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Pass The Torch To New Pup Owners


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I've only been on the Forum for 3 years but it seems to me that The Puppy Class of 2014 is unique. First due to some unusual circumstances it seemed it took a very long time for this class to form and then POW it was a puppy boom.

 

Many new owners have lent their voices in support of each other and I hope there will be some lasting friendships of puppy parents. At some point, when you are ready to say something to the next generation and before it gets hazy in the memory I hope you will come to this page and answer a few burning questions:

 

I hope you will pass on what you have learned to others. You may even want to start your advice now and revisit in 6 months and 1 year. You may only have something to say on a few of the questions. It's up to you. What heart advice would you give to the person that just got "the call"?

 

1) If you could do it all over again, what would you do the same and what would you do differently?

 

1a) Any books or videos or training material or classes / trainer time you would recommend?

 

2) What was the biggest surprise when your pup first came home?

 

3) What was the most difficult thing YOU had to learn?

 

4) What was the most difficult thing your PUP had to learn? (how did you work throught that to success together?)

 

5) How did you handle family introductions? Any issues with 2 leggeds or 4 leggeds, feathered or furred? If so, your advice?

 

6) Did you successfully crate train? If yes, how long did you suffer before the howling stopped and anything you would recommend to others?

 

6a) Did your pup have separation issues and if so how did you work through that?

 

7) How long did potty training take? Anything of note that helped you?

 

8) When did teething start for you? When was it over? Any advice or issues?

 

8a) Did you have teething or non teething related biting issues? How did you work through that?

 

9) Anything not covered that you want to add? (leash training, off lead training, food, alpha dog or very submissive/shy dog or other things you think new pup owners often ask or wonder that you can add to?)

 

About you:

 

Summer, fall or winter of life? Kids in the home? Other dogs? Other animals? Country or City?

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Wow, Sherab. This is going to take some big THINKING time and will be well worth the effort. The learning curve is always present for both experienced and new companions to these dogs. Each pup has its individual way of dealing with their human companions and each human has a their way of dealing with their pup. I like the challenge and look forward to everyone's answers. Time to head to the think tank.

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Way to go! What a great thread this will turn out to be....

 

Don't have a lot of time at the moment and I'm not sure if I'm disqualified as a two time AI puppy parent but here's the first few anyway:

 

1) If you could do it all over again, what would you do the same and what would you do differently?

 

I think that I'd like to take a ride out to pick up a pup and meet the man. That said, this whole 'rescue me from the clutches of the inept airline industry' thing has it's merits!

 

1a) Any books or videos or training material or classes / trainer time you would recommend?

 

Big fan of New Skete school and the Cesar Milan way too...recently came across a guy name Zak George who is pretty good.

 

2) What was the biggest surprise when your pup first came home?

 

How small Liliko'i was....5 pounds! By contrast Kona was 9-10 Lbs. That and how well balanced they were upon arrival.

 

3) What was the most difficult thing YOU had to learn?

 

How not to use words. This is a work in progress.

 

4) What was the most difficult thing your PUP had to learn? (how did you work throught that to success together?)

 

She's still working on that but mostly that someone else was in charge.

 

Still working on the other ones but wanted to get the ball rolling....

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Wow, I'm surprised there hasn't been much posted to this thread. I attribute that to joyous merry making and festive gatherings of all types & colors. I for one have been in holiday haze for much of the last 48 hours and thinking is a chore at a minimum....but....here it goes:

 

5) How did you handle family introductions? Any issues with 2 leggeds or 4 leggeds, feathered or furred? If so, your advice?

 

I was quite concerned with introductions when Lilikoi came into our lives. Our bulldozer of a lab/shepherd mix, Ida had never been much of a 'social' animal and in fact was rather aggressive around other animals and somewhat growly with people she didn't know. I was very worried how she'd react to a puppy. There were some moments but generally Lili came equipped with the tools to diffuse most situations that arose between them. There was one instance where Lili was lobbying for affections when Ida lost her temper and squashed Lili like a bug! That was a bit scary but there was no real harm done...aside from some very loud screamage on the part of Lilikoi for a few minutes. There was much less drama when Kekona arrived...in fact Lilikoi ran over to make friends and Kona rebuffed her with a quick bark and snap as if to say, "...fine, but respect my space!" The only advice I can give is to let them work out there own way forward...provide guidance but they can work it out.

 

6) Did you successfully crate train? If yes, how long did you suffer before the howling stopped and anything you would recommend to others?

 

Successfully is the operative word here I'd guess, right? I'm not sure if it's been successful but both dogs have gone through the crate experience. Lilikoi spent about half of the first year in the crate over night...once we felt comfortable with her ability to control herself we started leaving her to sleep where she chose. She uses the crate as an escape when she comes to work with us...which has been minimal since Kona arrived. They both have a high comfort level with the crate during the day and Kona is starting to have nights outside the confines of the crate but restricted to the bedroom so it's evolving along nicely.

 

6a) Did your pup have separation issues and if so how did you work through that?

 

that's still an evolving issue....but to this point not a problem.

 

7) How long did potty training take? Anything of note that helped you?

 

Also still an evolving issue....Kona has her accidents but they're farther and fewer between. Lili had 'poop in the house' events until she was past 1.5 years old!!

 

8) When did teething start for you? When was it over? Any advice or issues?

 

Substitution, substitution, substitution...we've entered Kona's teething stage and she's a considerable challenge compared to what I remember of Lili's teething stage. Lili never really ventured outside of prescribed chew toys so there was little if any problem with teething. Kona however is a different case altogether. She's always trying to find new things to bite on...even if it's for a single bite and on to the next! This makes it challenging to keep the process controlled and minimize damage. Usually though it's Lili's face that is the target of Kona's chewing episodes....

 

8a) Did you have teething or non teething related biting issues? How did you work through that?

 

A loud "OUCH" works for both dogs when the biting escalates. Haven't had too many issues here.

 

9) Anything not covered that you want to add? (leash training, off lead training, food, alpha dog or very submissive/shy dog or other things you think new pup owners often ask or wonder that you can add to?)

