house training and Tito departs

"The house training seems to be a bit more complicated with this bunch than I've been accustomed to with earlier litters."

That's a line I started a draft blog post with a year and a half ago.  It never turned into a full blog post because apparently I was overtaken by events.  I have to say, with hindsight I don't actually remember those puppies being particularly difficult to house train, although their owners might have different stories to tell. 

What I can tell you, though, is that the Pippuri puppies were all asking to go out for poos by 6 weeks with most of them asking for wees by 7 weeks.  Amazing.  However, then it started raining and it all went to pot (so to speak). 

I received feedback that most of the puppies were doing well with the house training once they left here.  The ones who gave the most trouble were those left in the southwest in the truly horrendous torrential rain and ferocious wind.  And don't think it's just newbie owners who struggle with this -  I was finding it difficult with Tito too.  The classic house training problem (which is made so much worse in bad weather) is that you stand out there for AGES with the puppy usually just lying down in the wet, then you give up and come back in, at which point the puppy promptly wees on the floor.

The reality of housetraining a puppy during an English winter

This is the advice I give to my puppy buyers on how to house train a puppy.  It sounds easy, in theory.  And it often is actually easy in practice.  Until it starts raining, that is. 

The most important element in house training is to take him outside before he realises he needs to go. 

A puppy has a very small bladder and no control at all, so they cannot hold it even for 2 seconds.  As soon as they realise they need to go, then they need to go NOW and it’s too late.  Therefore, you need to get him outside regularly and often to encourage him to go before he is even aware he is ready.

Every time your puppy wees indoors is a lesson to him that it is ok to wee indoors.  Similarly, every time he wees outdoors is a lesson that it is ok to wee outdoors.  You don’t want him to ever learn it is ok to wee indoors, so you ideally want him to have every wee outdoors.  That means you will need to be vigilant and put in the hard work in the early weeks.

·         As soon as your puppy wakes up, whether it is first thing in the morning or after a daytime nap, take him immediately outside for a wee.

·         When your puppy is awake and playing, take him outside for a wee at least every 20 minutes.   By the time he realises he needs to go, it’s too late.

·         I suggest you take him on lead to the area of the garden where he may perform and give him a word of encouragement (eg. 'be quick', 'have a wee/poo', or whatever command suits you.  Be consistent in the words you use.)

·         When he obliges, praise him and give him a little treat.  Your patience at this time will be well rewarded as you will soon have a puppy who knows where to go and can be encouraged to go on command – most useful when you are away from home or it's pouring with rain!

·         He will wee many, many times a day at first, and will poo a few times.  If your puppy is looking very busy sniffing the floor, walking in circles, then he needs a poo.   Sometimes they get quite frantic with it – that’s normal, don’t worry.  Take him outside on a lead and stand in one place letting him move freely around the length of the lead until he obliges.  When he is done, praise him and give him a little treat.  Be patient – this can sometimes take a long time because your puppy will be easily distracted.  Don’t give up and return to the house for 12-15 minutes or he is likely to go as soon as you get back in!

·         If your puppy has an accident inside the house, never punish him for it – he doesn’t know any better.  If you punish him for these accidents he will be confused and he will learn to hide away from you to do it.  If he has an accident inside, simply take him outside to illustrate where he is allowed to go.  If you catch him having an accident, say “no”, pick him up and get him outside. 

·         It's a good idea to train your puppy to perform on a variety of surfaces such as grass, pebbles, concrete, etc, and when he is out and about to perform away from home as well.  You don’t want your pup to think the only appropriate place is one corner of his garden at home!

Always take your puppy for a wee or poo on lead and stand in one place waiting patiently.  Your puppy will suddenly find a dozen other things to take his interest and attention away from the job at hand.  Just wait him out and praise him when he finally gets around to performing.  

The key to quick house training is constant supervision.  Don’t leave your puppy to wander around left to his own  devices so that you can spot any accidents in the planning.

See?  Easy, right?  Uh huh.

I wish Tito's new family all the very best of luck with continuing the house training that I started.  Hopefully their weather is the southeast is better than we have been having.  He's a clever puppy and I'm sure he will catch on quickly.

