*Madison*
Tara x Bodey Be
Loved by Sue Henderson & Donna DeNoble
"We are very proud of you Maddy"
Madison Now
 It is very important
to begin training your new puppy
so that it learns it's place in the family
and learns acceptable behavior.
Gain your new puppy’s trust and respect and you’ll be well on your way to having a gentle, cooperative dog.
An uncontrollable dog
can easily become
an unwanted nuisance.
In the United States,
millions of pets
are abandoned
to overcrowded shelters
every year.
Most of the problems
that landed them there
could have been prevented
if they had been guided into
acceptable behavior from an early age.
We can not stress to you enough
how important it is to
obedience train your puppy.
TRAINING YOUR PUPPY 
Be patient.
An eight week old pup is an infant.
Four to six months a pre-adolescent.
Six months to a year, an adolescent.
Twelve months to 18, is a teenager.
At a year and a half to two
the dog is an adult.
You only get back what you are willing to give.
Obedience training will be
the best investment you can make.
The first six months are
a critical learning period.
Don’t waste this time.
Train correctly and early.
The dog crate is an important tool if used properly.
If the dog is to be left alone all day
you probably should not have a dog.
If you have young children,
think twice about getting a dog.
If you do get one, pick the correct breed.
If you have children, teach them to behave
with the dog and provide respect.
The more positive things
children and adults do with their dog,
the better the relationship will be.
This is where training helps.
Basic training and play can be
activities for your child to do with its dog.
Use food sparingly to reward good behavior.
Carry food in your pocket and take advantage
of what the dog gives you.
Cheerios works well as a treat.
If the dog comes, say "come", sit say "sit"
and if lays down say "down".
If it follows you at your side say "Lets Go".
Use lots of praise and love as a reward.
Take advantage of whatever the pup gives you.
You must observe your puppy's behavior.
Avoid situations involving poor behavior.
Often without knowing it, you reward by your attention.
Your leash is the key control.
Use it in the house when necessary.
PUPPY PERSONALITY TEST
This test will help you to rate your puppy’s personality.
This is not meant to be a scientific evaluation.
Look at it as providing some insight into your pups overall behavior.
It’s best applied to a pup between three - six months.
Rate your dog
on each of
the following statements.
A "0" rating means the statement does not apply.
A "5" rating means the statement very much describes the dog.
The pup is friendly to all in the family
The puppy treats you like your special
The pup follows you everywhere
The pup likes to play
The pup likes treats
It is not protective of the house
It is not protective of food
It is not protective of toys
It does not mouth hands
It does not show teeth or raise lips
It is friendly to people it does not know
It is friendly to other dogs
It likes to go outside
It walks OK on a leash
It likes to be touched
It is not destructive
It quickly learns new behavior
It accepts confinement
It was quickly housebroken
It is not fearful of loud sounds
Evaluate by adding all the scores.
A perfect score
which will almost never happen
would be 100.
A score of 75 or more
means your pup has the potential of
being an excellent companion.
A score of 50 to 75 is fine
but you should do some training.
A 25 to 50 score
is a dog that is a problem
and needs lots of training.
A score below 35
is a dog with serious problems
and needs professional help.
PUPPY MOUTHING & BITING
Pups by nature need to chew.
Teething drives the mouthing.
Provide lots of acceptable chew items and toys.
Gear the toys to the size of the dog.
Use the leash to control mouthing.
Make sure the dog cannot swallow any of the items you provide.
Rotate the chews and toys.
Acquire 15 items.
Hold back 5 and provide some of these each day while picking up some from the dog’s area.
Never stick a chew in the dogs mouth if it is chewing you.
This is a reward from the dog’s perspective.
If the mouthing is severe, confine the dog [time out] for 10 minutes.
Teach the dog to gently take treats from your hand.
Use the "easy" word, tapping the dog’s nose with your closed hand if it grabs the food.
Only provide when the dog is gentle.
DESTRUCTIVE CHEWING
Each dog and breed of dog is different when it comes to destructive chewing.
Pups chew because of teething and to communicate and get attention.
Puppies left unsupervised can be destructive.
A good escape proof confinement area is a must. Proper use of a training crate is acceptable.
When you are away from the dog, keep it in its confinement area.
Dogs are creatures of habit. Prevent destructive chewing from happening.
Provide a wide selection of acceptable chews and toys. Dogs get bored. Keep them interested in their toys.
Build to 15 or more items. Keep at least five items away from the dog. Rotate these every day. Putting new items down and picking up an equal number that are available to the dog.
If the dog chews an inappropriate item use a deterrent. Use a spray for items you can place in the dog’s mouth [spray and put in mouth] or the paste for solid items.
Be patient. Most dogs grow out of destructive chewing habits by seven to nine months. If chewing continues beyond nine months see a professional.
HOUSEBREAKING
Pups are creatures of habit.
Your job is to create the habit of using outside for elimination.
Be patient.
Each dog trains at a different speed.
The pup’s full capacity is not reached until three to four months.
Food goes through in about ten hours, water in one to two hours.
Judge taking the dog out accordingly.
Pups tend to defecate after they eat.
They urinate after they wake up, get excited, and meet guests.
You can’t take the pup out enough.
