Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My husband and I just adopted a Katrina rescue pup, 7.5 weeks old (probably now approaching 8, as we got her Monday.) She's a mix -- mom was a Cocker/Cairn Terrier, no idea about the father but she looks like a tiny little black lab.

I've had some experience with adult dogs, but this is both mine and my husband's first puppy. Here's the situation:

We have her gated in the kitchen during the day. She has a crate, some toys, and a bed (along with her water bowl and dry food.) When I come home I'm starting to let her out into our back yard (completely fenced) to get her acclimated to going outside. So far no-go -- she does her business on the paper in the kitchen, but obviously this is her "first time" being outside.

We take her out of the kitchen at night and play with her, and move her crate into the living room so she can nap in it while we're there, and our two adult cats can get used to having her around / seeing her when she's calm.

We play with her a little bit more before bed, then put open the crate and bed back into the gated kitchen overnight.

I know she's now at an age where we can start "training" her. I try to correct her ("scruff" her and yell "No!" when she tries to chase the cats, and we're taking her out this weekend to try and socialize her a little also.

Can you offer any advice/suggestions on starting her off with training, simple steps to get going in the right direction, or anything we could/should be doing differently? Is she too young to get started on a leash?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated -- every website I go to has a different opinion, and we want to make sure she's the happiest and most socialized pup she can be.

"Training" right now starts off with building trust and a relationship with her. Doesn't need to be too formal, but scruffing her and yelling at her are actually not great ways to train a dog- especially a young puppy. Grab some books by Dr. Ian Dunbar and a book called "Don't Shoot The Dog." There's also Dr. Dunbar's "Serious Puppy Training" video that I really like. It's a method that strives to teach a dog what we want them to do and doesn't focus on correcting them for doing things we don't want to do. Being consistent and thoughtful in your lessons creates an atmosphere of a dog willing to automatically make the right choices and not worry about punishment from you. Remember, for a very solid temperament in an adult dog, a puppy should never learn to fear a human's hands or voice. Hands and voice are ways to instruct a dog and help them succeed. Hope that helps- have fun training and congrats on the new puppy.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles

That's completely contrary to pretty much EVERY article or how-to or FAQ I've come across.

We're really trying to do this "the right way", but it's becoming increasingly harder -- instead of easier -- when every single expert source has a completely different, and usually contrary, way of raising / training a puppy.

They all suggest different ages for housebreaking, crate training, basic obedience training.

They all say something different about how long and how frequently a puppy can be kept in a crate, or where the crate should be kept, or what should or shouldn't be left in the crate.

They all say something different about how to introduce the puppy to the cats, or how to discipline her when she does something wrong, or what kind of collar to use, or how to establish pack order, or how to respond to different behaviors.

All we want to do is to raise a happy, well-adjusted dog, but just when we think we're about to go down the right path, someone is declaring that whatever we're doing is the exact OPPOSITE of what we SHOULD be doing.

Are dogs really this delicate that the slightest misstep will cause them to become neurotic messes? How did people raise dogs to be happy, healthy adults before "crate training" became so popular a few years ago?

I'm not attacking the person who just commented, but after reading multiple articles about the right way to reprimand the pup when she does something bad (like lunging after the cats) I'm a little confused as to the suggestion that we shouldn't reprimand her? How is she going to learn the word "No!" if she never hears it?

I can definitely relate to all the confusion!! I just recently had to start from square one again with a new dog a few months ago and did all the reading all over.

The conclusion I came to was I needed to take in all the info and put it to the test on MY dog some things my dog reponded well too and other things he did not.

For example if you have a fairly nervous dog handling needs to be very encouraging(but still supply the dog with security) as to not make them even more nervous.

But if you have a rather headstrong dog who has an ambition to be a boss someday you have to be continually reminding that dog in a stronger way that he is not the alpha of the pack but at the bottom.

I can't use food to train my dog because he becomes too disracted by it and then nothing sinks in to his brain. I have chosen the "Yes-No" (Praise when right - correction when wrong) method because that's what my dog needs. He needs to learn that he determines the reward of his actions, because when a car goes ripping by I need him to know that when I say No, sit ,down , or stop, something unpleasent may happen if he does not obey me. Just the thought of him getting run over by a car makes my gut wrench!

In a pack environment dog would and do experience corrections for misbehaviour (and usually it would be pretty heated *laughs*) Corrections (corrections are NOT abuse!) need to be in place whether it is a sprtiz from spray bottle a clang from training discs or a can filled with pebbles or as simple as growling at them. Bottom line is to gauge it to your dog and the situation. Some dogs "shake in their boots" at a simple no, others couldn't care less.

Try some stuff, mix and match, find the things that work for you and your dog, cuz it's been my experience that no one technique works for everything (now that may be different for some people), so don't feel like you can't use a few.

It is annoying when starting out all over again, I totally know the feeling

- My Diamond

Dogs are considered man's best friend. Throughout the ages and of all animals, dogs have been man's companion. More than companions, dogs serve a variety of functions. There are working dogs (e.g., police dogs) and dogs that are used as guides for the disabled. Farmers and livestock owners use dogs for herding, and some home owners get dogs specifically to guard their property.
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