Here he is setting off with the Carusos.

And here he is with Luca and Matteo settling in to his new home.

Cuddle time

And, finally, here is a wonderful picture that Matteo made for me of him walking Tito.

personality +

A couple of days ago I was explaining to someone new to Lappies how each puppy in the litter plays a role.  There is the dominant one, the playful one, the quiet one, the noisy one, etc.  These characteristics can be swapped from puppy to puppy as they grow and develop, although some things tend to remain the same.  The moniker of "noisy little sod" usually gets passed from one puppy to the next over the weeks and I do my bit to discourage that behaviour in each one in turn.  The most dominant puppy tends to show him or herself pretty much right away and remains the dominant puppy throughout their time with me.

I do my very best to match each puppy with its most suitable family based on their individual personalities.  But, of course, once they leave the familiarity of their mum and siblings it's all change.  For example, the quiet one can find new confidence, the dominant one no longer has anything to prove, the playful one ... well, they are all playful and they stay that way.  

Genetics definitely play a role in a puppy's character - time and again I have seen the influence of Neka in her kids and even her grandkids.  I have also clearly seen the influence of the sires of the puppies, most of whom I don't even know very well.  But elements of their natures are there in their puppies clear as glass.

Having said that, the great majority of a dog's behaviour is the result of how he is raised.  For example, it is in our Maija's nature to be noisy.  She truly loves the sound of her own voice and takes her role of watch dog very seriously.  However, she knows very clearly that excessive barking is ICA (illegal canine activity) in our house, so at those times that she really can't resist, in spite of being told to cut it out, we get closed-mouth huffs.  They are permitted.  Neka, on the other hand, who also loves the sound of her own voice, barks with excitement, with joy and when playing.  She gets so much pleasure out of it that she simply doesn't care if we scold her.  So with her, games always end when she starts to get noisy.   Mind you, she is also good at closed-mouth barking.  Keskiyo, on the other hand, is expert at the silent bark.  He knows he's not allowed to bark to go out, so he sits by the door going through the silent motions.  It's quite funny. 

Part of the onslaught of information that I subject new owners to includes how to deal with an undesirable Finnish Lapphund general characteristic as well as individual puppy characteristics that they will definitely want to be discouraging.  How to discourage barking for attention, how to train recall, how to deal with timidness or hand-shyness, how to avoid getting your Lappy attacked by other dogs.  Yes, that happens a lot.  Why?  Well, there are lots of good, logical reasons why this might happen, not least of which is the Lappy's insistence on getting into the face of every dog he meets, whether the other dog wants to say hello and play or not.  A young Lappy simply cannot believe that another dog does not want to say hello (or be chased...) and he will not take no for an answer.  He will leap around as if to say "come on, let's play, you'll like me when you get to know me, really you will, oh go on, give me a chance..." etc.  Other dogs are frequently not amused.  Incidentally, neither are their owners.  It's a mortifying situation that I dare say most Lappy owners have had to cope with at least once, but more likely a dozen times.  Or more.

But the Pippuri puppies?  Well, I don't want to jinx anything here (famous last words and all that), but the Pippuri puppies are among the quietest, easiest, most chilled and laid back gang who have ever borne the name Infindigo.  I'm sure they will also be guilty of pestering other dogs to play, but they are generally very relaxed puppies.  So much like their dad in that way.  Isn't it great when a plan comes to fruition in much the way you hoped it would?

There is little of the ear-splitting yapping of the over-tired puppy, not much of the heart-stopping panicked screeching of the puppy who gets his jaws stuck in the bars of the pen (yes, that's a truly terrible event), no barking just for amusement, and not even a lot of barking during play.  Although, yes, there is some of that and much growling during play.   The most noise they make is squawking in indignation when a sibling pins someone down or chews too enthusiastically on a paw or yanks a tail just a little too hard. 

