Puppy advice needed..

[Kali.Kaos]

Hey ladies and gents,

So I know I may sound a bit retarded here but I am getting my new pomchi puppy in 8 weeks or so (born 3 days ago) and I'm looking for any advice people can give me in regards to training this tiny little handful. I had a family dog growing up but I was too young to train him myself and Because of that, im not sure where to start with it all.

Where would I go to get a license for him? Know of any good vets? Is there a way to train these little guys without having to take him to obedience school? I know there are a few people here with pets and any help, advice or places to reference this kind of thing would be great.

Thanks so much!

 

[AngelaAurora]

Dog license can be bought from city hall. You can try 'clicker" training (google it). As for vets, not sure. I am a cat woman, haha. Just remember you are the pack LEADER and not the follower. When puppy starts looking around, take him outside/or place him on the pad to do his business.

 

[InnocentBoy]

I have 3 of cesar milans books if u want to borrow them if not u can go buy your own Pretty good advice.

 

[HeMadeMeDoIt]

First of all start with a good crate, I'd recommend a Furrari. This will help you house train him in no time and stop him from picking up bad habits from being unsupervised in the "new big world" that is your home. Feed him inside the crate and make sure anytime after you've brought him back from a walk, feeding and play he's in it. Make sure you have all the toys and things for him to chew on ready before you bring him home. Key to a successful dog training and house breaking is lots of exercise. A tired dog is a good dog that will not feel the need to destroy things and is much more likely to listen to your commands. Ask if you have specific questions, I'd be happy to help.

 

[badbadboy]

Good Crate - check
Pen not such a good idea since it becomes their Bedroom and ensuite. They are difficult to train after they have an ensuite.

Take them out to pee immediately after eating, sleeping, playing and having a bath.

Puppy pads are a fine idea as long as you eventually move them towards the door and then completely remove them. Then the puppy will sit by the door giving you a heads up they gotta go

Two decent walks per day will keep them well exercised and sign up for a puppy training class. You will learn a lot from the class on how to socialize your pup.

Enjoy! My two are always with me and they really are like having a family.

 

[PlayfulAlex]

I completely agree with the crate idea. Getting your new puppy accustomed to the crate asap will save you a ton of irritation later on.

I've never believed in the puppy pads...bathroom breaks = outdoors. Your pup needs to learn that early; she'll associate the fresh air and the feel of grass with doing her business. But you will have to be super-diligent about taking puppy out frequently and, if you live on the ground floor, so much the better for you both.

Puppy school is a must (not for puppy, but for you). Most young ladies (no offence and this might not be you) treat their puppies like little princes-princesses, not like dogs, which they still are. You have to learn how to discipline and teach your pet to behave properly and listen to you, in many arenas, again for your well-being, happiness, and longevity of being a responsible dog-owner.

Puppy health insurance can be a good idea; I had a friend who swore by it because her dog was really small and got dehydrated easily. She saved a lot in vet bills and paid about $39/month for her insurance.

Having a puppy/dog can be a wonderful thing, and it can also be a super-huge pain in the ass. My family once had a dog that got off her chain often (Houdini) and it was a big problem when she killed the neighbour's rabbit in the crate in their backyard. Same dog completely destroyed my collection of LPs and littered our living room with pieces of broken records, while the family was out. Another family dog got out and we drove around and around the neighbourhood one night to find her (we did). Recently a neighbour had a teeny chihauhau and twice I found it running around in the alley and had to go knocking on their door to return their puppy to them. Next thing you know, I saw posters on the telephone poles, LOST DOG. Duh!

Anyways, I'm sure you'll be a responsible pet owner, especially since you're here asking for advice. Prepare for everything, as best you can. People always think, "well, that'll never happen to me (or my dog)" but I suggest you plan for all contingencies.

 

[vancity_cowboy]

totally agree with the cesar milan books

until he's house trained he will need to be taken out every two hours so you can make sure to catch most of his movements and pees. praise him when he does it outside but ignore him when he doesn't. small dogs actually start to pick up on words and meanings pretty quickly so don't be afraid to talk him about where he's supposed to take his dumps, eventually he will listen

 

[Lancaster]

Get pet insurance or just have a spare credit card with a high limit and store it away just for pet emergencies.

