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Puppies under Lock down

I want to help puppy owners during this socialisation window as much as I can...

Here is a check list you can be looking at during lock down...

Remember to check out our puppy mouthing FREE tutorial

I would be focusing on Noise desensitisation right now downloading Sound Proof puppy app on your android phone or tablet & I would use a wireless speaker if you have one, I love the B & M's shower speaker as you can open & stick your speaker to the outside window with the suction cups.

Methodology

So start at 1 bar on the smart phone with a wireless speaker with one noise (each noise is a separate training aim). Only move to another sound (at one bar at first) if you haven’t had any red flags ‘ear twitching’, ‘head raise off chew’ or reactivity (over threshold).

Creep up each day, training should only occur when the dog has a chew or something they don’t want to give up easily like their dinner (of food motivated or pigs ears etc).

Training sessions need to be min of 10 minutes a day this can be spread out throughout the day.

Equipment

You can buy a sound therapy CD from the shops however the dog knows the noise is coming from them so i would recommend a smart phone with a wireless speaker (i recommend one with suction cups & waterproof like a shower speaker).

How long?

It’s a 4 week training programme

Remember (extra tips):

Move speaker locations (moving waterproof shower speaker on to the other side of glass open window).
Use sounds that they like as well as dislike as then you don’t poison the food (teach the dog to not trust the food).
Move your location (as dogs learn when mums in lounge those sounds are ok
Always start at one bar each session moving up to last session then higher if you can, as otherwise due to trigger stacking your dog may not start at the same level as the last session
Waterproof speaker from B & M Bargains at £8 (blue or pink) is great as sticks to windows.
Ignore on initial arrival & departure (to not reward alert behaviour).
Keep a diary (example below), this can be then shown to the trainer or other family members

This is my puppy doing her desensitisation when she was young.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/121X1NsbIh1sq39EkAzy3BEM7ARtUKAdP/view?usp=drivesdk

FAQs on Mouthing, chewing & destruction

YOUNG PUPS TYPICAL PROBLEM

Have you got a house training, mouthing or chewing issue with your dog

Have you read the training methods for these issues above click below to view

https://sway.office.com/bimeIDDUJtX0DNt7?ref=Link&loc=mysways

FAQ’s to help with those issues…

My puppy still toilets in the house

Are you cleaning your dogs house soiling up with an Enzymatic cleaner? OR a household product? If you are using a household product most house products have Sodium Hydroxide in which stagnates urine. So even though it disinfects it won’t break down the smell completely to the dog. Even bleach will stagnate. We recommend Simple Solutions from pets at home or Mistral from www.mistralie.co.uk

Have you given them to much space (free run)? If you give too much access to the house before they are house trained they struggle more in learning to be clean. If they are in a smaller location first (check out our lindum pen method under above link). If they follow you round the house wherever you go, then this can lead to toileting issues.

Are you rewarding when they are going in the garden? when ever they do go in garden, i put it on command saying “busy, busy’ & i give them treats whilst they are toileting. If they have accidents in the house i ignore (never clean up in front of them) just remove to garden & go & clean up.

TIPS

Give ice cubes at bed time not water bowl or a rabbit bottle with meat paste on their crate to help them hold their urine in overnight.

Use newspaper over puppy pads, pads have pheromones on them which they struggle to transfer from mat to garden put soiled ones in garden for dog to see & buy a pee post from pets at home as it has the same pheromones on it to help influence them.

Walk in figure of 8s to influence your dog to toilet & do a walk just before bed

Change your feed times & keep a food diary (consider hand feeling little & often as then there is no big heavy meal to hold in)

My puppy still mouths me

Have you given free run to your puppy? If they follow you round the house then they are not getting enough down times, puppies under 5 months need approximately 18 hours a day of sleep, if they aren’t getting enough downtime this can lead to behavioural issues later on like separation anxiety but also over mouthing when tired. Dogs chomp down on things

Do they have bone time twice per day? Two set times where this allocates to the dog when to chew? We use marrow bone (take the dried meet out with a knife (sold at pets at home or Academy 4 Dogs centre) then put puppy wet (We use Nature’s Menu with our dogs to fill them) pictured below.

Are you giving them attention when they mouth? Eye contact, vocal or touch? What do they want…. They want your attention so say STOP remove yourself from them fast & have a party on other side of the door, come back in & ignore the dog. The puppy then learns if i mouth you i lose you & you have a party without me.

Do they have allocated toy time or are there toys all over the floor? If toys are down all day they can become board of them, at first you give lots of attention then after owning dog for a while we forget & get on with daily chores. So then the dog grabs the dining room table leg or your clothes or you or they steal we then chase them or give them attention. Allocate your toys from a toy box (out of reach) 3 to 4 times per day (something for them to look forward to & associate that fun with you).

TIPS

Toilet habits-

Dogs can wee on average 13 times a day so with our Lindum pen exercise thats…. 13 times minimum out of their pen plus 1 to 2 times pooing, the better the food the more they absorb so if pooing more than twice daily the food may not be right for them. Hand feeding as discussed earlier can help as it is little & often instead of heavy meals on the stomach

STOP technique

Say ‘stop’ take them via lead to door, put them on other side of door to you, pulling lead close.
Wait a few seconds & bring straight back in.

After a few goes of the method, warn the dog by saying stop, if puppy doesn’t stop or mouths within 30 seconds they are straight back to door.

Make sure to counter train this you must reward all good behaviours you like that are what you want to replace the mouthing with, like get your toy, lie on your bed, sit in front of me.

My puppy steals

Does your puppy have free access to their toys? By allocating their toys & having them somewhere out of reach the rest of the time, can up the salience of chewing & playing with those toys unless of unwanted items

Do you hand feed? As this can give them plenty to look forward too, it also tells them what you want from them, increasing the behaviours you like instead of the behaviours you don’t.

Do you stimulate your puppy enough? Here are some activities to mentally tire them…
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P4sYfoaBudpGIE1rRQnrnz1rxb-ELicgAOFilD22cH8/edit?usp=sharing

TIPS

When your puppy steals bang on a door, when they turn round look away like it wasn’t you. They don’t like what they cant understand & for some this can eliminate the issue of stealing.

Leave the room every time your puppy steals. Have a party & then return. Your puppy will then think every time i steal i lose you & you have a party without me (puppies hate missing out).

We would advise doing Puppy Life Skills & Dog Foundations before problems arise even though you cant attend classes, doing these online click here for info on them