The absolute most noise they make is howling.  Each week on Instagram there have been howling puppy photos.  They all do it, and they all do it such a great deal more than any puppy I've ever had here.  I think they get it from their mum who often has a little howl when she yawns.  Anyway, I love it, it completely cracks me up.  They do the full ar-ar-ar-ar-ar-ooooooo, nose in the air like a wolf.  And sometimes they get so into it that they topple over backwards.  Too, too funny.

The most persistent and regular howler is Mini (of course) and the funniest is Tito, partly because he has naturally a rather quieter Lappy voice (his new owners will be pleased to hear).  One of the sounds on the noise CD that I play for the puppies is a variety of sirens.  Awake or asleep, Tito has been simply unable to resist howling along to the siren.  I just wish I had captured it on video because suddenly he is growing accustomed to the noise (which is the whole point) and has stopped howling along. 

Here's a video of the gang playing after breakfast with the noise CD raining away in the background.  Tito is snoozing in the upper lefthand corner while the other 4 are engaged in various wrestling matches.  A personal highlight is when Sox, Fiia and Tuulen are all playing together when Mini comes and pounces right on top of the pile.

Anyway, when the siren starts you can see that Tito wakes up and looks towards the noise, but alas no howling.  Instead he just settles down again.  Oh well.  I shall have to content myself with knowing that they are growing used to the scary noises as I wanted them to.

Miia growing up

At this age the puppies who will be going into the show ring are learning their ringcraft and they are all finishing their first puppy training classes.  Here is Miia showing off her Down and her certificate.

Riemu Miila, age 4 months

Fun in the long grass.

Doing a bit of pruning in the garden.

book review - the perfect puppy *

When I'm getting ready to send some puppies off into the world with their new families, I always recommend a few books to get people going with the training and socialisation.  Near the top of my list is this book.

The Perfect Puppy *

 

Author: Gwen Bailey

Publisher: Hamlyn, London, 2008

ISBN: 978-0-600-61722-8

Pages: 208

Price: £12.99

Classic Quote

“Planning in advance and getting things right first time around are quicker, in the long run, than having to sort out problems later.”

About the Author

Gwen Bailey is a canine behaviourist and founder of Puppy School, based in Oxfordshire. The first edition of this book, published in 1995, was the UK’s best-selling puppy book until the publication of this, the second edition.

Structure of the Book

The book is divided into 16 chapters with sections at the end for further reading, a suggested socialisation programme, and a few contact addresses such as the Kennel Club and the author’s own Puppy School. The chapters cover the full range of puppy ownership:

Chapter 1 - The raw material

Chapter 2 - A puppy’s view of the world

Chapter 3 - The new family

Chapter 4 - Developmental stages

Chapter 5 - Life with a new puppy

Chapter 6 - Socialization

Chapter 7 - House training

Chapter 8 - Behaviour control and leadership

Chapter 9 - Toys and games

Chapter 10 - Preventing biting and aggression

Chapter 11 - Chewing

Chapter 12 - Handling and grooming

Chapter 13 - Good manners

Chapter 14 - Learning to be alone

Chapter 15 - Training your puppy

Chapter 16 - Adolescence and beyond

What is Great About This Book

This is possibly the best illustrated puppy book I’ve ever seen. There are large, full-colour photos on just about every page and each photo shows the topic being discussed. This is particularly useful in the sections on body language in chapters 2 and 10 where the photos clearly show what a “shy” puppy looks like and what “stiff tail” means when ”nervous” dogs are greeting each other.

The book definitely covers everything you need to know about training your puppy and it doesn’t gloss over some of the more challenging topics such as being the pack leader and controlling the behaviour of more ambitious puppies who try to take charge. This is the major difference between this edition and the original book. Chapter 10 on preventing biting and aggression is particularly good, explaining not only how to deal with puppy biting but also why the puppy bites in the first place and how aggression can develop, hence how to avoid it. This chapter also covers dominance and food or toy guarding.

The best thing about this book is that at every stage the author is thinking about how the puppy will fit into the family unit, especially including children. There is not one discrete part of the book labelled ‘puppies and children’, rather this relationship is woven throughout each topic, from the best way to introduce the puppy to children to the appropriate (and inappropriate) way for them to play together.

