Dog Training Nation

In Dogs We Trust

You are here: Home / Archives for Training

Surviving the First Night With Your Puppy

by

Your Puppy’s First Night Home

First Night With Your Puppy
Ah, you can survive your puppy’s first night home!

Take a deep breath. I have super simple tips for you, which really work!

Many dog enthusiasts provide “hard and fast” rules, which create frustrated pet parents. Following too many rules, especially during your puppy’s first night home, is like filling a 5-lb sack with 10 lbs of sugar. It’s too much and it causes confusion for both puppies and pet parents.

Dive into these mistake-proof tips, which make the first night home with your puppy a seamless experience while still teaching good manners. I promise the dog training gods will not pull your toes during the night if you allow your puppy to sleep in your bed, especially during the first night. (Wink!)

Shake off all that stress. Your goal is to make your puppy’s first night at home happy!

Prepare Before Your Puppy Arrives

Take the extra time and prepare. This will make it much easier when bringing your new puppy home.

Set up a crate in your bedroom

Place the crate right next to your side of the bed. Instead of a shiny new bed, add old cozy towels and blankets in your puppy’s crate. Save the new bed for later like when your puppy is 6-months-old or so or you’ll be purchasing lots of new and shiny beds until the teething process halts. It’s probably a good time to review (and print if needed) potty training tips too.

RELATED: Crate Training

Invest in a sound machine

Or, better yet, download classical music. Music and sound will prevent your puppy from becoming frightened around strange sounds while soothing her to sleep. Plus, turning on music becomes a cue to sleep, which is a blessing.

Prepare for a few sleepless nights

Plan on it. You’ll probably get little sleep so pick up your puppy on a Friday so you have plenty of time to catch up on sleep during the weekend.

If your puppy whines during the night, bring her outside to potty. Bring her back inside and put her back in her crate with a food stuffed toy. This will give her something else to do instead of whine and she’ll likely drift off to sleep. I’m not too concerned about whining meaning going outside right now. This is a tough time for puppies and you so keep it simple. There’s plenty of potty training time to come!

Tired Puppies Sleep Woohoo!

Once your puppy is home, she’s probably pretty tired already. Just in case, spend 30 minutes playing with her, introducing her to new family members and showing the array of her new toys. Provide free access to water until an hour before bedtime. Plus, this is usually a good time to feed her too. Bring her potty immediately after eating and drinking and again before bedtime.

You can do this. Don’t stress. Have fun — you have a new puppy! There’s plenty of time for training. 🙂

READ ALSO: Complete New Puppy Checklist

Why Do Dogs Hump?

by

Humping Dogs: It’s Not What You Think!

Why Do Dogs Hump
It’s just play behavior. Nothing more. 🙂

Oi! If you want to see puppy pet parents run, it’s when their puppy humps or is being humped during puppy playtime. Dogs humping is not what you think. It’s meaningless behavior, I promise!

It’s not a status thing and it has nothing to do with dominance, as most people assume. That stuff is outdated information. We do know both males and females participate in this behavior and spaying or neutering does not decrease a dog’s likelihood for humping.  

Puppies

Most puppies hump when playing. It just happens. They practice different play techniques. Each technique is designed to elicit play behavior, such as pawing at a puppy’s face, play bowing and then the dreaded humping. Humping usually begins during an intense play session when puppies are overly excited and tired. Geez, humping is usually contagious. Once a puppy starts humping, bingo! Everyone decides to try it out.

Dogs

Adolescent and adult dogs hump because, well, they never read the pet parent’s manual, in which folks find it disturbing. Plus, their playmates were totally fine with it. As long as fun play continues, who cares what you’re doing, right? If another dog finds humping irritating, he will surely inform the humper and the behavior stops.

Stress

For some dogs, humping may be due to stress just like excessive grooming or whining. I’ve noticed an increase in humping when new guests appear, such as a new baby or dog. It’s usually preempted by a disruption in a dog’s life. Note humping for what it is. In this case, it’s stress so redirect his stress with additional walks, mental stimulation and alone time with you.

