Housebreaking

1st I use this rule for ANY age dog not just puppies.
Some people seem to think housebreaking an older dog is different. Not at all!

SUPERVISION
Daily routine with a new dog/puppy
Dog is being crate trained and sleeping in a crate at night.
If your dog has no potty accidents in the crate the crate can be as big as you want it and you can then also start moving to an expen if you would like to give your pup some more freedom after a week of no accidents in the crate.
If your dog has ANY potty accidents in their crate you want to make the crate so small and confined that they aren't able to get away from their mess if they potty in the crate.
1st thing in the morning - open crate door and run with puppy outside. DO NOT pick up puppy.
Once your outside stand in one spot and wait for your puppy to go potty. If your puppy tries to play at this time put a leash on so that they have to stay in one spot with you. Give them less than 3 min. to sniff and go potty if they don't go take them back inside to their crate. Try again in 10-20min.
If they do go potty PRAISE like crazy get excited - NO TREATS, if the puppy goes i would then allow my puppy to hang out with me.
If puppy is inside - my eyes are on the puppy or he is crated/expen. No other options!
If my eyes aren't on the pup - he's crated or expened.
Pottying in the house
You are only setting yourself back if the puppy has the option to potty in the house without you catching him in the act. If you find it after the fact DO NOT punish the pup.
If your pup is able to go in the house without you catching it, it is praise in itself because it is a physical relief for them.
If you do catch the pup in the act Yell/Scream enough to surprise the pup to stop then physically drag the pup outside by the collar or scruff of neck. You want to make it as unpleasant as possible then once your outside you become normal and allow your pup to finish going outside praise if they go outside. Then put your puppy back in their crate so you can clean up if there is a mess inside as its difficult to supervise the pup and clean up a mess.
100% Supervision is key! If you are careful and the pup never gets a chance to go without you catching him in the act and you are able to catch him in the act once or twice your dog will be house trained in no time.
Water + Food
Do not free feed your pup or leave water down for them all the time.
Instead make meal time at set times from 8-11 weeks you can feed 3 times a day but they can eat twice a day by the time they are 12weeks.
Put their food down for 5-10min. If they don't eat it take it up until the next meal.
For pups or new dogs I will often feed them in their crate so they can't wander away from it and it creates more positive associations with the crate. But same rules apply I give them 5-10min to eat ... if they don't eat.. i pull it up and they will wait for their next meal.  Water I give to the pup periodically throughout the day but I keep it up the rest of the time so I know when the pup drinks water -that way I will know when the pup has to go out. NO food or water 2hrs before bed time that will give you plenty of time to potty your pup before bed to make for a whole night of sleep.
The other thing I have used for water are the hamster/rabbitt lixit bottles on the pups crate so they can have some water without drinking a bunch at one time.
Some pups between 8-12weeks will need a potty break in the middle of the night. By 12-14weeks they should be able to hold it throughout the night in their crate.

Doggy Doors / Prevention
Reminder: Your pup has to make the mistake of going in the house at least once to learn that it is not ok to go inside. Otherwise If you just prevent your pup from having an accident inside you are managing the dog. Or if your pup has a doggy door and always has access to outside.. if for some reason the doggy door is closed or you are at a friends house don't be surprise if your pup pottys by the back door - they never learned not to go inside just learned they can go outside.  Make sure to teach your puppy its not ok to go inside before you give them access to a doggy door. They NEED the opportunity to make the mistake to learn from it.
PEE Pads
Unless you live in a condo and work more than 11hr days I don't recommend using Pee pads at all.
I would rather my pup just learn - I don't potty in the house period. Instead of learning sometimes its ok if its on newspaper or pee pads. Avoid them all together it will be easier.
Moving on
As you start to trust your puppy i move them from a crate to an expen.
Then I give them a small room. Kitchen or bathroom. move to a hallway.. etc...
My dogs earn their right to be loose in my house. It makes them have more respect for the space and they are less likely to chew and destroy things if they have had more managed crate time early on.
Don't give them more freedom than they are ready for.

GOOD LUCK!
Contact us for a lessson if you need help!
(916) 735-7496
www.pawsinprogress.com

Waking you up because they want to be fed

I have had 2 lessons this week with owners having the troubling behavior of the dogs waking them up tooo early in the morning because the dogs want to be fed.
One of them is actually getting up at 3am to feed let the dog out and go back to bed just so the dog will let them finish sleeping.
I figure this is a perfect topic for the blog!
If you are already having this trouble with your dog i recommend crating them so that they cannot get to you to bug you to wake you up.
In general I recommend not feeding the dogs at the same time every night or morning. Mix up so they are never expecting a given time.
For example some mornings mine eat as soon as i'm awake and sometimes its a 1/2hr after that or even 1 or 2 hours after Im awake and I tend to wake up at different times depending on the day. I always take them out 1st thing to potty but I wait to feed them most mornings, I also change it up between who eats 1st and I feed the cats around the same time as the dogs. So sometimes the cats eat 1st and sometimes its the dogs but again not necessarily right after each other so they are never expecting.
Same with in the evening... Sometimes they eat before i leave for teaching classes around 5pm and sometimes its when i get home around 9pm. I just make sure they have enough time to potty before bed.
With this schedule I have never had a problem with anyone waking me up to early or pestering me to be fed.
Hope this is helpful and you can both have a good nights sleep.

