Welcome to Aspen Teal Dog School's blog! This is a space to share information, thoughts, funny stories, and resources on Dog Training. Members of Aspen Teal Puppy Kindergarten classes will be providing the training stories!
The families of Puppy Kindergarten have matriculated! The graduation ceremony was grand, complete with scones, orange juice, strawberries, homemade puppy cookies, and lots of puppies showing off!
The puppies had a moment to play, then they had to take their final exam. Here was the grading system:
1. No bark, no jump, no bite (-1 point each)
2. Come (+1 point hand signal, +2 point verbal)
3. Sit (+1 point hand signal, +2 point verbal)
4. Down (+1 point hand signal, +2 point verbal)
5. Look (+1 point hand signal, +2 point verbal) 6. Give it (+2 point verbal)
7. Leave it (+1 point hand signal, +2 point verbal)
8. Stay (+1 point for each second of stay, max 3 points)
9. Loose-leash walking (pass or fail)
10. Accepting handling (+1 point for friendliness)
It was a close call, but the winner was Luna, a shih-tzu! Her mom Beatriz had worked hard to teach her the commands.
Luna with her diploma and graduation tassles
Liz and Mahal, enjoying the moment!
Luna being evaluated during her final exam by her mom
This can save you so many headaches... Imagine your doorbell rings. Instead of a barking puppy running in circles around your feet, you see a calm dog laying down on his bed. Imagine your puppy waiting at every crosswalk until you tell him there are no cars coming. Imagine him waiting patiently for you outside CVS while you have your prescriptions filled. Okay, first let's work on getting him to sit still for a few seconds!
Have a BUNCH of different, small treats in your treat pouch.
Ask puppy to sit.
Wait one extra second before you give him a treat (don't say your positive marker).
If he gets up after you give him the treat, say "eh-eh" and put him back in a sit.
Give him a treat while he's still in the sitting position, followed by another treat a few seconds later.
Continue to give treats until puppy can continue sitting ten seconds between each treat without getting up.
Now start giving puppy the "stay" hand signal immediately after you treat. (Palm facing puppy, all fingers spread)
If puppy lays down, don't make him sit up again. It's easier to start with a "stay in place" than "stay in position."
Once puppy stays ten-fifteen seconds at a time with just the hand signal, say "stay" then immediately give the hand signal.
Start taking one step back after giving your cue, then come forward and give puppy the treat.
Slowly add distance from puppy.
Always come back to puppy to give him the treat- don't call him to you (this makes him think it's okay to leave before you get to him).
Release puppy with his positive marker when you are done. Always give him breaks to wiggle (HE IS A PUPPY, AFTER ALL!)
Preventing resource guarding~ Please do this. Please?
1. Prepare your dog's breakfast, or get a meaty bone. 2. Give the dog the food, and allow them a few seconds to eat. Walk away from the puppy! 3. Return while puppy is still eating with a piece of hot dog, cooked chicken breast, or something else delicious, and hold it out to the puppy. 4. As puppy takes the treat, put your hand in the food bowl, move it away from the puppy, and pick up the bowl. 5. Put the bowl/bone back down and let them finish their food. 6. Repeat every day! 7. Practice this with a cat bringing the treat, a baby, and different people.
Doctor is fifteen weeks, and has discovered the world of delicacies strewn about the sidewalks of Boston. I'd love to hear what he's thinking as I stand five feet away from a half-eaten burrito holding his four-foot leash. I'm sure it involves the thought, "man, humans are dumb!" From a biological standpoint, our dogs think we are really stupid to pass by free food on the ground. Your puppy may never fully understand why we don't want to eat the pile of used tissues on the ground, but we can train him that we provide better and more consistent food options than what he can scavenge.
"Leave it!"
1. Place the treat on the ground, and cover it with your hand.
2. Your puppy will sniff, lick, bite (ouch!), scratch, and chew on your hand. Wait until he pulls his head away from your hand, then say "good boy!"
3. Give the puppy a different treat, and pick up the treat that was on the ground.
4. Repeat.
5. Now just cover the treat briefly with your hand then uncover it. As soon as puppy stops trying to get the treat, say "good boy" and give him a different treat.
