Puppy Housetraining

1)      Feed at set times, maintaining the same schedule on weekends that you use during the week.  If you feed at 7:00 a.m. on a weekday, feed at that same time on Saturday and Sunday.

2)      Feed one diet and do not vary it.  Do not feed table scraps during the housetraining period.  If you use food for training, use the same food you use as your puppy’s regular diet.

3)      Watch your puppy’s stools; if they are loose, you may be overfeeding.

4)      Take your puppy out to relieve himself on a regular schedule.  Stay with him and praise him when he goes.  Take him out after he has eaten, after he wakes from a nap, after he has been playing or when he begins to sniff around or give other indication that he needs to relieve himself.  The signs may be subtle at first so keep an eagle eye on him.

5)      When you take your puppy out to relieve himself, go straight to the spot you want to make his toilet area and stand there.  Do not walk around with him, teach him that this is the time and place to relieve himself.  Give him a word to associate with the action “Hurry up!” “Go potty!”

6)      In the house, clean accidents with a cleaner designed for urine odor.  If you catch your puppy in the act of relieving himself in the house, say “Stop!!”  Pick him up, carry him directly outside to his toilet area, wait with him until he goes there and then praise him.

7)      Keep a chart of exactly what the puppy does at what time, including accidents.  You will notice a pattern and be better able to plan his schedule.

8)      Use a crate to help train your puppy.

a.       In a room without carpet on the floor ie: the kitchen or other room where the puppy is part of the family, put his crate on the floor and surround it with an exercise pen.  This way he has the option of sleeping in the crate and playing in the area when you are unable to be ‘with’ him.  If he has been trained to newspaper, you can put papers in the area farthest from the crate.

b.      At night, have the puppy sleep in the crate next to your bed where he can hear your breathing and feel part of the family.

c.       Never isolate your puppy in the basement or garage.  He will not be happy being isolated in such a way and will doubtless carry on.  If that is your choice, you might want to ask yourself why you have chosen a dog for companionship.  Perhaps a pet who does not require the social interaction that is a hardwired part of dogs would be better.

9)      Rules of thumb…it takes roughly 4 hours from the time a pup eats until it passes through their digestive system.

10)  You can expect your puppy to stay crated for 4 hours when he is 4 months old.

11)  What goes in will always come out!

Logistics!

I've had a few folks inquire about logistics this week.  First, the puppies who are being sent via the airlines can leave anytime after May 22.   I do have a dog trial on Saturday, May 26 so we would need to work around the schedule on that date if you were thinking of the weekend.  Otherwise, I would suggest having the pups arrive on a week day when the staff at the airport is full -- so Friday, May 25?  I can work on those arrangements closer to when the pups leave but for the moment, those are my thoughts.

If you are a more local family (Nikki, Erica, Kirk, Becky) you are welcome to come the weekend prior when they are 7.5 weeks old.  We will have done the puppy tests that mid-week and will have a good idea which puppies are going where.  Trouble will have been done nursing them for quite a while and will likely be glad to see them and their needle sharp teeth away from her! 

For now, they are still sleeping MOST of the time, but have begun to play with little soft toys and are climbing up a little ramp, enjoy interacting with one another and me.  They will be more and more fun as time goes on now!

    

We are having a few warm sunny days here in Wisconsin bracketed by clouds, cold and rain.  I took the little kids out into one of the long dog paddocks thinking they would like to feel the sun and grass.  Mostly they wanted their mama.

Heads up!  A quick note to everyone.  This is an 'outcross' breeding which means there are no common ancestors in the pedigree - at least for the first bunch of generations.  This litter has a lot of diversity in it - I see different coat types, different head types, and a huge variation in size.  SO...if you are set on a BIG MALE, this might not turn out to be the right litter for you.  Some of the males are good sized, some will be pocket rockets!  Same with the girls although most folks don't mind a smaller girl.  You might want to talk this over with your family and if it will be an issue for you to have a smaller Bouvier, please let me know now.

Bouv Babies!

And here they are just a couple days later making a mess of course but actually getting some food in their little mouths! I have soaked kibble overnight and mixed it with eggs and milk. This will be their primary diet for the next few weeks. I am trying out Taste of the Wild with this litter. As you can see, there is quite a bit of size variation in this litter which may even out as they mature. .. or may not! We'll need to wait and see!

This morning was the first 'meal' for the puppies - chevre and eggs from our hens cooked into a custard. It is easy for them to eat and digest. Of course it is a huge mess as well!

Puppy tips

As a Canine Good Citizen evaluator, I get an email each week from the AKC with tips for helping new puppy owners. Here is one that arrived in the morning's email that I thought you'd like to see. It makes good sense!

We all know that training is a big part of having a happy dog. So is making sure your puppy or dog is confident. Here are some tips for building your puppy's confidence and raising an easygoing dog.

Meet new people and animals. Socialization is an integral part of raising your puppy, and part of that is introducing him to all types of people – short, tall, different ethnicities, etc. This will help prevent a fear of certain types of people later in your puppy’s life. Socialization also includes exposing your puppy to adult dogs and other animals so he becomes familiar with all types of creatures.

Exploring is good. Encourage your puppy to explore different objects. Provide things for him to crawl into, on top of, and underneath. Make sure any object you give your puppy to explore is safe.

Make noise. Your puppy needs to get used to everyday sounds, sights, and smells in your home. Let him hear the dishwasher run and the vacuum cleaner go. The more sounds you expose your puppy to, the fewer things will cause him fear later in life.

Being alone. To avoid separation anxiety later, teach your puppy to be alone. Let him spend time in his crate or exercise pen while you’re doing chores around the house. Give him something safe to chew on or a food-dispensing toy to keep him busy.

Don't be pushy. Learn to read your puppy’s body language and don’t force him into a situation if he’s exhibiting fear. If your puppy tries to turn away, has his tail tucked tightly, or rolls over to bare his belly among other things, stop what you’re doing and try to figure out what made him afraid.

I have little pdf files I have developed in past years to help you understand what's going on with your puppy. You can view weeks 1 and 2 here

Monday morning - Trouble has been outside to help with chores and is now back in to feed the babies. Their eyes are beginning to open and we will see huge changes this week!