RELATED: Multiple Dog Household Tips

Managing Your Humper

If humping annoys and embarrasses you, redirect your dog to do something else. When he starts humping an object, such as a pillow or toy, interrupt the behavior with a quick game of “touch.” If stress is causing the behavior, then redirecting his attention will help reduce anxiety.

You can use the “touch” game to redirect your dog away from another dog, cat or person. Use extra yummy treats and reward often. This keeps him engaged with you and he’ll soon forget about humping.

Want More Information?

Humping is meaningless behavior. Think of it as little girls braiding each other’s hair or boys arm wrestling– it’s just a game. However, if you seek additional information, check out H*umping by Julie Hecht. All your humping questions and concerns will be answered. 🙂

You may also like: Anxious Dog Tips

Puppy Teething

by

Ease Your Puppy’s Gums During Teething

Puppy Teething
duben/Deposit Photos

Does your puppy resemble a cranky teething toddler? Poor puppy. It’s so painful losing teeth. Try these home puppy teething remedies to ease aching gums during the teething process.

Puppy Teeth

Deciduous teeth, commonly referred to as primary teeth, begin erupting around three weeks of age. Puppies begin losing these sharp little things around four months of age. Usually, the incisors (top and bottom front teeth) loosen and fall first. Then, between four to five months, premolars fall out followed by canines around six to seven months old.

The kicker, aside from primary teeth falling out, is erupting adult teeth. Ouch! Usually, puppies are in much pain during this time and display common puppy teething signs, especially when their large back molars (top and bottom) and canines begin to surface.

Oh, I can spot painful teething puppies from a mile away even during puppy class! Their normally happy selves are spitting out training treats, being cranky and fussy (fiddling around a lot), and are just not focused during class. I feel for these babies. I remember when my wisdom teeth erupted — yaooza!

RELATED: Small Dog Dental Care Tips

How to Survive Puppy Teething

Puppy Teething Symptoms

Teething, depending on your dog’s breed, usually starts and ends between four to seven months. You’ll likely notice:

  • Skipping, or eating a portion of meals, every once in a while.
  • Restlessness.
  • Decrease in chewing toys (some puppies begin chewing like termites, it depends).
  • Lack of focus.
  • Sudden increase in reactivity, such as barking or suddenly being scared of objects. Could it be a fear period, maybe?
  • Inflamed gums (hot to touch and red along primary tooth line).
  • Metallic aroma (blood present, which is totally normal).
  • Teeth are missing.
  • Your puppy swallowing his baby teeth, which is perfectly normal. And you may find a premolar or canine stuck in your carpet. 🙂

RELATED: Puppy Biting

Teething Remedies

When I see puppies hurting, I want to fix them. It breaks my heart! Try a few of these home remedies. They work well and will reduce inflammation. If your puppy misses more than one meal, becomes lethargic or seems off, contact your veterinarian immediately.

How to Ease Pain and Inflammation

  • Offer canned food, or soften food by soaking it in warm water for 30 minutes, for easier chewing.
  • Offer a frozen Chilly Bone toy several times a day. These canvas-based toys can be soaked in water or low sodium broth and put in the freezer. As we all know, ice packs relieve pain and reduce inflammation. When you notice restlessness, it’s probably a good time to offer a frozen Chilly Bone.

Give Your Puppy a Break

  • Understand your puppy is not feeling well and probably needs additional quiet time. You may notice he’s sleeping a bit more too.
  • Take breaks during dog training sessions. Puppies are often distracted due to pain.
  • If your puppy becomes reactive toward other dogs or strangers, click and treat when he looks at the scary thing. By pairing something yummy with a scary thing, things look less scary. Usually, once the teething process is complete, this reactivity will decrease.
  • Refrain from any mouth work, such as mouth handling, teeth brushing, dumbbell work or tug toys.

What Does Not Work

Let’s chat about what not to give or use too. Never give your puppy ice, as it can cause slab fractures of the teeth. I learned this the hard way! Also, it’s not safe to use teething products made for human babies. Many contain additives that are harmful to dogs.

