# New Puppy 1st Day Recap and Questions



## spoodle45 (Sep 18, 2014)

I picked up my gorgeous new 8.5 week old light brown puppy today. All in all, he is incredibly affection, calm, and cautiously curious and I am really happy about him.

Today, I drove him home for 4 hours in a shallow box in the front seat (crate didn't fit). As we were leaving, he was whining and scratching on the glass as he said goodbye to the breeder and his siblings. It just intensified for another 20 minutes until I left my hand in his box. He snuggled up to it and slept like an angel. 

He vomited twice. The first vomits, about 2 hours in, I could still make out the kibble from the last time he ate. The 2nd vomits, an hour later, were much more mushy looking. He had a very rough ride to say the least. 
In between the pukes, I caught him grinning while sleeping (or at least it looked like a grin) and took pictures. I quickly realized he was peeing on the towel. It was so cute, I wasn't even disappointed.

Throughout the day, I noticed some things that I totally did not expect and am kind of concerned about...
- He has no interest in food. Treats, kibble (the stuff I bought and the stuff he was already eating), human food, even a piece of roast beef. He sniffs it and dismisses it.
- He will however eat kibble if i hold a single one at a time right in front of his mouth. He went through about 1/2 a cup around 6pm. He has yet to poop (it is 915pm now)... am I in for a rude awakening any time now?
- He whines and moans if I go more than 5 ft away from him. It's pretty clear his only interest is me. So far, he doesn't care about chewing things, playing with toys, or eating. The funny thing is, whenever I am close to him, he just turns away from me. The moment I move away he chases after me with his tail wagging and plops down next to me, but not really acknowledging me.
- He seems very afraid of any abrupt noises or sounds. When I turned on my shower, he ran straight to his crate that I never introduced to him before (the breeder already started on his crate training) and just whined.
- He refuses to move when he's on the leash. I live in the city so I think he may be frightened of all the car sounds and whatnot. Therefore, he just pees (twice now) when I am not looking on my hardwood.

Are these behavioral things just attributable to the stressful and painful morning he had?

Is this normal at all?

Thanks for reading!


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Normal, normal, normal and normal!  He sounds suspiciously like a perfect puppy to me! Give him lots of love and affection, this is a huge transition for him so love him to bits. He will reward you with a more love and affection than you can imagine.


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## Millie123 (Oct 8, 2014)

This follows almost exactly the first day we had with our pup so try not to worry  He is just adjusting to his new surroundings and the food and toilet thing will sort itself. Mine also din't wee for many hours and then we had a good few weeks of intense toilet training to do so some accidents are perfectly normal. I found that my pup soon associated me as 'Mum' and loved to lie at my feet. 
Congratulations on bringing home your new pup- a very exciting time


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## Hollysefton (Sep 28, 2013)

All VERY normal behaviour to me! Murphy also showed no interest in food the first few days, which makes predicting accidents harder. if you think about it, he's been removed from everything he knows, so it's a big deal for him! Murphy had lots of wees and poos accidents the first week. I would suggest writing down when he does go and that'll help you try to predict when u need to take him out. He just needs time to settle in. Once he's abit more settled start Taking him out with you (carry him around obvs not on the found) to the shops, up and down the road meeting people and traffic and all the odd noises he's never heard! Keep us updated, and pics!!!! He's definitely a normal lovely sounding pup, so try to enjoy him while he's so small! I stressed myself out trying to do everything perfect and worrying about tiny things! So relax and enjoy! X


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

He is just a little baby, this stage does not last very long, but to cope with it you need loads of patience and kitchen roll
I would just say until he rediscovers his appetite I would only offer him the food that he came from the breeder with - too much new stuff will give him an upset stomach.
Does he have to go on the lead to go out to pee? If so carry him to where you want him to pee then just put him down and wait - be prepared to wait a long time, if he doesn't pee, go back in, keep him on the lead and watch like a hawk. Every ten minutes back out until he has peeed. 
If traffic etc upset him, carry him close to you and take him out regularly so he can get used to it while you are giving him support and making him feel safe. The same with the shower, hoover etc. Go slow and steady and give him lots of love.
Do pop him into your vet on Monday or Tuesday to register him and let them give him a check over - it is always a good idea to do this with a new pup.
Good luck, keep us posted.


