th grade), and then my parents rescued 2 greyhounds. But Tiger is my first that I have owned myself. I got her a few months after I graduated college, after I broke up with my bf and got a place of my own. She was in a shelter for 6 months before I found her on petfinder, and she was 1.5 years old when I brought her home. She was a DEVIL DOG for the first few months as I found my way through things. But then I got really determined, found some dog groups on myspace (where I made some lifelong friends), and watched a TON of The Dog Whisperer, lol. Cesar Milan isn't for everyone, but I think he's wonderful. Calm assertive energy, people being the pack leaders, all of that really helped put Tiger in her place. Before, she wouldn't show her belly to ANYONE, EVER. She was too dominant and that was too submissive a position for her. Now? We jokingly call her our lil s-l-u-t because she'll flop on her back for anyone. Why the change? She feels comfortable enough, and she trusts that as her pack leader I won't let anything happen to her if she submits like that.

I don't know everything there is to know about dog training, but I'm passionate about it and have done a LOT of research on the subject. I felt it was necessary considering I own what the majority of America consider to be a "dangerous breed". Pit bulls get a bad rap, and I do everything in my power to make Tiger the best dog out there, to be a good ambassador for the breed.

[sevenupps]

Chiming in late, but what a doll! I laughed at your OP because we felt exactly the same way when we got our Simon a year ago. I'm glad your new baby is settling in ok!

[Andrea Gourley]

Aww he is gorgeous! I love how he he is surfing the boards here at the sweet shoppe. All my Haggis tries to do is chew off my keys :lol:

[Nathalie]

Originally Posted by pomi

That's true, Chloé. We put a lot of things away because of our crawling baby and the rest went away when the puppy came in. No shoes etc. I also take it as my own fault when he gets to something to chew.

At the beginning, when we got Max and he was still a puppy he chewed even his (expensive) brandnew dog bed. And when I thought there wasn't anything to chew he chewed a power cable of a floor lamp, luckily for him it was unplugged.

Nathalie, love your rambling! Is that a reason for you not to apologize and to carry on? LOL. My DH greets you - I told him that you wrote here that it's better to let the puppy not chew anything that's not his and he said he was so glad because he wasn't able to remember what Bodie is allowed to chew and what not. He said you're a smart girl!

Could you please add on some rambling about puppies and kids? You mentioned that toy thing which we practice, he isn't allowed to play with kids' toys. Do you have any other tips?

Col has provided you with fantastic tips and along the jumping I want to add something: Jumping on kids, licking their faces, etc. Most people think it is cute but that too is a sign of disrespect and you should not allow him to do so. You have a crawling baby, right? Well, she of course can't say anything - you have to do that. The dog has to learn to give her space = respect her.Yes they can play and cuddle together, but you have to control it. If it gets too rough, you have to tell the dog off - and like Col said - calm and assertive! And when he does something good: praise!

When you go for a walk, don't let the dog walk in front of you, you are the pack leader, so you be in front. If you go for a walk with the pram, same thing, he has to walk next to the pram or slightly behind, the baby/kids are above him in the pack.

If the kids are running around, screaming, chasing, like kids do don't let him join to get too excited. It could trigger prey or hearding drive - biting in ankles, pinning the kids on the ground, etc. Now I don't say that every dog will do so with any things I am saying. Some dogs are the best behaved dogs right from the start, never get into trouble and always seem to do the right thing. What I do think though is, that prevention is much better then trying to fix things afterwards.

Unfortunately, I've read and heard either things and info, that are too general or their authors are like "awww, poor little one, you don't let him chew the kids' toys? what did you expect when you got him? it's a tiny little puppy!" etc. etc.

I absolutely agree with Col here, those are the people that usually have some sort of uncontrollable dogs. Many of them probably tell they don't want to bark any commands or that they want the dogs to love them because they are so soft to them. If somebody is telling you that and they have kids, ask them: Do you kids have to obey rules, are they allowed to do everything? Don't you love them?

And of course you don't have to bark any commands LOL

A word to the rewards: It doesn't need to be a food reward, think of praise good boy, the bridge word, a smile, a short pet, a play with his favourite toy or going to the dog park after a walk are all rewards. I even let our dog work for his food: I let him sit, drop, stand, stay, etc. As a reward he gets his food.

I am not perfect and I don't know it all but as Col I am passionate about it and read a lot of things, also trained to become a dog trainer.

[pomi]

Great advice about that behaving on the walk, Nathalie, thank you! I was thinking about this, let alone because walking with the pram (on the snow we now have here) can be quite tricky.

