Getting a puppy and feeling overwhelmed

LauraZ · 03-22-2012, 08:44 AM

We are going to pick up our new puppy next week. I'm really excited but beginning to feel very overwhelmed. I've been reading and watching training videos and doing all the research I can but I want to make sure I do this right.

About 20 years ago I had a German Shepherd and while he was a good dog in the house, he definitely had some training issues that I'm sure were my fault. I want to raise a good dog that is not aggressive, will listen, won't bolt when the door is opened, can be taken around other dogs, etc. I see people with dogs like this but I don't know how to get there.

It seems like there is so much information out there any many different schools of thought on how it's done. I know I have a small window of opportunity while our puppy is young to make sure I do the training correctly. I'm not concerned about potty training or crate training, I'm very confident about those things, I'm mainly concerned about behaviors and the attitude of the dog.

Could you share your top two or three tips on getting started on the right foot so you end up with a well-behaved dog?

Soundtrack · 03-22-2012, 08:52 AM

1) Remember that the puppy is ALWAYS learning, not just during formal teaching sessions - make sure he is learning good things.
2) Supervision and management are critical to prevent the pup from practicing unwanted behaviors. It's easier to teach him what you do want than to try to break him of bad habits.
3) Socialize, socialize, socialize! Lots of different people, places, things, and noises.
4) Obedience classes - lots of 'em!

cpizzul · 03-22-2012, 09:34 AM

Laura - I've raised three puppies and EVERY time I feel overwhelmed and want to send them back after the first poop in the crate!! But it is only for a about 8 weeks that the housebreaking is a nightmare and if you STICK TO THE CRATE you will have it down I promise - Just take the pup out a zillion times to pee and poop in the one spot you have chosen outside. And just be glad the weather is great...I housebroke ALL my pups in the middle of NY winters - Snow and Ice up the yin yang.

I only start with 'Wait' command for food and enter/exit at first - don't need to start training the rest right away...Wait till his brain can handle it. You cant teach a 2 year old child to do algebra right?
Good luck and congrats in advance!

squirmy_wurmy · 03-22-2012, 04:05 PM

If he is taught manners around lots of different dogs, he should be comfortable as he grows up. Don't freak out if a dog growls at him or barks, so he knows it's not a big deal. Take him around dogs big and small (just make sure they have their vaccines).
Make sure when he meets people he stays down, and make sure he meets people of all ages, colours, both genders etc. Show him umbrellas, strollers, bags and anything else you can think of, while he isn't scared. Also get friends to casually have these items too. If you can, expose him to loud noises- cars, loud kids, tv, radio, pots and pans. This will make sure he knows these sounds aren't threatening for when he goes through his scared phase.
When giving him treats, make him earn it (even a simple sit) and put your fingers in his mouth so he will take gently. Once you are confident with this, get others to do it. Also handle his food. Pet him and put your hand in the bowl as he is eating. You should be able to take anything you want away from him.
And of course, have fun! Bassets can be super hard to train, but they are naturally gentle and loving. You should have few problems, especially if he has lots of socialization and love!

bubbad · 03-22-2012, 06:21 PM

What I'm going to tell you will sound contradictive but it isn't. Spend a lot of time with the puppy just holding him ,loving on him,getting to know him ,him getting to know you. Do not baby him .What I mean is if a loud noise occures just go on about your way in doing whatever you were doing . Do not pick him up and talk to him with words he won't understand,while saying,"it won't hurt you" etc.Now if he is under 9 weeks you may sooth him by just petting a bit but when he realizes you are not afraid it won't take him long to be more curious than afraid.They go through several fear stages,he will be watching you to see what you do when something scares him. Relax, it isn't that hard but remember if he has good genes that is a huge help too. These steps have worked for me.We'll all be here to coach you along ,meanwhile have a good time with him.

Mikey T · 03-22-2012, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Remember that the puppy is ALWAYS learning, not just during formal teaching sessions - make sure he is learning good things....

Miriam forgot the A number one thing that a puppy need to learn and one of the more neglected items and that is bite inhibition.