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## spoodle45 (Sep 18, 2014)

Thanks for all the reassurance!

Day 2 is much better than yesterday. He's a lot more comfortable and playful. This also means that he keeps having accidents. He pees and pooped in the same spots in my apartment even though I used some spray that is supposed to deodorize the urine. I think he just remembers where he did it last since he's not sniffing for the spot. Is it normal for the pees to be about the size of a tomato slice? For some reason I expected more.

Also, I noticed something else that I don't know what to think of:
-Yesterday and this morning, he decidedly hated his crate because that meant we were separated by a barrier. Today I played with him, he ate a little, then I carried him outside to hopefully go poop. It was chilly and damp today. I plopped him down where I wanted him to poop, and he just sat there. After about 3 minutes he started whimpering. I picked him up and carried him back. He seemed like a completely different dog after that, almost like he was completely demoralized? I pet him and held him close, then he fell asleep. I picked him up and put him in his crate. And I lied down with him and left my hand in there to comfort him. When he fell asleep again, I silently closed his door. Woohoo.
He woke up to a sudden noise, looked at me, turned and slept with no qualms about a shut crate.
He woke up barely whimpered, I let him out. And ever since then he's just lied on his stomach awake not really responding to my petting. I even put him back in his crate with no problem.
Does he just get very tired easily where he stopped caring about anything or did the walking experience really shake him? I guess I'm worried because all of a sudden he doesn't even put up a fight with the crate.

Very up and down with him, as expected.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Baby puppies need lots and lots of sleep - 18 + hours in 24. Yesterday was an amazingly exhausting day for him, he is a tired little pup. Let him have a really good sleep, a little play, lots of cuddles. As he gets older he will not sleep as much.


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

You will find that 20 minutes of play equals several hours of sleep. The schedule of eating drinking peeing pooping will be a life saver as you will recognize what is normal and what isn't. Also take him out after each time he eats, wakes from sleep, and plays. As for the spray, make sure it doesn't just cover up small but breaks down the urine protein (has enzymes) AND spray more. Think how much per comes out. A light spray is not enough. If it's carpet, doubly hard as the pad is also probably got urine smell. That requires a bit more - lots on Internet on how to take care of it. I used to on a daily basis soak their whole area. Kinda like a mop solution. Cleanest my floor has ever been. Finally, limit his access if you are not right with him. Expect the minute you turn away is the minute he needs to pee. If you're eyes need to be occupied (eg doing the dishes, laundry, shower) pop him into the crate. I also covered their crate night and day so it was always dark and den-like. It gets better. 


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## Lindor (Feb 3, 2014)

You might also want to get him a little coat to wear outside. With the cold damp and wet weather, they will quickly get cold especially if they get wet.


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## spoodle45 (Sep 18, 2014)

I am trying to get a schedule down, but it's tough. I learned the hard way that play time = pee right after. Nap = pee right after. Thirst always comes after a pee though. 

How much do I let him drink a day? I want to get him on a schedule.
He doesn't have an eating schedule really. He barely eats anything. Also, he won't eat or drink unless I'm near him.


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

I never restricted water. Drink as much as he needs. It's early on and so hard to tell a schedule. I used my phone to keep track as it was always on me. You will get there. 


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## Datun Walnut (Oct 15, 2013)

Just let him tell you what he needs to eat and drink. Poppy never really did either for a bit - just enough to keep going. The main thing is sleep. He needs more that you can believe. 
He looks amazing, by the way. You're in for a fun time.