 

We're switching to harnesses as both dogs are enthusiastic pullers of the leash. Collars have always been used in my family and we've had Lili on a collar since she's arrived here with us but it's been a constant struggle with Lili pulling on the leash like her life depended on it and now Kona has modeled that behavior so it's a real joy walking the two of them to say the least. Every thing that I've tried has failed to curb this behavior...hoping the harness thing helps break that.

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Awesome. I am also hoping people will have time and inclination to contribute to this ambitious thread. I was thinking I'd have time in the year to data mine the Forum and organize some of the best advice to frequently asked questions outlined in this thread. Certainly not all inclusive of the puppy experience but the things people ask and deal with most often. A sort of starter manual. I know at times I've looked for things I've read in the past and haven't been able to find them. I think it would be easy to pop stuff into a word document once the content is there and organize it. I was picturing a cover like this:

 

So you got one of these: Oneofthese.jpg

 

Heart advice from new pup owners to you.

 

Cut and past text into order, sprinkle in some cute pictures

 

Chapter 3 is also ear marked for Pee Pee Pee.

 

Then I'm sure someone clever like Allison could figure out how to load up the end product somewhere on the site.

 

Anyhow that was my dastardly plan, just needs content. Not that this would ever take the place of forum discussion. Every dog is different and context is always important (which would be an opening disclaimer). Besides there seem to be a lot of folks that don't join the forum. Maybe a "greatest hits" document would help them.

 

Anyhow don't be scared away. This is strictly voluntary with no deadline. Ha!

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RE teething. I like bones for that. Also soaking a split antler in some broth to make the object for teething the most desirable thing. It can be very challenging to keep the teether focused as you have noticed. The only time I've let my AIDs go to town on cow femur soup bones was early in the process when they had baby teeth that needed to be helped along (The weight bearing bones of large animals can be too strong for AIDs and can cause cracked adult teeth). A good chicken leg or lamb shank or soup bone and the loose teeth came right out. It seemed to me that once the baby tooth was out the intensity was somewhat less. I also think we went through a lot of peanut butter in water buffalo horns. Also good overall nutrition - had a GSD that went nuts with the teething - one bite here, one there. He was older when we got him and clearly a bit deficient so we gave him vitamins and the random tastings stopped. When they grow they might need more of something they aren't getting enough of and that can drive some sampling.

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I love this idea but things have just been too busy to sit down and give it the time it deserves. We still have company from the holidays and lots of post holiday plans too. I promise to answer all the questions soon. I really hope more people will participate. I love the idea of putting it all together as a great resource!

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Sherab, this is amazing. Incredibly excited to have this as a consolidated resource to check back to! We'll gladly contribute when we've got a little more perspective under our belts- for the moment, Mr Townes is keeping us fully engaged and learning every day. In the meantime, all of your help and stories are priceless. Happy New Year to everyone!

xo from Townes

2014-12-25 08.56.59 1.jpg

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They sleep in some funny positions. We put a wine bottle next to our cat when he was sleeping like that. gotta look for that (it was pre- electronic photos).

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#6 - crate training tip:

 

If you can, let puppy fall asleep after eating or whatever in the hang out room. Puppy, at lest mine, likes to move around - so ten to 20 minutes into sleep, hook leash onto collar, lead sleepy pup into crate, unhook leash or collar, softly sing lullaby - or don't sing if this will wake your dog (LOL) - treat, good ...., close crate door, and walk away.

 

Walla!!!!!!!!! :D

 

(I remembered how my Mom used to ride us around in the car and then carry us sleepy little kids into the house and into bed).

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Best of the best on weight:

this threat

 

http://www.iidoba.or...ic=3371&hl=food

 

Denise E:

 

Increasing exercise is never a bad thing (for the dog and the human - LOL!), then cutting back on food if necessary - if you feel your dog is overweight. Of course making sure you are feeding a high quality food.

 

What does your vet say?

 

My VoAg educated rules of thumb for an ADULT DOG (not AI Dog specific): :)

If you can't feel your dogs ribs easily - too fat. If you can see the ribs, probably too thin.

Base of tail should not be bony, feel smooth, flat, should be able to feel bones underneath the layer (know their there) when handling the area.

Dog should have a waist between ribs and hips, again bones showing could indicate a bit thin.

Looking at the dog from the side, should see an abdominal tuck (upward) between chest and back legs.

The amount of tuck will depend on the breed and current AI Dog owners can give more info -

 

OR you can look at the AI Dog breeder pages on Kim's site. I haven't seen an overweight dog there.

 

Maybe some of the AI Dog owners with the larger ones will reply. ^_^

 

and from Woodrat (with picture of what good is in the original thread):

 

You should be able to easily feel his ribs when you pet down his sides. I once read that a good way to tell what's 'right' is to compare to your own hand: a healthy dogs' ribs should feel similar to the lower part of the back of your hand - a layer of skin/tissue covering bone structure that is barely visible as you move your fingers. Obviously if they feel more like your knuckles the dog is too skinny. If they feel like the area on your palm beneath your thumb then that's too heavy. When the dog is standing still, you should be able to see very clearly the outline of the ribs and when the dog is moving or has taken a large breath you would get a glimpse of the last 1 or 2 ribs now and then.

Dogs do not have a very thick layer of muscle on the lower portion of their ribs especially, so if they're hard to feel it's because there's a layer of fat over them.

AIdogs especially are built very lightly as a rule. Most people think Tamarack is underweight because they're trying to compare him to a much heavier boned dog! (shepherd) He is 50 lbs right on the dot.

I'll attach a photo of T standing next to his buddy Manzo (cattle dog x) - both at a very good weight. Note the visible rib cage, but not individual ribs.

Attached Thumbnails (the photo wouldn't copy so if you want to see the picture, click the link and scroll to Woodrat's answer)

Edited by Sherab
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From the wife:

 

1) If you could do it all over again, what would you do the same and what would you do differently?

