T O D O B E F O R E C H E C K L I S T : welcome little one! 1) Have puppy space ready 2) Clean area for new puppy with non toxic cleaners 3) Put away all clutter, shoes and clothing, toxic house plants 4) Hide all electrical wires in hard plastic tubing 9) Children's toys are inaccessable 5) Pick out vet and make 1st apt. for week 1 6) Set schedules for someone to be home 7) Safe play area near potty exit 8) Scout out backyard for: holes in fencing, sharp objects, old birdseed, nests, night critters, hazardous outdoor plants, loose garbage, lawn chemicals, treated wood chips, berry bushes and open gates 11) Put away all medications,vitamins & supplements out of reach 10) Get rid of mouse traps 12)Plastic bags, cleaning supplies, toilet paper,Kleenex & paper out of sight, all garbage to be behind doors or in closed containers
4) Dog food: (ask vet or breeder) 3) Dog bed, 2 bowls & crate pillow or pad 1) Proper sized crate, (plastic travel kennel 1st choice) then metal crate with blanket cover 2) Natural cleaners, non toxic T O B U Y B E F O R E C H E C K L I S T : welcome little one! 5) Puppy training treats 6) Puppy pee pads (just at first) in pen area 7) Folding penn or baby gates to section off hard floor area,such as kitchen or mud room 8) Puppy toys, 1 plush, 1 squeaky, soft rope, ball, & chew toy. (don't over do it) 9) Collar, 6' leash and dog tags 10) Poop bags, puppy shampoo & toothbrush 11) Dog brush & nail clippers 12) Washable cleaning rags 13) Ground stake and outdoor line, (if no fencing) 14) Paw cream & coat for winter conditions 15) Plastic piping to hide live plug wires
1 1. Look around your house from the puppy’s point of view: What is accessible from the floor up, room by room. 2. Remember dogs lead with their noses, so smells will catch their attention first, before they might see something. 3. AK9’s primary puppy rule… if you can’t see where your pup is, they are probably up to no good! 4. If you can’t supervise or watch them, they should be crated for safety or attached to you with a line. 5. Set them up for success by being proactive. Don’t wait till they discover something you should have put out of reach or away. 1. Trash: Make sure all trash containers, (especially bathrooms, kitchens & offices.) Have secure lids or put them up on counters when you pup first comes home. Most dogs have an affinity to paper products including toilet paper and Kleenex. This can cause blockages or bloat and can end in surgery. The dirtier and smellier the Kleenex or paper, the more tempting to your pup. 2. Medications: Every type of medication, from prescriptions to herbal supplements should be stored in cabinets and not left on tables or counters. Any over the counter medications such as aspirin or cold products, including cough drops can be fatal depending on the amount consumed. 3. Clothing: No Socks, mitts, shoes, laundry or underwear is left out for the puppy to get into. Puppies will look for items that have your scent on it and will gravitate toward those items. You do not want them chewing or digesting such articles. It could be fatal, causing blockages or bloat. Put stuff away behind doors or in hampers. 4. All electrical wires: If wires are left out, puppies can chew them, causing electrocution, shock or even death. Best practice is to keep things unplugged when not in use. Secondly, buy and cut PVC or plastic plumbing tubes to proper lengths and put all wires inside to keep them out of sight. Things like stereo, TV wires and even cell phone chargers can be expensive to replace and dangerous if ingested by your dog. You must always supervise your puppy when out from crate time. General household items to check off your list.
