Are you a newbeginner with
your puppy?
Read this and spare your brain from a lot of worrying...
When we got Ambrosius some behavioural things happened and we thought there was something wrong with the little puppy. In time I understood, from talking to others and reading, that these things was quite normal, but we misunderstood this behaviour.
* The puppy is biting - all the time - in our
hands and feet - and it is impossible to pet the little geogeous
creature.
* Teeth
This is a normal behaviour. When you receive the puppy, by eight weeks age, it is EXPLORING the world... it is exploring its world in the single way it can - by mouth and nose. The puppy does NOT understand that it has needle-sharp teeth that really can hurt when using them.
The teeth is dropped by approximately four months of age, and before that the puppy has really big trouble with its teeth. It itch very much in the puppys mouth and the puppy doesn't understand why this is so. The puppy gets a little frustrated by this.
It IS a hard time - both for the pup and you. BESIDES THAT your pup does not understand what its new herds language means... A lot of "NO" and "Ouch" is said.... put yourself in the pups position and try to understand how confusing and frightening it must be...
When you now has got the above information it is NOT meant that you should bear with the puppys behaviour. It is NOW that you shall LEARN your puppy what the words "NO" means - But do not count on that it will understand what it really means until a couple of months have passed. Do not give up!! Do not punish the puppy physically. The BEST WAY is - diversion - and patience!!!!
ALWAYS, always have bone, chewing-toys, terry-towel or other things that the pup is allowed to chew on. EACH TIME (And I promise it will be thousands of times) that the pup does bite or chew on something you don't want it to, you say "NO" with a firm, low voice - IMMEDIATELY after that you give the pup someone of HIS things and PRAISE A LOT as soon as he just sniffs at it.
Finally, in time the pup WILL understand that certain things are HIS and it is okey to chew on those. A good thing is for you to sit down with the puppy a couple of minutes per day while you are holding some of his things. When he is chewing and you at the same time pet him you create strong bonds between him and you. It is IMPORTANT to build such psychological and emotional bond between you.
* Eating poop - his own and/or others.
This is a quite common problem but NOONE have ever managed to answer WHY, not even veterinarians. We thought there were some serious fault with Ambrosius when he started to do this. He did it for approximately two months. He almost did not have time to press a poop out before he rapidly turned around and took a bite of it....
We yelled loudly and was devastated. NOTHING we said or did helped, he was totally fixed with this behaviour. BUT with tolerance and consitstence he finally understood that this was a BAAAAAD behaviour.
We said hundreds of "NO!!!!" and watched him like haws and finally (after two months of vomiting and poop-kisses) he got the message. After that period he doesn't bother about poop at all (well, of course he really seems to like horse-poop...).
We took him to two veterinarians but they couldn't find anything wrong physically or behavioural. I have heard several theories, but noone seems to be able to prove anything:
- The dog food
bought in stores have such a high quality (with all nutritions in
it) and is so easy to melt that the puppy doesn't understand that
it is no dog-food anymore... to the pup it probably smells nice.
- There is something lacking in nutrition. Give him blood-sausage
(black pudding). We tried that but it didn't help.
- The pup is yet undeveloped in his brain and does not
understand, it is simply discovering the world.
- Dogs seem to like all things that humans finds disgusting, they
are predators and eats carcass.
* Hickups - often
Ambrosius had hickups several times each day for a couple of months. We paid ANOTHER visit at the vet... (the first months was expensive because not treatment was necessary hahaha...).
It is normal for pups to have hickups, especially after meals that they swallow QUICKLY together with a lot of air.
If the hickups seems to be really bad the veterinarian told us to give him maize-gruel (ordinary for human babies). The pup CAN get gastritis (gastric catharr) and the maize-gruel will make the stomach calm. Remember that the puppy is not yet fully developed in his intestins and a lot of growing things is going on in the little body.
* Growing pains- very common with large-breed dogs.
Especially large-breed puppies gets growing pains and of course it is quite understandable - though nothing we really thinks about... The puppy can have a really hard time with its physical body growing at a rapid speed. It CAN have trouble getting up from lying position or getting down - therefore these things not always are just as easy to train than other things...
Without any reason (that WE think) the dog can scream, or be a little whining or moaning. This CAN be due to growing pain and I personally think that we the owners can bear this in mind as long as the pup is growing very much (up to around 10 - 12 months of age, maybe longer). The dog is growing so we almost can "hear it". Have some patience and try to put yourself in this situation.
