training a pup! | Squat the Planet

training a pup!

ayron

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oi stp!

so im gonna be getting a rottie cross in a few days here! But i dont know any "technical/formal" shit on training a dog how not to fucking piss n' crap everywhere or bark all the time, establish a name and so on. im not an idiot, i just dont know the "proper way". so here i am looking for advice from all you experienced dog folks out there.

can anyone lend a hand?

btw i still have a choice between a guy or a gal n' not sure still on what gender.

cheers everyone! =)
 

Nemo

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Both genders are good company! I prefer dogs that are female but I also have a male purebred Great Dane.. Just make sure you get the male neutered as well as the female spayed because male dogs can really be dominant pricks when left unaltered.

Potty training is very time consuming but is a must when the dog is young. Theoretically a dog will not piss or shit where he/she sleeps so if you plan on crate-training your guy/gal this would be a good time to implement the ''dogs don't shit where they sleep'' training sesh.

There are other methods as well... Take him outside if you catch him in the act or you know he is about to have to go. Common sense always helps too.. Know that a puppies bladder and stomach are not fully developed so they will process the food/drink and piss/poop a lot sooner than you think. Normally I would take my pup out 30-40 minutes out after eating or drinking water to a grassy area or sand pit. Praise is a must, always give them a treat or positive talk afterwards. Feed him on a strict timeline and this way you will be able to time the puppies bowel movements and he will become acquainted with the whole going outside routine.

I hope I've been helpful.. It's late so forgive me if my words of advice are spaced out or whatever.

I've spent a lot of time training animals of all sorts but dogs are definitely my specialty. A few months back there were 9 dogs living with me as I adopt and re-home animals from high-kill shelters whenever I can.. I've read quite a bit of literature on training these little guys and girls so let me know if you've any other questions I can help you with.

-NEMO
 

Nemo

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Potty training is very time consuming but is a must when the dog is young. Theoretically a dog will not piss or shit where he/she sleeps so if you plan on crate-training your guy/gal this would be a good time to implement the ''dogs don't shit where they sleep'' training sesh.

P.s. You use puppy training pads inside of the crate next to a doggie bed. The pup will not use the potty on his bed but will instead use the training pad and will get used to this and eventually you set a puppy pad out in the house and slowly take the pad inch by inch day after day outside after meals.
 
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Pheonix

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P.s. You use puppy training pads inside of the crate next to a doggie bed. The pup will not use the potty on his bed but will instead use the training pad and will get used to this and eventually you set a puppy pad out in the house and slowly take the pad inch by inch day after day outside after meals.

I heard them pads suck cause the urine seeps through the pads and stains the floor underneath the pads with the smell of the pads. thus the dog will always go to that spot cause of the smell even after the pad is no longer there.
 

LarZ

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Firstly I think you should tell us a bit more details. For example, if you were houseless, like a lot of us on here, you need to alter your training techniques, what with not having a crate, house, yard, pads, etc. If that is the case you may want to crash at someones house as your pup is growing up, depending on the age when you get it. My puppy is 7 months now, but I got her at 8 weeks and we stayed at my grandma's house until she was 4 months or so. This was nice because puppies sleep a shit ton when they're little.

Gender is purely subjective. Many people suggest the opposite of your gender, because male/male or female/female couples (especially un-altered) can be difficult to train through their alpha-male/female bullshit. Personally, I've always gravitated towards female companionship, even for non-romantic relationships; I didn't have to think about it much to know I wanted a girl. Females are also smaller than males, some breeds more so than others. Keep this in mind.

Teaching them they're name: Start one-on-one with your pup, look them in the face, say their name and praise praise praise. Treats are good too. It is good to start teaching them their name BEFORE any other commands like sit, lay down, stay. So go slow, focus only on their name at first, and do it regularly. Have other people do the same thing, say the name, when they respond, praise treat praise. At this point you can start other commands, but it is important to keep the name. BEFORE any command, say their name, so they know you're talking to them. "Fiona, sit" (that's my pup) "Fiona, lay down". Another good technique which is fun for the puppy is to have 2 or 3 or however many people with treats, in different places. Take turns saying the puppy's name clearly and offering a treat. He should respond by looking and running towards said treat-giver. Do this as long and as often as you'd like.

As far as general potty training techniques: in the beginning take them out MORE than you need to, so they don't even have the chance to go in the house/camp. [at 8 weeks this should be around 8 times a day. after each meal, play session, walk, or nap] Praise them each time they eliminate outside and start giving potty time a name. Say it before you take them out, say it before they go, and praise praise praise. When they do go inside/in camp (they will, so count on it), do not yell, hit, shove their face in it, etc. They don't know why they're not allowed to poop, so tell them why you're mad, be smarter than them. Carry the poop/pee rag outside to where you DO want them to go and place it on the ground, allow them to sniff it and then praise praise praise! Do this every time they go where you don't want them to, and don't forget to drill in the potty time command. Over time this works wonderfully. My puppy was potty trained within two weeks. Don't get comfortable though, they will inevitably do it again, regardless of how well they're trained, and it's part of having a dog. No matter how old they get if they go where you don't want them, carry it to where you do, let 'em sniff, praise praise praise.