Quote:

I want to raise a good dog that is not aggressive,

The truth of the matter under the right circumstance and dog will bite. The difference between a safe dog and a dangerious dog is bite inhibition, the ability to bite without doing harm a soft mouth. There is a very limited window to teach this reliable. I onder dogs teaching bite inhibition is not reliable where it is if instilled in a puppy
see Teaching Bite Inhibition

Quote:

Please read this section extremely carefully. I shall repeat over and over: teaching bite inhibition is the most important aspect of your puppy's entire education.
Certainly puppy biting behavior must eventually be eliminated. We cannot have an adult dog playfully mauling family, friends, and strangers in the manner of a young puppy. However, it is essential that this be done gradually and progressively via a systematic two-step process: first, to inhibit the force of puppy bites and second, to lessen the frequency of puppy mouthing.
Ideally, the two phases should be taught in sequence, but with more active puppy biters you may wish to work on both stages at the same time. In either case, you must teach your puppy to bite or mouth gently before puppy biting behavior is eliminated altogether

Bite Inhibition - How to Teach

Quote:

Rather than "No bite," I strongly, strongly, strongly urge you to teach your puppy bite inhibition instead. Bite inhibition is a "soft mouth." It teaches the pup how to use his mouth gently. Does this mean that the pup will forever be mouthing you? No, not at all. Actually, regardless of the method used, puppies generally grow out of mouthing behavior after a few months.
So why should you teach bite inhibition? Because dogs have one defense: their teeth. Every dog can bite. If frightened enough or in pain or threatened, your dog *will* bite. That doesn't in any way make him a "bad" dog. It makes him a dog. It's your responsibility, therefore, to teach your dog that human skin is incredibly fragile. If you teach your dog bite inhibition that training will carry over even if he is later in a position where he feels forced to bite.
A story... Ian Dunbar tells a story of a bite incident he had to asses. A Golden Retriever therapy dog was leaving a nursing home and his tail was accidentally shut in a car door. The owner went to help, and the dog delivered four Level Four bites before she could react.
FYI, a standard scale has been developed to judge the severity of dog bites, based on damage inflicted. The scale is:
* Level One: Bark, lunge, no teeth on skin.
* Level Two: Teeth touched, no puncture.
* Level Three: 1-4 holes from a single bite. All holes less than half the length of a single canine tooth.
* Level Four: Single bite, deep puncture (up to one and a half times the depth of a single canine tooth), wound goes black within 24 hours.
* Level Five: Multiple bite attack or multiple attack incidents.
* Level Six: Missing large portions of flesh.
Technically, the woman received a Level Five bite from a long-time therapy dog. Dr. Dunbar wasn't the least bit surprised by the bites. I mean, the dog got his tail shut in a car door! Of course he bit! What shocked Dr. DUnbar was that a dog with no bite inhibition was being used as a therapy dog.
"But he's never bitten before." Of course not. And barring an accident like that, he probably never would have. But an accident is just that. An accident. Unpredicted. What if it had happened in the nursing home?

Jumping up when greating, bolting out an open door, stealing food/counter cursing. What do all these behaviors have in commom beside the fact most people want to eliminate them from their dogs repretoire of behaviors?

a lack of impulse control must of the commom behaviorl problems people have with their dogs is because of a lack of impulse control on the part of the dog. A dog with impulse control is easly to live with even it it is not well trained. A welltrained dog with little or no impulse control is very hard to live with. Imulse control can and should be tought .
the video below is a game i highly recommend of all dogs but especial food motivated dogs like bassets

Its yer choice

Lowering arousal

Quote:

We used to say a trained dog is a free dog, a dog that could go with us anywhere on or off lead. They knew how to “behave” in the human
controlled world. But what we should have said is: A dog with self-control is a free dog. Freedom for dogs has everything to do with impulse control and little to do with whether they can heel or shake their paw. Dogs have to live safely and non-aggressively in a man-made world. Our responsibility to our dogs means training impulse control, which leads to teaching self-control.

In my experience, a few dogs are born with low arousal levels and they have a natural sense of self-control. But I find that there seem to be less and less of these dogs. This maybe because of breeding priorities that don’t include low arousal, or it may just mean that most dogs don’t live in rural environments and therefore they don’t come with very good natural programming to live in a mainly human-controlled world. I think dogs living in a busy household or environment never learn self control because they are constantly being stimulated and conditioned to be up and active, particularly ones who might be crated for long periods of time. When these dogs are then let out of the crate, owners often allow them to pace and be continually active in the home environment. Dogs like this can lose their ability to control themselves, similar to what can happen to dogs in a shelter environment. Dogs that are continually aroused can have higher cortisol levels¹

protocol for relaxation

Quote:

