New Puppy Tips
- Thread starter no2cyclones
- Start date
Everything you say you are not going to let the dog do - climb on furniture, sleep in your bed, etc - don't say because you are going to let them do those things.
Be nice to your dog, even when it acts like a new dog. Don't train it with fear, and beating. Thanks.
we hung jingle bells from the front door nob this summer with our puppy (Aussie Sheppard, Greyhound, Rot, German Sheppard Mix)(yes my wife did the DNA testing). We took her out to potty frequently and each time rang the bell with either her paw or nose. Then we took her out until she went, and immediately rewarded her with a treat but also immediately brought her back in. She learned quickly that the bell is for going potty. Eventually we put one on the back door once we were comfortable just letting her run in the back yard. If she just wants to go out to hang out she'll sit by the door. If she has to go potty (or puke)(don't know how she figure that out) she will ring the bell. This is our third dog and first we've used the bell on. It's be great. I highly recommend it.
Get them in a routine of going to the bathroom on a schedule, the older they get stretch it out.
Have had 5 shorthairs and had them all house broken by 8 weeks
Have had 5 shorthairs and had them all house broken by 8 weeks
I second this one. We lock the cats away in the master bedroom & bath, move their litter & food & water in there too. So it ticks me off when other peoples' pets are allowed to take over our house when they don't want mine around them. What makes it worse is that they have to take dogs out on a leash, because if they don't, they take off into the woods. And I've made it clear that I don't want piles in the small patch of lawn out front, so they have to *gasp* put shoes on and walk them around the corner of the house. I know...I'm unreasonable. But there's a very good reason we have cats and not dogs, and it isn't because we don't like dogs. It's because it's not a good house for them. If you're not going to take care of your pet, leave it at home.
Jacktronic
MONDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAYSATURDAYSUNDAY
Lot's of great suggestions in this thread, I don't have a whole lot more to add. Regarding training, positive reinforcement is best. I am a fan of clicker training myself (http://www.clickertraining.com/). You essentially click immediately when they perform the action you are attempting to train, such as sitting, and then follow that up with a treat. This helps them quickly associate that you are praising them for that specific action. Has worked well for my dogs.
If you have any questions (training, behavioral related, medical related, etc) I'd be happy to help at any time. Just PM me. That also goes for anyone else on this board as well, always happy to provide advice or help for fellow Cyclone fans.
- Jack (2010 Vet Med grad)
If you have any questions (training, behavioral related, medical related, etc) I'd be happy to help at any time. Just PM me. That also goes for anyone else on this board as well, always happy to provide advice or help for fellow Cyclone fans.
- Jack (2010 Vet Med grad)
OK - how big is the crate, I assume bigger since you have a golden. See if you can partition it to make it smaller some how. They need enough room to lay down and turn around - that is it. Otherwise they might do business in a corner. If crying, whining at night try covering the crate with a blanket. Remember puppies are going to go to the bathroom right after they eat or drink, so nothing after 8 was our rule when little.
Don't get discouraged. Consistency is key. There's always going to be accidents or new puppies doing new puppy things, but there were a lot of good tips in this thread. Just keep following those tips, being consistent and using positive training techniques and you'll start to see results very quickly. I got a new Bernese Mountain Dog in April and it was so frustrating at first (it was my first dog), but all along the way there were enough positive milestones to see that progress was still being made. Just stay the course. My dog unfortunately caught a parasite twice and I moved to a new state, and even amid all that chaos, if you keep their schedule and routine consistent, they can and will respond positively.
General rule of thumb for crate training at night: As puppies they can generally "hold it" for as many hours as months they are old. So 3 months = 3 hours. It gets better as they get older, but it's a good place to start. For example I slept my first 8 hour night at about 5 months. Then again, my dog had parasites from the breeder, so it struggled a bit.
Good luck!