What’s Not So Great

There’s very little I have to criticise in this book. The weaknesses in the original edition have been addressed in this new edition, and it really does cover the whole puppy experience from how to choose a puppy to how to survive the adolescent phase that comes at the end of puppyhood.

The only thing I would say is that although it’s well written and divided into sensible chapters and sections, the layout is entirely conversational, flowing paragraph by paragraph. I prefer the style that includes at least some lists of things to do, and in what order, rather than endless descriptive text. This layout and writing style does make it somewhat difficult to browse the book or pick it up and dip in. It is designed to be read cover to cover or not at all. Having said that, there is an index at the back to aid navigation.

Worth Reading?

Yes, especially if you like looking at lots of photos of cute puppies. I judge all puppy books against Dunbar’s Before and After Getting Your Puppy, which to me is the ultimate. I always say that if you’re going to have only one puppy book, then that is the one to have. However, I also think that it’s helpful to read at least two or three for the different styles and approaches that may appeal to different individuals and work with individual puppies. After all, the more varying ways you have to come at a problem, the more likely you are to achieve a solution. While it does not surpass Dunbar’s book, The Perfect Puppy does sit alongside it very nicely.

Summary

Round Up:  Beautifully illustrated how-to book covering the whole puppy experience

Best For:  Everyone, especially families with children

Woofs:  4/5

 * This is an edited version of a review I originally wrote for Lappy Tails, the newsletter of the Southern Finnish Lapphund Society.

Oh, and by the way, did I mention that you can follow my blog with Bloglovin

pups at home I

So you might think that once the puppies are off into the world I forget all about them.  No, I don't think you would really think that, would you.  I spend the first week (ish) worrying about them and how they are getting on in their new homes.  Are they sleeping?  Are they eating? Are they destroying all the soft furnishings?

These questions are not from concern for the puppies' welfare so much as their new owners.  I know I've picked the puppies' homes well, so I have no doubt they'll be loved & cared for.  I just worry that they are behaving themselves.  As much as an 8-week-old puppy can behave himself, that is. 

The only concern I have for the welfare of the puppies is whether everything I've tried to drum into the new owners has sunk in past the excitement of having the adorable puppy finally home.  Will they be strict with the routine?  Will they teach him to be quiet?  Will they get the housetraining cracked?  Will they continue with the full-on socialisation?

So when I get regular updates and photos, I'm happy.

Mikko at his new home looking like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.



















And crashed out on the sofa having a snooze after wearing himself out.  Is there anything cuter than puppy toes?

Miia has decided to be helpful in the garden.  Just wait til she discovers her own paws are more efficient than a trowel...

Checking the pots to see if there's anything tasty about.

Kiittaa getting to know her new big sister, Dotsie.

Looks like they're going to be getting on brilliantly.

hand-shyness easy cure

At this age the puppies tend to run towards you with tails wagging when you stick your hands into the pen to say hi or pick someone up.  However, they also learn pretty quickly that it makes a good game to scamper away from the hand reaching for them.  There can also be a bit of shyness around this time as the puppies adapt to so many changes & new experiences in their young lives. 

Tuuli, too, is shy of most strangers and the cure is the same for 4.5-week-old puppies as for 4.5-month-old puppies - yummy stuff!

Everyday when Tuuli has her regular socialisation jaunt to some noisy place or other, there is always a nice stranger or two who want to say hello.  I always have a pocketful of tasty treats and I always get the strangers to give Tuuli one or two treats.  This way she will learn that hands = good stuff, even strangers' hands.  It's not an instant fix in a shy puppy, but it does the trick eventually.  I'll keep doing this for a long time to come just to reinforce the message. 

With the 4.5-week-old gang, the magic potion came yesterday in the form of a little bit of minced raw chicken.  Om nom nom!

Never one to shy away from a hand, Hopea is, predictably, the first to tuck into the chicken mince.

It attracts the attention of Brown Wolf, who puts up a "Keksi paw" to get my attention.  Daniel will be pleased to see evidence of Keksi's signature move in all these puppies.

