Puppies

The first few days in a new home are extremely important for your puppy. By ten weeks, training can be completed with positive results! House training is very important and should begin as soon as they arrive in their new home. The more times your puppy is rewarded, the quicker he will learn. I have started using a potty pen, which is an 18 square foot pin that allows him to know the correct place for potty time. After he uses his potty pin, he is rewarded and allowed out to play. Then, before we go inside, it’s one more trip to the potty because he will need to go after about 10 minutes of play. Now older, hang a bell that is too large for him to swallow on his level to reach. He quickly learns that when the bell rings, the door opens and it’s off to the potty pin. It’s amazing what these little pups are capable of learning so fast. Biting and mouthing is common in young puppies and dogs, especially in play and while teething. Dogs must learn to inhibit their bite. Normally they would learn this from their mother, their littermates, and other members of the pack. But because we take them away from this environment before this learning is completed, we must take over the training. Remember, once they get older and this bad habit is not corrected, their bite will become hurtful and can be misconstrued as an aggressive bite. Good luck and remember positive reinforcement creates a happy home!