2 1. Aloe Vera 2. Ivy 3. Jade 4. Dumb Cane 5. Philodendron 6. Pothos 7. Sage Palm 8. ZZ Plant 9. Elephant Ear 10.Corn Plant 5. Furniture and décor: This includes even the stuff that’s nailed down! Wood doors, staircases and railings and baseboards. Leaving an unsupervised puppy can create costly house repairs from teething and scratching if they are not supervised. 6. Cleaning supplies: All cleaning supplies should be all natural and non-toxic. Be careful with air fresheners, scented plug ins and even air diffusers. Just because it says it’s natural, doesn’t mean it’s not toxic to dogs. Essential oils can have good or adverse effects on dogs, be sure to research first or ask your vet. 7. House plants: There is a list of common house plants that are poisonous for dogs if chewed or ingested. Be sure to always keep these out of reach. (a list of plants follows): (also some outdoor plants) 8. Artificial sweeteners: Things like gum, can be deadly if containing Xylitol or some synthetic sweeteners. Even some of the best-known brands of peanut butter now contain aspartame or Xylitol. Always read labels. If ingested, these are poisonous and can cause seizures and even death. 9. Set up a safe zone: Keep an eye on them at all times and check in. Use the crate when they can’t be supervised. Best to take off all collars when crated. Restrict a play area with a puppy pen or baby gates. While you are doing other things, the puppy is safely confined to an area where nothing is tempting to chew or destroy. 10. Garage: Be sure to keep all solvents, liquids, car washer fluids, oils, and any cleaning products up high on garage shelves. Especially if you are using your garage for crate training or a hang out for your puppy. Keep in mind that washer fluid can be “sweet” to a dog and if ingested is fatal, so don’t leave that if spills occur for your dog to lap up. Flush it away with lots of water. 11. Front and back yard: Make sure all fencing is secured. Can the dog create spaces or dig under the fence to get out? Is the gate latched properly? Can you lock the door on the fence to make sure no one can open it by mistake? If you use a tie out, make sure the dog is supervised on a regular basis. You don’t want them to get tangled in the line or caught on something. Make sure there is no rat traps or poisonous bait in the yard. Also, watch out for nocturnal animals such as skunks and racoons before taking your dog out at night.
3 12. Not all people food is O.k.: There is a list of simple items that can prove deadly to a pup or dog at any age. We have enclosed a list of general items to NEVER give your dog. Surprisingly enough, some of these can cause kidney or liver failure, permanent damage or death. (a list of foods follows:) 1. Popcorn (with any buttered topping or seasoning, who eats popcorn without butter and salt?) 2. Avocado 3. Macadamia nuts 4. Grapes & Raisins 5. Onions & Garlic (raw or large amounts) 6. Un-ripened Tomatoes or any of their greens 7. Green Potatoes 8. Chocolate, (especially dark) 9. Coffee or Tea 10. Energy drinks (Do not wait for signs if caffeine of any kind has been ingested, immediately get to the vet) 11. Dairy (Including cheese! Yes, in small doses is fine, but too much can cause problems) 12. Ingesting sugar free gum is deadly (Anything with Xylitol as a sweetener) 13. Allergy medicine that is extra strength or especially with decongestants (contact vet for advice) 13. Sidewalk salt in winter conditions: Sidewalk salt can be very painful for dog’s pads, especially delicate puppy pads. It can burn and be painful to put their feet down. Best practice for icy steps and driveways is to use an alternative product. Sand and pet safe products are best. Be careful if using Kitty litter, clumping litter can cause blockages if digested. Some dogs will try to eat it. If you have cats as well, make sure the litter box is inaccessible to your pup at all times.
4 Natural Homemade cleaner (non-toxic) Not only is this safe, but its good for bathrooms and kitchens too! It’s very economical to make. Have a spray bottle in each room and some clean up micro cloths! 1. 1 & 2/3 cup of baking soda 2. ½ cup liquid soap (dawn detergent is best) 3. ½ cup water 4. 2 tablespoons white vinegar 5. 1 clean 16- ounce squirt bottle with closing cap 6. (3 table spoons of lemon juice) optional. For dogs only Mix baking soda and liquid soap in a bowl. Dilute with water and add vinegar. Stir the mixture with a fork until any lumps have been dissolved. Pour the liquid into the bottle. Shake well before using. Wipe with damp cloth after cleaning area. NOTES: _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________
Lesson #2 Show the love BUT, don’t overdo it! Congratulations! So your new Puppy is home! Don’t overwhelm them at first or have the entire neighborhood over to see your new puppy just yet. Make the transition to your home and family a calm and relaxed event. If you have young kids, please make sure they give the puppy some space. Give him time to sniff around, check out his new environment and let him explore (within reason). This can be overwhelming for the puppy to be away from it’s mother and litter mates for the first time. Introduce your puppy to their space first. This includes the crate, bed, bowls and toys. Initially, let them spend some time in the crate when he first comes home. (Short periods at a time.) Your pup will probably want to sleep from the whole ordeal of getting home in the first place. Puppies need lots of sleep. They can spend a total of up to 16 hours sleeping over the course of a day. Don’t worry, this is normal. Especially a larger breed will grow quickly, and the physical changes can be exhausting. It won’t be long till they find their energy and need more stimulation. If your pup is quiet the first few days, this is normal. There is an adjustment period than can vary from a few days to a few weeks. Puppies will whine and cry when left on their own at first. Remember, they are not human babies! They need to build confidence, autonomy and figure things out for themselves. Reassuring a puppy must be through confidence and calmness. Baby talk, and coddling can create other negative issues as the dog gets older. Giving them alone space and time is extremely important, not to develop future problems such as separation anxiety. Having said that, short periods of time both with and without you is likely best. Yes, they are relying on you for everything initially, however, setting some rules and boundaries are extremely important for the future development of the dog. Regulating a good balance each day of alone time, play time, training time, regular outdoor potty breaks, scheduled meal times, social time including crate time, (both while you are at home and always while you are away from home.) is the best way to set your puppy up for success and an easy transition. (Potty training will be covered in lesson #3) INITIAL INTRODUCTION TO HOME:
Crate Advice: At awesome K9 we suggest a plastic travel crate is the best choice to get for your new puppy. A travel or plastic crate should have a door in front, handle on top (for easy traveling in the car), openings or windows on the sides, but primarily hard plastic that is safer if you aren’t sure if your puppy is going to be fussy in it. Metal crates are ok too, but dogs are den dwellers and will feel more comfortable and safe in a space that is more closed than open. If you do get a metal crate, be sure to cover the top and sides with a blanket or sheet to make it feel more private. Be sure that the puppy does not pull the blanket into the crate or shred it through the bars. The other reason we prefer plastic kennels is because if you have an anxious dog, it is primarily safer, to avoid pulling on the bars or bending the crate to get out. Play “crate games” to get the puppy use to it and if you start from the first day home, it will make the transition easier. Crate size is important to grow with the size of the dog. Start out in a crate that allows the pup enough room to move around, lie down and not be too roomy. For larger dogs, it’s always good to get a crate that can get bigger as the dog grows. (dividers in metal crates for example) The correct amount of space in the crate helps alleviate accidents in the crate (providing regular potty breaks) and keeps the dog feeling safer. Remember, the crate is a safe happy place. Although it can be used for “time outs,” it is not meant to be a punishment place when your puppy is bad. Be sure to make the correction to bad behavior first, then if needed use the crate as a refuge and happy place to settle down. Crate games are important at the beginning of crate training. You want it to be a positive experience. Leaving the door always open (during the day when you are home) is the best way to allow them to know it’s “their” space to go into anytime. Even feeding times can take place in an open crate to associate it with good stuff! However, do not leave food or water in the crate when you are gone and the puppy is crated with the door closed. Bedding in the crate is good if the puppy does not destroy it. If they do, then take all bedding out and they will be fine on the floor of the crate where they have nothing to get into trouble with. When leaving toys in the crate, leave just one that is durable enough and cannot be destroyed or ingested. Remember, love and affection should be associated with rewards for doing things right. Let your puppy earn some love and praise. Make it about successful encounters and making right choices. Limit the amount of coddling, because this can throw puppies off balance. Love and cuddles are good, but only for short periods of time. Let them be dogs! Let your puppy earn your trust and affection. It will be much more responsive if you do as time goes on. NOTES: ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________
Lesson #3 Potty Training and the great outdoors The first rule of thumb is being fair to your puppy and give him the opportunity to make the right choice! Puppy’s have little bladders and haven’t quite mastered the art of any schedule when you first bring them home. So, patience is part of the game, but consistency and being fair is by far the better bet. Successful potty training consists of a few simple but consistent rules. Start with a schedule for everything! From bedtime to feeding times, its very important to establish routine for your new puppy. Selected times will help them understand there is a time and a place for everything. Your puppy will start to associate certain rituals with certain scenarios. Make it easy for them, by being repetitive. The younger the puppy is, the more frequent the potty breaks should be. As they get older, their little bladders will adjust to longer wait times between having to go outside. I usually use the rule of thumb, for every week older the puppy gets, you can add anywhere from ½ hour to and hour between breaks to go outside. I also am a fan of using puppy pads as little as possible. Perhaps in their penned in area the first week or so, but after that, I prefer to get them used to going outside from the start. It makes the transition easier to grasp for the pup and not have to start over. When you are consistent and diligent at the beginning, you can train a pup in as little as 5 days to use the outdoors. Expect the odd accident at first, especially in the crate if you leave them too long. Dogs by nature like a clean area. So, if the crate is too big for you puppy, you may find more accidents in the far corner. If the crate is sized correctly and you give them adequate potty breaks through out the day, you should see much less chances of having to do crate clean ups. Firstly, you need to make sure that all areas the pup will be in are clean to start with. If you have other animals in the house or residue from other accidents, the pup will likely sniff those spots out and think it’s o.k. to use that place again. Be sure not to use ammonia-based cleaning products for this. Urine has ammonia in it, so the pup might mistake that spot for a good place to go. All your cleaners should be all natural based, especially for flooring and crate clean up. (You can even make some of your own natural cleaners that we provided.) Just make sure the cleaner is non-toxic or won’t make your pup sick if they lick items you have cleaned with it. Try to discourage them from chewing things like baseboards or banisters by putting spicy sauces, or pepper on it. These can upset the puppy’s stomach and make them sick. Instead, keep them supervised and correct the behavior immediately.