Some days Ambrosius is breathing very heavily and all he wants is to lye around and sleep - I think he has some days that is hard for him while growing so we just let him be those days. Only take him for short peeing-walks and some little stimulating "search-game" indoor. FOR ACTIVITIES TO DO PLEASE SEE THE LINK: Activities.
i usually gives Ambrosius a massage on his legs and
stomach with a plastic brush like this on the picture. It is
originally a brush for humans scull but Ambrosius really likes
it. I am lying beside him at the floor and gives him massage on
his legs, foots and stomach. It has rather soft, easy bending
combs so it does not tear in the skin.
HOUSE BREAKING
There are three rules that you HAVE to obey.
Immediately
bring the puppy out on the grass after:
- eating
- sleeping
- playing
Watch your puppy, you will soon recognize the "signs" when he has to go...
Praise A
LOT when the puppy is doing right.
IF you see the puppy doing in the house, say NO! and lift it up
and run out to the grass. If/when the puppy continues on the
grass give A LOT OF PRAISE.
I used the word "pee" whenever Ambrosius did it outside... after a while I only had to bring him outside and say the word, and then he peed...
IMPORTANT
TO KNOW:
When the puppy is very young it is IMPOSSIBLE for it to hold back
his needs, because his body is not yet fully developed for that.
Please be patient and watch your dog like a hawk. Remember, it is NOT the puppies fault if it does inside... it is YOU who must watch it more!!!
Good Luck!
LEASH TRAINING - how do I begin?
I started to train Ambrosius when he had lived with us for about a week. He was then 9 weeks old. At first I just put the collar and leash on him and followed him around wherever he went - without any pulling in the leash.
When he had adjusted to having the collar and leash I decided that he should walk with me - in the direction that I wanted to go. At first he just sat down and refused to move.
I read in my puppy-upbringing-book that I should turn away from the dog and start to walk slowly. The leash tightens and you just keep on walking (sloooowly) so that the puppy is forced to move his paws, step by step.... Praise a lot and talk with a very light and happy voice!!!
It did not take long until Ambrosius understood that if he followed me I was sooooo exited and HAPPY. It took just a couple of days until he finally understood. It is VERY IMPORTANT to not pull or do anything that is uncomfortable in the beginning.... of course the puppy doesn't like being forced to take some steps - but that is stubborn and you have to show him (in a calm way) from the beginning that YOU demand that he follows you.
It is VERY important also that you turn away from the puppy when doing this. Do not look at it at all!
The same rule goes when training your puppy to come to you when calling - to hunch down with your face away from the puppy. The pup will then be very interested in where you did go.... and comes more easy to you just to check out where your face went....
It is important to do yourself INTERESTING in the dogs eyes. An interesting person that "one don't really know what it can be up to" is making the puppy curious. In this way it is the PUPPY who always have one eye on YOU - and not vice versa...
Start in about one week after you got your puppy (always in a playful way). Change directions and "pee-tours" often. Be a little unpredictible to the pup. Call on the pup and jump into a shrubbery (bush) so that it can't see you... it will certainly come and see where you went... when the pup "finds" you it is important to do funny, interesting things with it.
If doing so the pup will think it is very funny to run towards you when you call on it. And you will also have a dog who always have at least one eye on YOU.
Do never forget: Make yourself as interesting as you can to your pup - it will automatically make YOU the leader.
Good Luck!
My pup is sleeping MUCH - Is that normal?
It is VERY normal for a puppy to sleep very much. It just plays a little and then go to sleep again.... and again....and again.
Is is very good if the puppy are allowed to sleep as much as it wants. THINK OF his little body is G R O W I N G very fast and his little body is not yet fully developed. Remember if you have children in the house: Learn the children immediately to leave the pup alone when sleeping.
Otherwise you get an over activated pup who just is so messed up and "energetic" that you will get serious problems further ahead.
To begin with, when the pup is 8 - 10 weeks he sleeps almost 24 hours a day.... with small breaks for eat, play and poop. You will then notice that the pup will stay awake for longer moments. ENJOY this time, soon you will have your "but full" hahahhahaha.
HOW SHALL THE DOG
SAY HELLO TO YOUR GUESTS?
Remember that everybody whom enters your home is YOUR guests -
not the dogs'.
It is EASY that people who visits you immediately take interest in the qute puppy, and talks to it with a light and exaltated voice. The dog stresses up and wiggles around and this is a qute scenario as long as the puppy is small - or your guest don't have gala-dress on.
