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Naughty Puppies
Common problems are play biting, jumping on you, digging, chewing, stealing items. The best thing for you to do is start the training early (14 weeks and older). This will help you set the rules and earn the dog's respect early.
One way of preventing dogs chewing furniture is to paint it with Tabasco sauce. After letting the pup taste it first, paint it on the base of doors and rubber wheels etc.
'Bitter Apple' spray and cream can also be used. This is a very effective product that will not harm your pup and is safe for your furnishings etc. This product is available from your local Bark Busters office.
A pup that is kept in a special area of the house is easier to control as far as protecting your property is concerned. A pup that is to be an outside dog can wreak havoc on an ordered garden. Again, it is not advisable to give your pup run of the yard. It is better to partition off a section or to build a play pen. Be sure to provide shelter and protection from the weather and, again, provide plenty of toys, food and water. Remember, most destruction occurs when the pup is bored!
If the pup can't be corralled, then you will need to protect your garden. The first thing you should do is paint all your wooden or plastic furniture and railings with Tabasco sauce. This will have to be redone on a regular basis to keep the pup away from those things. To protect your plants, pot plants and garden beds, place the pup's droppings around the base of the plants you wish to protect. Alternatively, spray diluted Tabasco sauce on the plants and around the soil. Citronella can also be sprinkled around the garden and on the plants. These will all deter the dog from digging around the areas you want to protect.
Pulling washing off the line is common for puppies. The best way to prevent this is to keep washing double-pegged and high up out of reach. For the young dog that has already developed a bad habit, try hanging two pillow-cases and some old socks with the bases filled with hot pepper or chilli powder, or a sponge soaked in Tabasco sauce. Leave these items on for a week or two and be sure to replenish often. The unpleasant association should soon deter your dog from attacking the washing.
It is important to consider how long your pup will be left alone. All day is a long time for a puppy to entertain itself. While we can fill our lives with television, books, housework, cooking etc., a puppy has none of these, and so will fill its day by chewing things and ripping things up. Spend as much time as you can with your puppy, and make sure it has plenty to occupy itself with such as toys, bones etc. when you can't be with it.
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Preventing Nuisance Barking
 A young pup that barks at people or noises etc is a good indication that you have a budding nuisance barker developing. This is a sign of a nervous pup that worries about everything. A well adjusted pup will not usually start barking until somewhere between 8 to 12 months of age.
If you have a pup that is starting to bark at everything that moves, discipline it by growling 'BAD' at the precise moment it starts. Praise it as soon as it responds.
Clapping your hands or throwing an object onto the ground near the pup, such as a can of pebbles (careful you don't hit the pup) and at the same time growling your reprimand word (BAD) should help stop any premature barking.
A puppy that persists even after your reprimand could need some socialising.
Try a Puppy School or Bark Busters In-Home Training.
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Feeding Puppies
It is not wise to make a big issue when feeding a puppy. However, making a puppy wait until you give it permission to eat makes sense but with some ravenous, greedy pups, it can make them worse. Always hold the dish in your hand with this type and lift it above their head saying "leave".
If you have a ravenous pup you might be wise to look more closely at what your pup is being fed. It might be lacking vital nutrients that are not present in the diet.
Scatter Feeding
Scatter feeding works well on puppies that tend to be aggressive with their food. Scatter the food around on the ground and stand in the middle, letting the pup know you are not interested in it's food.
NEVER TAKE THE FOOD AWAY FROM THE PUP AS A FORM OF PUNISHMENT, WITH NO INTENTION OF GIVING IT BACK IMMEDIATELY, AS THIS WILL ONLY MAKE THE PUP FEEL IT'S AGGRESSION IS WARRANTED AND YOU ARE TRYING TO STEAL IT'S FOOD.
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Toilet Training for Puppies... and Older Dogs
Toilet training for your puppy should start as soon as the puppy is home with you You must be prepared to BE PATIENT AND OBSERVANT!
Times when Your Puppy Will Need to Relieve Itself
- When it wakes from a sleep
- When it has eaten or has had a drink
- When it is excited (when you come home)
- After strenuous exercise (or play)
Many people take their puppies out for a walk only to see the puppy disgrace themselves as soon as they get back indoors. To avoid this, walk the puppy to his toilet area. Stand still with him, allowing the puppy to lose interest in you – do not sit down as this will only encourage the pup to jump on you and forget what he is out there for.
Praise him if he performs. NEVER ever rub his nose in any mistakes! Positive reinforcement when he does the right thing in the right place is the best and quickest training method.
REMEMBER THAT YOUR PUPPY WILL NOT WANT TO FOUL HIS OWN BEDDING OR LIVING AREA.
Outside Training
When training the puppy to go outside to relieve himself - LEAD him to where you want him to go, stay with him, praise him when he performs. Remember that a male puppy sometimes takes longer to perform than a female. However, at night, make provision for "accidents" by putting paper down if puppy does not have access to outside (via doggy door etc).
In a House or Unit
Confine puppy to an area - (laundry, kitchen etc) - and put newspapers down over the entire area. When puppy wakes or after eating, LEAD him (don't pick him up) to where he must go to the toilet (onto newspapers, litter tray etc).
