The 3 Month Old Stage - Puppy or Barracuda?

The past year or so has been a busy one, and I ended up ignoring my blog... which is really too bad because a lot of things happened in that time. I'll go over it all in another post, but just so I can get to the subject matter, I'll mention a few things quickly. In August, 2014, I lost my beloved black Lab, Berkeley. In September of last year, we adopted a new puppy, a Golden Retriever mix my daughter named Piper. Although I was used to training puppies, I hadn't had one myself in quite some time. Raising a young dog over the past year has helped me become both a better dog owner and a better dog trainer. And with so many people contacting me with young puppies, I thought it was important to devote a blog specifically to the 3 month old puppy stage. Why? Because puppies bite. A lot. And at this age, it can be difficult to know what to do about it.

Training your puppy should not start after he gets his first set of shots nor any time after that. Training  should start the first day you take him home. Getting him used to a crate and used to his routine will make a big difference in how he behaves as a teenage and an adult. Since there's so much I could say about puppy training, though, I'll focus on the stage approximately between 8 weeks and 16 weeks old.

If you own a puppy, perhaps the above picture looks familiar. You try to pet your puppy and he tries to bite the crap out of you. He bites your ankles, your feet, your hands... and really anything he can get his mouth on. If you tell him "No," sometimes he might stare at you with a devilish look and lunge at you, even at your face. Is this something to worry about? Do you have an aggressive dog on your hands? Chances are that you don't. What you have is a puppy testing his limits, treating you like another puppy and "trying" out his dominancy skills.

I've had almost all breeds act this way, although the pressure of their bite can vary. You might be tempted to run away, put the dog in his crate or put the dog outside. But you are just avoiding a situation that could really be used as a learning tool for your new little beast. So be prepared for a few puppy bites (yes, those razor sharp teeth HURT!) but if you practice with your puppy, teaching him what behavior you like versus the behavior you don't like, it will click... eventually... I promise.

If you are a parent, you might remember those days when you didn't have a lot of control over your toddler. Maybe your child would reach for something she shouldn't have or something dangerous, and you would redirect her to an acceptable item. (No, no, don't put that pen in your mouth... here's your toy!) It's the same thing for your puppy. If you sit on the floor with your puppy and a couple of toys (not hundreds... let's make the puppy excited about the toys, not bored because there are too many), try giving the toy to your puppy. If he's chewing on the toy, tell him with a positive tone, "Good dog" or "Yes." If he mistakes your fingers for a toy or chomps down on you instead, make a startling noise ("Eh! Eh!"). In most cases, the puppy will release. Then replace your hand with the acceptable toy.

Here I am with a chocolate Lab puppy, Dakota, teaching him that it's okay to bite the toy, but not okay to bite me.

The one thing to keep in mind is that before 4-5 months old, a puppy doesn't care that much about verbal praise or even that much about petting as a reward. A tired puppy might like to snuggle or be pet, but if your puppy is full of energy, chances are that he prefers to bite than to be pet. Pick your battles. Don't force him to accept cuddles if he's feeling rambunctious. Likewise, if you don't have time to work with him when his energy level is high, give him something to occupy his attention (kong with frozen peanut butter in it, a bone filled with treats, an interactive toy). Sometimes you may need to put him away in his crate or behind a baby gate. Work with your puppy if you are able, but it's okay if you sometimes don't have the time. Just be prepared to choose another time to play with your puppy and teach him what is acceptable to chew on. There were definitely days when I told my kids not to interact with Piper because she was in "Hyper Piper" mode. Instead of making my kids afraid of their puppy, I told them to come back and play with her once she'd settled down.

There is so much more I could say about puppy training, but you'll just have to hire me to find out. :-) Meanwhile, if you have a young puppy that is biting you, acting more like a shark than a puppy, don't worry too much. It is definitely a stage young puppies need to go through... and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

A Busy Day of Dog Training

Usually around the holidays and into January, my business slows down. It's understandable. No really wants to pay for dog training after spending money on Christmas gifts. But this season, there were a few people who perhaps felt that having a well behaved dog WAS a gift in itself.

So on Saturday, I started my day at 8:30 and finished up a little after 4. Then it was a trip to the park with hubby and kids and Maddie, dinner at CPK and then yes, embarrassing to admit, but I think I was passed out before 9. I think the kids lasted longer than I did.

Anyway, my first morning appointment was with 6 month old George, an absolutely huge and gorgeous German Shepherd. He is the type of dog you would need to pet, need to look at, need to ask the owner about. He just draws in your attention with his happy, puppy face but his big body that doesn't match his age. George is still very much a puppy, always wanting to mouth his owner's hand, nip at his legs, try to engage him in play even while he is supposed to be working. When it all comes together for this boy, he will be spectacular to watch work. He needs to work on his Heel, he is stubborn on his automatic Sit, but I was pleasantly surprised at his long distance Stay. Here he is below working on his Heel.

