Posts Tagged ‘socialization’
Puppy Barking at Other Dogs
May 9th, 2010
Our puppy who is almost 5 months old is now barking at other dogs. He acts like a total maniac! I have a few tricks up my sleeve to help fix this puppy barking problem. The biggest thing is that I want him to look at the other dog but not bark. Many trainers will retrain the dog to look at them, but honestly, dogs will be in our lives and I want Blaze to look just not act like a fool.
Rule #1: Always have yummy treats
If you dont have treats, you can’t fix the problem, trust me. You wont need them forever, but initially you do.
Rule #2: Dont correct
The puppy is young, he doesn’t know, he just wants to play 
Rule #3: Reward that first look without a bark.
Its rare that dogs will look at freak out immediately. They usually do some posturing first. Your goal is to reward before that posturing even. Use your clicker or marker word “yes” and get that treat in as fast as you can. The trick to this is being very aware of your surroundings. Make sure you are on the look out for other dogs and dogs behind fences so that you can practice the behavior.
As your dog gets more advanced and begins checking in with you rather than barking when they see that other dog, then you can ask if your dog can say hello or just feed a treat and be on your way. Over time you can fade out the treats just don’t do it too soon or your puppy barking problem might return!
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101 Ideas for Puppy Socialization
March 19th, 2010
Well, after having a new puppy in my life for a few weeks, I thought I would post my 101 ideas for socialization. Feel free to add yours! The point of all of these are to introduce your dog in a positive way to anything they may encounter in their lives.
- A large dog
- A small dog
- A fluffy dog (ever seen a dog freak out at a newfie?)
- Kids
- Babies
- Bikes
- Skateboards
- Boxes
- Agility Tunnels
- Wire crates
- Airline crates
- Lawn Mower
- Leaf Blower
- School buses
- Garbage trucks
- Kids in helmets
- People in large coats
- People with disabilities
- Wheelchairs
- Sliding opening doors
- Mirrors
- Men with beards
- People wearing baseball hats and glasses
- Fireworks (carefully people!)
- Gunfire – especially if you want to hunt your dog, again, CAREFULLY!
- Gravel
- Grass
- Pet Stores
- Dog Parks
- Swings
- Slides
- Stairs
- Deck material
- Water (safely)
- Bath tubs
- Balloons
- Bubble Wrap
- Eat out of Plastic bowls
- Eat out of ceramic bowls
- The vets office
- The vet
- Training facility
- Sand
- The beach
- Different types of brushes
- A friends house
- Elevators
- Joggers
- Cats
- Farm animals
- Party hats
- Harnesses
- Different types of leashes
- Gentle leader ( I think every dog should learn to wear one – its good for handling their faces)
- Nail clippers
- Dremel
- Dog day care – every puppy should go once or twice
- Being held by a stranger
- Having a friend hold their lead while you walk away
- Shopping carts
- Little shopping carts (that kids can push)
- Hair dryer
- Remote control cars
- Baby toys
- Toys that make noise
- Different shapes of toys
- Kongs
- Rope toys
- Tags on their collar
- Socks on their feet
- Bandanna around their neck
- Visit to the groomer
- Touching their teeth
- Rubbing their gums
- Brushing their teeth
- Walk by a barking dog (always reward your puppy for being quiet!)
- Wobble board
- Weave poles
- Go under a table
- Go under a chair
- Eat from a buster cube
- Eat from a tug a jug
- Pop some balloons
- Have their ears cleaned with baby wipes or tissues (carefully)
- Kids in costumes
- Doorbell ringing (ignore the puppy early on so they dont get doorbell barky for attention!)
- A pizza person
- A mail person
- A UPS person
- Vacuum cleaner
- A large broom
- Short jumps
- Go under a bar of some kind
- Kids running and screaming
- Kids playing a sport
- Honking cars
- Car alarms
- Standing on tables (like at the vets office)
- Elderly People
- Someone with a “different” voice
- Girls wearing long flowy dresses
Puppy Socialization Ideas
March 14th, 2010
As Blaze is getting older and has had a few series of shots, its time to socialize. Lots of people focus on just letting their puppy meet new dogs, so I’m going to share some puppy socialization ideas for ways you can introduce your puppy to the world.
Today I took Blaze to a local pet store. This is a great place to go simply for the sights sounds and smells, but I think most new puppy owners take their dogs here at least once. If you want a dog that can calmly go as an adult, then try taking them here once a week and just walking around, no fussing, no real obedience work – maybe a few sits now and again, but overall keep it calm.
The real puppy socialization ideas are outside of the store. First, the sliding doors that open and close. Those can be kind of scary to a puppy! Next there are shopping carts. You can have your puppy ride inside one, walk beside a moving one, or if your puppy is nervous, just meet it standing still.
I’m lucky that our pet store is near a baby store, so we got a slew of new moms, young kids, babies, and of course baby strollers! Most puppies like kids but be careful your puppy doesn’t jump on the child or bite them. I tend to stand on the leash so they can’t jump. My puppy is used to be holding his head still for kids to pet him, if you haven’t practiced that though your puppy might not enjoy it – so practice alone first.
Another thing I always try to find is someone in a wheelchair, or with crutches. We haven’t encountered anyone yet, but if you are planning on doing any type of therapy work with your puppy later in life, this is a must see.
Post your puppy socialization ideas in our comment box, we’d love to see what you all are doing!
Puppy Training – Socialization
February 24th, 2010
I am working on socialization with little Blaze. He is meeting people, kids, hearing new sounds, walking on new textures (gravel, grass, concrete). I hope to get him to the play ground this weekend with moving swings and other fun things. There is a lot of socialization you can do at home. Just find something new and see if your puppy is nervous about it. If he is, its an opportunity to train!
In our first puppy diary – I am showing how I teach Blaze not to be scared of something new. Scroll down to see our little movie debut!
How to pick a puppy from a litter
December 30th, 2009
We are finally getting our new puppy soon. They were born just a few days before Christmas. As they get older we will look for certain things in the personalities of the puppies to decide which is the best for our family.
When picking a new puppy from a litter you want to avoid the ones who are overly shy or who might be overly aggressive or dominant with the other puppies. Just watching them interact while you sit on the floor should tell you quite a bit about them. If the puppy is a singleton (the only puppy) then avoid getting that dog unless the breeder has put it with other dogs and puppies for appropriate socialization.
Now, all puppies in a litter will bite and jump, this is normal. One thing I like to do is squeal a bit when they bite and watch the reaction. If they are overly scared or they get more aggressive, that can tell you a bit about their personality.
Take the puppies you are interested in to a new area by themselves, love on them and then put them down. I prefer puppies who are more interested in me, but who like to explore some. If the puppy wont leave your side, that might be an issue too.
Finally I watch their tails. If its high or mid level that’s better than if its tucked between their legs which could mean they are scared.
None of this is an exact science, and a good breeder will help you. Picking a puppy from a litter is difficult but in the end if you went to a good quality breeder it shouldn’t be hard. Just don’t be tempted to bring home two if you can’t decide!