6. Add in the verbal command "leave it," then place a treat on the ground and repeat the process.
7. The final stage is saying "leave it" then tossing a treat on the floor. Use your foot to cover the treat.
8. Now practice with puppy outside when he sees a juicy piece of trash. As soon as he stops pulling toward the trash, say "good boy!" and give him a treat, then immediately start walking.
9. Anticipate the things he will go for and repeat the "leave it" process.
10. Practice with dropping food from the kitchen counter, baby pacifiers, and other things.
"Give it!" 1. While puppy has a toy in his mouth, approach him with a nice treat. 2. As puppy releases the toy to eat the treat, pick up the toy with the other hand (say "good boy" when he releases the toy). 3. Repeat! 4. Begin saying "give it" right before you hold out the treat.
If your puppy is not dropping the toy, use a better treat, like hot dog or cheese!
Hi puppy trainers!
The Week Two challenges are teaching your puppy "come" and "sit," as well as socializing the puppy to new objects. I threw in "down" to this video as a sneak peak for next week! Work hard this week on come and sit, though, as they are extremely useful tools to have!
Sit:
Begin by luring your puppy: Keep a treat a few inches from your puppy's nose.
Move the treat up over your puppy's head toward his back until he looks up.
As soon as his bum hits the ground give your positive marker "good boy," then give him a treat.
Once he can be lured easily begin using a hand signal (no food in hand mimic the movement you were doing to lure puppy).
Mark and reward him if he sits.
If he does not respond, lure him a few more times.
Once puppy is responding to the hand signal reliably (9/10 times), begin saying "sit" right before you hand signal. (mark and reward!)
After 20 repetitions of the verbal command then hand signaling, try just saying "sit." If the puppy responds correctly, mark then jackpot reward (two or three treats right in a row)!
If puppy does not respond correctly, go back one step to saying the verbal command then hand signaling.
Slowly add in distractions, duration, and distance to asking your puppy to sit!
Come:
Begin by luring your puppy: Walk several feet away from him and hold out a treat.
When your puppy comes to your outstretched hand, grab his collar and give your reward marker, (Good boy) then treat.
Add in a hand signal once your puppy is coming to your outstretched hand.
When you puppy comes after hand signalling 9/10 times, begin saying his name then "come" right before you hand signal.
Try just saying his name and come, and see if he responds without the hand signal. If he doesn't go back to hand signalling.
Slowly add distance, distraction, then duration. Distraction can be achieved by practicing in the backyard, then at the park on a long lead (30 foot) and a harness.
Down:
Start from putting your puppy in a sit position.
Lure the puppy by putting a treat in front of his nose from the sit position and lowering it directly between his front feet.
Puppy will lick and sniff at the treat- don't release it until his elbows and stomach are fully on the ground and you say your positive marker.
Practice luring from a standing position, too- hold the treat at the puppy's nose and slowly move it between his feet. He will lick and sniff at the treat, but don't release it until he lays down and you give your positive marker.
Begin using a hand signal of a flat hand that moves toward the ground (You will have to be down at the puppy's level for this to replicate the lure).
If your puppy does not respond, hide a treat between your fingers so he can smell it but not eat it. Mark and reward.
Slowly move your hand signal higher and higher until you can give it from a standing position.
Once he responds to the hand signal 9/10 times, say "down" then immediately hand signal. Mark and reward. Remember not to say "down" for "get off the couch" and "no jumping."
Training your puppy not to bite and to be quiet in the apartment need to happen ASAP! Your neighbors hate it when your puppy barks, and you will end up getting sued if you don't curb your puppy's nipping now.
Training these skills uses negative punishment, or taking away (negative) something your puppy does want (punishment). So if your puppy wants your touch, eye contact, and for you to talk to him, what should you do when he nips you?
Yelp like a puppy would when hurt "Ouch!"
Walk away.
If he does it again (which he will), give your negative marker as soon as teeth touch clothes or skin, and then immediately walk out of the room and close the door for 10-20 seconds. Come back in and ignore him for a bit before coming back to play.
* Approach your puppy with a toy so he has something to chew on when he's playing with you
* Spray your shoes and pant legs with bitter apple
Okay, now let's talk about how to keep him from barking. No bark, puppy! This uses the same principles as no bite. Take away what your puppy wants the second you hear him barking.