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

Ooh, he is really cute, yes you are right - it is sleep-pee, play-pee, usually drink - pee too, oh and when he does start eating it'll be eat - poo, not quite as instant as the pee's but usually within say 15-20 mins of eating, some are pretty immediate, you will need to work out which he is! keeping a diary really does help, I remember it was usually the pee's after playing I missed as sometimes it was more during a lull in playing than a definite end!


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Can only agree with what everyone else says and add, love and enjoy every moment, it goes far too quickly! Stay calm and relaxed - it makes everything so much easier to deal with.

He's a stunner, totally cute!


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## Hollysefton (Sep 28, 2013)

He's lovely looking chap isn't he!! It will take a good week for him to settle into a schedule and even then it's not strictly adhered to, pups will be pups! Just takes a little time! Murphy had awful runny poos for days after we brought him home. 


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## Miss Lilly (Sep 12, 2014)

He is very cute indeed. Maybe you could ask the breeder what the schedule was there in terms of feeding etc. I think it might really help your pup to cope with all the changes in his little life if at least some things stayed the same for him.


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## spoodle45 (Sep 18, 2014)

Day 4:
Sorry, this is going to be a long post... If you don't feel like reading the minute details of the day, I'd appreciate any help or advice on my concerns in the bottom list.

There has been a vast improvement on all fronts!

Starting from last night, I put him in his crate around 11:15pm. I got in bed to sleep around 11:30pm. Whimpers to whining to crying to yelping to barking to hoarse voice. Then cycling between crying, yelping, barking, hoarse barking. I stayed strong (heartbroken though) and didn't flinch and eventually fell asleep. Woke up around 4:55am. I guess moving around woke him up too. We made eye contact and his barking resumed.

This is a little trick that has been working for me: I carry him straight from his crate to outside. Before, I noticed that when I let him out while I put on my jacket, he runs away for 10 seconds, just long enough to escape my view and pee. Thankfully, he doesn't pee in his crate (even for 6 hrs!) or when I hold him (I've even caught him midstream and picked him up and he stopped... I can't even stop midstream myself!). After 6 hours he needs to go so bad that he pees within the first 5 seconds that I put him down. He started goofing around until he eventually sniffed around and pooped! Then he got a hero's welcome of course.

I went back to take him out every ~2.5hrs. 
Schedule: 5am, 7am, 715am (work), 930am, 12pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 7pm. Same spot, 100% pee success! I can't tell if it's because he is just being a champ and holding it in until he can't anymore or if he's getting the hang of it...
He had an accident at 7pm, hence why I took him out rather quickly. He peed a little, but ended up having his 2nd poop of the day, so that was a fair tradeoff.

Other positives: 
- He is responding to food a little better. But not enough for training. I tried associating food with the clicker, but he couldn't care less. Cheese, Zuke's, carrots... he licks them, at best, but plays with them like they are toys.
- He likes toys!
- He is less shy around city sounds, but still a cute little wimp.
- He has shown a bit more independence when I am boring him. But he refuses to have me out of his sight, which is fine.

New negatives or weird things (to me):
- He only makes eye contact with me when he is in the crate and upset. I can't hold his gaze at all unless he is dead tired. And it's usually as he's falling asleep. This makes any attempt at training difficult. I can't even him to notice I have food/treats for him.
- *How do I get him to recognize his own name?* He has no particular response to his own name, he reacts to it the same way he does with anything I say in a clear loud voice/sound to get his attention. I tried to associate his name with positive things like affection, treats, playtime... nothin'.
- When I come back from work to take him out, he is visibly stressed and his spirit seems broken. When I hold him, he is almost lifeless like he is exhausted from crying so much. He perks up once we are outside, but whenever I hold him he feels scared in my arms. 
- Today must have been an enormously stressful day. After spending every second with each other, all of a sudden I abandoned him 4 times for 2+ hrs... The 3rd time I picked him up to go out, he was really hot. Not sure what to make of that. Was it that traumatic? Does it get better?
I feel like it might be really bad, because his kong with treats in it, weren't touched judging by the fact that the treats were still lodged in there.
- In his crate, I leave the following things: dog bed, the shirt I wore when I first met him, a sock that we play with (I don't care about socks, I have too many to begin with), a nylabone, puppy teething kong with treats lodged in it, and sometimes a plush toy thing. What should I add or take away? 
- How can I tell how sharp his vision or sense of smell is? So far, it is really unimpressive. I will place food at a 45 degree angle from his nose and he simply cannot locate it while sniffing for it. 
Or I will put a toy very close to him and he has trouble finding it... this might sound dumb, but is his protruding nose blocking his view?
- I am thinking of putting my laptop in front of his crate and putting on a boring movie with lots of dialogue while I'm at work. Good idea, bad idea, or pointless?


