Crazy puppy time

Never ‘tap’ a pups nose
They need boundaries but never smacking or tapping especially on its sensitive nose

If you've never had a puppy before, then you need to look at the videos for positive training. Puppies need 18 hours sleep a day. They are just like children, they get overtired and unruly! They also need to know that mouthing is not an option and they either need distraction techniques or removal from the situation. They do not need taps of any kind, not even gentle ones. Puppies need lots of chewing options (not you) as their baby teeth give them a lot of problems until their adult teeth push through. Nowadays there is so much out there but the one that we found that kept our little girl happy and occupied was a Yak bar. They seemed expensive but lasted well.
I don't know many people who get through puppyhood without having at least one moment of "What have I done, what was I thinking of!"

We used clicker training to start with for our pup and it was very useful because it let her know immediately she did something right and we could treat her soon afterwards. There are plenty of videos to help do the normal things and it takes perseverance. I've found "Look at me!" to get the pup's attention extremely useful.

If you want to train without a clicker, make sure you use a word the moment pup does what you want her to. "Yes!" is a good one because it is short and the s is very good for letting the pup know that this was the moment they got it right.

All the "your dog is a wolf" training has pretty much gone out of fashion and for good reason. You can train a dog with negative methods but you don't get the same rewards and it can cause problems. Far better to train it with positivity so the dog thinks it is doing what it wants to do so does it with pleasure!

Sounds like most toddlers really.

Your voice is good because you always have it with you snd you can’t loose it
As well as distracting when they wrap those needle like puppy teeth round your arm find something they dislike the taste or smell of to put on the bit of you they choose.

A tired dog is a good dog. Despite the long leash there are many running chasing games to be played outside as well as mental games inside. Get one of those balls that dispenses treats but they have to work at it. Good mental stimulation.

Crate training is a must. We always threw a small treat into the crate when then went in and repeated “bedtime’ while giving lots of praise. Dogs are dem animals and their crate is their den. If itan open wire crate put a dark sheet over it to create a quiet darker environment. Make sure it is a comfy place to be. Yes, THEY WILL SCREAM FOR A COUPLE OF NIGHTS. Get earplugs.

But, that is short term pain for long term gain. Again. At night, Take out regularly for potty breaks (every 4-5 hours) then ‘bedtime’ again.

Enjoy. My “pup” is 8. Wish he was a puppy again. So much to love. And yes, the cats will be the alphas.

No need for taps anywhere Just use your voice for commands and keep them brief. It’s all about tone. It’s a dog - so ‘sit’ is enough, not ‘why don’t you sit down for Mummy!’ My friends 4yr old enormous hound is out of control because she insists on a conversation with it - it’s one sided, I’d course!
All puppies have that mad hour - older dogs too. Some of our best dogs started off the wildest although with Springers, the mantra is ‘they’re born half wild and die half trained!’ When we had (very rarely) litters of puppies, we vetted those who wanted to buy them to ensure they were familiar with the breed and had owner a Springer before. Having said that, as adults they were the most laid back, faithful animals, ever.

I would never advocate leaving a dog to scream when there are ways to learn to be alone without it. That short term gain can also lead to separation anxiety with certain breeds. I slept downstairs with our pup gradually moving the crate over the floor and into the hall. Meanwhile, I worked on the crate being a safe space during the day. Other people start off with the crate in the bedroom and move it gradually out of the room.

I’ve been lucky , none of mine have cried at night. Routines and careful crate-puppy pen training plus the warm water bottle or heart beat snuggly job done. My current young lab slept 12-6am then 11-6 gradually going to 10.30-7am in a short time. We had one accidental wee but house trained by 12 weeks

DonnaB5959

A tired dog is a good dog. Despite the long leash there are many running chasing games to be played outside as well as mental games inside. Get one of those balls that dispenses treats but they have to work at it. Good mental stimulation.

Crate training is a must. We always threw a small treat into the crate when then went in and repeated “bedtime’ while giving lots of praise. Dogs are dem animals and their crate is their den. If itan open wire crate put a dark sheet over it to create a quiet darker environment. Make sure it is a comfy place to be. Yes, THEY WILL SCREAM FOR A COUPLE OF NIGHTS. Get earplugs.

But, that is short term pain for long term gain. Again. At night, Take out regularly for potty breaks (every 4-5 hours) then ‘bedtime’ again.

Enjoy. My “pup” is 8. Wish he was a puppy again. So much to love. And yes, the cats will be the alphas.

But make sure, if you close the door on it, that the sheet is secured in some way. There have been cases of the puppy pulling the sheet through the bars of the crate and strangling itself. Mine has a fitted cover. I also hate to see crates with hardly any cushioning on the bottom. Having Whippets means mine have vet bed at the bottom and duvets to snuggle under( although duvets are not ok for puppies which will rip them up and possibly eat them! ).Puppies are just accidents waiting to happen.

Another word of advice I'd add, especially if you are using a crate, is never to leave a dog in it with a collar on. In fact, I'd go one step further and say never have a collar on your dog in the house, especially when you're not there.

Blondiescot

Another word of advice I'd add, especially if you are using a crate, is never to leave a dog in it with a collar on. In fact, I'd go one step further and say never have a collar on your dog in the house, especially when you're not there.

Absolutely. Especially if the collar has one of those bone shaped discs on them. Not only can they get caught on them but they can get their jaw caught under the collar. It’s worse than having toddlers.

Our dogs have never had collars on in the house, but I have a friend who lost her Springer after his collar got caught on a door handle. She came home to find he had been strangled by it. Not a fate I'd wish on any dog - or their poor owner.

I’m another whose dogs don’t wear collars in the house

Our dogs never wore collars and we used rope or leather slip collar/leashes when necessary.
Also beware those Kong things, where you put a treat inside and the dog occupies itself getting it out. DD2 showed me some horrendous pictures where dogs managed to get their tongues stuck inside!

Georgesgran

Our dogs never wore collars and we used rope or leather slip collar/leashes when necessary.
Also beware those Kong things, where you put a treat inside and the dog occupies itself getting it out. DD2 showed me some horrendous pictures where dogs managed to get their tongues stuck inside!

My dog got her teeth stuck in one.

Yes, that's definitely "the zoomies". I had a dog who, as a pup, would have completely mad half hours, 2 or 3 times a day. He'd race round and round the room, over, under, and occasionally through, anything in his way (furniture, people or any inanimate object), until he exhausted himself. He was 23 when he died and he was still doing it, though in later years it was a "mad 30 seconds".

Sharky in action!

Thank you for your words of advice. I feel very reassured to know that this won't last. I have taken on board many of your suggestions and am particularly grateful to Iam64 for suggesting Steve Mann's book. He makes everything sound so obvious. A man came into work today . He had his three dogs with him. We had a long chat and he suggested putting carrots in the freezer to soothe puppy's gums if they are sore.
DD has gone away for a few days so DH and I are in charge. Wish us luck. Xx

Sharky looks fun Joseann

23 years OddOne!! Surely that must be a record. I hope I’m still around if my dog reaches that age.