Finn's thread!! Puppy is GROWING!!!

[cluckmecoop7]

We crate trained him, and he was also constantly supervised.
After a nap, take puppy out. After a meal, take puppy out.
If puppy gets loses interest in playing and starts sniffing around, take puppy out.
If puppy hasn't gone out for about half an hour, take her out.
If she's about to pee (or is peeing)/pooping on the floor, scoop her up and take her out. She won't pee on you, because she'll be so surprised by the interruption.
Use the same door every time as much as possible.
Crate training helps condition her to hold herself- make sure that her crate is big enough that she can sit, turn around, and lay down comfortably, but NOT big enough that she could pee in one corner and go lay in another. To avoid buying like 9325792 crates, you can use a bigger one but section part off. Dogs don't like to sit in their own waste, so she'll really avoid going to the bathroom in her crate unless she super duper has to.

Thanks for the info! I'm glad I'm doing it right. (she's my first puppy, but I have experience with dogs). Hope I'm not bothering you, but - how did you teach him not to bite hands, feet, clothes, etc? Thanks in advance!

 

[black_cat]

Thanks for the info! I'm glad I'm doing it right. (she's my first puppy, but I have experience with dogs). Hope I'm not bothering you, but - how did you teach him not to bite hands, feet, clothes, etc? Thanks in advance!

Finn never had much of an issue, but if you’re playing and she bites, stand up and ignore her until she calms down. This gives her the message that play stops immediately when she bites. She’ll want to keep playing, so she’ll stop biting. Same goes for jumping- if she jumps, turn around and ignore her until all 4 feet are on the ground.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Finn never had much of an issue, but if you’re playing and she bites, stand up and ignore her until she calms down. This gives her the message that play stops immediately when she bites. She’ll want to keep playing, so she’ll stop biting. Same goes for jumping- if she jumps, turn around and ignore her until all 4 feet are on the ground.

Awesome, thanks!!

 

[NatJ]

how did you teach him not to bite hands, feet, clothes, etc?

One method: always have a dog toy available. Every time the puppy bites anything it should not, say "no" and put the toy in the mouth instead. Then praise her for chewing the toy. (Repeat, over and over and over....)

The idea is to show the puppy what it is allowed to bite. It seemed to work well with a puppy I raised more than a decade ago-- but that puppy never was terribly mouthy, so I can't be sure how much the technique worked, and how much the puppy would have just outgrown the mouthing anyway.

 

[Sally PB]

We were told Freya tended to chew things, so we have several toys that are chewable. I've caught her starting to chew a few things -- blanket, a wooden corner on something -- and said No! then given her a toy instead. I think she's learning pretty fast.

The first time I said No!, she went and laid in her bed and stayed there for about half an hour. I petted her and gave her rope toy and told she was a good girl.

They melt your heart, don't they?

 

[cluckmecoop7]

We were told Freya tended to chew things, so we have several toys that are chewable. I've caught her starting to chew a few things -- blanket, a wooden corner on something -- and said No! then given her a toy instead. I think she's learning pretty fast.

The first time I said No!, she went and laid in her bed and stayed there for about half an hour. I petted her and gave her rope toy and told she was a good girl.

They melt your heart, don't they?

Aww poor girl. Glad she’s learning. Yes, and it’s so hard to ignore them when they squeal for attention.

 

[black_cat]

Finn’s handling class last night went well! There was a bearded collie, a spaniel that I think was an English springer, a GSD, a yorkie, another unidentifiable toy dog, 2 pumik, not one but THREE terverens, and an IRISH RED AND WHITE SETTER
I SAW THAT DOG WALK IN AND NEARLY HAD A HEART ATTACK ASDFGHJKL

 

[black_cat]

lookit that nice gait

 

[wyoDreamer]

When we took our Irish Setter to puppy class, he always looked like the class clown. He was so much taller than the rest of the dogs because his legs were so long and was very animated with everything we did. He did the commands right, but as explosively as he could. A heel was a bouncy trot at my heel - he was trying to stay by my side but I walked too slow for him so he bounced up and down as he walked. His down was front feet up in the air and slam the belly down onto the floor. When he did his SIT-STAY test, he sat so straight up with his head up looking around the room -he looked like a king. Then his tongue dropped out the side of his mouth and he looked like the class clown again. everyone laughed when that happened and he broke his sit-stay and cam running to me. He took third place out of 12 dogs.

Glad to hear that FIN is doing well. Love those blond Golden Retrievers.

 

[black_cat]

When we took our Irish Setter to puppy class, he always looked like the class clown. He was so much taller than the rest of the dogs because his legs were so long and was very animated with everything we did. He did the commands right, but as explosively as he could. A heel was a bouncy trot at my heel - he was trying to stay by my side but I walked too slow for him so he bounced up and down as he walked. His down was front feet up in the air and slam the belly down onto the floor. When he did his SIT-STAY test, he sat so straight up with his head up looking around the room -he looked like a king. Then his tongue dropped out the side of his mouth and he looked like the class clown again. everyone laughed when that happened and he broke his sit-stay and cam running to me. He took third place out of 12 dogs.

Awww! I love setters. Do you still have setters?

Glad to hear that FIN is doing well. Love those blond Golden Retrievers.

He is! He wasn't purchased as a blond one, he just turned out very light.