Puppy Tips n Tricks

August 8th, 2013: Eau-din is almost 4 months old and we've had the joy of riding the puppy roller coaster. I do not claim to know it all and it is a fact of life that what works for one might be disastrous for another. Here are a few tips and tricks that work for me:

• Keep a very large toy bin stuffed to the max with every kind of toy a puppy could dream of - this is endless fun for the pup and constantly mixing in new toys will make the toy bin a go-to place for the pup - this will help eliminate people items as toys

Eau-din (Odes) with one of his many toys

• Leave the patio door open when working in the kitchen - potty training a dog in the winter is a wee bit harder as this means you too get to brave the cold during the million potty breaks a day - leaving the patio door open for the puppy to 'choose' to go outside instead of inside is very controversial but can certainly help the puppy link the great outdoors with being the toilet versus the interior of your home

Patio time & he is wearing his vest as an intro to something new today!

• Blame the trainer, not the puppy - when junior gets into the garbage and tears it to pieces or even ingests something he shouldn't, guess who's fault it is? THE TRAINERS FAULT! I feel very strongly about this. Set your puppy up for success, not failure.

Double Trouble - blame yourself when pup messes up!

• Kennel train, kennel train, kennel train - there are countless reasons to kennel train a dog. This is not only handy when the pup is still a wee tyke but will extend into adulthood. KENNEL TRAIN! Limit the puppies boundaries. Don't let your pup have the run of the house. This is just disastrous and lends to the point above...

Kennel Train! - Never leave your puppy unattended!

• Socialize, socialize, socialize - get your pup use to everything there is to see in this big wide world. From the bridge over a river during your walk to different sizes of people, introduce your pup to everything imaginable.

Socialize! - Introduce the young'un to new dogs as well!

• Training - it never stops. Even my 9 year old Toller is still learning. Expect ups and downs. Puppies need training in every stage of their life. One month puppy might be precious and well-behaved and the next month - LOOK OUT! TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN!

TRAIN! - Never stop training...

• Limit vaccines - don't over vaccinate just because a vet says that yearly vaccines are the standard. Educate yourself! Learn about titer testing. A dog with vaccine related health problems will only cause you grief and heartache. I know first hand! I recommend: one parvo/distemper vaccine combo at 12 weeks of age, 1 rabies vaccine once in a lifetime after 6 months of age and no further vaccines in a lifetime. This follows the scientific/medical research of Dr. Dodds and Dr. Schultz. Please email me if you would like to discuss further.

Eau-din at the vet clinic