Playing with the kids - with the baby it's pretty good now, he often lies and lets the baby gently touch him (and gets praise for it). With that jumping and licking faces etc. I have to be strict, because my older DD (3 yo) is still a little bit afraid of him and so I don't allow him do anything that could frighten her. And keep telling her that there is nothing to be afraid of, of course. Luckily I can see that every day it's getting better. This is exactly the situation, when some dog owners - those without kids (because not everyone is like Col!) - have the meaning that my DD just has to get used on it, but I don't think so. One woman on a internet forum about dogs said literally, that because she doesn't have kids yet, she's on the "dog side". I think this is wrong, but many other people think like that. I guess I haven't found any good discussion yet (apart from this thread ).

[ColleenSwerb]

When I first had Tiger I lived in an apartment complex and there were a TON of kids around. It was difficult because she wasn't very well trained yet, but I tried SO HARD to make sure that she sat down when she was being pet, and she didn't jump up to lick anyone. She's a huge lover and a huge licker, but that can scare the bajeezus out of kids when she's bigger than they are.

I would NEVER say that I'm on the "dog's side" just because I don't have kids. I think that's nuts! I LOVE dogs, but there are SO MANY people out there who had 1 or 2 bad experiences with poorly trained dogs, who are terrified of them (and Tiger has it even worse a lot of the time because she's "an evil pit bull"). I never want to make a person, or a child, be afraid of dog's because of the behavior of my dog.

That being said, since Tiger isn't around kids that often, it's HARD for her. She sees a toddler at her eye level and wants to run and play and jump. The times she has been around children, we are extra attentive to her and we don't set her up to fail. She's never alone with the child, when she gets too excited she's told to go lay down on her bed, or we remove her from the situation entirely and put her in her crate or in another room.

Not setting your dog up to fail is HUGE! If you know there's going to be a problem with something, avoid the situation. I have a girlfriend with a dog that Tiger HATES. I mean, one look and it's fight time. So what do we do? We don't put the dogs together. EVER! I have another girlfriend whose dog can get REALLY rambunctious and sometimes pushes Tiger a little too far when they play. So what do I do? I'm always watching, and when I sense Tiger hitting her limits, the play is stopped and they are put in separate rooms to cool off for a bit. After a little while, they go back to playing just fine.

As he gets older, you will learn SO MUCH about your dogs personality, that all of these things can just become second nature. I don't even think about some of the things that I do to prevent Tiger from failing, because I'm just so used to it. And because of that, I have a happy, well adjusted, well behaved little girl.

Sorry for rambling on so much! Lol!

[misfitinmn]

Awww, puppy love! Lots of sweet dogs and cats in this thread...almost makes me miss having a puppy. Almost! I wish I could offer advice, but it feels like it's been centuries since I trained a puppy (we got our current dog as an adult from the shelter and miraculously he has been near perfect!)

This is my puppy boy, Remi

He was not pleased with the photoshoot!

[pomi]

Awww, Remi is gorgeous!!!

Col, what a pity that I know so less people (ahem, especially women) with dogs/no kids like you are. Really, the ones I know are what I've described in my other post. Like, they almost tell that it's the fault of the kid that he/she is afraid of the dog, because "that dog doesn't do anything to her!" or "it's only a puppy, just wants to play". And like you wrote yesterday, I don't want my dog to behave like that.
But I've heard from a few of these women, that there were big problems after they got their babies later. That the dogs simply weren't ready to accept, that the baby is above them in the pack or even accept baby's presence in the family.
Not setting him up to fail is great!

[Nathalie]

Majda, you can always pm me if you have questions and by the look of it I am sure Colleen wouldn't mind either. Now, I don't know everything but combining our sources and knowledge I am sure we can help you.

A bouncy, barking, licking puppy with sharp! little teeth can be a bit scary - and hey, she doesn't know the dog, so it is only fair. Try to keep the dog in a little distance until she gets used to him. Your DD will watch you and learn from your behaviour copying you.

[lacidock]

So many cute puppies and such great advice in this thread! We just got a 8 week old Golden Retriever 5 days ago. His name is Dega.


My girls (ages 2 & 3) dont want much to do with him because he is constantly jumping up and biting them (play biting of course but it still hurts them). What do I do about this? I tell him down and no biting over and over again. I also give him a toy that he can play with but nothing seems to work. Will it just take more time? I am feeling so overwhelmed

[pomi]

Laci, yes, that's how I was feeling in the first few days. Really overwhelmed. And I was thinking "OMG, I wanted my girls to have a friend and now they are going to be afraid of him" etc. I did the same what you did - telling NO, giving him his toys, over and over and over. Now, we have him 12 days and it's much better. I also try to make him tired - walks + when he can play with other dogs (same strategy as with the kids, isn't it? ).

But I really was feeling overwhelmed and confused and wasn't sure if I really should be such strict, so I started this thread and Col and Nathalie really helped me to get the attitude that's working for our family.

Thank you, girls, it was really helpful! Ahem, I think I'm going to PM you when I get into some particular situations or so, I just love your ideas and approach.