No Jumping! By some weird ironic twist, I can't find a puppy to jump on me. It's really strange. I'll just describe what to do: Same principles of negative punishment:
As soon as your puppy's paws leave the ground, give your negative marker "Uh-uh!" and turn around. Avoid touch, talk and eye contact for 10-20 seconds.
Turn around and interact with the puppy again- as soon as his paws leave the ground give your negative marker and then leave the room!
Give your puppy touch, talk and eye contact when he has four paws on the ground.
Every day with a 9-week old puppy feels like a new adventure!
I've learned a lot about Doctor since he came home. He can only "hold it" for 20 minutes if he's hyper playing, he has separation anxiety, and he is very heat sensitive!
ALWAYS say a command to eliminate, like "hurry up," then say "good boy" as he eliminates, then give him 2 or 3 good treats.
If he doesn't go when he's supposed to, crate him or watch him like a hawk, then try again in 30 minutes.
Every week add 15 minutes to the time between eliminations! (# weeks old x 15 minutes = # of minutes he can wait)
Here is Doctor during a trip to his potty area... He doesn't quite have it down yet!
Training for separation anxiety is so difficult for a number of reasons. First of all, let me explain what separation anxiety is. Does your puppy whimper, cry, bark, or destroy things when you're out of sight? Does he "lose it" when you take a shower, or when he's put behind a baby gate? If so, he has separation anxiety.
It's so difficult to treat separation anxiety because puppies are adorable, and we want to soothe their fear and unhappiness when they cry. It's difficult because it takes a lot of time, patience, and understanding neighbors.
I was fortunate to have a few days off work when I first brought Doctor home. As soon as he showed signs of separation anxiety, I began the training! The idea is that you must create a positive association with your leaving, build confidence for being alone, as well as instill the idea in his mind that you will always come back.
I put him in his pen, and told him "bubye" while waving, and gave him a few treats.
I stepped outside of the door for one second, then came back in.
I ignored him for a moment, then repeated, but stayed outside for two seconds.
Over the course of two days, I worked my way up to fifteen minutes, then eventually two hours.
I focus on socializing so that Doctor can gain confidence.
Always give him a minute of ignoring before leaving and after coming home.
I also started hiding treats in his blanket when I left and leaving interactive toys that dispense treats so that he was distracted and had something fun to do.
Doctor in his pen and our hairless cat Jumoke puppy-sitting.
This brings me to socialization!
Socialization at a young age, done in a responsible way is like inoculating your dog against fearful and aggressive behaviors. In dogs, aggression usually stems from fear, and a dog becomes fearful when they encounter a new situation and are forced to react. Socializing should be done ideally between the ages of 8 and 16 weeks, though "better late than never" definitely applies. Here are the main principles of socializing:
Go about it in a structured way- create an exhaustive list of settings, objects, animals and people (SOAPs) you want/need your dog to be comfortable around. Divide them up by 6 weeks. Every week focus on a new set of SOAP.
Socializing is only effective if it creates a positive association for the puppy with whatever she's being exposed to.
Bring a mix of treats for the socializing experience that are better than his kibble.
Watch for signs of anxiety and stop what you're doing if you see them. Pick the puppy up and move to a distance that he feels comfortable from the SOAP. For example, turning the head away, freezing, and panting (when not hot) are all signs of anxiety.
Observe dogs before letting your puppy meet them, and ask the owner if 1. He is friendly to dogs 2. He has had two sets of vaccines
When puppies are playing, pick your puppy up as soon as he is uncomfortable (squealing, shrieking, growling while snapping the jaws rapidly)
Doctor has made a few friends in the neighborhood already.
Here is his first time playing with another puppy. Notice how Doctor takes the more submissive position on the bottom since Scout likes to dominate.
It's very important for your puppy to learn how to play with babies and toddlers since it's different than how children and adults play.
Here Doctor meets Maple, a 9 month old Standard Goldendoodle. She's so gentle with him!
The Charles River provides all sorts of socialization opportunities- ducks, skateboarders, strollers, squirrels... and water!
Good afternoon puppy owners, I hope you're enjoying this warm Boston Saturday! I'm thrilled to announce the arrival of Doctor!
Doctor is a 9-week old Miniature Goldendoodle.
