Dear
Marge - Training Issues ...
The
following advice columns are provided to the adoptive families
of Midwest Akita Rescue Society courtesy of Moongazer Incorporated.
These
informative articles are intended to assist new owners in
the areas of
crate training, potty training, puppy mouthiness, and walking
on a leash.
For
further information, we recommend reading the books mentioned
in the
articles below. If you would like to purchase books written
by Patricia
McConnell, Ph.D., or any other books, supplies, products,
or toys MARS
recommends, these items can be found on the Moongazer website
(http://www.moongazer.com) or, if you do not have internet
access,
call Moongazer direct at 630-479-7523.
The
information contained in "Dear Marge" is
provided courtesy
of Moongazer Incorporated. Marge is actually an Akita
and the
answers are provided by the staffed behaviorists at Moongazer.com.
CRATE TRAINING
Dear Marge,
Ever since I have gotten my new puppy "Bullet," I
have received
a lot of advice concerning crate training. Any suggestions
to help
me wade through the "helpful" advice?
Megan - Fargo, ND
Dear Megan,
Crates are truly one of the best ways to potty train your
puppy.
Buy a cage large enough so that the puppy can stand up and
turn
around comfortably in the crate. Many of the newer crates
on the
market are adjustable so that as your puppy grows, you are
able
to adjust the size of the crate. If you have attained a puppy
that will grow to be a large dog and want to purchase
only
one
crate, you may use a partition to make the crate smaller
until
the puppy gets larger. Do not put any towels or blankets
in
the crate at first. Later on, once the puppy is semi-trained
you may put a blanket or bed in the crate. Always be
careful
of your choices of bedding in the crate, remember, dogs chew,
and beds can quickly become a lodged foreign object if
ingested.
Keep the puppy in the crate when you are not at home, at
night,
or when you cannot attend to the puppy. Most dogs will not
go
to the bathroom where they sleep, therefore you are teaching
them
bladder control. Also, young dogs will usually chew and get
into
things when you are not there. With a crate you alleviate
this
problem and also keep your house in order. Remember dogs
are den
animals and enjoy having a place of their own. It is also
very
important to give your puppy indestructible objects they
can teethe
on while you are away and they are in their crate. One such
object
that we recommend at Moongazer is the Kong. It is a hollow
behavior toy
that you can stuff with dog cookies, peanut butter, and/or
melted cheese.
A good rule of thumb in stuffing Kongs is everything in moderation;
small
puppies can have sensitive gastrointestinal tracts. In addition,
the Kong
is a time release "baby sitter," per say, for your
puppy and also makes
your leaving a good thing, not an anxious event. All sizes
are available
from Moongazer.
Many
times, owners will encounter problems with the puppy pottying
in the crate. This may occur for many reasons. The number
one
reason is that the puppy may not consider the crate his den,
therefore you may opt to switch venues for a "den." Clients
have found success in using a small room (bathroom, laundry
room,
partitioned off kitchen) with a baby gate to keep the pet
confined. This
way, the pet is able to see out and not feel trapped. Feeling
trapped
lends itself towards the pet becoming anxious and possibly
destructive.
There are numerous baby gates on the market, pick one that
is made of hard
plastic and relatively indestructible. If your puppy tries
to jump the
gate, just double stack the baby gates one on top of the
other to keep the
puppy in. And always remember your Kong. Never use a crate
as a form of
punishment and they will always consider it a safe haven.
-Marge
Copyright (c) 1999 Moongazer Incorporated (www.moongazer.com).
All Rights Reserved.
POTTY TRAINING
Dear Marge,
My 7-month-old puppy "Gatsby" still seems to
be confused by the
whole potty training thing. Sometimes he will go for a
long time
with no accidents in the house, and at other times, his
pottying
in the house is more frequent. Help!
Norman-Seattle, WA
Dear Norman,
Potty training is one of the most difficult tasks to teach
a puppy. We
suggest that you do not paper train, this will only teach
your dog that it
is okay to go to the bathroom in the house. Instead, try
to take the
puppy out every half-hour. Set a timer for yourself so that
you do not
forget. Also take the puppy out on lead to a specific potty
spot after
every meal, when he plays, and whenever he drinks water.
When you take
your dog out, use a command like "go potty," "park," or "hurry
up," and
when he does go to the bathroom, praise him and give him
a treat the
instant the dog finishes pottying. You may also use some
of his dog food
rations for training.
If
your puppy just sniffs around and does not go to the bathroom,
just give lots of praise but no treats or food. If you
know
the
puppy has to go potty, and he is not going, bring him back
in the
house and watch him like a hawk for 15 minutes, or put him
back in
his crate. Once 15 minutes has passed, take him to the potty
area
again. Repeat this method until you have success. This will
teach
bladder control and potty training at the same time.
If
the puppy potties on the floor/carpet, use an enzymatic
cleaner
like Outright Stain/Odor Remover or Nature's Miracle. Follow
the
manufacturer's guidelines for the product. It is also safe
to use
these products in carpet cleaners (extraction machines).
If you
catch the puppy pottying in the house, just go to the puppy
and
say "outside, outside," take the puppy to the potty
area and give
your potty command, then praise and treat. Scolding a dog
will
only teach the puppy not to potty when you are there, and
that
will defeat the purpose of putting it on command. Rubbing
the
puppy's nose in the mess does not give the puppy any information
about what you wanted the puppy to do, and is therefore ineffective.