Digging

Does your dog dig? One hole after another? Always digging up the holes you've just filled? Digging out of the yard?
1st lets address why dogs dig.

• Boredom
• Need an outlet for energy
• To bury things
• Place to stay cool
• Digging for rodents

Now that we have a few reasons for why dog's dig how do we solve the problem?

1st start by assessing

• Is your dog getting exercise? Does he/she have an outlet for their energy?
• No? Try a walk/bike ride before you leave for the day. Through the ball in the backyard or at your local park.
• Is your dog getting any mental stimulation when you are home?
• Join a training class and practice during the week to engage your dogs mind and to exhaust them mentally. Teach your dog new tricks, even if they are pointless, this will keep their mind busy. Play games with your dog.. hiding their toys, or treats and teaching them to find them.
• Does your dog have anything to entertain itself with when left alone?
• No? Try toys... A kong filled with peanut butter, or freeze chicken noodle soup in a kong for your pup to lick at all day. Get a treat ball for your dog. Buster Cube balls work great! Fill it up with treats and your pup will be busy for hours moving it around to get all the treats out. Or hide treats for your dog - take a handful of treats or break them up into small pieces and sprinkle them around the yard in various places each day and your dog will spend his time finding all of the treats. Make sure to leave your pup with a nylabone or sterilized beef bone to chew on. 
• Maybe he/she needs a space to dig?
• Try giving your pup a designated area to dig. Teach them to dig in this one area. Or you can get a kiddie pool or sandbox and fill it with dirt or sand and teach them to dig in this spot.
• Does your dog have a cool place in the yard?
• Make sure your pup has a shaded cool place to lie down. Or provide a kiddie pool with a shallow amount of water for them to cool off in
• Do you have rodents in your yard?
• If your pup is trying to get at, or keep the rodents out of your yard, look into calling an exterminator or looking up pet safe ways to keep rodents away.
• Is your dog spayed or neutered?
• It is very common for an unaltered dog to want to get out to find a mate. Think about altering your dog. There are many many health benefits for your dog in neutering or spaying your pup, in addition to saving your yard.
• Do you have to leave your dog outside unsupervised?
• This is the simplest solution if it is possible. If they aren't left outside unsupervised they won't dig holes. 
• Is your dog always burying his bones?
• Don't give him/her the bones he/she buries when they are outside

If you have assessed these options and reasons why your dog may be digging and have tried implementing above here are some additional tips and tricks to help stop your digging pup.

• What to do with the holes and dogs that dig out
• Try burying their poop in the hole (unless they are a poop eater)
• Try partly filling the hole with dirt, covering it with chicken wire, then cover with dirt again. The idea is the dog doesn't like the feel of the wire on their paws, and you can plant grass seed the grass will grow through the chicken wire. 
• Bury a balloon in the holes, and your dog will get a big surprise when he/she goes to dig again. (Make sure that your dog is not the kind of dog that will eat the balloon remnants if you try this)

I hope this information helps you and your digging friend.

Feel free to contact me for more information or advice if these tips and tricks don't work for you

trainer@pawsinprogress.com

www.pawsinprogress.com

(916) 735-7496

Have a diggity dog good day!

~Eleza

Whining

Why do they do it?

1. How they get attention from their mothers at an early age
2. Seeking attention
3. Uncomfortable
4. Pain
5. Uncomfortable in a new environment (crate etc.)
6. Bored
7. Lonely
8. Needs to go potty
9. Unused Energy
10. Hungry or Thirsty
11. Whine because it works
12. Fear
13. Excited
14. Anxious
15. Could be caused by separation anxiety

Things to ensure before you try corrections

1. Dry, Warm, Safe, Comfy area
2. Make sure dog is fed and watered
3. Take dog out to potty
4. Tasty dog chew toys are accessible (nylabone, sterilized beef bones, kong filled with peanut butter   etc.)
5. Burn off energy- Leash walks, Games (find it, fetch etc.), brain stimulation obedience training
6. Your scent in their crate or space - old shirt
7. Trip to the vet if there is any chance they are in pain
8. Wrapping an old ticking clock up in a towel
9. Never reward undesirable behavior

Things to try
1. Increases with reinforcement, Decreases without reinforcement
2. Ignore the behavior - no matter how hard it may be
3. Some dogs take anything as a reward - yelling at the dog even though its negative attention is still attention.
4. Squirt bottle - Don't let the dog see you squirt (him/her) it should surprise the dog enough to break the whinning
5. Covering the crate
6. Air horn, Shaker can (making a noise that will startle the dog enough to interrupt the behavior)
7. Teaching them how to whine - so its on cue (if you have the on switch you have an off switch.)