[Ebony]

Originally Posted by misfitinmn

Awww, puppy love! Lots of sweet dogs and cats in this thread...almost makes me miss having a puppy. Almost! I wish I could offer advice, but it feels like it's been centuries since I trained a puppy (we got our current dog as an adult from the shelter and miraculously he has been near perfect!)

This is the most gorgeous photo! I love the the letter blocks you've used for the pic. All of these baby pictures are so beautiful Good luck with your pup Majda! Looks like you recieved heaps of the advice you were asking for.

I don't have a dog myself, we have two kitty cats - Mischa & Tibby. I was always a 'dog person' until my boyfriend convinced me to get these girls. Now I'm hopelessly in love with them. Tibby is the one with the unconvential sleeping position, hehe.



I'm still hoping he will give in one day when we have a big house & I can have a puppy - I'm thinking a German Shepherd. I love love them. I already have a name picked out, haha. *fingers crossed*

[ColleenSwerb]

Laci, repeat after me: A tired dog is a good dog.

I've never raised a puppy on my own, but I've had lots of friends go through it. And I'm of the opinion that it's never too early to put in place the rules that you want the pup to follow when they get older. There are exceptions (puppies can only hold their business for as many months as are old - so a 2 month old puppy needs to go outside every 2 hours), but they a few (in my opinion).

Again, I got Tiger when she was an adult, so I didn't have to deal with play biting. BUT, we set in place rules that she is never to play with ppl with an open mouth. The method that I would use to prevent play biting is to ALWAYS have a chew toy ready to substitute. If the pup is playing with you and starts to chew, you grab his snout, close his mouth, tell him no in a firm voice (not yelling, dogs equate yelling to instability), and then substitute your hand/foot/shoe/whatever he's biting with the toy. Do this every. single. time. Consistency is your best friend with dogs, especially puppies.

I would take the puppy on a good walk around the neighborhood to tire him out. (Playing fetch in the backyard is NOT the same as a good 30 minute walk - dogs were roaming pack creatures before we domesticated them, and knowing their "territory" and wandering like that is a much different exercise than just playing in the backyard.) Once you get him nice and tired, sit on the floor and have the puppy on one side of you, and a daughter on the other. Just sit there for a bit and watch tv, or whatever, and just have your daughters in close proximity to the pup. You can pet him, but don't get him all riled up. Just a soft, slow pet, nice and easy. Having a calm pup near the girls might help calm their fears and show them he's not always crazy and jumpy. As they get more used to each other you can have one girl sit on your lap and pet the pup as well, again making sure he doesn't get too excited.

Jumping can be difficult, especially with a young pup. Tiger used to jump, and still does occasionally when she gets CRAZY excited. Dogs greet each other by licking each other's mouths (similar to people who give each other a kiss to say hello), so they naturally want to jump up and give you kisses when they are happy to see you. But, jumping is rude, especially when you might get visitors who are very wary of dogs (I have 1 girlfriend like this - she loves Tiger now, but was downright terrified of her in the beginning). For an adult dog, you can lift your leg and put your knee into their chest to keep them away, but a puppy is too small. I used the "turn and ignore" method with Tiger to break her habit. When I enter the house, I ignore her. If she jumps, I turn so that she gets my side and a stern "no jumping", and then I walk away from her. No hi pitched squeals of hello, no immediate petting. Once she calms down, then she gets affection. This is also difficult as the puppy is probably jumping all the time, lol.

Your girls are young, so I'm guessing they don't really understand what's going on (heck, some adults don't get it, lol). Truthfully, I'm not entirely sure how to fix the situation. If they try the "turn and ignore" method, the pup is probably just going to follow them, which can quickly escalate into a game of chase, which is not good. And it's going to take some time to work on the play biting and the jumping. I might just keep the pup separate from the girls (never leave them alone together for now - too big a chance that something will go wrong) unless you've tired him out and he is calm and relaxed.

You could have the girls help with taking him of though. Have them help feed him, fill his water bowl, etc. Once you get him trained on a leash on your walks, you can have them hold the leash. It will help them feel like they are in control.

[ColleenSwerb]

And yes, please feel free to PM me at anytime with any questions. That goes for everyone!

[lacidock]

Thanks for the great advice Col!
A tired dog is a good dog. Got it

[chloe]

I agree with Col about the techniques against jumping. Ignoring my doggie is the most effective one, even though I realise it's not easy for kids. Anyway, with that as with everything else, the key is consistency, consistency and more consistency!

By the way, a 8 weeks old puppy is still a "children", so you have to teach him very often but for very short amount of time. We took dog training lessons with our doggie (not for a long time, which is why she still jumps, even if it's getting better) and the coach told us to practice for max 5 minutes several times a day at that age. Then you can progressively make longer but less sessions.

Good luck!