Be successful outside by providing the pup with lots of opportunities.
Use praise or a tiny treat as soon as the dog relieves itself.
Take the treat outside with you.
Provide a small confinement area such as a dog crate, laundry area , hallway etc.
Do not let the pup have access to other parts of the house until housebroken.
Never punish the pup if it has an accident.
Think of it as your fault rather than the puppy's fault.
Keep your emotions in check.
Keep a record of when the pup relieves itself.
They tend to pattern after a few days.
For additional tips, visit Cody's page.
We highly recommend crate training.
KEEPING PUPPY STILL
First, learn to subdue your puppy. All subsequent training will depend on his being relaxed when he is handled. Your puppy has to learn that when you put your hands on him he has to settle down – he shouldn’t try to break away from your grasp every time you want to do something with him.
As you do this, you'll be giving him two messages: First, that you're bigger than he is – he needs to respect you. Second, that you're kind and gentle – he can trust you. Your puppy first got these messages from his mother. Now, he will transfer those feelings to you.
With your knees on the floor, cradle the dog in front of you. Hold him by the muzzle with one hand and between his front legs with the other. Don’t squeeze – just grip him tightly enough to restrain him.
When he inevitably tries to squirm away, be firm and use a stern voice: “Stay!” When he is subdued and seems to understand that you want him to be still, speak softly and massage him. Let him know that you’re pleased that he’s calm and receptive.
GETTING CLOSER
It may take several training sessions to get your puppy to remain still. But when you feel like he accepts being restrained, the next step is to teach him to allow his mouth and ears to be examined. He should let you hold his head, check his teeth, open his mouth to give him medicine or to remove something he shouldn't have in there, and examine his ears. A puppy that does not get this early training may grow up defensive about having his mouth and ears handled and may even bite.
Start by getting your puppy calm and still. Let him rest his head in your hand while you gently massage him. When you feel the weight of his head in your hand, gently but firmly grip his muzzle. When he's used to that, gently move his head around. Get him used to you having this kind of control over him.
When you feel that he's ready, look inside his mouth. Support his head with one hand as your other hand lifts his top lip up from the sides. Open his mouth by getting your fingertips in between the jaws, pressing down slightly on the gums and pulling up.
This will prepare your puppy for routine care, trips to the vet, visits to the groomer, etc.
It is very important
that you verbally communicate
with your puppy ~
TALK! ~ TALK! ~ TALK!
We like to use the comparison
that a 7 week old puppy
is just like
an empty hard drive.
You can start out with the top of the line model ~
but until you add the information you want ~
you will never be happy.
with your computer.
Take the time
to program the information
you want your puppy to know.
Build his vocabulary ~
and you will have a companion
you can live with.
We are firm believers
in the Barbara Woodhouse theory ~
THERE ARE NO BAD DOGS
There are bad dog owners though ~
PLEASE don't be one of them.
"He is your friend, your defender, your dog.
You are his life, his love, his leader.
He will be yours, faithful and true,
to the last beat of his heart.
You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion"
-------Author Unknown----
THE TEN TRAINING COMMANDMENTS
PRAISE YOUR DOG
when he performs an exercise correctly.
This is what your dog is working for ~ your praise!
Make training worthwhile to your dog.
Use motivation instead of compulsion.
CORRECT YOUR DOG FIRMLY
when he fails to perform an exercise properly.
Do this ONLY if you are sure
that he understands
what is expected of him.
THINK LIKE A DOG.
Put yourself in your dog's shoes,
and train him accordingly.
Don't punish your dog
for performing an exercise incorrectly
when it is likely
that he does not understand
what you want.
HAVE PATIENCE
If you lose your temper,
you will do more harm than good.
Put your leash away until tomorrow
if you feel yourself losing patience.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Obedience instructors can show you
HOW to train your dog,
but the important part is up to you.
HAVE YOUR DOG'S ATTENTION
while working with him.
Talk to him enthusiastically,
pat your leg or use the leash
to keep him attentive.
Use tidbits of food
or other training aides
as necessary.
Smile and make training
a fun game for your dog.
DON'T CALL YOUR DOG TO YOU
AND THEN PUNISH HIM
He will think that he is being punished for coming.
Make the recall a pleasant experience always.
If he does not come, go and get him
and do not correct him.
Keeping the dog on leash
until the recall is very reliable
is very important.
You do not want to set your dog up for failure.
CONSISTENCY IS THE NAME OF THE GAME
Your dog will not learn right from wrong
if you allow him to do something one day
and then punish him the next day
for doing the same thing.
BE YOUR DOG'S MASTER
Don't ask your dog to do something ~ tell him.
A dog will happily obey a master he respects.
Moreover, dogs equate respect with love.
The firmer you are with your dog
the more he will love you.
You need not be cruel,
but develop a confident attitude towards your dog.
You are "alpha".
PRACTICE everyday, rain or shine.
Practice in different locations.
Also, as your dog becomes more reliable,
practice with many distractions for reliablity.
Many think that their dog is well trained
until they go to a setting
foreign to the dog or with tempting distractions.
Thus, it is very important
to train in many places
with many sights and sounds and temptations.
If we can help you in any way
with your puppy ~please email us.
 
Email:
mateerlabs@pathway.net
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