episode 8: where should i begin with puppy training?

Katie introduces the show with her weirdest voice and a good belly laugh. 

The hosts were extra tired when they recorded this episode, but don't fret they still dive right into the topic: 
How to start training your puppy!

What are the top 5 things to start working on with the puppy?

**But first** MAIL TIME!

• Matt from Greenwood asks "why is my dog a dick?"
  • his dog struggles with 1. pooping/peeing in the house, 2. takes his baby's diapers and toys, and 3. takes the other dog's toys in the house
  • tips:
    1. reward the dog for pooping/peeing outside more often, ignore the accidents inside as the dog may be interpreting the "punishment" from you as actual reinforcement 
    2. manage where the baby's diapers are disposed of (lid locking trashcan), teach the dog a drop cue and trade the dog with a higher value treat or toy, don't chase the dog if it does get a diaper or toy that is off limits. That is reinforcing for the dog. 
    3. dog politics are normal, so if the other dog is ok with dickhead dog taking his toys then we wouldn't recommend doing anything. If the other dog gets upset, make sure there are plenty of toys available for both dogs or pick up the problem toy and put it away. 
       
       

Now back to our topic...
Top 5 things to start working on with your puppy:
*disclaimer - your puppy is ALWAYS learning, yes ALWAYS. Keep that in mind every time you interact with them.

1. Potty Training: ​​​​
   1. management is key - baby gates and movable pens are great tools
   2. take them out more often than you think; 1-2 hrs for small small puppies, you can increase the time between potty time gradually as they get older
   3. REWARD REWARD REWARD for peeing/pooping outside  right after  they've eliminated
   4. Katie and Jimmy used crates when potty training, having the right size crate is important. Dogs don't usually eliminate where they sleep/lie down, but still let the puppy out every 2-4 hrs and right after they eat or play.
2. Handling/Husbandry/Grooming/Vet visits/Cooperative care:
   1. ​even though this is overlooked a lot, it is VERY important, especially for dogs that will need to be regularly groomed
   2. practice touching your puppy with everything (that's safe) in your home, including your hands
   3. introduce brushes, dremels, clippers, bottles of liquid ear cleaner as early as possible 
   4. Make an effort to have fun visits to the vet, not just when they need shots/groomed to help them have good associations with it
   5. if your puppy/dog does start to get afraid of certain things, go slowly to help them get desensitized to the thing 
   6. find the right vet/groomer that will take things slowly for your dog
3. Eye contact: 
   1. ​Jimmy's favorite - first thing Jimmy teaches every client - dog looks at you -> you mark with a click or a "yes" -> give them a treat
   2. you're teaching the dog that looking at you/being with you is a great source of reinforcement 
   3. you can add a cue for the eye contact as well - verbal "look" or even triggers in the environment can become a cue to look back to you for a treat 
   4. eye contact is the first step to getting a reliable recall, you can add the puppy's name right before they look at you to start teaching them that when they hear their name they look to you for reinforcement 
4. Settle to a mat:
   1. ​Anna's favorite - Charlie the golden chills SO well when he goes out with his mom's friends - Katie just reinforced Charlie every time he laid down during his training sessions and Molly has continued to reinforce him for calm behavior since then
   2. take your puppy out in the world and reinforcing for calm behavior whenever possible 
   3. a few minutes per day will make a big difference for any dog 
5. Recall:
   1. ​call once game - have people around the house and call the puppy to them with high value treats over and over again; this build value in their name 
   2. be careful about "poisoning" their name - don't call their name and put them in their crate or do something aversive for the dog; this happens often with dogs when the owner uses their name only to call them inside or put them in a crate and leave 
      1. practice calling them, touching their collar, giving them a treat, and then releasing them back to what they were doing
   3. Katie has 2 recalls - one just their name and one with "come" at the end which she only uses in emergency situations or if she's practicing, never outside of those contexts 
   4. Anna is currently working on a recall course of David's, which should have an emergency recall built in 
   5. try not to call their name in the beginning of training a recall when they are super distracted, wait until they have stopped and lifted their head and then call them

Let us know if you have questions or comments about the content in this episode!! Thanks for listening!