Picking Elena up and seeing the other dogs is magical and helps to form an internal reminder that yes, they are smart; and yes, I need to have tough love to train any of these dogs properly for the happiness of all…falling for 'cuteness' could happen easily when visiting Songdog and meeting so many wonderful dogs

 

1a) Any books or videos or training material or classes / trainer time you would recommend?

Dog Whisperer and don't over read/watch shows…keep it simple and basic

 

2) What was the biggest surprise when your pup first came home?

She knew her name, three commands, and bonded with the boys within 24hours

 

3) What was the most difficult thing YOU had to learn?

She still is a dog…consistency is a requirement…can you tell she is cute and knows how to use it?

 

4) What was the most difficult thing your PUP had to learn? (how did you work throught that to success together?)

Elena is part of our family pack but this doesn't include all of our space/food/time etc…limits with love and time...

 

5) How did you handle family introductions? Any issues with 2 leggeds or 4 leggeds, feathered or furred? If so, your advice?

They can work it out if you don't get in the way too much with human feelings…:*)

 

6) Did you successfully crate train? If yes, how long did you suffer before the howling stopped and anything you would recommend to others?

na

 

6a) Did your pup have separation issues and if so how did you work through that?

Again, tough love works really well…know when and how to give the appropriate love to build the strongest bond with your dog…read what Kim has already posted and practice it

 

7) How long did potty training take? Anything of note that helped you?

I think this depends on each pup and situation: For us, praise when she goes at the right time and place is enormously important…having the boys pee outside with her for awhile established a 'place' but not everyone can do this without having a large property…she tended to want to go to the bathroom and do her business with each of us…at least she knew where it happens…think ahead of your pup…time intervals/schedule set her up for success and this takes a great amount of energy some days lol

 

8) When did teething start for you? When was it over? Any advice or issues?

instantly…have chew toys/sticks ready! still going…keep your important-to-you items picked up and watch for choking hazards…the more exercise/play time seems to help tired pups don't chew as much

 

8a) Did you have teething or non teething related biting issues? How did you work through that?

Dogs pull and nip at each other as part of their play, but putting boundaries on ok/not ok human-dog play is a must…you are still the one in-charge or your pup will dominate you/family…establish the pecking order early and what all humans will say/do in each situation…children will copy their parents but it often is delivered with different intensities that may/not be right-educate and practice what to do in different scenarios

 

9) Anything not covered that you want to add? (leash training, off lead training, food, alpha dog or very submissive/shy dog or other things you think new pup owners often ask or wonder that you can add to?)

These dogs are amazing! beautiful! athletic! smart!…and they are still dogs…I feel sometimes owners get swept into the intelligence and beauty of the dog and forget this point…don't misunderstand, we LOVE and cherish Elena…she is a family member-with loving limits….we don't put words/thoughts into her mouth…she is plenty vocal in her own way…

 

About you:

Mom, farmer/rancher, educator, outdoorsmen, gardener - early summer of life, 2 boys, 3 dogs, chickens, turkeys, cat, cows, etc…California

 

I hope this is helpful…the wife :*)

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Excellent! Very nice. One point of clarification, when you say the boys peed with her in the beginning and you need ehm a large property for this I am assuming these are your human boys, yes?

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lol yes…we have two boys ages 8 and 9 our dog boys are 5 and 10 and they all worked together to establish a potty place…basically the older dogs have their spots and the boys would take Elena to this area and pee…she was doing her own thing real quick…smart girl...

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1) If you could do it all over again, what would you do the same and what would you do differently? Differently: Done more research on having two puppies in the home at the same time...it's been a big challenge. More on that below.

 

1a) Any books or videos or training material or classes / trainer time you would recommend? This forum! I believe it has helped me much more than the Monks or the Dog Whisperer, to be honest. Trying to do some of the stuff in the monks books didn't work at all, in fact made things worse. AI dogs are unique, and each one is it's own version of unique.

 

2) What was the biggest surprise when your pup first came home? For us, for sure it was that Sita didn’t instantly bond to us in the way our other dogs had...she just wasn’t that affectionate. This led to all sorts of hand wringing and worrying, but that phase just lasted a few weeks. Lots of good love, training, and sensitivity to what worked for her, and she is a super affectionate, bonded, and cuddly girl now.

 

3) What was the most difficult thing YOU had to learn? How to be an effective alpha. I alternated between being the big marshmallow, and then trying to be a very serious drill sergeant...no fun for me, and no doubt confusing for Sita. I got lots of words of support from this forum, even a Skype session from one kind forum member, and am now feeling much more confident in my leadership skills...I can direct her without becoming emotional. Also, how to be that alpha while still honoring her unique personality and preferences...she is not a shrinking violet, this one...how to give her as much freedom to be herself, while still setting firm boundaries. Choosing my battles

 

4) What was the most difficult thing your PUP had to learn? (how did you work throught that to success together?) That life requires her to be alone sometimes. Not a whole lot compared to many dogs, as my wife and I both do a lot of our work from home...but Sita did and still does at times raise a holy ruckus when she is crated or left in the car, or even just left alone in a room. She is VERY pack oriented.

 

5) How did you handle family introductions? Any issues with 2 leggeds or 4 leggeds, feathered or furred? If so, your advice? My advice is, think twice before getting two puppies at roughly the same time. We got our chihuahua Tanka just two months before Sita, and he was well bonded to us already. Sita, the first few weeks, was seemingly only interested in him...so much advice out there, we now have learned, is that puppies can easily become more bonded to one another than to their people...often it is better to stagger getting your dogs, if you want a pack. We had to start deliberately separating them, only allowing a small amount of time for them to play each day. This was hard on the family, hard on her at first, but it DID help turn her towards us and away from thinking about Tanka all the time.

 

6) Did you successfully crate train? If yes, how long did you suffer before the howling stopped and anything you would recommend to others? Howling still happens at times (Sita is 4 months now), much better than before. Plenty of exercise is key for her...I try not to put her in there if she hasn’t had a run yet that day. I don’t know if she’ll ever be a dog that loves her crate, as so many do. I only intend to use it to the point that she is no longer destroying things in the house...she’s really learning lately what is chewable and what isn’t. Part of that is me being really responsible and diligent, watching her carefully when she’s roaming free so that she’s not chewing on pillows and furniture, or if she does, correcting her quickly (and intensely, in the case of putting holes in the couch!!!) so she can learn, and therefore earn more freedom. Tried putting Kongs, yummy chews, etc. in crate with her...usually she doesn’t touch them until she is free and door is open.