Pretty soon everyone wants in on the chicken action.

On the menu today is scrambled egg.  That's always a good puppy day.

Tuuli's second week

Tuuli spent a lot of her time socialising last week.  We had several trips to various busy and noisy town centres where she could see and hear lots of traffic noise, lots of people, thundering lorries, screaming sirens, the works.  There was also plenty of opportunity for cuddles from all sorts of strangers.

Right here on our own doorstep she gets daily exposure to children as they play in the park or walk past on their way to and from school everyday.  She is getting accustomed to bicycles, scooters and various other wheeled kids' stuff.  But it's pretty slow-going on those things because they are extra-scary.

Mostly we walk Tuuli separately from the rest of the dogs.  She needs one-on-one training and attention at this age and we certainly don't want her picking up any bad habits from the others.  However, she had a few trips to the fields where she had the opportunity to run and play with the big dogs.

Mmmm - mud!  Or other even less palatable things found in Devon fields. 















She also had her first trip to the beach where we found out that she actually has plenty of confidence.  Plenty.  No problem for her chasing off after every other dog on the beach only to come back when she was good and ready.  Just like every other Lappy, it seems.  Cue the serious recall training next week...

Trying to keep up with Maija.

No fear of the water.


















There was also her first ringcraft class.  We don't have an available puppy class in this area, so I am making up for that with our own daily training at home and in the park as well as the socialisation and training opportunity of ringcraft.  She did brilliantly well there in the strange surroundings of a noisy village hall with so many other dogs. 

She took a bit of a fancy to a little Affenpinscher but really fell for the Afghan. He wasn't quite so keen, though, and kept his distance.

Learning her show stand.

Excellent trot already!

five ways to keep your dog fit & healthy

Having previously been on the subject of weight and how to manage it, here are a few ideas for keeping your dog fit so that those extra pounds don't get the chance to creep on.

1.  Make sure your dog gets at least one walk every day.  Walking should be more than just pootling along sniffing the ground (For your dog, that is.  You are free to pootle & sniff if you wish).  If when released in a safe place your dog doesn't choose to run and play, then put him on a lead and take him on a brisk walk. How far you walk your dog, or for how long, will depend on the breed/mix of your dog.  A high-energy, medium-sized dog like a Finnish Lapphund, Border Collie or Labrador needs at least an hour a day.  Half of that time, or more, should be free running/playing or briskly walking.  (Just so we're clear: a puppy will need much less than an hour each day.)

2.  Don't over-feed your dog.  Again, how much to feed your dog will depend his breed, size and what you are feeding.  As a general rule, feed 10% less than advised on the bag of dog kibble.  If your dog is gaining too much weight - or if he is already overweight - then it cut by an additional 10%.  Dog food companies are in the business of making money by encouraging you to use as much of their food as possible and so buy more of it.  Usually, the recommended daily amount is way too much.  If your dog or puppy has loose, runny poos, chances are you are giving him too much food.  Take advice from your breeder.  Take advice from your vet.

A bunch of fat-bellied puppies busy growing into strong & fit dogs.










3.  Keep the treats under control!  Everybody likes to give their dog treats, but consider how much junk food you would allow your child to have and allow your dog to have less than that.  Treats should be earned and should be given in moderation.  My idea of  "moderation" and yours may differ enormously, but consider giving small portions - like only half a gravy bone or Bonio instead of a whole one.  And, yes, one is most definitely enough!  Consider swapping treats with food value for other kinds of things your dog enjoys: a game, a belly rub, a walk.

4.  Keep an eye on your dog's weight regularly - both how he looks and how the numbers look by having him weighed at the vet.  Most vet surgeries have a scale in the waiting room and you can pop in there and weigh your dog anytime free of charge.  Dogs' weights vary widely, of course, depending on the size, breed, etc, so the numbers should be a guide only.  How does your dog look?  You should be able to feel his ribs as you run your hands down his sides, but he should not be so skinny that they are very prominent.  Even with a fluffy dog like a Lapphund, you will still feel faint ribs.  Also, look at your dog from the top - he should have a distinct narrowing at the waist.