Stay with him - he might not do anything if you just leave him, he may even be frightened to be suddenly left. Wait until he relieves himself and PRAISE HIM LAVISHLY. Then remove the soiled newspaper or liner and replace with clean paper, leaving a small portion of the soiled paper to keep the pup's smell there - this will guide him back when he needs to go again. After a while, your puppy will soon get the idea and be able to go to his toilet area himself.
REMEMBER THAT JUST LIKE A CHILD...WHEN HE HAS TO GO...HE REALLY HAS TO GO!
YOUR PUPPY CAN'T TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES TO RELIEVE HIMSELF SO KEEP HIS TOILET AREA NEARBY.
The first thing you must consider if you have recently introduced a puppy to your home and family is whether it is to be an inside or an outside dog. If it is to be an inside dog then toilet- training is a priority, closely followed by taking steps to puppy-proof property and belongings.
Young pups can be very destructive and, like babies, initially have no control over their bodily functions. We have to teach them good toilet habits, especially if we are keeping them inside for long periods and not giving them access to the garden.
You wouldn't hit or reprimand a baby for soiling its nappy...and it's exactly the same for puppies. No rubbing noses in accidental 'whoopsies'.
It's much more effective to use predictable toileting times, such as straight after the pup's eaten, or after it's taken a nap. Walk the pup to a special place in the yard, place it on the ground and say "Go to the toilet" or something like this. Friends of ours say "Empty the dog!"
9 times out of 10, the pup will relieve itself...giving you a chance to praise it's action lavishly. A puppy wants to please you and will want to respond to positive reinforcement.
There are other times that your pup will want to go to the toilet, so take it out at regular intervals. A good gauge is every hour, on the hour. If you have to go out and leave the pup in the house, provide a large litter tray with soil in it as a toilet for the pup. Do not give it run of the house as it will go to the toilet wherever it wants, and bad habits, once learned, are difficult to break.
It is advisable to contain a pup to a certain section of the house, such as the bathroom, laundry or garage, or to partition off a section of the house. This will help protect such things as carpets, drapes and furniture. Also provide some toys, food, water, for the pup to chew on.
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Immunising Your Puppy
Canine Distemper, Canine Parvo-Virus and Canine Hepatitis can all be fatal to dogs, and are preventable only by vaccination. Distemper and Infectious Hepatitis have been around for many years. Parvo-virus first appeared in 1978, and within 12 months had spread worldwide. Treatment for a dog infected by any of these diseases is difficult, expensive, and not always successful, which is why immunisation is so vital.
The earliest sign of Distemper is a fever lasting 2-3 days, which recurs about a week later. Dogs of any age may be infected, but young dogs are the most susceptible. Clinical signs vary from dog to dog, but include fever, respiratory problems such as coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, pneumonia, eye discharge, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, listlessness and dehydration.
Nervous signs such as muscle tremors, convulsions, loss of balance and progressive paralysis usually occur later in the course of the disease. The recovery rate from Distemper, even with careful treatment, is fairly low. Dogs which have apparently recovered may later develop permanent nervous problems.
Preventing distemper is simple. Distemper vaccination should be done when the dog is a pup (note that a dog can be incubating the disease 2-3 weeks before developing clinical signs of Distemper, and dogs that are already incubating the disease cannot be protected through vaccination). Pups should be given a temporary vaccination at about 6 weeks of age. This should be repeated at 2-4 week intervals from 6 - 12 weeks of age.
Pups should be fully vaccinated by your vet at 12 - 16 weeks of age. They will be protected within approximately 14 days of full vaccination, which is why it is recommended that puppies are not exercised outside the home yard for a fortnight after vaccination.
Hepatitis and Parvo-Virus are also preventable through immunisation. Vaccines for these can be administered by your vet in conjunction with your dog's distemper shots. The recommended vaccinations are as follows:
- At 6-8 weeks of age pups need Parvo-virus, Distemper and Hepatitis;
- At 12-14 weeks of age, Parvo-virus, Distemper, Hepatitis and Para influenza - which is also known as "Kennel Cough";
- At 16-18 weeks of age, Parvo-virus, Distemper, Hepatitis and Para influenza;
- Then every 12 months after that.
Stress plays a big part in your dog's ability to withstand infection from disease. It is therefore advisable that if it is necessary to board your dog, and it's vaccinations or boosters are close to due, then they should be brought up to date before kenneling.
All boarding kennels require a completed immunisation certificate before they will board your dog. For more information on immunization, please consult your local vet.
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Useful Information
 Keep in mind that a dog is a pack animal and craves companionship. Spend as much time as you can with your pup. Remember your pup once had a Mum and litter mates and now they are gone. You must replace these. Supply a warm sleeping place for your pup such as a cardboard box or cane basket with a warm blanket or rug. Supply a cuddly toy the same colour as your pup if possible, as well as a ticking clock to replace its Mum's heartbeat. A hot water bottle under the dog's blanket is good for warmth. Don't forget the toilet - a litter tray with some soil in it or several layers of newspaper laid on the ground are suitable.
Be aware that your pup does not understand your language. It's language is based on guttural sounds and body language. Keep your commands simple and do not use sentences for commands. If your puppy is being naughty you cannot smack or scold it after the fact. The only way to teach a dog it is doing something wrong is to catch it in the act and reprimand it at the time, immediately followed by praise when it does the right thing.
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