 

6a) Did your pup have separation issues and if so how did you work through that? LOL still working through it.

 

7) How long did potty training take? Anything of note that helped you? Potty training has been ridiculously easy. We touched her paw to a bell by the door every time she went out for the first week, and by week two she was hitting the bell to let us know. She really prefers to potty outside, which has been a huge blessing.

 

8) When did teething start for you? When was it over? Any advice or issues? No real new advice, except simply investing in LOTS of toys, bully sticks, kongs, pig ears, etc. because she doesn’t stay interested in any one thing for long. Also, not being afraid to be quite intense when she is chewing on something valuable...I sometimes have taken her by her collar, made her look at me, and bared my teeth and growled, or shaken her by the scruff with a loud NO!

 

8a) Did you have teething or non teething related biting issues? How did you work through that? A brief hard nip/bite phase. I followed Kim’s advice and “bit” her back, quite hard, by pinching her lip until she yelped, reprimanding her, then ignoring her for a while. I only had to do this maybe 5 times over a week or two, and the nips of body and clothing stopped. It was amazing to see her relax and submit, I was afraid of hurting her feelings but quite the opposite, it brought us closer.

 

9) Anything not covered that you want to add? (leash training, off lead training, food, alpha dog or very submissive/shy dog or other things you think new pup owners often ask or wonder that you can add to?) As others have said, AI dogs are sensitive and at the same time very smart and strong willed....so finding that balance of respecting their great intelligence and beauty and individuality, while still giving the tough love. Keeping your sense of humor, because really, all puppies want to do is have fun so all of their foibles are based on that...being alpha while enjoying yourself doing it. That’s been a big key for me.

 

About you:

 

Summer, fall or winter of life? Kids in the home? Other dogs? Other animals? Country or City? I guess I would say I’m in late summer. Only fur kids in our home, two little dogs and two older cats. Small town country style living, close to the beaches and the redwood forests, lots of places for our dogs to run and play

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Many new owners have lent their voices in support of each other and I hope there will be some lasting friendships of puppy parents. At some point, when you are ready to say something to the next generation and before it gets hazy in the memory I hope you will come to this page and answer a few burning questions:

 

I hope you will pass on what you have learned to others. You may even want to start your advice now and revisit in 6 months and 1 year. You may only have something to say on a few of the questions. It's up to you. What heart advice would you give to the person that just got "the call"?

 

1) If you could do it all over again, what would you do the same and what would you do differently?

I would probably not fly our puppy to us again. Our puppy spent 12 hours in transit, and that isn’t counting the time spent getting him to the airport & checked in. He is now terrified of planes. We live close enough to the airport that planes are flying low over our house every day. He still trembles when he hears or sees one. He also hates the noise and motion of the car. We’re still working on getting him over that fear. When you figure in the COD charge for flying the pup, it may not be unreasonable to fly and pick it up in person. That way you can take his crate on the plane and keep him in the cabin with you. It’s something I’d definitely consider if we do it again.

He had a very long day of travel to reach us. He was on a couple flights and his total travel time in the crate was probably 16 hours. Be prepared to bathe your pup when he arrives because they will have been eliminating in the crate through-out the travel time. He got in after midnight so we just wiped him down the first night and saved the bath for the following day.

I would also be more prepared for a VERY high energy dog. We call Boone our 4 legged toddler with hyperactive attention deficit disorder! We’ve even have total strangers refer to him that way! One neighbor says she laughs every day just seeing him because he reminds her of their 2 year old. My husband has had boxers and he said that this pup easily matches and exceeds the energy of a boxer.

I would definitely go with the AID again. The first 2 months I honestly wasn’t sure we’d made the right choice but they are just special. You’ll understand when you get one!

I would once again stick to the tough love. We were tired, frustrated and hanging on by a thread at times. But if we’d given an inch, we’d have a monster dog on our hands. It’s HARD, but it pays off.

I would also use the SDK forums again. The experienced owners are a wealth of knowledge and have helped so much along the way! I can’t stress that enough. Use them to your advantage!

I think that going with the larger crate and creating a den atmosphere was very helpful. I think covering his blankets and bedding in our scent was beneficial too. He loves the crate and really wants to be in it. I’ve elaborated on that further down.

 

1a) Any books or videos or training material or classes / trainer time you would recommend? I read the Monks of Skeet books and we watched a lot of Cesar Millan’s techniques. I think all of that helped me be prepared for tough love and consistency. We do a minimum of 2 training sessions every day, from the very first day he came home. We didn’t think he was picking up anything at first. As I mentioned he fought us on everything and training was a big one. Then one day Boone woke up and decided to show off… he’d been paying attention to all those sessions. Buy a good quality treat—high protein and grain free. That way you don’t need to worry if he fills up on treats instead of kibble. A high quality kibble also makes a good treat when they are still small.

On an added note- our pup refused to submit for any reason. None of the techniques in the books or shows worked. We hired a trainer to come to the house. Same thing. The trainer actually quit on us. Our pup challenged us at every turn and refused to submit to us. He is not an alpha dog. He is actually a very submissive dog, but he just wasn’t ready to hand over the title of pack leader to us. We had to earn that.

 

We started puppy socialization classes at 12 weeks and enrolled in a basic puppy training class at 4 months. The formal training didn’t work for us. You can read Boone’s tread under New Pups if you want to know about that!

 

 

2) What was the biggest surprise when your pup first came home?

Our puppy hated the house. They are raised outside and have never been indoors. We had never considered the possibility that he wouldn’t like being indoors. He loved being outdoors and spent hours laying in the bushes and hiding in the tall ornamental grasses. But he refused to cross the threshold into our house & we had to physically carry him into the house each time. All the sights, sounds, smells and textures indoors were new to him. It was just sensory overload. It was a rough way to start out but he gradually came to LOVE the house and the softer things in life. We just let him be outside as much as possible and spent time bonding with him outdoors and indoors.