This program is the foundation for all other behavior modification programs. Its purpose is to teach the dog to sit and stay while relaxing in a variety of circumstances. The circumstances change from very reassuring ones with you present to potentially more stressful ones when you are absent. The purpose of the program is not to teach the dog to sit; sitting (or lying down, if the dog is more comfortable) is only a tool.The goals of the program are to teach the dog to relax, to defer to you, to enjoy earning a salary for an appropriate, desirable behavior, and to develop, as a foundation, a pattern of behaviors that allow the dog to cooperate with future behavior modification (generally desensitization and counterconditioning). This protocol acts as a foundation for teaching the dog context-specific appropriate behavior. The focus is to teach the dog to rely on you for all the cues as to the appropriateness of its behavior so that it can then learn not to react inappropriately.

relaxation protocal

rewarding non-behavior

Guidelines for Teaching Self Control

Quote:

Socialize, socialize, socialize

Not just socialize but habituate as well to normal dog and household items if you don't want the dog to freak at the vaccuum you must expose the dog to it as a puppy. same with nail triming vet procedure etc.

Puppy Socialisation and Habituation (Part 2) How to go about it

Countdown to a Crackerjack Canine Companion

Quote:

As a rule of thumb, your pup needs to socialize with at least 100 people before it is 3 months old

Mikey T · 03-22-2012, 07:58 PM

Quote:

They go through several fear stages,he will be watching you to see what you do when something scares him.

they go through developmental stage fear stages convey a meaning that is not actual true.
The Unfortunate Popularity of Fear
[/url]

Quote:

Contrary to a common misperception, the "Fear Imprint" developmental phase is not fearfulness.
One determines the nature of a fear expression by observing the pup's first encounter with a novel environmental stimulus, and then objectively evaluating how the pup recovers from that first encounter. By evaluating the ability to recover ("rebound"), we can identify whether the pup's fear expression is based on its developmental status, life experience or naivete, naturally progressing learning curve, etc. -- or if the pup's fearfulness is a reflection of unsound temperament.

SENSORY, EMOTIONAL, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOUNG DOG
By Dr. Joël Dehasse, Behaviorist Veterinarian

Quote:

A sensitive period is a point in the maturing process when events are susceptible to leaving long-term effects, or a period when learning is easier and knowledge gained is stored in the long-term memory. During the sensitive period, a small number of determining experiences have major effects (or damages) on future behavior. The sensitive period is preceded and followed by periods of lower sensitivity, and the transition is gradual. The notion of sensitive period is used in the place of critical period because the former extends over a longer period of time. Ducklings become attached to their mother between the 13th and 16th hour of life (Hess 1959, in Cyrulnik 1989), it takes 5 minutes of contact during the first hour after birth for a she-goat to become attached to the odor of her kid (Bateson, 1981), and a ewe needs contact within 4 hours after the birth of her lamb. Without this contact the mother will reject her young in the last two cases (Collias, 1956, in Scott and Fuller, 1965). These very short periods justify the term critical. Since puppies do not have such short periods of facilitated learning, we will use the term sensitive period.

Mikey T · 03-22-2012, 08:50 PM

Quote:

I want to raise a good dog that is not aggressive, will listen,

at least the will listen part is the problem I think a lot of people go wrong in trying to train a basset and get fustrated. Dogs and b reed have a heirarchy of of cues that they go throug and understand in relating to humans. Verbal command are very low to the bottom of the list for dogs that are not rank as "easy to train" basset and most breed respond more consitently to non-verbal cue and commands.

A Review of Domestic Dogs' (Canis Familiaris) Human-Like Behaviors: Or Why Behavior Analysts Should Stop Worrying and Love Their Dogs

Quote:

One of the most interesting behavioral characteristics of the modern domestic dog is its predisposition to attend and respond to human social gestures and cues

...
Particularly noteworthy in these studies of dog responsiveness to human gestural cues, is that some of the successful dogs in these studies had only had minimal contact with humans or did not live as pets in human households. Miklósi et al.'s (1998) study included 5 assistant or guide dogs that did not reside in a typical household setting and yet still performed above baseline in the pointing and bowing conditions in the first 15 trials.
The degree to which individual dogs attend to human social cues and their tendency to rapidly integrate new behaviors into their repertoire based on the consequences that follow from them, says something about both their development and their environment. For dogs to provide adaptive responses to human gestures requires not only attentiveness and close proximity to human action, indicative of some sort of social attachment to humans, but also sensitivity to context within a human environment.