Supplies: Always have a bunch of cleaning cloths available for mishaps and cleaning solution readily available. Do not keep using a dirty cloth to clean up. It will only make the area smell better to the puppy to use that spot again. If the cleaning solution has a strong odor, a damp wet cloth to finish off the spot may be helpful (just to remove any residue the puppy can possibly lick). 24-Hour schedule : (example only) Yup, 24 hours, you will be on call when your puppy first comes home. If you stick to a strict schedule at the beginning for at least the first 10 days, you will be well on your way to success. A sample schedule is as follows: (these are just suggestions) 7:00am: Wake up and take the dog outside asap. 7:15-30am: good morning greetings (calm) 7:30am: Breakfast time and fresh water bowl. 7:40am: Back outside for second potty break 8:00am: First play time on hard floor surface like the kitchen, introduce a toy. 8:30am: Back outside for potty break. (yes again) 8:45am: Crate time while you get your coffee going. 10:00am: Potty break unless still sleeping… if the puppy wakes up… outside first thing. 10:15am: Crate time with a chew toy or stuffy. 12:00pm: Potty break, then lunch time, followed by potty break and then some free play time, Bonding. 1:00pm Crate time 3:30pm – 4pm Potty break and outdoor play or walks (in the backyard) 5:00pm Supper (food and fresh water) 5:30pm Potty break 6:00pm Crate time (while you have dinner) 7:00pm Water and treat training, family time 8:00pm Potty break / remove water for the night. 8:30pm Free time in the kitchen or on hard floored area. (doggy doors or pen is good for this) 9:00pm Crate time. 11:00pm Last Potty break and back to crate for the night.
Where to potty: Dogs usually will look for a softer surface or absorbent surface to do their business. You can designate specific areas for a dog to use in your backyard if you don’t want them to eliminate anywhere in the yard. Take them to the same spot each time and give them the verbal cue: “Go Potty” (or something like that). When the puppy goes…. Make a big deal and reward for doing so. Treats, praise and play are all good rewards. High pitch verbal cues that sound happy will let the dog know they made an excellent choice. When walking on the sidewalk or street, allow them to wander onto the grass often to find a spot to do their business. (and don’t forget to clean up). Again, important to praise and let them know they made a desirable choice. Watch for signs: Puppies will give little warning at first, and then as they get older, you will start to pick up their signs. If the puppy has not been out in a while or more than an hour when they first come home, then it’s time. As the puppy gets older each week, you can adjust these times to go longer. Signs that the pup may have to go, would include lots of sniffing the ground or standing in a spot sniffing the ground for too long. Walking in circles or whimpering is a good sign. Always, say as you go toward the same door to take them out: “Want to go pee?” So they get used to going to the door as a cue. When your puppy catches on to wander towards the door, then this is also another sign they may want to go out. If you think he is looking for a spot, don’t wait, take him out right away, even if it’s not a potty break time. Keep track of timing: You should start to see regular habits for when the dog eats and needs bathroom breaks. Timing can vary with each puppy, but you will start to figure out how long after the puppy eats, they need to relieve them self before an accident will happen. This is where you need to watch for signs the dog is headed to the door. This means the puppy is starting to understand that the door means I can go out and potty. Lots of praise for letting you know… as they go outside of course. NOTES: _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________
Keep a close Watch: Always be able to watch your puppy if they are out of their crate. Potty accident can happen in a second and so can safety issues. The basic safety rule for any puppy is if you can’t see them or watch them, they should be in their crate or pen. Mischief, always happens if we aren’t looking, even for a second. So be safe and don’t take chances. Tethering a puppy with a leash to you is also a clever idea to be able to stay close. Also, this will start to get the puppy use to a leash and a collar before getting out for full walks. Just be sure to not let the puppy chew or play tug with the leash. This is not a toy for them. It is a training tool for you. Clean up Immediately: Don’t wait if your dog has an accident in the house. If you catch them in the act, then firmly tell them “No” and take them outside to finish. Don’t wait for them to correct after the fact. (the association will be different) Praise: Praise and timing are crucial in the case of Potty training. Lots of happy tone in your voice when he has completed his business where he should. If he has an accident, don’t over correct or scold to harshly. You don’t want to make the puppy anxious or fearful. No rubbing his nose in it, or physical punishment is necessary. Just use a stern voice and saying little is better. Using Bells on Doorknobs: Some puppies do well with learning to ring bells on the door handle to let you know they want to go potty. This has a 50/50 success rate. Depending on the dog, some will learn this technique quickly if you ring the bell before opening the door each time. Some people will even get the puppy to paw at the bells, then let them out. Other puppies, see this as a toy or opportunity to just get your attention and make a game out of it. NOTES: ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________