Thanks for reading!


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Is there anyway you can take time off work? A pup this young needs someone with him at all times. Can you even get a sitter? I took 2-3 weeks off with both of mine to settle them in. This is a very stressful time for him. He's in a new environment, away from all he has ever known then the one constant in his life isn't there all the time. Socialising, bonding, training, housebreaking will be harder if he's not got a human with him in these vital weeks of his young life. Being at home also means you can practice leaving him for very short periods of time then gradually build it up for when you do go back to work. 

Some might think I'm over the top but I really do think new pup owners need to take at least 2 weeks off work when they plan to bring their pup home. It helps the new owners worry settle too.


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

Can you take him to work? Wouldn't that be the ultimate socialization? I think you are seeing the effects of not having someone there or being left frequently. 

I got mine at 10 weeks and after the first week I had to work for two days each week. I'd get them all fed, tired, asleep, leave on music either always played when they went to sleep, and then my dad would be there to spend several hours with them during the day. They got left in the morning and in the afternoon but had each other and a lot of human contact in between. Having them grow attached to my dad was also important to me as I knew I had to travel throughout the year and having someone they are comfortable with was really important too. 

It seems you travel from work to home quite frequently to let them out. Is it possible to have someone you trust to come and puppy sit and you work shorter hours just all in one go?

As for teaching his name and other training tips, have you tried freeze dried liver? It's like a drug or something. You want to engage his nose (place it around the house so he has to sniff it out) so you can start training. Getting him to know his name is easiest done with some help. You and a friend squat about 5 feet apart and take turns calling out his name. You say his name once but if he doesn't look you make a noise (click with the tongue, short whistle) to get him to turn and treat as soon as he turns to you. You say good and he comes to you for reward. While he is now looking at you waiting for more treats, your friend does the same thing. And it's a bit like monkey in the middle. The key is don't keep repeating his name (true of any command), but use other sounds to get his attention though these guys are smart and will get it quickly. 

These moments really will go by quickly. Getting these things sorted out will help in the long run. Oh and adorable puppy!


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Good for you for being so concerned about his well being.

1. Eye contact, for dogs it is a sign of aggression or stress, do not push it right now, you can train for better eye contact later.

2. To learn his name, call him to you very softly and give him a full minute of very loving, very gentle affection, he'll learn it soon enough.

3. Items in his crate all sound good.

4. Highly unlikely anything is wrong with his vision or sense of smell, far more likely he is just overwhelmed by all the newness.

4. TV or radio on to keep him company is a very good idea. Just make sure there is no chance of it over heating or of him having access to the wires.

Now some questions for you.

Has he had a vet visit yet? All new puppies should be checked over so you can ask questions and your vet can discuss schedules for his needles, neuter, worming etc...

Do you know any experienced dog people who can come for a visit to help you see what is going on with his crate and assess what is going on? 

What makes his tail wag? Tell us what makes him happy and what brings him joy?


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## dmgalley (Aug 19, 2012)

He is beautiful. I'm so happy for you and the girls seem to have you covered advice wise. :


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## marycciu (Oct 12, 2014)

Beautiful pup. Looking forward to hearing an update! I've been taking notes from this thread as my puppy is on her way!