After George, I met with a new client and her little Terrier, Stanley. Stanley is 14 pounds of adorable. Lucky he's so cute because he's eaten into the walls, scratched up the front door and chases the cat mercilessly. He's sweet, lovable and playful and you may ask yourself, how much work could a 14 pound dog be? I actually think the smaller dogs are often more difficult to work with than the larger ones. When we took Stanley out on a walk, it was apparent right away that he doesn't realize his owner is walking HIM, he's on his own agenda and his owner is simply the one who holds the leash. People don't realize how important he walk is... that if you can get a dog to pay attention to you on a walk, around distractions with a loose leash, the dog's respect for you changes and everything else falls into place.  I was tempted to put a training collar on him right away, but for now, we are using the owner's harness, and we'll see how it goes. Now how cute is that face?

I met Lola next, a Boxer with anxiety and fear about all sorts of household noises - a tissue box, a paper bag crumpling up, the sound of a binder closing or the silverware drawer being shut. As expected, she was panting a lot after meeting me, showing signs of nervousness but she was also friendly and was kissing me and allowing me to pet her within the first few minutes. She had been through training before, but the owners said that despite using a prong collar, they had difficulty walking her. She often grabbed the leash with her front paws (gotta love Boxers), jumped up and scratched the owners and they had to use a harness handle to get her under control again. I expected Lola to be highly anxious outside, but she actually proved to be very sensitive to any pull on the leash, and then became very dominant. Sure enough, she would rear up on her back legs, grab the leash with her front paws and then bite the leash. Um yeah, try to get that away from her. But the second time she did it, I managed to hold the leash higher than she could reach and probably for the first time, she didn't win the battle. Lola will be a challenge, but I'm always up for a challenge.

My last client of the day was Bruce, and it was our third session. Bruce has been doing very well, but I knew we needed to work on some household issues. He's great on leash, but when the owner wants to put him outside or in his pen, he won't come. Sure enough, we tried and he ran off, over the couch, under the table, around the chairs. We couldn't catch him... at first. But persistence pays off. I finally got him and put a leash on him. I made him come to me several times. Then we dropped the leash and asked him to come. He did. Then we took off the leash and asked him to come. He did. We worked on a few other things - leaving front door open and making sure he stayed inside, heeling on a light line (the precursor to off-leash work), long distance downs. We finished up by testing his come again inside the house. Once he figured out that the owner was willing to get the leash if he didn't listen, he followed through with his commands. Bruce is actually a joy to work with - so handsome (it's how he gets away with things) and willing to please, but he is only 8 months old and is still prone to want to play and goof off instead of listen. I'm very pleased with his progress so far!

Looks like January will be a busy month. And my kids and husband will have to get used to me passing out early on Saturdays! 

The One Year Old Dog - Part 2

Well, the holidays came upon us and I didn't get the chance to write Part 2 of The One Year Old Dog as quickly as I hoped. Meanwhile, I got 3 calls from people who needed help with... yes, you guessed it... their one year old (or close to that age) dog.

Almost everyone wants to know what to do to end the chewing. Why is that one day the dog is left alone and everything is fine... and the next day the dog is left alone and you come home to your couch in pieces?

The first thing to understand is that your dog is not chewing your house apart to annoy you. To your dog, chewing is instinctive and fun. Your dog chews as part of his teething stage and to strengthen his teeth. Your dog chews to investigate, much the same way a human baby sticks everything in his or her mouth. It's interesting; it gives tactile stimulation. And to a dog that is left home without human stimulation and becomes bored, chewing is a very rewarding activity.

The most important piece of advice I can give about dogs going through the destructive chewing phase is this - I don't trust them. Simple as that. I don't trust a young dog to be left to roam the entire house while no one is there. Your dog may be housebroken, but if you want your plants to remain in their pots, your sofa cushions to remain on the sofa in one piece and your carpet to stay intact, you won't leave your dog alone for extended periods of time.

So what do you do? If you've crate trained your dog, yay for you! Your dog can remain in his crate for up to 4 hours or so while you are gone. If you are gone all day at work, find another secure area to contain your dog - a kitchen with a baby gate, a dog pen, an area that is not too large but not too small and is free of items you don't want your dog's mouth on.

So won't Fido still try to chew on things like kitchen cabinets? Yes, sometimes. It's best to try to leave your dog with one or two interesting items to focus on. Do not leave 500 toys for your dog to play with. Chances are he will get bored with them, and if he has that many toys, he just assumes everything is his. I like leaving a marrow bone filled with yummy stuff or wedging a piece of hot dog in the bone that the dog can try to get out. There are great interactive toys you can purchase - some of which contain hidden treats for the dog. Rotate your dogs toys as well. Take away a favorite toy for a few days and then leave it with him one day while you are gone. He will be so excited to see that squeaky duck again (or whatever it is)!