You may notice a few retained baby teeth. This is not a big deal. Your vet can remove them during spay or neuter surgery. Retaining puppy teeth is pretty common with small breed dogs. They have the same amount of teeth as big dogs, but much less space.

Take a deep breath and support your puppy through the teething process. It only happens once; thank goodness!

You may also like: Complete New Puppy Checklist

Puppy Proofing Your Home

by

Make Your Home Safe for Your New Puppy

Puppy Proofing
Never allow this to happen. This is a part of boundaries. logoboom/iStock

Before bringing your darling puppy home, it’s important to make a few changes. I’m not suggesting installing cabinet or toilet locks. It’s more about setting boundaries and management.

Setting Boundaries

Setting boundaries is probably one of the most important parts of puppy proofing. Schedule a family meeting so everyone is on the same page and discuss each topic in detail. Capture meeting notes and post in a highly visible area, such as the refrigerator.

Keep Children Away From Eating Dogs

Children should leave puppies and dogs alone while they’re eating or chewing on toys. Supervision is not 100% so it’s best to feed meals or provide chews when children are napping or otherwise engaged. Explain, during your family meeting, that an adult will take all toys and chews away. This prevents resource guarding and it’s best to “trade” instead of “take away.”

RELATED: Resource Guarding

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Many children and adults are accidentally bitten when startling a sleeping dog. It’s pretty hard to resist a puppy’s sleeping face, but petting or kissing her while she’s napping is likely to startle her. If you must wake her, say her name and wait for her to waken. Also, puppies and dogs should not be teased when they are crated, as this can cause major issues later.

RELATED: Crate Training

Dogs Don’t Like Hugs

Hugs show affection, but only to people. Hugging a dog or puppy is considered rude in dog language. Instead of hugging, teach children to pet dogs on their chest or under their chin. The internet is filled with photos of children hugging dogs and my heart drops to my feet, as the dog is clearly uncomfortable. Her body language is screaming “Leave me alone!” Please explain this to all children and remind them often during family meetings. Oh, and ask children to remind their friends too!

Management

This part is overlooked. Management means controlling things in a puppy’s environment to prevent certain unwanted behaviors. Now, dog training is totally different because you’re teaching her something new. Management doesn’t teach a new behavior, but it can sure make your life so much easier!

Lidded Trash Cans are Your Best Friend

Switch out indoor trash cans with lidded versions. Choose heavy lidded versions lifted by a step pedal. Dogs will scavenge, even the best trained dogs will do it, especially if something yummy is poking out the trash can. If purchasing lidded trash cans is not an option, place trash cans behind closed doors or cabinets. You can spend tons of time and money (medical bills for the removal of foreign body obstructions) teaching puppies and dogs to ignore trash cans. Trust me, manage this one and redirect your energy (and money) on something else. 🙂

Keep Doors Closed

This means bedroom, closet, bathroom and laundry doors should be closed immediately upon entering or exiting. Funny story, Stella (Mini Bull Terrier) chewed several of my shoes as a puppy so I contacted a local shoe repair guy to fix them. He was a crusty old fella who grumbled, “Lady, just close your closet door.” I still giggle at his comment. He was spot on, but his delivery was a tad sassy!

Invest in Décor Baby Gates

Wow, baby gates are super fancy now! Even though my dogs are adults, I still use baby gates. They are fabulous multi-taskers. When guests come over, my dogs are behind a baby gate. Guests need a moment to walk in the door, greet you and settle on the sofa with a beverage. Now, you can unleash the hounds! Also, I find this creates less jumping and excited greeting behavior from your dog. Plus, baby gates section off areas of your home, which works just like a closed door.

Keep the Floor Safe

After everyone agrees to the above boundaries and management tips, it’s important to remove hazardous items from the floor. Get children involved and have them crawl around at puppy level and identify potential hazards.