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## spoodle45 (Sep 18, 2014)

fairlie said:


> Now some questions for you.
> 
> Has he had a vet visit yet? All new puppies should be checked over so you can ask questions and your vet can discuss schedules for his needles, neuter, worming etc...
> 
> ...


After 10 days...

He had his first vet visit and it went well. He weighed in at 5.9 lbs and is healthy. I applied his first dose of frontline and gave him some heartworm medicine thing that he enjoyed. 

I arranged for his dog walker to come every day mid-morning and some afternoons. I think this will be good for his socializing.

General updates and questions:
- His crate issues and separation anxiety have gotten much better. He is less shaken when I get him from his crate, but it is clear he doesn't like it. I am pretty sure he doesn't even play with his toys in his crate because sometimes they haven't even moved from the carefully placed spot from when I left him.
I have had a friend stay over this past Friday-today so he hasn't spent much time in the crate. Apparently he just sleeps all day when I am gone so that is good to hear. I am hoping he doesn't revert back to his petrified state tomorrow when I see him from his crate. 
- He has started humping. A lot. Either my leg or he will gather a blanket and his toys under him stomach and go at it. Not sure what do about it. It is hilarious, I must admit though... I read some random things online and read that one way to approach the issue is to grab him by the scruff, put him on his back, gently press his chest and firmly say "no". I felt bad about it, but it was funny to me how ridiculous it was and apparently to the puppy too since he just continued playing with me. *What should I do to stop this behavior? Do I need to?*
- There has been a breakthrough with treats... with consequences. Since he now fully trusts me, he likes treats, but not peanut butter of all things. Consequently, he likes his food less. I feed him Orijen, which all sorts of resources tell me is one of the best puppy food brands. According to the bag's instructions (which are hard to interpret if you ask me), at his size and expected adult size, he should be eating 2/3 cups a day. He probably eat under 1/2. At a certain point in his meal, he just refuses to eat the kibble. He sniffs it and scoffs and walks away. If I hand fed him (which I now understand I'm not supposed to do), he would act like hes chewing, but just drop it out of his mouth and walk away. I am pretty sure he is just trying to hold out for better (i.e., my) food. *This has gone on for 4 days now, how will I know if he has a real problem and need to call the vet?*
- His food bowl is one of those puppy bowls for litters. I didn't realize it was for litters until much later. I just bought it because it was the only one that was all stainless steel with no designs , which is what I wanted. *Does this matter at all? Or is he fine to eat from this bowl? *I use another puppy litter bowl for his water bowl too. 
- He gets very very excited and semi-aggressive at night, presumably after he's had a full day of lots of naps and rest. His bite grip gets way tougher and he runs in the apartment in another gear. Is this okay?* Should I let him loose during playtime before bed or try to keep him calm?*
- I made a terrible mistake yesterday that I didn't realize was a no-no until today. I went to an empty parking lot (his potty spot) after he had a good nap and decided it might be fun to run in circles with him. Well it turns out, he is pretty fast. So I let him run as fast as he could in big circles for like 5 minutes on hard concrete. I am still much faster than him so I was just keeping pace with him letting him run on a loose leash. *Apparently running/sprinting at this age is horrible for his bones and joints? I had no idea and now am very nervous that I damaged him! Please tell me what to think about this.*
- After this running, he became super aggressive and agitated towards the leash and was just running and jumping wild. I stayed still so he was basically choking himself on the collar during this episode. (I know I should be using a harness, but he never tugged until last night and didn't did morning. I have a size small harness for him when he grows into it, but right now, he is too small.) He looked like he was having fun at first, but then he became absolutely determined to smell everything in sight, regardless of how far anything was. I picked him up and sat him on my lap to calm him down for 5 minutes, then put him down and he was back it. Rinse and repeat two more times with no progress until I just took him home. *I can chalk this up to him being overtired right? Or is there something else to look into here?*
-* He is approaching 10 weeks on Wednesday... What behavioral or physical milestones should the puppy hitting? *I have been very lazy with training and would like him to start eating normally before I start giving him treats for tricks. *Any thoughts on this strategy?*
- He is very shy and scared of new things, people, and sounds. I encourage him to face all sorts of new things like doorways to new places or try to desensitize him to city sounds and whatnot, but progress is slow. *I feel like I am handcuffed while he doesn't have all his shots. Any tips on socializing a puppy without all his shots?*