A
mess in the house is just a missed opportunity for training,
and next time
you will know to watch the puppy much closer. Many of these
guidelines at
discussed in a book written by Dr. Patricia McConnell Ph.D.
The Puppy
Primer, is an excellent guidebook for owners trying to get
through
puppyhood and can be purchased from Moongazer.
-Marge
Copyright (c) 1999 Moongazer Incorporated (www.moongazer.com).
All Rights Reserved.
PUPPY MOUTHINESS
Dear Marge,
I still seem to be getting chewed to bits by my young dog
when he
gets very excited. I know it's all sheer puppiness but
I'm running
out of Band-Aids!
Missy-Chicago, IL
Dear Missy,
Most puppies tend to be quite mouthy on their owner's hands
and/or
skin. It is very important when working with this issue that
you
teach an alternative behavior to mouthing on you. You must
first
teach the puppy to have a soft mouth anytime he touches you.
You
will need either peanut butter or cheese whiz. Sit on the
floor
with the puppy and smear some peanut butter or cheese whiz
on the
palm of your hand. Present your palm to the puppy and as
he licks
the peanut butter or cheese whiz off your hand say "Kisses,
Nice
Kisses" simultaneously and repeat as long as the puppy
is licking.
This method works because the puppy is only able to lick
off the
peanut butter nicely; he cannot physically bite it off.
Now
after you have taught this behavior for a few days in numerous
short sessions (little puppies have very short attention
spans),
and you are playing with your puppy, and he mouths your
skin, first
yelp and say "Ouch" or "Owwww," then
end the play/contact for a few
seconds, and finally present your palm and say "Kisses,
Nice Kisses." The
puppy will then lick your palm. This method thus teaches
the puppy not
only does he not get you or play when he mouths, but he
must demonstrate a
soft mouth by licking before play will resume.
We do not recommend ever grabbing your dogs muzzle and shouting"
No" because not only does this not teach a soft mouth,
but you
can harm the pet's mouth, cheeks, tongue, and/or gums. Also
commands are only valuable if they have meaning, and the
word"
No" can have numerous meanings. We suggest teaching
your puppy"
Off" at puppy school or beginning obedience class because
it is
a less common word and your trainers at class will teach
you how
this command means, "remove yourself from whatever it
is on."
"
Off" is a useful, multifaceted command for puppies
and dogs.
Proper puppy behavior is also discussed in two books written
by
Patricia McConnell, Ph.D. In The Puppy Primer and Beginning
Family
Dog Training, Dr. McConnell discusses proper puppy and
dog behavior
and how to redirect undesirable behaviors. A must for all
dog owners and can be purchased from Moongazer.
-Marge
Copyright (c) 1999 Moongazer Incorporated (www.moongazer.com).
All Rights Reserved.
WALKING ON A LEASH
Dear Marge,
My dog, "Doolittle" and I are having a problem
with walking.
I really do not want to use a choke collar because of the
tracheal
damage my vet discussed with me and a using a pinch collar
on"
Doolittle" seems cruel. What options are left?
Max-San Diego, CA
Dear Max,
The Gentle Leader headcollar is an excellent way to be able
to
quickly train you dog to walk on a leash with out pulling.
The number of behaviorists, trainers, and veterinarians
that
stand behind the Gentle Leader are too numerous to count.
The idea behind the headcollar is that a dog can pull
up
to
three times his body weight into his collar area, but only
a
small percentage into his head. I live with a 100 lb. Akita
named "Charlie" who was able to break choke
chains and drag
multiple people around while wearing a pinch collar. Now
with
a Gentle Leader, he walks quietly and obediently with us
down
the street. Just like with a horse, most people do not try
to
control the animal with a collar, but with a headcollar of
some
type. Control the head, control the animal. The Gentle Leader
does not hurt your pet in any way, unlike traditional
methods
that bank on the fact that the collar causes pain in order
to work.
The
Gentle Leader was designed with respect to the natural
principles that
govern dog behavior. As a result, it dramatically will
change how your
dog walks with you quickly. Some dogs will initially "buck" like
a colt,
but lots of redirecting with praise, treats and getting
the dog moving
will desensitize you pet to the Gentle Leader. It is truly
a remarkable
product that we sell here at Moongazer. We also highly
recommend
purchasing the Gentle Leader Training Booklet in addition
to the
headcollar in order to walk you through the ins and outs
of this training
tool.
-Marge
Copyright (c) 1999 Moongazer Incorporated (www.moongazer.com).
All Rights Reserved.
Information
provided here is for informational purposes only and is
not intended to substitute for the advice provided by a
veterinarian,
other animal medical professional, or your animal behaviorist.
The
information provided herein should not be used for diagnosing
a health or
behavior problem. If you suspect that your animal has a medical
or
behavior problem, promptly contact your veterinarian. The
contents of this
web site are the exclusive property of Moongazer Incorporated
and may not
be reproduced for commercial purpose without the expressed
written consent
of Moongazer Incorporated. Non-commercial usage is permitted
if the
source of the information is provided including the World
Wide Web
location of Moongazer Incorporated.
Lisa McCluskey
MARS - 2001