 

3) What was the most difficult thing YOU had to learn?

A whole lot of the techniques we studied or used with previous pets didn’t work with our super smart & super stubborn pup. I would say don’t be too rigid & be prepared to rethink the plan when it isn’t working. We have had to often ask ourselves, “What can we change or eliminate that would help solve this particular behavior problem or ease our frustration?” Many times it’s been changing the way WE were doing something.

 

Our pup is very in tune with our energy. If we’re frustrated or angry he picks up on that & it agitates him and he doesn’t respond to us. We have had to really work on demonstrating that calm assertive energy!

 

 

4) What was the most difficult thing your PUP had to learn? (how did you work through that to success together?)

Boone had to learn that he wasn’t in charge. He didn’t like that one bit. It took a LONG two months for him to stop challenging us. It was so incredibly frustrating because he literally challenged us on every small thing throughout the day. We were both mentally and physically exhausted.

Looking back, I would say that Boone made us earn the title of pack leader. We stayed committed to tough love and worked at being consistent with the house rules. We knew if we gave in even once, he’d have won. One day Boone woke up and had simply decided that we could be the pack leaders. I didn’t trust it! I was sure it was a fluke. It wasn’t until a few days passed that I was able to sigh and realize the fight was over. Now I’m not saying he became a perfect dog overnight-- but he stopped challenging us on every little thing, all day long.

 

5) How did you handle family introductions? Any issues with 2 leggeds or 4 leggeds, feathered or furred? If so, your advice?

He was very withdrawn the first 24 hours. He didn’t eat anything the first couple of days. We let him proceed on his own terms and tried not to overwhelm him at first. We told everyone that we didn’t want any visitors during the first week. It was hard because everyone wanted to come over and meet him. But we stuck to it and gave him plenty of time to adjust to the new living situation. This was planned ahead of time but became important for him because his adjustment to life indoors was difficult. Another pup may be happy to meet a houseful of people!

 

Our puppy is extremely social. He loves every dog, cat, man, woman and child he comes across. He thinks they should all be his personal playmates.

 

6) Did you successfully crate train? If yes, how long did you suffer before the howling stopped and anything you would recommend to others?

We started out using a large metal crate from the very first night. We covered it with a heavy dark blanket and rested a ticking clock against the outside back wall. He still loves to lay next to that ticking clock at 5 months of age! We had selected a stuffed dog that looked like one of his litter mates. We put that in the crate too. He loved that little dog from the first night! He still sleeps with his head or paw on it. We also took the dog pillow from the crate and added it to our dirty laundry basket for a couple weeks before he arrived. We wanted it covered in our scent. We did the same thing with the rug we wanted him to use in the kitchen. The first night he was traumatized from the travel and never made a peep. The second night he howled quite a bit. The third night he started howling and we hushed him and gave the crate a rap. He quieted down and it was never a problem after that. He actually likes the crate and takes naps there. If he gets tired in the evening he’ll go to the bedroom door and whine. When we open the door, he runs right into his crate for the night. He’s had a couple episodes of “forgetting” how to go in the crate during growth phases (usually for a week or two) and a treat always worked then.

 

6a) Did your pup have separation issues and if so how did you work through that?

Boone became attached to us very quickly. He still hates being separated from us. We tried to keep him in the kitchen while we went about our daily routine. He could see us moving about and learned that we would return shortly. We worked hard at not making a big deal of leaving or coming home. After returning we wait several minutes to greet him. We don’t make a big deal of leaving or coming home. He is always crated if we aren’t home and I never go straight to the crate. When I go into the room where the crate is, I do a few things in the room before I go over to it and let him out. We head straight to the yard for a potty break and THEN we do the happy dance and love on each other.

 

7) How long did potty training take? Anything of note that helped you?

Boone was fairly easy to potty train. We took him outside every hour and repeated “find a spot” until he did. We also took a tip from the Monks of Skeet and repeated that phrase softly while he went. Now we can just say that phrase and he starts looking for a spot and goes. Set a timer to remind yourself to take the pup out. It’s amazing how quickly an hour goes by. We took him out 15 minutes after every meal. Any longer and he’d pee in the house. We put the water up and gave it to him with meals and at other selected times for the first few weeks. That let us know we had 15 minutes max to get him outside. You’ll start to learn your pups subtle clues pretty quickly. Boone never barked and still doesn’t. He’ll pace and he’ll sniff. He doesn’t like to go outside alone. We say, “Whose turn is it to hold his paw?” He literally wants us to walk him out into the grass. Boone hates going out in the rain. His one & only incident of pooping in the house happened when it rained for days and he didn’t want to go outside. We’ve had mixed success with using a bell on the door. He tends to use it to call us into the room when he’s lonely. We took him outside for the last time around 11 pm at first and then put him in the crate. The first week or so he woke up once during the night to go out. I put him on a leash and went directly outside and then directly back to the crate. Not much talking and no playing. Within a couple weeks he was going 8 hours. Now that he’s 5 months old, we put him in the crate around 9:30 or 10:00 pm and he gets up between 7 and 8 am.

 

 

8) When did teething start for you? When was it over? Any advice or issues?

Teething started within the first 2 weeks of arriving. Pick your battles. It’s truly easier to move everything up and out of the way that you don’t want chewed. There are plenty of frustrations to deal with. Eliminate the ones you can. We gave Boone natural antlers and sheep horns. They’re still his favorite chew toys. The vet had Dentahex digestible beef hide chews that were great for the first month or so. He likes Kongs and Bully Bones now that he’s older. Boone is extremely sensitive to anything with sugar (including glucose, glycerin, and fructose) so we didn’t buy a lot of the commercial chew products. Sugar turned him into a crazy devil dog. We found that a rubber Kong chew toy coated with some unsweetened peanut butter works well. Teething continues in spurts.