As far as barking, I've never met any puppies that barked a whole lot, but if/when it is an issue, it's as simple as waiting for them to stop, treat/praise them and give it a name. 'Quiet' works well. Let them stop on their own a few times to get the idea that the treat/praise/"quiet" wasn't a one time thing. Then start telling them to "quiet" when you need to. In general, don't repeat commands too quickly. "Fiona, quiet." Wait a second. Try again if it didn't work. Keep saying their name each time also, to get their attention.

The same concept will work for most training. Use treats AND physical praise EVERY TIME they do something good. This will eventually lead to not using treats at all, but only a scratch behind the ear.

An important thing to keep in mind is socialization. When your pup is young you HAVE to get it acquainted with the world, as it's mother would. The more sights, smells, experiences, different kinds of people, etc. that your pup meets will make for a well rounded, calm adult dog. For example many dogs HATE skateboards/boarders. Make a couple short trips to a skatepark or something and hang out. Treat them and praise them and let them relax around the skaters. Similarly, meet/greet many types of people; fat people tall people, crazy people, babies, people of color, etc. Diversity is key.

As far as general good behavior, use your own attention as discipline. Puppies are just like babies, they like both good and bad attention, so yelling/hitting won't work. When they start pushing the boundaries (just like babies/kids) its all about body language. [In general start watching how they communicate with you, ignoring you or moving away and looking away when they don't want your attention] Do this to them; if they start jumping/bitting/trying to play with you, push them backwards and very purposefully look away from them. Cross your arms so they can't play with them, even turn around if you want. If you're petting them and they keep trying to bite, simply draw your hand away, look somewhere else, wait; try petting again. Repeat as necessary.

Some suggestions from a so-far-successful puppy trainer with no house: get to know your dogs personality like your own; figure out what makes him tick, what he loves and what he needs. Do this by reading up on your breeds unique characteristics and by spending tons of quality time with them. If some training doesn't work try something else until it does. You are a parent now and parents need to be creative; no two dogs are alike, just like humans, so there's no manual.

Let him respect you, you are his mother/friend/pack leader. Your pup will learn to trust and to respect you over time, but some suggestions are to feed them after you eat, enter doors before them, and in general don't give them a reason NOT to trust you. The rest is genetic and dates back thousands of years, for dog truly is man's best friend.

Enjoy your friend, for he/she will love you unconditionally and teach you many things.

Did I miss anything?
 
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3t87

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the first few months i would just play and bond with them as much possible with love,play and affection but also acclimating him to other animals very young so they are use to other breeds and personalities but i would say the best method is ''in the field'' training just hitch,ride,etc,whatever your methof of travel is and get him use to being on the road and the sounds and sights, it is easy to potty train and make sit but it is a whole different thing to make him hop and walk along highways,freeways and squat, but with alot of love and such he/she will be sure to stick by you. i have seen dogs after they been house trained and tried to make the transition to the road and it can be ugly, you can just see the dog feels out of place,barky,scared from the sights and sounds so yeah just getting them out on the road at an early age and sticking by them to show them you are there for them and lots of play. good luck and congrats on the new pup>>
 

ayron

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fucking rights everybody thanks so much for all your feed back! fuck things are going pretty good so far. I got a gal and shes named Loki. were gonna be staying in a house/property for 2 weeks and then back outside. im currently using the commads pee and poop, but im thinking of merging them into one? any thoughts?....shes geting leash comfortable....and im trying the "ow" command for when shes bites to hard, but im thinking about just using it any time she bites skin at all. Shes learning her name alright and everything is going well. im mainly only worried about her potty training though, i really want to get that shit cleaned up (literaly). basicly im training her only with positive reenforcement as in not saying "dont do this" or whatever but rather telling her "do this".. does anyone else think thats a good idea?

thanks again for all your help its really fucking helpin! :)
 

SpaceCadet

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After her name, the first thing to teach a dog is stay. Stay will save your dogs life. I taught my puppy stay right off the bat and now I can be across a field and tell her to sit and stay and she won't move until i tell her to come. It's good that your dog will stay, especially if you are houseless, and not move until you say. Be it a squirrel, cat or a noise, your puppy will chase shit.

And only positive is a good way to train dogs. It's hard after you find a pair of shoes chewed up to not say "No" or "Don't". After not using negative reinforcement, your dog will do things for the reward and not not do things because of fear of getting yelled at/hit.

If you are going to be leaving your dog in your house alone, make sure the dog has some kind of stimulation. I snagged a kong toy and full it with meat or peanut butter (dont use the super high in sugar brands. a whacked out dog on sugar is a mess) and freeze it. It'll last for a long time and give them stimulation. If the puppy has nothing to do, she is more likely to get into shit.
 

Magma

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I would recommend that you try to find the book by the Monks of Newskeet. Its really great and has tons of good information about raising you puppy into a well trained and happy dog. Its written by these monks who live in Vermont and train dogs.
 

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