 

[Chef99]

"house" training aside, I strongly suggest obedience classes/school and start them early, before 6 months! They aren't as attentive that early but it gives some foundation to both the doc and (perhaps more importantly) you. I waited until 9 months and found that I had encouraged behaviours that are now quite difficult to correct. As for recommendations on who/where, it depends on where you live really. Each area has at least one well respected person/organization. Couple I know of Zen Dog Training, K9 Leadership,....

 

[Kali.Kaos]

Hey all,

Thank you so much for all that information! It definitely gives me a lot to think and prepare for. My dog will not be allowed to go to the washroom anywhere but outside and I will definitely be crate training for when I'm not home and in case we need to travel. I suppose I will have to look into these Cesar Milan books as they have come up a few times here.(I've never heard of them) And I guess insurance will be a good thing. I plan on having him micro chipped too because from what I've heard, if your dog goes missing downtown.. There are very few honest enough to give it back and I'd much rather be able to prove he is mine and be able to find him. This puppy will be my baby as I have never wanted children and I want to be able to raise him to the best of my ability to be an obedient and well behaved little cutie.

Miss Melody, thanks for your offer babe.. I may just take you up on that in the future once I see how well it goes for me in the first week.

Thank you all again for such great advice and please feel free to add anything else if it pops up. I'm so excited to get this little guy but now I'm pretty nervous as well. Props to all of you parents out there.. I'm sure kids are a much bigger challenge!

 

[HeMadeMeDoIt]

Don't even attempt pee pads, they are the work of the devil, I dont get the business of teaching the dog to pee inside then telling him not to later. Make sure your crate is NOT TOO BIG. You are not doing him any favours if he can run around in it. A good place to buy a crate is CL, I've even seen one for a chihuahua advertised for $20.

 

[Kali.Kaos]

Don't even attempt pee pads, they are the work of the devil, I dont get the business of teaching the dog to pee inside then telling him not to later. Make sure your crate is NOT TOO BIG. You are not doing him any favours if he can run around in it. A good place to buy a crate is CL, I've even seen one for a chihuahua advertised for $20.

I won't be pee pad training him.. of course i will have some in the house just in case but if i wanted an animal to go to the washroom in my house, i'd buy a cat. I will be getting a crate only large enough for him to lay down in because i know if it's too big.. he will just use it as a washroom in the end. My girlfriend who's dogs had the puppies has gone over a few things with me about them at least but her dog isn't the best behaved which is why i've been asking for advice I may check CL for some items for sure but I may just buy it all brand new to make sure it's in great condition and clean.

 

[vancity_cowboy]

I suppose I will have to look into these Cesar Milan books as they have come up a few times here.(I've never heard of them)

cesar millan (oops, spelling) was 'discovered' by jada pinkett smith and her now ex-husband will, were originally behind cesar's very popular tv show, 'the dog whisperer'. get the seasonal dvd's to watch some of his shows. maybe they got them at the library

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar_Millan

 

[vancity_cowboy]

another very important thing i learned early on kali, when i was unsuccessfully trying to train a dog in a noisy environment, was that they respond tremendously better to hand and finger signals than they do to voice signals. added advantage is you don't need to be talking (or shouting) to be heard, and you can control them around heavy traffic noises as well. plus if they are looking for visual commands or clues from you, that means they are paying attention to you, at least with part of their consciousness. if you are relying on voice commands, you never know where their attention is focussed

 

[Kali.Kaos]

Thank you for the advice! I will keep that in mind

 

[vancity_cowboy]

Generally I start with voice commands when they're really young and shortly thereafter I incorporate hand signals, pretty soon they're listening to both.
One very important thing I teach all my dogs is the "drop on recall" meaning I will sit or down and stay them then walk about 20ft from it and then call the dog when I'm ready. Halfway through the recall I will give the handsignal to down. Once the dog is settled I call it to me and reward. This exercise is great for teaching them to pay attention at all times while working, it creates a far more in-tune relationship with your animal.

I do not train with treats rather I reward with voice and positive attention.

The tone of voice and your consistency with the "ask, tell, demand" method that I use is key.

^ ^ who needs cesar millan when you've got good advice like this on perb?

 

[Kali.Kaos]

Wow guys.. Thanks again! Ms Mel, I'm definitely going to be in touch when I get the little guy, I think you would be a great help even just training me! Haha I don't like the idea of rewarding with treats so good to know it doesn't have to be that way. I don't want him overweight or expecting them all the time.