 

8a) Did you have teething or non teething related biting issues? How did you work through that?

Biting was a huge problem for us. Boone was an aggressive biter. He was really bad about chewing and attacking our feet and clothing. Any attempts to stop him just seemed to fuel the aggression. My clothes had holes and my legs and feet were tore up. Once he latched on you couldn’t pry him off. He’d come charging at me from across the room or across the yard and just latch on. We were about to lose our minds when a trainer told us to buy a good quality squirt bottle and set it to stream. Every time he came at us we sprayed him and the problem vanished. The squirt bottle came in handy for other undesirable behavior too. For typical play biting, I yelp when he bites too hard. He will almost always follow it up with a lick and gentler bites.

 

9) Anything not covered that you want to add? (leash training, off lead training, food, alpha dog or very submissive/shy dog or other things you think new pup owners often ask or wonder that you can add to?)

We had bought goat’s milk before Boone arrived. Kim gives the new pups goat’s milk with their puppy kibble. Boone wouldn’t eat the first couple of days he was here. He would lap up all the goat’s milk, so at least he was getting some nutrition. Don’t buy the goat’s milk at the pet store. The fresh goat’s milk in the grocery store is about 1/3 price.

If you’re going with puppy kibble instead of a raw diet, I’d highly recommend a high protein no grain variety. It’s more expensive but it’s also more filling, so they eat less of it. Our personal philosophy is to buy food and treats made in the USA, with as few ingredients as possible.

Start leash training in your own yard right away. They want to follow you and stay by your side at that age. It gets tougher as they grow. We’re still working on walking without pulling. Boone loves to pull. I swear he’d be a great sled dog! We tried a front lead harness with no success. Working with a slip (choke) collar now and having more success.

 

 

 

 

About you:

 

Summer, fall or winter of life? Kids in the home? Other dogs? Other animals? Country or City

 

We are both 49 years old and our kids are grown and have moved out. Nick is a C5-6 quadriplegic so we wanted a dog that would adjust to our lifestyle, which is a little less active than some. Boone has tons of energy so it’s forcing us to be more physically active-- which is good! We don’t have any other pets in the house but Boone loves cats and dogs. We’re considering a playmate for him. Nick has had a lot of experience with dogs and had other high energy breeds. I had not had a dog since I was a very small kid. We live in the suburbs, outside Dallas, TX. We have a large fenced in corner lot. Boone loves to be outside and loves to run. I honestly can’t imagine having one of these dogs without room for them to get out and play frequently through out the day. I know our dog would be miserable if he were inside all day. Every dog is different so I’d be interested in hearing how it’s gone for those in apartments or those who crate while at work for long periods of time. Nick works 4 days a week outside the house and from home the rest of the week. Luckily, I’m now home all day, every day so Boone get lots of outside play time.

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What a great post Denise, thank you! It sounds like Boone has made you folks work about 5x as hard as Sita has made us work, truly. I've been around pups (always male) before who are stubborn and relentless, sounds like you had lots of love and commitment and now you are being rewarded with the magic of these special dogs...I had my moments of wondering if I had made the right choice, and now I'm so grateful to have a dog that is so smart, wily, funny, beautiful, sweet, magical, and personable...glad we made it, whew!

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Wow that is a wonderfully well detailed and thought out answer! Thank you. I am sure it will be a big help (and can you believe YOU are now the alimni already?).

 

I do want to ecco what you said about needing to triangulate on an answer and be prepared to scrap a plan or two. Often times on the Forum we will tell you opposite things - this worked for me and that completely opposite thing worked for someone else and you have to figure out which one works for you (or neither and when to realize that your situation needs a custom answer). Sometimes you have to use your intuition and do what seems crazy but that's what works.

 

RE bitting - There seem to be pups that respond to the typical coaching - in rough order of escalation: redirect to appropriate toy, yelp when it nips and stop playing, say NO!, growl, pinch your pup back, scruff pup with hard stare and NO, alpha roll etc and then there are paranah pups. Thanks to this group and some other Alumni we learned about tears (that none of the conventional advice works for some subset of pups) and about the squirt bottle. If you have tried the typical things and are getting holes in you and your clothes that's a good sign that you need a squirt bottle.

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This is so true.

 

3) What was the most difficult thing YOU had to learn?

 

How not to use words. This is a work in progress.

 

 

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Posted 21 December 2014 - 07:59 AM

Sherab said: “I've only been on the Forum for 3 years but it seems to me that The Puppy Class of 2014 is unique. First due to some unusual circumstances it seemed it took a very long time for this class to form and then POW it was a puppy boom.

Many new owners have lent their voices in support of each other and I hope there will be some lasting friendships of puppy parents. At some point, when you are ready to say something to the next generation and before it gets hazy in the memory I hope you will come to this page and answer a few burning questions:

I hope you will pass on what you have learned to others. You may even want to start your advice now and revisit in 6 months and 1 year. You may only have something to say on a few of the questions. It's up to you. What heart advice would you give to the person that just got "the call"?”

Thank you, SHERAB for starting this topic.

The Forum has been priceless!

Thanks to the Administrators for starting it and everyone for keeping it going!

 

I’m from the FALL CLASS 2014.

Here’s my thoughts (02-06-2015):

1) If you could do it all over again, what would you do the same and what would you do differently?
SAME: HMMMM, this is a tough question – as prepared as I was from previous experience with animals and being active on the forum while waiting and reading Cesar’s books, Monks of New Skete books and other training books, shows and online help – that first weekend is all a blur!

I keep my pup’s crate in my bedroom. I had one night of terrible howling/ ear splitting yapping/yelping/barking the second night she was home. I did NOT give in and let her out. After that she settled in.

I am lucky enough to know dog owners with different size crates. I bought a small puppy crate, thinking it would work for a couple months (sizing based on an AI puppy I met late summer) and it only lasted a month. (Tayamni lets me know when it is time for a larger crate.)

For daytime crating, I found that letting her start a nap around people and then walking her with leash to the crate after she was asleep about 10 minutes really stopped the protests of little puppy being crated during the day. Tayamni had a 4 foot cat leash attached to her collar most of her waking time the first month or so.