...but imagine when the dog suddenly weighs around 50 kilograms and the guests have nylon stockings and fine clothes on... Now the situation is not so fine any longer...
A good thing to do immediately is to explain to the most frequent guests in your home about your rules for the "welcoming ceremony". When they enter your home they shall ignore the puppy and say hello to YOU first. You will make the puppy sit/stay and nicely await your command to "say hello nicely".
A good help is to put up a sign at the outside of your front door:
WE ARE
TRAINING OUR PUPPY!!!!
Please ignore it until you have said hello to US first.
THANK'S FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION.
Some people WANT that the dog shall jump up on them and lick them all over their face. This they see as a token of affection from the dog. Those who don't obey YOUR rules when told may have the situation that will arise in the future:
When they sit in your entrance, flat on their but - overturned by the dog with a swollen lip from a dog which had bumbed into it - Glasses crooked and nylon stockings in rags...... then you just say with a cool voice: "Well, well, well.... I told you in the beginning...."
A GOOD WORD TO KNOW
When little Ambrosius arrived to us (he was 8 weeks old and sooo tiny) he slept almost the whole time. As he got older he became more lively for each day. I had read about how important it is for the puppy to not get "over-tired". Therefore I decided that he should sleep at specially decided time periods.
When we had played and he was all "on top" I took him to his blanket and then we both lay down. I was CALM and stroke him a little over his back and said: "Good boy - go to sleep now". As soon as he calmed down I praised him and he fell aslepp calmly and secure.
This phrase "go to sleep now" I have said MANY times to him and therefore he understand that it means that he shall lay down and take it easy. I always say the phrase in the same way and with the same tone of voice. A tone that ensurance him about that all is okay and that I have full control of everything.
It has now shown that this, which has become a command, is VERY USABLE in various situations. For example today, when visiting the animal hospital there was a german shepherd also laying in the waiting room, staring at us. Ambrosius was of course VERY interested and "on his guard" towards this other dog. This is NOT good because we are training him to accept other male dogs...
I said "No" and "Lay down" to Ambrosius. When he had layed down with a big sigh I said my phrase "Good boy - go to sleep now" och he layed down on his side and just relaxed while waiting for the vet.
It is of course of UTMOST IMPORTANCE that I always "looks ahead" and make sure that no other dog kan accidently approach him when laying down like that. Ambrosius must ALWAYS be able to trust that everything I say and do is the same as that he is secure and can give up everthing into my care.
If I for example wasn't totally sure on that the owner to the german shepherd-dog really controlled his dog I would never have let Ambrosius lay down. If I didn't trust the other owner I would have let Ambrosius sit up.
This is a thing that NEVER may go wrong because if Ambrosius for example should be attacked or frightened when I have said my phrase - he would probably never trust me again on that.
As an owner I must always be alert and watch my dog and surroundings as a hawk. Always try to think one step ahead. If I do this everything goes well mostly.
OTHER WORDS I HAVE USED AND THAT HAS BECAME TO "COMMANDS": "Good Boy - soon finished" --- "We have to wait" --- "Hold still"
Acceptable - Not acceptable
I did a lot of thinking when Abbe came to us as a puppy. The days were FILLED of the "No-word". All the time when he did things I didn't liked I nagged, nagged the "No-command".
I thought "it can not be good for the dog, never to be allowed to do some 'disaster-behaviour'", and therefore I decided to let him do some "bad things" when I supervised and allowed him.
For example: I don't like if he tears apart my newspaper, post, cardboard boxes, socks etcetera and I did teach him that. WHAT HE WAS ALLOWED TO DO were/is to tear apart certain things that I give him.
"Abbes' sock" - "Abbes' envelope" - "Abbes' cardboardbox" - "Abbes newspaper".... this is things that I allow him to tear and bite. So for each time he did something like steal our socks I said "NO!" and immediately gave him "Abbes' sock".
I did not take long before he begun to understand what I meant and then I could DIRECT his interest against his own things. If it didn't correspond to any of our things he got his bone, the ball, chewing ring or his rag.
Even today (he is 17 months old) I give him things that I accept he tears apart - an opened envelope, old newspaper or something. Of course it gives me a little work to sweep up the tiny, tiny peaces from the floor but I am CERTAIN of that this makes him feel good and I do believe that it is important that the dog can get "negative energy" out of his system in a (for me) positive way.
This is my opinion and it have worked GREAT on Ambrosius. The only thing he has done wrong was to gnaw on one corner of a wall - but then I got really mad at him and he has never done it again. He was then 7 months old and I was not at home when it happened.