Archive for April, 2010
Crazy Puppy Syndrome
April 14th, 2010
It always happens. That lovely sweet, calm, do no wrong 12 week old puppy turns into a 16 week old terror. One day we woke up and this happened to us as well, our sweet Blaze started jumping on the furniture, jumping on me, pulling the toilet paper around the downstairs, rushing to see people. What happened? Well, they are dogs, and that’s what they do.
Here are some ways we are planning on combatting some of these crazy puppy days.
1. Make sure your puppy is getting mental stimulation
If you haven’t invested in some good problem solving toys, now is the time! I highly recommend then kong wobbler. Its a toy that you fill up with dog food or treats and the dog has to work to get the food out. Another great toy is a kong, you can stuff it with anything (my favorite is banana and then freeze it) and that will keep your dog busy too.
2. Make sure your puppy is getting appropriate exercise.
I always say a tired puppy is a happy home. You have to be careful not to over exercise puppies as their bones are still growing and can be damaged. Increase the distance or pace you walk your puppy and pay attention. If they seem tired then certainly stop or take a break.
3. Let them get it out!
Sometimes puppies need to be puppies! Let them have the crazies or sniff and run outside (hopefully fenced in or on a long line). Let them play with some friends. Blow some bubbles for them, let them chase something.
4. Puppy Training
Puppy training with a crazy puppy can be hard if you are trying to do sit stays, work on something active, fun and engaging. Try the cheeseball game (toss treats between your legs then run the opposite direction), or the come game, or run and then ask for a down. Use your imagination!
5. Take them somewhere new
Find somewhere they have been, maybe a playground and let them explore.
6. Beware of the tired monster!
Sometimes puppies get over stimulated just like kids and go wild. If that is the case then dont do the above things and instead put them in their crates for a nice nap time. You just have to know your puppy. Over the next few months you’ll go through periods of the crazy puppy syndrome but with consistency and training you will make it through with a well behaved puppy.
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Our first basic obedience class
April 8th, 2010
We joined into a regular basic obedience class. Blaze did a puppy kindergarten which included mostly socialization with some basic commands. I’m a big believer in keeping pet dogs in training for the first year of life, not necessarily consecutively but 3 or 4 classes is good. It keeps them socialized as well as forces you to practice their obedience commands.
So this class is mostly older dogs (over 8 months) and large dogs. Blaze is the youngest and smallest. The dogs were all pretty hyper, nervous, stressed. We heard lots of barking, whining, jumping, panting, etc. In my classes I always encouraged just feeding dogs for relaxation and looking at the owners. I think it helps calm the dogs to do that for the first five minutes.
Blaze immediately saw friends he wanted to play with and began barking at them to get their attention. So I just ignored him and when he stopped and looked at me (like why aren’t you letting me go over there) I said “yes” and gave a treat. This lasted for about the first few minutes of class and he finally decided it wasn’t worth it, he would just look at me and get food.
We learned sit, down, come and a bit of stay. All of these were easy for Blaze. His struggle was just paying attention to me. I have a game I like to teach dogs early on called gotcha. I pinch their hind area (not hard but in fun) and when they look I say “yes” and give a treat between my knees. This helps them learn to zip around and come to me when they are distracted. Its helped me numerous times with his older brother Nitro.
Another thing we practiced was the come game. The instructor held Blaze by his chest up off the ground slightly and I teased him with some food and ran away from him. I then called him and as he came running, I ran backwards until he caught me at which point I grabbed his collar and gave some food.
I’m hoping next week will bring more relaxation with all the dogs and more focus. No matter how calm or attentive your puppy is, getting them around 8 other crazy dogs will always pose a challenge.