Also SAME: I learned to pick my battles while being alpha. I look at it ‘big picture’ and training as a marathon, not a sprint.

Also SAME: For morning pee or anytime coming out of crate first few months: have door unlocked, gates down and attach leash before leaving crate then “Let’s go” dash for the door and outside. Any stop or hesitation could cause a squat (I have a girl).

DIFFERENTLY: Hopefully next time, YES I said next time (when it’s time) I’ll be able to make the trip to SDK to pick up pup. I live in Florida and looked up a plane ticket for me to go but the shipping in my case was a third the price of a round trip ticket. I would love to be in a position next time to drive out and back so I could bring Tayamni (my AI pup) with me of course!

It took Tayamni 14 hours to get here and she is the same litter as Boone yet took to flying like she is a frequent flyer! Kim shipped her to me a week later – I don’t know if that made a difference – Tayamni loves car rides and we are in plane landing routes and Tayamni actually looks up and watches the planes from our backyard.

Also DIFFERENTLY: I would have gotten my smell on more of the items I bought for her. I like the suggestion on putting her bed and items in with my dirty laundry to prepare them and help in the bonding process. Tayamni is almost 5 months old and is a very independent pup. She adores people and other animals and stops listening to me when there are these tempting distractions. We are working on this.

Also DIFFERENTLY: I probably would walk the front yard also initially with puppy to establish front yard boundries FIRST before of straight out to the road walks. My heart stopped when she ran out through the front yard and straight out into the street once. Now, we meander around the front yard and back and forth the perimeter before going for our walk around the block(s). MY fault for not starting to show front yard boundry immediately. I inadvertently taught her the beeline!

Also DIFFERENTLY: I didn’t use a long training lead because Tayamni did so well with recall in the house and in the backyard and even on walks and in class.
WELL, now that she is able to go to the dog park (distractions) she doesn’t hear me, or respond, I can’t whistle or throw my voice loudly (unless I’m mad yelling) so I need to find ‘our cue’ that will bring her back to me. I am working with a long training lead now but starting right away with a longer lead – or- at least prior to dog park – would have been very beneficial – AGAIN – my bad, not hers..

1a) Any books or videos or training material or classes / trainer time you would recommend?

This forum, this forum, this forum! I read many OLD (date) training topics and pup updates. I keep reading now, even when I don’t have time to post.

 

Books I spoke of above are great for general help (my opinion / experience). Every situation is different. My sister lives with me and has an adult dog with Anxiety and fear aggression. The Monks of New Skete have a breeding and training program and Cesar has a well-balanced pack to help him. Then every AI pup is different, Tayamni and Boone are littermates yet are developing differently and need different training focus sometimes.

 

I spoke with a few trainers that gave group classes and settled on one that I liked. Tayamni was able to get into a Puppy II group class at 11 weeks old. She didn’t have much focus until week 3 of the class but has graduated and was the most improved!

 

Parvo is reported in Broward County. I was selective where we went and interacted until she had full immunity. It is a balance, early socialization is very important! This meant car rides early too. Tayamni LOVES car rides – it always means an adventure!

 

Oh and dog postures, behavior books! I didn’t read any before but found out about them by a forum member here recently.

 

2) What was the biggest surprise when your pup first came home?

Her size! I thought she would be a little smaller!
Also, that she never gave an indication when she had to go potty. I quickly got on the proactive schedule – LOL!

Her ENERGY!!!!! She is a low-mid energy dog on the spectrum of AI dogs and she needed a good two – three hours expended energy exercising a day. My sister explained her as “three- two year old kids on sugar all rolled into one puppy”. That was pretty exact. It was full on exercise play & sleep.

 

3) What was the most difficult thing YOU had to learn?

I’m still learning. I’ll get back to you all on this in 6 months or so. (see also my do DIFFERENT list above).

I grew up on a farm, so tough/love and being creative to solve a problem (knowing when to try a different tactic) are already in me.

I think so far, the most difficult thing is forgiving myself for not being pro-active in some training and decisions.

OOOHHHH! I just remembered! I’m working with certain commands for her and then I have lately been using the same word to mean something different. I am confusing her. You see, the training classes are really for ME!

 

4) What was the most difficult thing your PUP had to learn? (how did you work through that to success together?)

Paws off: Tayamni loves to stretch and put her paws up on things – especially if it involves food.
We are working on this. It is difficult because she sees cats on counter and thinks she’s part cat.

(The listening with distractions, previously spoken of, too. And we are working on that.)

 

5) How did you handle family introductions? Any issues with 2 leggeds or 4 leggeds, feathered or furred? If so, your advice?

Tayamni has been taught four-on-the-floor is the way to get attention from people. Sometimes she forgets with me. I tell her OFF and ‘Yes” when she is down and if it happens again just turn and ignore her.

Tayamni’s issue with two leggeds is that she adores them so much, she is vocal if tied and no one pays attention to her – when she is tied. We have tried ignoring her and as long as person is insight she goes on and on. I was asked not to bring her back to location. I’m hoping she grows out of this. It’s the only place she had to be tied out on a long lead.

With 4 leggeds, she loves cats and dogs. She is VERY submissive to adult dogs and dogs bigger than her and I have to watch at dog park. We have had many GREAT experiences (she runs with little dogs and big dogs and has the time of her life) and then a couple upsetting experiences because of her submissiveness (rolls over on her back) and another dog’s aggressiveness – taking advantage of a fully submissive pup. No blood drawn - could have been my arm. Some owner’s don’t check their dogs, or neuter their pets ….. or something.

I think as she matures she will gain confidence. She is alpha over the adult dog (anxiety dog) at the house and acts different with strange dogs. She wants to play with them. She really does love to play with other animals but sometimes she goes immediately submissive!

 

6) Did you successfully crate train? If yes, how long did you suffer before the howling stopped and anything you would recommend to others?

Yes! Tayamni likes her crate. She likes to have a little wiggle room, room to stretch while sleeping.

I only had one night / morning of crystal toning/ ear splitting crying! OMG!