If you have found that your dog has already started chewing something he shouldn't, you may want to purchase a product called Bitter Apple (or something equivalent). Make sure you spray the product on your finger and place it on your dog's tongue. He will not like the bitter taste (usually!). Then spray the Bitter Apple on the area you want him to avoid. The taste will fade off the area, but the smell will remain, reminding your dog of that bad, bitter taste. Most people make the mistake of simply spraying the item on the couch or wherever and expecting the dog to avoid it. The dog doesn't care about the smell. He must relate the bad taste to the smell.

So when can you start to trust your pet? Does he have to be contained forever? The answer is no. Gradually, as your dog matures, you want to let your dog be alone in the house for short periods of time. Or you may want to extend the area in which he stays. Try going out for coffee or a quick lunch and see how he does. Praise him if you return to a home with no destruction. With time, you can start to trust your dog.

Remember, the destructive chew stage is from around 8 months old - 2 years old. Sometimes the time frame is less, sometimes more. If you exercise your dog before leaving the house and follow the advice I have mentioned, you will get through this stage with less damage!

The One Year Old Dog - Can You Get Past This Destructive Stage? [Part 1]

My son was at a birthday party recently when one of the moms wanted to know if she could ask me a dog question. (This happens quite often actually. Once someone finds out that I train dogs, they almost always want to ask my advice... which I'm happy to give.)

She wanted to know what to do about a dog that was starting to chew things up. My question was, "Is your dog a year old?" She looked surprised and said yes. 

I can't tell you how many times I am contacted by owners of a one year old dog (or close to a year old). Just when people think they are past the crazy puppyhood stage and their dog is in his or her now mostly grown body and therefore must surely be starting to act like an adult dog, whamo! Surprise! Your couch is gone! Your new shoes are in shreds. Your sprinkler system is in pieces. You have a new hole to China in your backyard. Your remote control has been molded into a new shape by canine teeth. I mean, c'mon, a remote control? How could a dog possibly find that tasty?

One of the first things I tell people who own a young puppy, like 4-5 months old, is that the stage they are in is called the teething stage... goodbye sharp puppy teeth (yay!), hello dull adult teeth (yay... for the moment!). But this is NOT the worst stage. This is NOT the chewing, destructive stage. Save that for the one year old dog. 

Ever been to an animal shelter? Ever looked into the eyes of the eternally hopeful, wondering what they did wrong, why their families abandoned them? Ever noticed that the vast majority of those dogs are around 1-2 years old? Most people don't realize how destructive dogs can be at that age and simply put, they are unwilling to accept it or do anything to help solve the problem. Bye bye, Fido! You ate our kitchen cabinets and now you can be someone else's problem... and that's if you're lucky enough to get out of the shelter.

The most important thing to realize is that almost all dogs will chew and be destructive. (I mean, there are web sites dedicated to Dog Shaming so you know if you own a destructive dog, it's not just you!) But it won't last forever! There is a light at the end of the tunnel! And although you may not be able to bi-pass this stage completely, you can get past it with minimal damage if you do the right things. 

To find out how you can survive this stage, stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog. 

Starting a Dog Blog

Okay, I'm doing it... starting a blog. Unfortunately, I'm starting it with a bit... okay, more than a bit... of frustration. I wrote my first post (yay!), then went to view it and it had old text I had written and my new text was gone. So my first post... gone! Breathe. Is it too early for a glass of wine?

Let me see if I can start this again and with better success.  Rather than write my first post all over again, I think I'll just start with some background information about myself and how I came to be a dog trainer.

We've always had dogs and cats in my family and my love of furry, four-legged friends started at an early age. We had a Black Lab when I was a toddler that unfortunately, my parents had to give away. Boy, do I wish I could go back in time to give them advice about that situation. Our 2nd dog was a sweet, but accident prone Irish Setter who was hit by a car. So far, my parents don't sound like ideal pet owners... but they did improve! It was our next dog that really made an impact in my life.

We got Penny, a Golden Retriever/Lab mix, when I was five. She was such a wonderful dog, a beloved member of our family, and we all mourned her loss when we had to put her sleep at age 14 1/2. To this day, I am a huge lover of Retrievers. I always thought my first dog would be a Golden, but it was a Black Lab puppy that came into my life and stole my heart. More about that later.

I remember, at some point in my early adulthood, thinking how great it would be to be a dog trainer. As a dog trainer, I could balance having a family and still find a way to work with animals. I took a different path for awhile, but it's funny how things work out. After volunteering for three years with a dog rescue organization, I was invited to work for the founder who had his own dog training/boarding business. I worked for many years both with the rescue organization and as a dog trainer and manager for the dog training/boarding business.

Eventually, I had two kids and decided that staying home with them was the most important thing to me. But of course, there was my dream, looming right in front of me... I could stay home with my kids and still train dogs! So I started my own dog training business - 3 Dog Training.

And now, I've started this. The blog was actually my husband's idea. Wait until I make him read all my posts. He may regret it! I'm already full of so many ideas and information about dogs that I'm happy to pass on. Now to find the time...