Archive for the ‘behavior’ Category
Update on puppy Koda
Here is a note received from Koda‘s family (from Chloe‘s group)…
Koda had also received the last of his vaccinations. He weighed in at 32lbs.! He is shedding his soft fuzzy fur 🙁 and is growing a longer coarse hair down his back and tail.
We enjoyed the pics of Angel. She is so cute! We hope to come to another playtime soon. We also are getting in the back to school routine.
I still would love to know the dominate breed of these pups….foxhound may be a possibility….some are white with beige also. People think Koda is a golden retriever and I just tell them its a going to be a “surprise” what he will grow up to be. He’s got the look of collie, chow, lab, retriever….you name it! I love that they all have the white tip on the tail and white paws like Chloe.
Koda is just a sweetheart. We have settled into a nice routine. He is no longer in his crate at night and we block him off in the kitchen when we leave during the day. So far he has done well. He has eight of his adult teeth and looks so cute with his big boy teeth!
However, he has developed a problem with “submissive urinating”. When one of us comes home or someone comes over or he sees another dog he gets so excited that he pees. The doctor said he will grow out of it. He said not to make a big deal about coming home, have people bend down to him, and build up his confidence with other dogs. It seems to me he is pretty well adjusted and confident, so it may be he’s just too happy…??
So, Kristin any suggestions …….? Your last post had to do with urinating…so I just had to ask : )
Hope you are enjoying some time to yourself and your family.
Advice on problem dog behavior
I got a request for “advice’ recently that I wanted to post. It is important to always remember that this sort of advice can not be as thorough as that given by someone directly involved with the family or the dog. This advice should also not be used in place of veterinary care or professional dog training.
Hi Kristin,
We adopted Jessa three months ago…she was a stray wandering the streets of Aurora. We don’t think she was a stray for very long, as she didn’t really have any physical or emotional scars. She’s incredibly friendly to all people and other dogs. She loves kids. She’s a very happy and lovely dog. The vet says she’s about a year old, give or take a month or two.
A personal note from puppy Tucker
This is a loving update from Tucker‘s (formerly Oak) new mama to me. Thank you SO much for this!!
Hi Mom, I asked my new Mom to send this for me. I know you must be resting after taking such good care of me, my brothers, sisters and mom Willow!!
I LOVE my new house!! Mom says I am a great addition. I am working on my potty behavior but thank goodness they have plenty of little towels as I am not there quite yet, but improving daily with my training. I know when I get scooped up and suddenly have grass under my feet this is where I should be. My sister is awesome, she tolerates me playing with her fluffy tail…. man what a lot of hair!! We wrestle, play bite and play tug of war with the toys, more toys than I have ever seen in my entire life! Mom got me these little puppy bones that I love to chew on and it makes my teeth feel better. Oh-oh-oh and the best part, at nite I have this HUGE bed to sleep on, and it is sooo soft!
Don’t get mad but we do watch TV for awhile before turning the lights out, you will be proud though, I am sleeping through the nite since Saturday and Mom usually is up before I even think of it. I do still love lots of naptime during the day though so no new news there. The only thing I am not liking right now is having to stay in this big crate if Mom has to leave for work for a couple of hours. Montana, my sister, does come in to eat while I am in there and lays next to it which makes me feel better. Now that I think of it, she only comes in when I quit yelping like a banshee… maybe I should work on that? I did make another new friend yesterday, a little stray tiger kitty who is a new mom. She seems nice, but did whap me on the nose when I got a little too friendly, we are about the same size. Mom says as soon as she brings her babies around for food she will take them to the shelter so they get good homes like I did!
Well, I better go for now..Mom says if I sit still long enough she will get some pics to send next time. We go to the doctor Saturday, I don’t know if that will be a good thing, kinda scared, but I am willing to try it. I am listening, learning and getting tons of affection, so no worry there! I’ll sneak another note soon when Mom isn’t using her laptop.
Thanks for all you did for me to get me off on the right paw and I do miss you! Say hi to everyone for me…….
Lots and lots of licks and tail wags,
Tucker
10 Tips For Your New Puppy
Willow‘s puppies all went home today with their new forever families. Here are tips for all families that bring home a new puppy:
Limit the number of rooms the puppy/dog has access to for the first week or so.- Limit the amount of “attention” you give the new member of your family for the first few days…let them get acclimated a bit.
- Place the crate in a bedroom for the first few nights or sleep next to the crate. Remember, all the puppies slept lumped together, spending the night alone will really be scary and having you nearby will greatly help.
- Unless you want a dog that whines in her crate, do not let her out when she is crying/whining/pawing or barking. Wait until she quiets and then let her out. To avoid this, set an alarm for every 3 or 4 hours that first night and wake her up to take her potty. Soon you will be able to cut out those middle of the night potty breaks but if you do this for that first few nights (first week?) it will really pay off. The alternative, letting the dog wake you up can lead to reinforcing whining and barking in the crate. We don’t want that!
Take your new family member to the same spot in the yard every time he transitions to a new activity (or every hour or two) and tell him “go potty” or some such command. If nothing happens in a few minutes, come back inside.- Watch for nervous behavior, circling and sniffing the ground, whining – these are cues that your puppy needs to poop.
- You have 3 seconds to reward or correct a behavior! That’s it! So, unless you catch the puppy in the act of peeing, scolding him will only make him afraid of you. If you miss it, let it go and commit to being more attentive in the future.
- Your puppy won’t need a real walk until they are about 4 months of age but do get them used to their leash and collar by putting them on and walking around the yard and house.
- Remember: these guys (Willow included) are like blank slates…they will learn what you teach them or let them do regularly. Be mindful not to condition them to expect behavior that you won’t want a full grown dog to do. A good example, letting them pull you to the door. As anxious as you are to get the out to potty, try to keep good leash manners in front of your mind. Walk to the door with the dog/pup at you side or behind you. Go out the door first, then the pup/dog. Once outside, give a command word as you walk to your potty spot and then let them have full reign of the leash. Otherwise, you are teaching a dog to pull on leash while you are house training it!
Remember to love them up good but don’t “cut them slack” – keep in mind the behavior you want and reinforce it (with cuddles, praise and treats) and ignore or correct (NOT PUNISH – just make a disapproving sound – I like AH!) behavior you don’t want. They will appreciate the clarity.
Cherish your new family member!
Little Birch feels his pain
Yesterday, as my son was playing with the puppies he slipped and feel hard on his butt…and cried and cried. That sort of real, I’m hurt, cry. And little Birch walked up to him and put her head back and starting howling along with him! That made him stop crying for a moment while he laughed at her, then of course he went right back to crying. It was sweet.
Meet puppy Apple
Apple is a spunky, happy, energetic girl, born to a mama who looks to be part Golden Retriever/Labrador mixed with a setter or hound. Her mama, Willow is also up for adoption and is a mellow, playful, cuddly and patient dog. Her pups really take after her. Apple is nearly indistinguishable from her sister, Cherry, except Apple’s paw pads are completely black. She has a short, yellow coat and really looks a lot like a yellow Lab. Apple is nearly house trained, having had the luxury of spending lots of time outside. She has had her first set of puppy shots, has been microchipped, and is on flea and heartworm preventative.