  • Tuck wires under entertainment centers or under heavy furniture. If that’s impossible, CritterCord is a clear power cord protector, which features a citrus scent and taste for deterring chewing pets. The protector is clear with “cut to fit” directions. With it’s 4.2 rating on Amazon, it’s worth giving a try. In a pinch, you can spritz a bit of spray deterrent on cords too. I personally found the gel version lasts longer.
  • Remove poisonous household plants or move them to a high shelf to discourage ingestion.
  • Relocate medication, especially if medications are kept on bedroom nightstands. All cleaners should be behind a closed cabinet door.
  • Survey your fence line. Are their holes in or under the fencing? Address now, repair fencing and cover holes with large rocks to prevent escaping.
  • Antifreeze is toxic to dogs so make sure containers are securely locked behind cabinet doors.
  • Keep purses and backpacks off the floor. Xylitol is a sweetener found in gum, candy and some drinks, and it’s highly toxic to dogs. Advil, Tylenol and certain ingredients found in lip balm, lip gloss and cough drops are toxic too. Install coat hangers or cabinets for storage.

Puppy proofing is about common sense rolled into management and boundaries! Enjoy your new fuzzy edition. 🙂

READ ALSO: Surviving the First Night with Your Puppy

Training Your Dog to Leave It

by

How to Train Your Dog in Real Life Scenarios

Dog Training Tips
Good job!

Training your dog to leave it is vital so we’ll discuss how to train your dog during real life scenarios. It’s all good and well when your dog ignores treats in your hand, but will he ignore a chicken bone? If not, take a peek at these dog training tips.

Before Moving Forward:

  • Your dog will ignore your closed and open handed treats on cue.
  • If not, read this article before proceeding.
  • While it’s extremely tempting to push forward, the behavior will collapse and become unreliable. For “leave it,” start with foundation behaviors first, then move forward. Usually, a dog will reach the last step within a week. Steps 1-3 can easily be taught within a few days, practicing 1-2 minutes per day.

Peek-a-Boo Hand

Begin by sitting on the ground with your dog. While holding a treat in your left hand, say “leave it” as you place the treat on the ground. Keep your hand close by. If your dog moves forward, cover the treat with your hand. Once he moves back from the treat, click and say “take it.”

Dogs are extremely fast! Keep your hand close to the treat. If your dog takes the treat once or twice, then take a step back to closed and open handed games. This will teach your dog to ignore the treat instead. Never correct your dog by saying “no” or giving a leash correction, as this will only confuse your dog. Trust me, I’ve been training for a long time. It takes much longer to teach this way.

Practice 5 times, then end the training session. Keep training sessions short for maximum effectiveness. This keeps dogs from becoming bored. Practice twice a day so about 10 reps per day.

Chicken Wing on Floor

Oh, you know that feeling in your stomach when your dog spots a discarded chicken wing on the ground! Yikes, what should you do? When teaching “leave it,” it’s pretty important to scan your environment. It’s kind of hard to say “leave it” if you don’t spot the chicken wing first. Oh, and carry luscious treats. 🙂

Okay, back to the ant-covered chicken wing. Once you spot it, stop and say “leave it.” You should be standing 6 feet away, meaning your dog can not reach his object of desire. Say “leave it” once and wait. Your dog will strain against the leash. The moment he stops pulling, click and give him 3 pieces of hot dog! Once he’s done eating the last hot dog, say “let’s go” and move forward. As he follows you, click and give him 3 more pieces of hot dog. Your dog just learned to leave it alone and walk away. Good job!

Eventually, your dog will learn to ignore gross things discarded around the park, but every now and again, he may try rolling in deer poop or snack on cat feces so keep your “leave it” cue current. Hey, they’re dogs and expected to roll in grossness and try to steal stinky stuff. Have you ever watched hidden cameras of people chasing flying dollar bills around the park? Hilarious, but it’s what we do too!

Training Your Dog to Leave It – Real Life Scenarios

Dog Training Nation is a dog training blog for pet owners and dog lovers. We cover a range of topics from puppy socialization tips to dog aggression to dog health. It is our hope you share our content to make the world a better place for dogs.

Dog Training Nation

Quick Links

Dog Training
Dog Behavior
Dog Training Videos
Become a Dog Trainer
About
Contact Us