Potty-training perils, Separation Anxiety, and Socialization

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!

Doctor averages 11 trips outside per day to use the bathroom. With three flights of stairs, that means myself, my fiancé, and my dog walker climb a total of 44 sets of stairs per day. What a great workout! In general, potty training rules are as follows (for a 9-week old puppy):

• Outside as soon as he wakes up
• 20 minutes after eating/drinking
• Every 2 hours, 15 minutes
• 20 minutes after hyper play
• Once in the middle of the night
• 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!