Puppies

We have a new 10 week no, now 11 week old puppy. How soon we forget how much work they are! Potty training is a work in progress. You have to keep an eye on your pup and keep them with you in the home, so they dont get away with wondering off and relieving themselves. You have to catch them in the act to teach them this is not where we go potty. We don't spank or rub their noses in it. Simply a verble scolding and picking them up as they pee is sufficient. Think of yourself urinating and then being scolded by a giant and picked up as you go?

We kennel train and the first week the pup got to stay at the end of the house, opposit the bedrooms, with a radio on, so we could sleep through the puppy cries. Do not give in to their pleading or you will make the matter worse. Let them out of their kennel when they are quiet. They soon learn calm quiet behavior gets them out. I also feed new pups in thier kennels and provide them with toys and treats with short times in their kennels. Kennels should not be used as a place for punishment. After a couple of weeks we moved our pup down to the bedroom end of the house and she is doing very well.

Keep lots of toys handy to divert inappropriate chewing. Puppies have a short attention span so we have a variety of toys for them to play with and we rotate them. Our pups are from working lines, so we play tug and fetch balls as well as give them chew toys. We also give them the opportunity to socialize with other dogs, make sure everyone has their vaccines, and we also socialize with people and children. Socialization is extremely important when they are young.

For outdoors we have a tie out line for our puppy when we cannot be outside to watch her. Again this takes a few days for them to get use to, but keeps them from getting trouble and chewing ornamental plants and things that can injure them.

So this is my life as right now. Puppy raising. Looking forward to the juvenile times, which are only a few months away.