For daytime crating, she only really fussed for long periods of time when being crated while someone is home. I found that letting her start a nap around people and then walking her with leash to the crate after she was asleep about 10 minutes really stopped the protests of little puppy being crated during the day. Tayamni had a 4 foot cat leash attached to her collar most of her waking time the first month or so. This is the best observation I stumbled upon and saved my sister’s sanity!

6a) Did your pup have separation issues and if so how did you work through that?

Tayamni whines when Roger and Kelli leave the house for a walk (I’m in the house), Kelli told me Tayamni whines when I leave for work. We found out that she doesn’t like being tied out away from people. (I should have conditioned her to that as a younger puppy? She was 12 weeks old the first time I did it. She was jumping on everyone and on the table outside – maybe as she gets older she will allow being tied out in view of people and enjoy it ??? TBD….)

My sister and I were at the Dog park on Saturday and I got called in to work - I was gone just over ½ an hour and Tayamni was having so much fun running with all the dogs that she didn’t know I was gone until I got back. Kelli said she went to the fence for the first time when I was walking up the sidewalk. Tayamni will be 5 months old next week.

 

7) How long did potty training take? Anything of note that helped you?

Tayamni was slow on potty training and it took over a month before accidents reduced substantially. One night I walked her around to potty and kept saying her potty song over and over and NOTHING. Walk in the door and first room we get to – she drops and pees a huge puddle. Why? I have absolutely no clue.

She also would rather puddle (especially) on concrete for a long time. She still does all her business on the sidewalks every now and then.

It was about 6 weeks I had her before she started sleeping through the night. (just b4 Christmas she started sleeping through the night most nights).

Tayamni is just now starting to make some POTTY alert sounds but not all the time.

Be PROACTIVE right away – hourly potty breaks, 10 – 15 minutes after eating. Potty when puppy gets excited about something, like someone coming home. Hopefully your pup will learn to go on command and not be picky and hold it the way mine did.

I just stayed as proactive as possible and outlasted her. Many a “NOOOOOO!!!!!!” pickup up pup and rush out door to the ground. As she’s grown, she’s gotten more care-free about where she is when she goes outside.

She has only fudged in the house once and she went behind a chair (trying to hide it?). It was raining and she doesn’t like to go out in the rain – although once outside as long as it’s not a downpour – she pays no attention to it.

If the dogs haven’t been out in a while and it looks like a storm is coming, we let them out to do their business. Still being pro-active!

 

8) When did teething start for you? When was it over? Any advice or issues?

Tayamni was teething shortly after she arrived for a few weeks. Then it stopped for a couple weeks and then BANG – HAPPY NEW YEAR – Puppy teething bad!

Redirecting worked well the first round and then I had to get a larger variety of bones, cow toes, & bully sticks for the second round. Always have something for her to choose from.

Tayamni had an issue of her head getting really warm and ear wax buildup (like some kids get ear infections when teething) when she was cutting molars through gums. Vet sold me an ear wax dissolver gel to use and it worked great!

8a) Did you have teething or non teething related biting issues? How did you work through that?

Tayamni got nippy when she didn’t feel good with the second round of teething. She still is teething and more teeth come in, but she doesn’t have the irritation – or I am providing her much better chew options!!!!!!

I have only been nipped by her a couple times during play and it is always while running / movement. I “OUCH!!!!!” and stop and turn away from her a few minutes, like a “time-out”. She gets the point.

 

9) Anything not covered that you want to add? (leash training, off lead training, food, alpha dog or very submissive/shy dog or other things you think new pup owners often ask or wonder that you can add to?)

Tayamni as a young pup had “hot spots” (itchy spots). She was a picky eater and it took a bit to find a high quality grain free food that she likes and her system could tolerate. My Vet recommended Salmon oil for her coat and I boiled or baked sweet potato and added extra to her food each meal.

She is doing great on a chicken based dry food. She actually ended up on a combo if tastes (same brand food). She (as of 4.5 months) gets raw (thawed from frozen) chicken parts twice a week along with her food. She loves it!

I have always handled her and taken things out of her mouth and hand fed her some times. I even hold the raw chicken for her a little bit while she is chewing on it as I don’t want her to learn resource guarding.

She really is a sweet girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Controlled Safe socialization early on is important.
Once you are out more places with pup (as pup gets older) PLEASE remember not all dog owners have become the alpha packer leader, or understand their dogs behavior!

Sherab has a separate post to some books about dog behavior and postures and what they mean.

I AM STILL LEARNING DAY BY DAY!

I think I covered other things I’m familiar with in earlier questions.

Read the “New Pups” Topics and “Updates” as well as “training tips and tricks”

I think this Fall 2014 New Pup owners group opened up and let out our fears and insecurities as well as our joys in our topics.

DON’T let this put you off!!!!!!!! READ ON! You’ll see we each love the pups and are trying to do our best to allow these pups to grow up balanced and reach their potential. J

 

About Me:

Summer, fall or winter of life? Kids in the home? Other dogs? Other animals? Country or City?

Late Summer/Early Autumn of life. No kids – this is my change of life baby - LOL! Lived in a condo until last year so I’ve had cats only for almost 20 years. Then moved to a house and sister and her dog moved in. Grew up with dogs, cats and fish in home; Cows, horses, pigs, chickens, dogs and cats on farm. I live in a City/Suburb. Roads are all in a grid system (lots of traffic). I’m lucky I’ve got a good fenced backyard and 5 feet of side yard before the neighbor’s.

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To clarify: (because it's too late to edit the post)

 

Item 1) I have never yelled at Tayamni in a mad voice to come. I have never asked Tayamni to come and then punished her either.

I was stating a fact that I can't project my voice properly - allergies, vocal cord constrictions (anaphylaxis) .....

 

I'm just not sure if it read correctly - so I felt I should clarifiy. :P

 

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Great post! I hadn't really thought about it but puppies are a LOT of work.

 

This breed is more work for me than other breeds have been ..... IT IS SOOOOOOO WORTH IT!!!!!!!! :wub:

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