Training Guides

By: Pupkus Australia

Destructive Chewing

Chewing is possibly the second most common behavioural problem to be exhibited by your growing puppy. Chewing is normal puppy behaviour from which puppies learn valuable skills at the same time as exercising its jaw and assisting in the teething process. It also plays an important part of your dog's communication and socialisation with its piers. If you ever watch puppies play, the majority of their interaction is chase and chew.

When we take on the role of caring for a puppy we also take on the role of being their pier, except we don't have the fur to protect us from those sharp little teeth. We need to redirect the biting puppy on to an object that won't feel the pain of their teeth such as a pull rope, squeaky toy etc. The best way to do this is to rapidly move the object to stimulate your puppy to play with it. Once it has responded, praise your puppy.

The same method can be used distract your puppy from chewing such things as the couch, clothing and favourite shoes just to name a few. If you catch your puppy in the act you can punished him by removing his mouth from the article while saying "No" sternly and then give him his own toy to chew on. If you come across a chewed article but no puppy in sight, then you can not punish your puppy. The act has already been committed and your puppy has already moved on, you will just have to wait until you can catch it in the act next time.

If you are unable to watch your puppy or fully remove things that your puppy can chew on, then you can use liquids that can be painted on things, such as bitterbite, dencorub and tobasco sauce that will deter your puppy the moment it takes the first bite.

A bored puppy is a destructive puppy and if given the opportunity it will create a lot of damage. It is up to you to provide your puppy with interactive toys that will help ease boredom and aid in teething. Rawhide or marrowbones can also be given to your puppy and they will provide hours of fun for your puppy and peace and quiet for you.

Remember that a puppy is much like a toddler and requires the removal of items that it will inevitably chew. Get down to your puppy's eye level and see what interesting things they can see that they might like to chew. If you think like them and remove the items of interest you may be able to live through puppy-hood without getting chew marks in too many things.

Fighting The Lead

Generally when you first bring your puppy home and put a collar and lead on it, it is most likely the first time it has every been restricted in anyway. Having this unfamiliar restriction on its neck can panic your puppy causing it to fight against the pressure. The key to getting your puppy to overcome this fear is to socialise it to the equipment as early as possible.

Leave a lightweight collar, not a correction chain, on your puppy at all times, checking daily that it is not too tight as your puppy grow very quickly. As long as you can fit two fingers under the collar it is not too tight. When your puppy has become accustom to the collar and is no longer trying to bite it off or scratch it you can then move to the lead.

Make the transition to the lead as enjoyable as possible. You can begin with by attaching the lead to the collar and allowing your puppy to drag it around behind it. Ensure that the lead does not get caught on anything causing it to jerk your puppy, making it uncomfortable thus unpleasant for your puppy.

Another way you can socialise your puppy to the lead is by sitting on the ground with your puppy and its favourite toy, keeping the lead loose at all times, while being sure not to drag or correct your puppy in anyway during this time. Let your puppy become accustom to the pressure on it’s neck of it’s own accord until it is pulling forward and keen to walk on it’s own.

Although this pulling may seem contradictory to obedience training, the confidence and outgoing nature it exhibits in your puppy is critical to it’s development. Once the confidence has developed, we can teach your puppy to walk well on the lead.

House Training Your Puppy

Housetraining is probably the most common behavioural problem exhibited by puppies but the puppy cannot be blamed. Like a child needs to be potty trained, a puppy needs to be trained to go to the toilet in the right place, which is preferably not in the house.

A puppy until about the age of 6months has a weak bladder and cannot be expected to “hold on”, therefore a puppy cannot be punished for relieving itself on the lounge room carpet if you have left it loose in the house for a few hours.

You need to be patient while toilet training your puppy as it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 months. This will depend on your consistency and ability to recognise your puppy’s toilet mannerisms.

Obviously we find it unacceptable for the puppy to go to the toilet in the house so we must show the puppy the desirable place for it to go. The puppy generally will not go to the toilet where it eat or sleeps, so when you are deciding where to allow the puppy to eliminate, remember this.

There are a few simple ways that you can train your puppy to eliminate where you want him/her to go.

Crate Training

This method as it states uses a crate. The puppy is confined to the crate for a short period of time. When they begin to get antsy/fidgety (usually after about an hours time), open the crate, carry your puppy outside to the designated area and as your puppy is relieving itself say a word like toilet, then praise your puppy. This will allow you to eventually command the dog to go to the toilet whilst on a walk when there is an appropriate place for it to go. Each time you crate your puppy, try to extend the time your puppy is in there so that its bladder begins to strengthen. This will also happen naturally as the puppy grows. Although the puppy will appear to be running to the back door or holding on longer, there will at times undoubtedly be the odd accident.

Paper Method

This method relies a lot more on you being aware of your puppy’s toilet behaviours and where they are in the house. As you see your puppy beginning to get into the toilet position (sniffing the ground while running around in a circle), got to the puppy, pick it up, say no and then place the puppy on a piece of paper and say toilet. Praise the puppy when it eliminates. Over the next week, move the paper closer and closer to the backdoor until it can be moved outside. Eventually your puppy will go to the back door to let you know that he/she needs to go out. Always keep some paper handy in case your puppy momentarily forgets.

A few things that may help with the toilet training process:

Feed at set times every day of the week, even weekends, until your puppy is toilet trainer.
Take your puppy outside regularly and stay with him until he goes, remembering to praise
Always take your puppy outside after eating, when they wake up, after play or when you see then sniffing in a circular motion.

Dog Socialisation

You need to start as soon as possible with the socialisation of your puppy to ensure it grows up to be a well-mannered dog. This can be as simple as getting it used to being handled and touched, or to as difficult as getting it comfortable with loud bangs.

Puppy socialisation classes, in safe environment with vaccinated puppies, are an ideal way for puppies to learn social interaction with other dogs. One of the most valuable things that the pups learn in these classes is how to approach other dogs, what is acceptable with other dogs, what other breeds look like and how to behave around other people.

The key to socialisation is for your puppy to have fun while it learns life’s necessities.

A list of common experiences for a suburban dog: