Manners Monday

House training is this weeks Manners Monday.

With the new puppy this is definitely on my mind. I asked for some of the best secrets on our Poochieheaven Facebook Page and got some good responses. Below are the suggestions for those looking to potty train your dog.

1. Many, many bathroom breaks then slowly spread them out to breaks that fit the schedule
2. The most important thing I learned is NEVER get mad if your puppy has an accident. By being matter of fact when she had an accident, and just relocating her to the place she was supposed to have gone, we were able to limit the amount of accidents to just a very few. And non after the age of 7 months. Plus she isn't afraid of us and still trusts us.
3. I always sit outside with them for a while and whenever they go potty outside they get a treat then if they do it in the house no treat and a loud noise. Usually only takes me a week to potty train them.
4. Start as small as you can. I know that taking home is 8 weeks but as a breeder if you can find one that starts outside potty training at 4-5 weeks and sends home a schedule of when they eat sleep and potty is super. Otherwise start the moment you pick up the pup and if you have other dogs in the home they also help teach the little ones.
   
5. Consistency and not giving too much freedom. If you aren't actively watching the puppy put them in their crate or exercise pen...don't give them the opportunity to have an accident.
   
6. We had a "bells" system. We attached little jingly bells to a rope and hung it on the door. Whenever we took our dog out, we'd jingle the bells very loudly and when he did a potty outside, he got a treat. We continued this until he started ringing the bells on his own to go outside!
   

Potty training a new puppy can be a lot of work, but with the tips above from our facebook fans, hopefully it can be much easier!

Training Tip

Dogs that are bred to work closely with humans and pay close attention to them during their work- like herding dogs and retrievers- easily learn to come when called. Dogs bred to work independently- like guard dogs, hounds, and pointers- usually require more practice to master the recall command.


*aside*- Hum...my dog must have forgot he was a herding dog- he doesn't have very good come recall off leash....

How about your dog?

Training Methods for Dogs

I was reading a dog training book and read this interesting article that broke down the different trainging models. It really got me thinking.

Dog Training Models

No-No Model

Method- The dog is always wrong- he is punished unless he can figure out on his own by trial and error what you want.

Effectiveness- Takes a long time and sometimes the dog doesn’t get it, depending on what the dog is expected to learn.

Stress Involved- Extremely high, to the point where the dog may give up trying altogether.

Yes-Yes Model

Method- The dog is always right- he is rewarded for every correct response but still has to learn on his own what is expected.

Effectiveness- Takes a considerable amount of patience and time.

Stress Involved- Can be high, depending on the dog.

Yes-No Model

Method- The dog knows immediately whether he is right or wrong.

Effectiveness- Very fast.

Stress Involved- Very little.

It made me think about how I train Duke. I think when he was a puppy I was using the yes-no model, but sadly, now that he is older and knows the basic commands, I think I use the no-no model in the sense that I really only do training when he does something wrong. I don't tell him he is a good boy enough. I am happy I read this so I can work on getting back to using the yes-no model.

What model do you use? Why?