too young pup, and positive reinforcment training advice.

[debilorrah]

I was hoping to see Jamie chime in. Listen to that gal, she knows her stuff.

 

[Iowa Roo Mom]

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Jamie gives about the best dog training advice on this forum. She's a real pro!

 

[pinkfoxfarm]

im actually very glad jamie chimed in as well because it reinforced what ive been doing and trying to do...
the only thing i havent tried with yet is having a leash on him at all times (hes still geting used to havign a collar on) right now dragging is a VERY fun game and im worried dragging a line (even a tiny one given this is a 3 1/2 lb pup lol) would turn into a fun game of chew on whats chasing me lol.

hes very smart, we were doing some come and sit games last night and he got sit in seconds, he recognized his name and come is all kinds of fun name = stop in tracks and look at where it comes from and come=boundacross the room as fast as puppy possible generally ending in him forgetting how to work the breaks lol. right now i can call him within visual distance and he comes imediatly...if he cant see me though it takes him a bit to realize he needs to come find me rather than sitting on the floor squeeking lol.

i started taking him out on the carport yeterday, and that was it...onto the grass he whent before i could even think about it and straight to potty...
i mean it makes sense he spent his first few weeks outside so grass would be natural for him...
i figure the fenced in area shouldnt be too high risk...right?!
were going out imediatly after naps and meal time and as often as possible in between (about hourly if we take into account he sleeps..alot lol.

hes definatly a bright puppy

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

if he wants to play with the drag line, you can spray it with Bitter Apple. Better yet, and more effective than Bitter Apple is unscented *arisol* deodorant. No dog likes the taste and the feeling of a very dry mouth after trying it a couple times. As with anything you have to reapply maybe daily.

You're doing a phenominal job with him. What I love about following your journey is that it illustrates how quickly a dog can learn from a very early age. People who wait until after 10 weeks of age to start training are really missing out on an wonderful opportunity to teach their dog that obedience and training = fun. If you imprint training upon such a young dog they are far less likely to be objectionable to real obedience later in life. Clicker shaping behaviors is awesome for such a young dog, this teaches them how to be right in a very positive way without the pressure of other methods of training.

The potty training will go very quickly if you just keep it up. You might find he becomes "untrained" to house breaking after a few weeks, this is because you'll be feeding him more, he'll also require more water. Don't get discouraged by this and just make sure you know when he's eating and drinking.