Pooch Care

Dog trainers say this is the ultimate in safety cues. Just as before, you need your clicker, treats and a quiet place. The clicker and the treats perform the same function as when the puppy was learning his name so this is something familiar to him and to you.

One slight difference though, this time around you put a treat on the floor for your dog to eat and walk to the other side of the room whilst holding another in your hand in full view of your puppy. Call your puppy by his name and say come in a happy tone, click the clicker as he starts to come to you and give him the treat when he completes the command. Don’t forget to praise him all the way and touching his collar when you give him the treat is reassurance for you and him.

If your puppy does not get it the first time don’t worry, just keep at it he’ll get it sooner or later but don’t forget to take breaks in between and start with an environment with little or no distractions.  As time goes by you can change things a bit and instead of holding the treat in your hand you can give it to him from your pocket when he comes to you and eventually this becomes a hand signal for your puppy to come. Increasing the amount of distraction as your puppy gets better at responding to ‘Come’ will help to reinforce the learning and you get to see how well your puppy is doing. Incorporate a lot of these things into games and make it fun learning for both you and your puppy.

Tip One… You should try to remember is to always make coming to you a positive experience.

Tip Two… Always reward your puppy even if he didn’t come the first time you called for him to come.

Like before it may be useful to record how well your puppy is doing on a chart like the one below:

Puppy responds to ‘Come’ or the hand gesture :

Here are some examples of the different levels of distractions:

Low level:

-    You have a toy in your hand or someone else is in the family room

Higher/moderate level:

-          A phone or doorbell is ringing when you call his name

-          You are lying down or facing a different direction when you give the command ‘Come’

-          You are asking in a different area

High level:

-          You have guests visiting

-          You are in a busy place or park

-          Other people or dogs are interacting with your puppy

Family members who take part in the activity can also have their own reward chart and can track their progress. This adds some extra interest for kids in particular and has been proven to improve learning in the same way that rewards improve learning for your puppy.

For more information on how to train your puppy… Click Here

Why should we teach our puppy his name, you say? Well for starters, it is a very good way to get your dog out of trouble and I’m sure there are many other reasons but one is sometimes all you need.

Just like anything else repetition and rewards go well together and teaching your puppy his name is no different. First you should have a few things handy, such as a clicker and some treats that you know your dog loves; so that you can use these as rewards when your puppy responds to his name.

Call your puppy by his name at almost every chance you get in the beginning, by this I mean, saying come and his name, how are you doing today and his name just so he gets used to hearing it. The clicker will help your dog to associate the sound with the treat. So when your puppy responds to his name you click the clicker, give him a treat and say good boy/girl.

To take this training a bit further try saying your puppy’s name when there is little distraction around i.e. when maybe its just you and your puppy around. As the puppy gets used to hearing his name try calling his name when there is a bit more distraction around say at a park and as your puppy gets better at responding to his name you can take the training to another level by checking his response when there are lots of distractions e.g. when you have visitors around and there is a lot going on.

Don’t forget to use your clicker and the treats every time he responds to his name. As time progresses, you can reduce the use of the clicker and the treats as your puppy’s response should now be because he recognises his name and not because he gets a treat at the end of it.

Getting the rest of the family involved in training your puppy is always a good idea. That way your puppy learns the sound of everyone’s voice and begins to distinguish who’s who but also learns to respond to his name no matter who in the family calls him. This can also be a time of bonding for the family as this is something you can all do together.

It may be useful to record how well your puppy is doing on a chart like the one below:

Puppy responds to his name or looks at me:

Some examples of the different levels of distractions are:

Low level:

-    You have a toy in your hand or someone else is in the family room

Higher/moderate level:

-          A phone or doorbell is ringing when you call his name

-          You are lying down or facing a different direction when you call his name

High level:

-          You have guests visiting

-          You are in a busy place or park

-          Other people or dogs are interacting with your puppy

After your puppy has mastered ‘name recognition’ you can start thinking about the other important commands or potential life savers he needs to know such as ‘Come’, ‘Drop it’ and ‘Leave it’. These commands are important as you are able to distract your puppy from potentially dangerous situation, such as broken glass, dropped medication and other dangers.

For more information on how to train your puppy… Click Here

So you think you’re ready for an addition to the family and want a new puppy.  You’ve thought about how much fun you would have together, going for walks or running in the park just down the road.  You’ve identified where he’s going to sleep and what his bed is going to look like. You’ve even got some toys for him to play with. Yep, you’ve thought it all through and you’re going to get him tomorrow. But have you?

Having a new puppy is like having a new baby. It needs a lot of love and attention. After all, it’s coming into a new place and having to get used to doing things in a different way. That initial settling in period may be a bit difficult and you and your family have got to be prepared for that. The experts say that taking some timeout with the rest of the family and talking about what it would feel like to have someone else in the family to take care of and the adjustments you all have to make is often very helpful.

You’ve all agreed to chip in and take care of him and by this I mean feeding him, giving him his bath, playing with him so he gets lots of exercise and stimulation and taking him for regular walks so you don’t have little accidents in the house. Well that’s the basics taken care of but let’s not forget the rest. Puppies need to remain physically healthy as well so regular visits to the vets need to be arranged.

A new puppy should be seen by the vet at least every 3 or 4 months in the first year or two to make sure their growing healthily and part of this means they get their shots when they are due and any illnesses are detected early.  Don’t forget to report any odd behaviour or irregularities of eating patterns etc to your vet immediately. Vet bills can be expensive so getting pet insurance is a necessity.

To make sure your new puppy and your family have a harmonious life together it is necessary to build a routine that works for everyone. Some families may find it difficult to train their puppy and may need extra help from a trainer. Talking to other dog owners and maybe your vet can help you to find a good trainer.

Lots of families like to take their puppies along on family holidays and events. This can bring up a lot of issues such as dog passports, travel crates, travel vaccinations, accommodation issues and quarantine to name a few. To alleviate some of these difficulties some families choose to leave their puppies at home and if this is the case there are a few options to make sure your new puppy is well taken care of whilst you’re away such as dog sitters, kennels, family friends or relatives.

Suddenly getting that new puppy doesn’t sound so easy, but with some thought and preparation it is manageable and a happy puppy and family will be the reality.

Pooch care information coming soon!