Rainy day: What to do with puppy Melissa?

It began raining late last night. It was still raining this morning when we woke. It is still raining mid-afternoon. What do to with puppy Melissa? Besides putting her meals into interactive toys such as Kongs and the Twist and Treat by Premier, I have done a lot of hand feeding and training today. A few days after Melissa came to live with us, I began clicker training her. For more info on clicker training visit www.clickertraining.com. I am focusing on behaviors I would like Melissa to repeat. I am capturing and reinforcing any thing she does that I would like for her to do again. For example: She began to lift her right paw. So I clicked and treated that. Behaviors that are reinforced will be repeated. Guess what? Melissa is now offering the paw lift more and more. This morning I began putting a name to it, 'wave' just as she was lifting her paw. Click and treat. I'm having fun, her mind is engaged, she has something to do.

By focusing on the good stuff our dogs do, it puts us in a different frame of mind. Look for the good stuff, and either ignore the unwanted behavior or manage things so they can't do the bad stuff. Telling a dog 'No' is not giving them any information...remember that our dogs do not come to us knowing the English language. By focusing and rewarding the good stuff, Melissa is becoming more attentive and focused on me. A dog that is focused on you and knows what is expected of her will be calmer.

Rainy day? No problem. Hand feeding during training sessions, interactive toys, lots of bones for Melissa to chew on, and several 2 to 3 minute training sessions spread out through out the day makes for one tired puppy.

Got a question about your puppy? Write me at hemlock@nycap.rr.com. If you want your question published let me know and I will include it in this blog along with an answer so everyone with a new puppy can benefit.

What new experiences did your puppy have today?

Melissa had another busy day. I had a cancellation mid-day so I put the free time to good use. Along with time I had set aside in my schedule to expose Melissa to new things, this extra time allowed us to see and do more than I had planned.



What did puppy Melissa experience today?

1) She met a woman carrying a backpack.
2) She met a child.
3) She walked on a new trail, just the two of us, no other dog or person.
4) She met several people wearing heavy winter coats.
5) She visited the bank and met several more new people.
6) She saw and heard commercial lawn tractors sucking up leaves.
7) She got the chance to go up close to one of those tractors once the engine was stopped.
8) She got her nails trimmed.
9) She ate one of her meals in her crate in the car.
10) She put her feet in mud puddles, and in a creek.
11) She walked on tile, cement, asphalt, rugs, a floor with grids that had a rough surface.
12) She discovered grates in parking lots. She sniffed, peered down, and walked across.
13) She hiked with friends and 3 Labradors.
14) She heard gun shots in the distance.

Don't let the all important socialization period go by without your puppy experiencing several new things each day. Socialize in your house, at a friend's house, and out in public. Now is the time for your puppy to explore and discover the world. Having strangers touch Melissa and lean over her, while wearing different type of hats, jackets etc is just a tiny part of her socialization. Hearing different sounds, seeing new sights and taking in new smells is also part of Melissa's puppy-hood. The more she experiences during this critical period, the better she will be able to cope with every thing that comes her way during her lifetime. Have fun with your puppy, I know I am!!

Puppy Playgroups

Melissa has been busy meeting many two footed and four footed friends. This past weekend Leslie Nelson of Tails U Win training center in Connecticut was in the Albany area for a two day seminar. It was a great opportunity for puppy Melissa to meet different sizes and shapes of dogs.

At 11 weeks of age, I want all her encounters during this critical socialization period to be positive. A scary experience at this time in her life could have ramifications for life. So I am careful as to what dogs she meets and who she plays with. She has played with one or two puppies at a time. She has played with stable adults who have good social skills.



By allowing her these opportunities, Melissa is continuing to use the social skills she learned from her dam and siblings. She is also learning how to use her mouth softly. Puppies play rough and tumble games, they have mock battles, they use their mouths...a LOT. By playing with other puppies and adult dogs they learn just how hard to bite...this is called bite inhibition. Should Melissa bite too hard on a playmate, they will move away and end the game or they might bite harder, communicating to Melissa that she went too far using her mouth.

Just this weekend Melissa did not heed the warning from an adult Toy Poodle who had wanted to greet Melissa but puppy Melissa moved too fast. He turned his head, a message in dog language to slow things down a bit. Melissa did not heed his message, she pushed right into his face, she wanted to play now! The Poodle escalated his communication. He growled at her, he was telling her politely to back off. And she did, she offered a play bow, slowed things down a bit and then they were off playing. It was a valuable lesson for Melissa, she learned another dog-dog communication skill. I know the owner of the Poodle, I knew the Poodle has good social skills, I knew it was a safe learning opportunity for Melissa.



In the past few days Melissa has played with a 20 week old Doberman named Jules, a 14 week old Collie named Darrowby, and 14 weekend old German Shepherd named Bessie, a 7 month old Australian Terrier named Lily, a year old Beagle named Pip, a year old Lab called Lucy and our 12 year old Borzoi Catera. Each with different play styles, each offering Melissa valuable play time while enhancing her social skills.