I would deemphysis voice/word command as cues/command for a behavior. for example you don't want the dog bolting out the door , which is easter to teach the dog to resospond to the verbal command sit and stay or to teach the dog the the door does not start to open when you are standing near it unless the dog sits and the door closes if it gets up before being told it is ok to.

In the late case you only have to release the dog in the former tell it to sit then stay then release. Because humans are very verbal we then to think that is how dog learn and interact with us but that is rarely the case. pay more atention to physical cues, positional cues (ie where you are in relationship to an object0 etc an I believe you will be a lot more successful in having the dog respond to you the way you want them to

see Hard to Train?

Mikey T · 03-22-2012, 09:00 PM

Quote:

I'm not concerned about potty training or crate training, I'm very confident about those things

from someone that never owned a basset before I see overconfidence failure written all over it.

!. bassets are natoriously hard to housetrain

2. IMHO the cause of this is quite simply they are slower much slower than other breed in developing adequite shincter control to be house trained. i have never seen a basset truely housetrained before six months with 1 year being typical. Keeping in mind a lack of accidents is not an indication of house training but simply the first step and is an indication of adequite management practiceses.

crate training I always have difficult when used in the same breath as housetrain if the person using the term actual means crate traing or rather using a crate to assit in house training the two are vastly different. That said crate training has undergone a radical change in recent years and is the basis of much obedience foundation training

crate games

Crate Games for Self-Control & Motivation DVD
[quote]As you develop an amazing working relationship with your dog, you'll see why crate games are the cornerstone of Susan Garrett's unbelievably successful dog training program and why they are now being implemented in dog training schools all over the world.[/url]

Teaching self control: Crate games

!

LauraZ · 03-23-2012, 06:33 AM

Thanks for all the info! I have lots more reading to do now

I hadn't seriously considered obedience training before but it sounds like it's pretty much a necessity.

Question - I thought Cesar Milan was the be all and end all of dog trainers... is this not so? I read something on here that said differently and then I watched a youtube video showing that he kicks dogs (which I never noticed before, I've only seen the show a couple times years ago). I had gotten some Cesar Milan dog training books on CD to listen to but now I'm thinking maybe that's not such a good idea. Is Petsmart ok for training classes? If not, how do I know which training center is a reputable one? I really don't want to go to one where they are kicking dogs!

I hope I don't fail at the potty training. I just meant that I had a lot of patience and I'm expecting it to take a long time. I've set up my house to make it easier for us to succeed. For the times we aren't directly supervising her, I've set up two large circular baby gate pens, one on each floor. We homeschool in the lower level of our home so I wanted an area for her in our school room where she could be near us during the day. Both of the gate pens are next to a outside door for easy potty access. The only thing I wondered is if I should get two dog crates, one for each pen or if it would be better to have one and just carry it up and down (not really a big deal) because I heard that is is like their bedroom, their own special place.

03-22-2012, 08:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
LauraZ Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: IL Posts: 9	Getting a puppy and feeling overwhelmed We are going to pick up our new puppy next week. I'm really excited but beginning to feel very overwhelmed. I've been reading and watching training videos and doing all the research I can but I want to make sure I do this right. About 20 years ago I had a German Shepherd and while he was a good dog in the house, he definitely had some training issues that I'm sure were my fault. I want to raise a good dog that is not aggressive, will listen, won't bolt when the door is opened, can be taken around other dogs, etc. I see people with dogs like this but I don't know how to get there. It seems like there is so much information out there any many different schools of thought on how it's done. I know I have a small window of opportunity while our puppy is young to make sure I do the training correctly. I'm not concerned about potty training or crate training, I'm very confident about those things, I'm mainly concerned about behaviors and the attitude of the dog. Could you share your top two or three tips on getting started on the right foot so you end up with a well-behaved dog?

03-22-2012, 08:52 AM	#2 (permalink)
Soundtrack Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 3,351	1) Remember that the puppy is ALWAYS learning, not just during formal teaching sessions - make sure he is learning good things. 2) Supervision and management are critical to prevent the pup from practicing unwanted behaviors. It's easier to teach him what you do want than to try to break him of bad habits. 3) Socialize, socialize, socialize! Lots of different people, places, things, and noises. 4) Obedience classes - lots of 'em! __________________ Rosie-Ch Soundtrack Cracklin' Rose CGN AGN RA Am RN TT Melody-Ch Soundtrack Unchained Melody TT Sailor-Ch Soundtrack Expedition Sailor RN TT Chili-Ch Soundtrack Spice Up Your Life Curry-Ch Soundtrack Canadian Brass Pepper-Ch Pennieslogon Living La Vida Loca CGN Vina-Ch Soundtrack Grand Illusion Leila-Ch Soundtrack Almost Paradise Deela-Ch Soundtrack Wink Of An Eye Hermione - Soundtrack Spellbound Eowyn - Soundtrack Rain Dance