He came by continental cargo shipping from Kansas City, Missouri, and his crate was very messy when he showed up! Poor thing had a lot of pent-up frustration and energy from being stuck in that crate for five hours.
His first morning in Boston- pooped!
Yawning in Frustration coming out of stinky crate
SO I'm training Doctor to walk on my left side and with a loose-leash, as he would need to in Service Animal training. Every 5-10 seconds I tell him "good boy!" if he is walking like he should be, then give him a treat immediately after!
Some dogs naturally fetch, and I got very lucky that Doctor is one of those dogs! A puppy who naturally retrieves is one of the indicators of being willing to work with/for humans. This is a great sign for his future service work!
I threw this one in here because it's adorable.
We have been doing some gentle socialization- Doctor went to check out the grass at the Boston Common. He did a great job! After about a block's worth of walking he starts whining because his little legs are so wimpy.
Potty Training:
And finally, I must lament the difficulty of living on the fourth floor, with no elevator, and potty training. Only one accident so far in 24 hours... let's hope I can keep up the trips up and down the stairs! I bring him to the same spot every time outside, and I take him out every two hours, or right after he wakes up from sleeping, or 20 minutes after eating, drinking, or rough play. Yes, that's about 8 trips up and down the stairs per day. At least my legs will be in great shape!
As soon as he starts to potty, I say "Go potty!" the instant he finishes, I say "Good Dog!" immediately after that I give him three tiny treats in a row.
Here we have a puppy that might compete with Teagan for biggest puppy in the 11 a.m. class! She has Great Dane in her mix, so she is growing lanky fast! I met Lola Monroe and her mom Deanna in Jamaica Plain center on my break. Deanna was doing a fantastic job trying to motivate Lola Monroe to walk nicely on the leash. Lola will be about 6 months when class begins.
Ahem... May I introduce you to two of the cutest pups I have ever seen?
Patriotic Puppy!
Teagan is an American Mastiff who lives with her mom Leanna. Teagan will be in the BIG puppy class, and will probably be the biggest of all the pups! American Mastiff females often mature between 140 and 180 lbs! She will be about 4 months and 1 week when class starts. American Mastiffs are a cross between the English Mastiff and the Anatolian Mastiff- they were bred together to reduce some health issues in both breeds and to create a great family dog!
Why Grandmother, what big EARS you have!
Meet Miekka, a Tamaskan! Tamaskans are a pretty rare dog breed, and they originated in Finland. They are sledding dogs, so her dad Daniel will have to keep reminding her not to pull on the leash! Tamaskans get to be a little bigger than German Shepherds. Miekka will be about 4 months old when class starts, and will be joining the big puppies at 11:00 a.m.!
What a beautiful day to blog! I've received a few more pictures of the cute puppies in the class.
This is Sadie, a hound mix who will be around 4.5 months when class begins. She will be in the "big puppy class!" She lives with her dad Lucas in Beacon Hill.
As the dog days of summer come to a close, the anticipation for Puppy Kindergarten is building! I'm still feeling so grateful that Dakota Puffin has decided to host the classes. Dakota Puffin was founded in March 2012 by Nicole Salerno in the image of her gorgeous Rottweiler.
The classes are the first in a series that will build on each other. Puppy Kindergarten will be followed by Elementary School, all the way up to a PhD in Dog Obedience! I can't wait to embark on this dog training journey.
Puppy Kindergarten has two sections- the big puppy class at 11:00 a.m. and little puppy class at 10:00 a.m. One of the students in big puppy class at is Lady Grace and her mom Gina from Lynn! Lady Grace will be five months old when class starts, and she can't wait. She loves children and playing with other dogs. Here is a picture from May 18, 2012:
In the little puppy class, one of the pupils has already reached doggy fame on the internet! Molly is a Cockapoo and her mom and dad are Brian and Anna of Beacon Hill. She will be four and a half months when class starts. Here's a link to her article in the Daily Puppy: Molly's Fan Page
Another puppy from the small puppies class is Zoey, a miniature Australian Shepherd. Her mom is Cara from Weymouth. Zoey will be about 10 weeks when class starts. She is already sitting and walking on a leash!
I can't wait to meet these puppies and their owners in person. My puppy, Doctor, will come home this Friday. I hope his journey is safe from Kansas! Feel free to upload a post with a picture of your puppy and some background information!