Check with the vet: If your puppy is having trouble with eliminating, or stools are not formed, consult your vet for possible dietary issues. Sometime the type of protein is not good for your pup. If the puppy is getting sick often, or has the runs, these are signs that the dog is having trouble digesting. Also watch to see if the puppy is getting into things they should not be getting into. Puppy diets are different than adult dog food. Protein, fats and carbs are different percentages and they need various levels of fuel for their growing bodies for at least the first year. Allergies or sensitivities could be an issue. Feeding recommendation on packaging is only a recommendation. Make sure the amount of energy your puppy has is relative to how much he needs to consume. Any doubts, contact your vet asap.
Lesson #4: How puppies learn & play. Myths and safeguards. The youngest you want to get a puppy away from its mother or littermates would be no less than 8 weeks. There is specific development issues and nutrients needed that do change each week when the puppies are nursing, and the formula of the mother’s milk changes each week. To avoid temperament issues arising from getting a pup too early, (including such examples like: “5- week puppy syndrome”) you want the pup to stay with the mother until ideally 8 weeks. Although the “puppy” stage seems short, dogs don’t become adults until between 1 & 2 years of age. At the end of the first year, their bone structure typically reaches the height and size, however, they will continue to “fill out” till they are around 2 years old. Not all senses are developed at once for a puppy. For example, they don’t initially open their eyes and rely on site, as their first sense is smell and touch. Their noses are the most important sense of all. Dogs that are deaf or blind can live normal lives, relying on scent as their best guide. Crucial time periods for puppies are as follows: Socialization windows go by very quickly, and although a dog can develop social skills at any age, the best time to do this is right from the beginning. If you set them up for success right from the get-go, then you are more likely to have less issues arise trying to integrate or “fix” your pup later. Best time to start socialization: Between 4-12 weeks. Now this initial period should be restricted to other house pets, family dogs, friend’s yards, noises, car rides, kids, people and general everyday life. Until they have had their second set of shots at the vet, there are concerns about picking up viruses that can be fatal to a young puppy. However, they DO NOT NEED TO BE ISOLATED until 12 weeks of age. Best practices would be to stay out of public dog parks, or unfamiliar areas that might not be “clean” for the pup to wander in. Familiar dogs are a major influence and very important to let the puppy learn “dog language” from other dogs, early enough to help them develop into a socially correct member of the canine community. By five weeks, puppies are aware of their surroundings and start really enjoying playtime. Good experiences with people from weeks 5 to 7 will play a significant role in how they continue to interact. Before 8 weeks, the pup is learning inhibited play biting and other socialization cues, from littermates and mom.
The next phase: The dog learns where he fits into the ranks with others. This is where you start to see the personality of your puppy (between 3-6 months of age). Think about this period as “elementary school age.” Just like human children, dogs at this point are most influenced by their playmates — both dogs and people. During this stage, your pup will begin to understand and use ranking in terms of submission dominance. Teething and related chewing (and chewing issues!) happen around this time, and when the puppy is about four months old, he may go through a short fear stage (where once again exposure is the best teacher). Now is the time to keep socialization up and in many forms. Make sure your pup is in a safe environment or with friendly social dogs for best experiences. At adolescence (between 6-18 months of age) Your pup now understands that he has a pack (which may consist of both humans and dogs) and his behavior will be most influenced by this group. You can expect your dog to challenge you more as he explores dominance and his role in the pack. If your pup is not spayed or neutered around the 6 months mark, they may start to exhibit sexual behavior between 7 to 9 months of age. This behavior can also be seen as dominance related behaviour with other males etc. Controlled social play is extremely important for your new puppy. You do not want them to have a terrible experience or be bullied by other dogs during this period. You need to assess if other dogs would be safe for your pup to play with. Older dogs, typically don’t want to be bothered by the puppies and rule of thumb is usually that dogs within a year of each other tend to get along best. Puppies need other puppies while figuring out what is acceptable play or too much. This is also a crucial time for you to monitor and assess your puppy’s temperament and personality. Is he soft or hard tempered...? Does he adapt quickly in new environments? How is his focus and attention span? Is he fearful of noises or people? All these questions will give some indication of how confident your puppy is or can be. Best time to start socialization: (con’t) By week seven, you may be able to start house-training your puppy. From weeks 8 to 10, your pup will go through a normal “fear” period that can be helped with training that is positive and encouraging. But the true training “golden time” is from 9 to 12 weeks, because your pup is actively working on social skills and paying attention to both people and littermates as well as starting a new life with their new families.