03-22-2012, 04:05 PM	#4 (permalink)
squirmy_wurmy Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 163	If he is taught manners around lots of different dogs, he should be comfortable as he grows up. Don't freak out if a dog growls at him or barks, so he knows it's not a big deal. Take him around dogs big and small (just make sure they have their vaccines). Make sure when he meets people he stays down, and make sure he meets people of all ages, colours, both genders etc. Show him umbrellas, strollers, bags and anything else you can think of, while he isn't scared. Also get friends to casually have these items too. If you can, expose him to loud noises- cars, loud kids, tv, radio, pots and pans. This will make sure he knows these sounds aren't threatening for when he goes through his scared phase. When giving him treats, make him earn it (even a simple sit) and put your fingers in his mouth so he will take gently. Once you are confident with this, get others to do it. Also handle his food. Pet him and put your hand in the bowl as he is eating. You should be able to take anything you want away from him. And of course, have fun! Bassets can be super hard to train, but they are naturally gentle and loving. You should have few problems, especially if he has lots of socialization and love! __________________ Mommy to: Monty (Montague) - Tri Basset 1 Jenny (Genevieve) - Tri Basset 5 months Abbie (Abbigail) - Cat 4 Clifford - Cat 7 Sister to: Norman - Golden Retriever Niki - Husky Miracle - Cat Duke (golden) and Luke (cat) still in my heart.

03-22-2012, 09:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
cpizzul Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 88	Laura - I've raised three puppies and EVERY time I feel overwhelmed and want to send them back after the first poop in the crate!! But it is only for a about 8 weeks that the housebreaking is a nightmare and if you STICK TO THE CRATE you will have it down I promise - Just take the pup out a zillion times to pee and poop in the one spot you have chosen outside. And just be glad the weather is great...I housebroke ALL my pups in the middle of NY winters - Snow and Ice up the yin yang. I only start with 'Wait' command for food and enter/exit at first - don't need to start training the rest right away...Wait till his brain can handle it. You cant teach a 2 year old child to do algebra right? Good luck and congrats in advance!

03-22-2012, 06:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
bubbad Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Boiling Springs,Pa Posts: 1,741	What I'm going to tell you will sound contradictive but it isn't. Spend a lot of time with the puppy just holding him ,loving on him,getting to know him ,him getting to know you. Do not baby him .What I mean is if a loud noise occures just go on about your way in doing whatever you were doing . Do not pick him up and talk to him with words he won't understand,while saying,"it won't hurt you" etc.Now if he is under 9 weeks you may sooth him by just petting a bit but when he realizes you are not afraid it won't take him long to be more curious than afraid.They go through several fear stages,he will be watching you to see what you do when something scares him. Relax, it isn't that hard but remember if he has good genes that is a huge help too. These steps have worked for me.We'll all be here to coach you along ,meanwhile have a good time with him.

03-23-2012, 06:33 AM	#10 (permalink)
LauraZ Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: IL Posts: 9	Thanks for all the info! I have lots more reading to do now I hadn't seriously considered obedience training before but it sounds like it's pretty much a necessity. Question - I thought Cesar Milan was the be all and end all of dog trainers... is this not so? I read something on here that said differently and then I watched a youtube video showing that he kicks dogs (which I never noticed before, I've only seen the show a couple times years ago). I had gotten some Cesar Milan dog training books on CD to listen to but now I'm thinking maybe that's not such a good idea. Is Petsmart ok for training classes? If not, how do I know which training center is a reputable one? I really don't want to go to one where they are kicking dogs! I hope I don't fail at the potty training. I just meant that I had a lot of patience and I'm expecting it to take a long time. I've set up my house to make it easier for us to succeed. For the times we aren't directly supervising her, I've set up two large circular baby gate pens, one on each floor. We homeschool in the lower level of our home so I wanted an area for her in our school room where she could be near us during the day. Both of the gate pens are next to a outside door for easy potty access. The only thing I wondered is if I should get two dog crates, one for each pen or if it would be better to have one and just carry it up and down (not really a big deal) because I heard that is is like their bedroom, their own special place.

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