HINTS ON RAISING YOUR PUPPY

As a new puppy owner, you should be aware that the well being and house-training of a puppy requires some work on your part.  For this reason, we offer some recommendations used with great success for many years by people who raise and train dogs.  They are based on the natural tendencies of dogs to bed down when in the presence of others in a sheltered den-like atmosphere, and to learn by association.

 1.  Obtain a fold-up wire dog crate.  It is made of wire for good ventilation and so the dog can see the surroundings.  It is also portable and can easily be taken on trips if you want to take your dog along.  Get a crate large enough for an adult dog to stand and turn around unimpeded.

 2.  Place the crate in a bedroom so the dog can feel an association with humans.

 3.  Introduce the dog to the crate by feeding it in the crate and placing treats in and around the crate.

 4.  Well before your bedtime place the puppy in the crate with a treat or a toy and fasten the gate.  To insure safety, do not leave on its collar or lead.

 5.  Leave the room, but remain outside to hear the dog's behavior.

 6.  At the first sign of separation responses (such as barking), intervene with a loud voice.  In this way, the puppy associates its behavior with a loud voice.  Sometimes the puppy will not respond to the loud voice and it may be necessary to shake a can with some coins in it or rap a newspaper against the door.

 7.  Usually the puppy will quiet down after 3-10 trials.  When it does, wait about 10 minutes and then unfasten the gate.  Do not praise the puppy immediately; otherwise the puppy will learn that it is desirable to leave the crate.

 8.  After 30-60 minutes repeat the procedure.  Extend the puppy's quiet time to about 30 minutes.

 9.  By the time your bedtime arrives the puppy has usually associated being quiet with being in the crate.  Also when you go to bed the separation is less traumatic because the puppy is in the same room.

 10.  Be aware that the puppy will tend to eliminate after waking up.  It will usually whine or bark since most puppies tend to avoid eliminating in the bedding area (the crate).  When this happens take the puppy outside to eliminate.  A young puppy should not be left in his crate longer than 2-3 hours, depending on the puppy

 11.  The results of your hard work are:

             a) The puppy does not form the habit of eliminating in the house.

             b) The puppy can be placed in its "den" when it cannot be watched during the day.

             c) The separation response is curtailed, thus avoiding possible stress-induced problems.

             d) Upon adulthood the dog will seek its crate as its "den."  It will spend much of its time  in the open crate, sleep there, and feel very secure and comfortable there.