Things that make his tail wag, so far:
- Me. He absolutely adores me. While my friend was staying over just for the weekend, I came home mid-Morning on Friday to just check up on my little buddy and he greeted me in the most adorable way. He just woke from a nap and was on the couch. I approached, but he couldn't quite tell it was me and was being cautious from afar. Once he realized it was me, his tail started wagging furiously and he would jump up and down. I just sat down and said "Hi" with a big smile. The couch is kind of high, but just low enough where he could make the jump. He was so afraid of jumping so he started jumping on my friend and looking back at me as if to say "Hey! There he is! Help me get down from here, RIGHT NOW!" I told my friend not to help and my puppy couldn't wait any longer... so he faced me, paused as if to gather himself, took a step back for a running start, and made the leap!
- tummy rubs with his chew toy in his mouth
- puppy wipes that i used to wipe his behind and stomach because he likes to sit outside or lie down after he goes potty. Pretty sure he thinks I am just briskly petting him
- his fetch toy
- my old socks in his mouth
- the sound of his crate unlocking
- chasing me in my hallway
- "dancing", I pick up his front two palls and gently move him side to side
- newly replaced water for his bowl
- "Good boy!"


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

.......and breathe....! its brilliant that you are obviously wanting to do exactly the right thing for you pup, and to be honest you are doing exactly what I did in the beginning too - worry about everything, over analyze everything etc, ok the putting on his back and holding is a bit old school now and not what the most updated training methods advise, I would just try to distract him from the humping, he doubt he even knows why he is doing it. 
I would worry less about the guidelines for food that is all they are, if your pup is putting on weight he is getting enough, (are you moistening it? kibble should usually have a little water added for puppies). guess it is hard if he is really not eating, I don't really have any experience of that but I know others have, I think some have added a little bit of wet food in with the kibble.
you can use his daily kibble allowance to use for training, he may actually eat more of it this way, should be easy to teach sit, lay down and leave it, at this age just little and often with training is good, a minute or two a few times a day. Don't panic about the hard ground run, imagine you had a few puppies on a patio they would be running around for longer than 5 mins, just maybe stick to softer ground next time. socialisation is great but don't force him, its a huge scary place for a little puppy.


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

All sounds excellent to me, you are getting to know each other and that is the main thing. One bit of advice re: letting him make the jump to you himself. "Rescueing" them is one of the very best ways to get them to trust you totally. If he needs "help" then help him, if he gets hurt then minister to him. He'll learn that you are trustworthy and he'll return that trust. Same reason to never fake a throw with a ball, you should never betray his trust and never allow him to feel confused. It is all about having him gain confidence. 

Puppy zoomy hour is normal, it gets easier.

Humping is a no no in my book. Worse though is any "scruff of the neck" nonsense of the old style of dog training. Distract him with something else, remove what he is humping, tell him no firmly, he'll get the idea eventually.

Don't be lazy about the training! Teach him to sit and once he learns it make it mean please. Stop using the word and just look at him expectantly whenever he wants anything, in, out, a toy, a game, to be allowed off leash....the "rewards" do not need to be treats at all.


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## marycciu (Oct 12, 2014)

oh my goodness thanks for writing your experience in such detail! I'm sure I'm going to reference this thread when my little girl comes home!


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## DB1 (Jan 20, 2012)

(I must have clicked on a sad face when replying to your post, I didn't mean to!)


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