Repetition: Dogs learn by consistency and repetition. They are great creatures of habit and when given the right direction, it can be mentally, physically and emotionally stimulating to them. They are unconditionally loyal, they want to create trust and lasting bonds with their humans. Wanting to please and be loved is all they ask in return for our attention and consistency. Rules and boundaries: This means setting the stage for what is acceptable and what is not. The more consistent you are with your rules, the less it confuses the pup. Looking for guidance, Puppy’s rely on knowing what to expect and want to be given direction to do the right things. If we do not make ourselves consistent, clear and keep things simple, then the puppy can easily get confused. Make things either black or white…. Forget about shades of grey or letting things happen “sometimes.” This will only confuse the puppy and lead to the pup trying to take advantage of any opportunity they can. Especially if they are clever and smart. One thing at a time: Puppies and dogs in general, can only focus on the present moment and typically are not good at multi tasking. Unlike us humans, they live in the “now” and don’t project much thought beyond that time. They truly are masters of the moment (Just think if we could forget about all the “other” stuff, we need to get to in a day.) This allows them to truly focus on one thing at time, and therefore if we get them to focus on us with eye contact, we are basically having a dialogue with the puppy or dog. Without focus on you, you might as well be talking to yourself. Don’t make the mistake of yelling or constantly calling for your dog to look in your direction. They need you to disengage a little to “want” to know where you are sometimes. NOTES: ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________
This is where, at Awesome K9 we break things down. We always apply our “Awesome K9: 1,2,3 rule.” #1: You must get the dog to look at you, before engaging the dog to do anything. #2: Once you make eye contact, THEN, #3: You can ask them to follow through on a task. Only then, will they follow through. Confirming they have made the right choice is also crucial for us not to forget. This is where it is very important to praise and let them know they have made a wise choice. Consistent timing and letting the dog make choices is the best way for them to learn and build confidence. Your pup now understands that he has a pack (which may consist of both humans and dogs) and his behavior will be most influenced by this group. You can expect your dog to challenge you more as he explores dominance and his role in the pack. Your puppy will start to learn who they need to listen to and where they fit in, in terms of rank. The more balanced dogs they can be around, the more acceptable the behaviour is that they will learn. The more dominant the puppy may be, the more he will test and try to control what is happening. Therefore, exposure to many different dogs and people is very important. If you start to see behaviours that you feel are inappropriate, then don’t wait to restrict and correct that behavior. The sooner you stick to the rules, your puppy will learn that a better response is required. Safeguards for your puppy: If you aren’t sure something or some place is safe for you puppy to go wander, then don’t do it. If there are dogs you don’t know that want to approach your puppy, always ask if they are friendly before allowing them to greet one another. Never, assume that all dogs are easy going and that your puppy can be over excited, just because it’s a puppy. This is the foundation of what kind of behavior you are willing to accept from your dog as it gets older and sets the bar for the future. The dog needs to trust that you are their fearless leader and can handle situations for them. The majority of dogs do not want to be the leader. In fact, often aggressive behaviours come out of fear-based temperaments. So, give your dog the confidence to trust in you, that you can do the right things and keep them safe. NOTES: _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Aweome K9’s …… 1,2,3 rule:
PET SAFE HOME MADE CLEANER 1 2/3 cups of baking soda 1/2 cup liquid soap (dawn is best) 1/2 cup of water 2 tbsp of white vinegar 3 tbsp of lemon juice 1 clean 16 oz. spray bottle with closing cap Mix baking soda and liquid soap in a bowl. Dilute with water and add the vinegar. Stir the mixture with a fork until any lumps have been dissolved. Pour the liquid into the bottle. Shake well before using. Squirt area to be cleaned, (best on hard surfaces, such as floors and crates) Rinse or wipe off with damp cloth.