Playing with other dogs and puppies not only teaches our dogs social skills it tires them out and helps develop muscle. Whether you opt for a small group or a large group of dogs, choose her playmates carefully. When your pup offers the famous play bow you know she is ready to have fun.

Puppy Chewing!!

Those teeth, those needle sharp teeth! I am sure anyone who has had a puppy has experience that sensation. Puppies explore the world with their teeth, they are investigating how things taste, how certain items feel in their mouths, and they play using their mouths.

Puppies are not being dominant, which is an old fashioned term in this day of training, when they use their mouth on you. Your pup is just being a puppy. But what do to about those sharp teeth? Start by giving her appropriate chew toys. In the photo you see Melissa chewing a bone, but also notice that she is on lead...the other end is being held by my husband. We do not allow Melissa free run of the house. Just like a toddler you must monitor your pups every movement. You must know where she is at ALL times. There are just too many items in your house that Melissa would investigate using her teeth: the leather furniture, wires, wood cabinets, shoes etc. We are setting Melissa up for learning good habits. She is learning that we can watch TV while she is on a rug chewing a bone. Chewing her bone is more rewarding to her then chewing other items.

So what are appropriate chew toys? Kongs stuffed with some food, it can be part of their meals, it can be some cream cheese or p-nut butter. Melissa enjoys her Twist and Treat and Kibble Nibble Ball made by Premier https://www.premier.com/store/CMSView.aspx?page= Check out their website, most local pet stores carry these items. Bones are another option for chewing. The marrow should be taken out as this is what causes digestive upset. Melissa is eating a raw deer bone. Raw bones are fine, they can be part of a raw diet (Bones and Raw Food BARF), but cooked bones can splinter.

Melissa was well exercised before she was given the bone while we relaxed last night. More on how to exercise your pup and how your pup learns to use her mouth appropriately in the next few blogs. Melissa has been chewing a bone while I type, time for a potty break...and more exercise.

More photos of Melissa

Exercising puppy Melissa

Just got back an hour ago from hiking with a friend and her dog. Of course puppy Melissa went with us! She met a fisherman coming onto shore with his canoe, ran on the beach with her Lab friends, walked thru a pine forest, laid in a mud puddle, climbed up and over fallen trees.

She has had a busy day for new experiences: 1) a trip to the vet just to spend time in their waiting room where she got to meet more new people, 2) my friend coming to the house to visit, 3) Melissa spent time with other dogs while on the hike 4) she was on several different surfaces....tile at the vet's office, cement on the sidewalks of Albany, sand on the beach, pine needles in the forest, grass in a meadow, and lots of leaves not only to walk on but also to roll in! and 5) she walked around a shopping plaza, met a man pushing a cart full of groceries, and saw more cars moving. A busy day for a 10 week old puppy, but oh so important for her socialization. Don't forget new experiences in your own home for your pup...have dog loving visitors come at least 3 times a week.

Right now Melissa is sound asleep. Time for me to catch up on things around the house...before she wakes up and needs to go out. Have fun with your pup, I am having a blast with Melissa!

Puppy Socialization

A big word...socialization. Simply put, take your puppy to as many places, to meet as many people, to see as many different things as you can. Pups who are exposed to many sights and sounds between the age of 4 to 18 weeks, the prime socialization period, are more comfortable living in our world.

Melissa has been having at least one new experience each day since she arrived at our home two weeks ago. Socialize but don't terrorize your puppy. Select appropriate pups to play with your pup. Breeds have different play styles. I am monitoring who she meets and how they meet. I am cautious that she does not get body slammed or frightened by other pups or adult dogs. Just like people, dogs have different personalities. Some are bold and play rough, some are softer and like to play with only one pup at a time. I respect this in my dogs, some are leaders some are very happy being followers. That said, Melissa has met many different breeds in the past two weeks and has been having a blast rolling and running.

Melissa had her first hotel experience this past weekend....another chapter in her socialization. A friend and I were at Dogs Learning Center www.dogslearningcenter.com in Massachusetts for a training seminar with Kathy Sdao from Seattle Washington. Melissa got to meet many different people, dogs, she slept in a new room, walked on different surfaces, and played with different toys. Being among other positive reinforcement trainers I knew the environment was going to be relaxed and safe for Melissa.

Today my older dog had an appointment at the vet, you guessed it..another opportunity to expose Melissa to the world. She met a man wearing a hat and heavy coat, and a young boy who stopped to pet her. She saw fish in the aquarium. She walked on the side walks and watched cars, trucks and buses go by. All part of her being exposed to the world.

If you have a new puppy and would like to ask me a specific question please e-mail me at hemlock@nycap.rr.com. I will answer you on this blog so everyone with a new puppy, or anyone about to get a new puppy, can read what we all are doing with our new pups.