5. Consider training in one of the doggie sports like agility, obedience or Rally-O.  Agility, in particular, is excellent exercise for you and your dog.  Any of this sort of training will increase the bond between you both as well as improving how well your dog listens and responds to you generally.  You can find a wealth of information on finding training clubs in your area from the Kennel Club. 

pup tip - house training II

Before I get completely caught up in the wonderfulness of new puppies in the house, I must finish the entry about house training puppies.  Following on from the tips published earlier,  I thought it would be worthwhile to mention a few more additional toilet training ideas.  Advanced house training for puppies, if you will.

1.  Did you know that you can train your puppy to just do his business in one corner of your garden, for example?  It's true.  When you begin the training, always put your puppy on lead to take him out, and always take him to the same spot.  Wait for him to go, give the action a command ("Have a wee/have a poo/get busy") and then give praise and treats when he does his thing in the right place.

2.  Having said that, be very careful to make sure you train your puppy to happily go on many different surfaces.  Without giving it much thought, I took Neka out to the grassy park next door to do all her wees when she was a puppy.  Everyday there was always plenty of grass in the places where we walked.  What I didn't realize was that I was teaching her to wee and poo only on grass.  One night when we were in a city with not a blade of grass to be found, my poor frantic and bursting 6-month-old puppy was desperately searching for somewhere suitable to have a wee.  Eventually she gave in and did it on a pile of leaves.  After that night I made a point of teaching her to go on lots of different surfaces.  Now she will wee on pavement, gravel, mud, whatever.  But her favourite surface is still grass.

3.   Remember to catch your puppy before he has a chance to get it wrong and show him how to get it right.  Always praise your puppy for getting it right but never scold him for getting it wrong.

4.  Finally, one thing you need to know that everyone always forgets, is that dogs don't generalise well.  In terms of house training, this means that while they might be perfectly clean and trained at home, they won't necessarily equate that with being clean and trained in someone else's home.  So when you go to visit the mother-in-law you will definitely need to keep an eagle eye on that 12-month-old puppy who has been reliably house trained for more than 7 months. Treat it like starting all over again and catch him before he has a chance to do anything.  Don't say I didn't warn you...

So, what happens when an adult dog starts to soil inside the house for no apparent reason?  Take him to the vet.  In my experience, this only happens when a dog or cat is ill and needs to get your attention about it. 

Sometimes, of course, there is a perfectly apparent reason, although you might not spot it straightaway.  For example, the pair of year-old brothers who both (separately, in their separate homes) wee'd on their owners beds after coming home from their first stays in a kennel.

Today,  here is a row of sweet little tails and an illustration of how the holding box (where the puppies go while I'm cleaning out their box) won't be big enough for very long.

Row of tiny tails

Gonna be needing a new box very soon...

danger

Another great reason to teach your dog to "Leave It" is when he gets into something he really shouldn't.  There are plenty of dangers to your dog just lying around waiting to be sniffed, licked or picked up.  Some of them are really very dangerous poisons to dogs, and it's a good idea for dog owners to make themselves familiar with the sorts of things dogs and puppies really shouldn't have anything to do with.

Tarkka enjoying chewing a (clean, safe) plastic plant pot.













1.   Antifreeze - just one lick can be fatal to a dog.  And, what's worse, dogs are attracted to the scent of it.

2.  Some human foods - as discussed in an earlier post, some common food is toxic to dogs.  Keep them away from grapes & raisins, chocolate, fruit & fuit seeds, all alcohol and xylitol, which is a sweetener found in many things like chewing gum, candy and fizzy drinks.  Even a small amount of this stuff can cause a potentially fatal drop in blood sugar or liver failure.

3.  Insecticides -  consider sprays, bait boxes, ant powder - all very poisonous to dogs, even in small amounts.  When applying spot-on flea treatment, be careful to apply it to the back of the dog's neck where he cannot lick it.

Viivi sharing a stick with her big bro Jaska.  I've also got stuff to say about dogs chewing sticks... but that's for another time!











4.  Rat/mouse poison - Awful stuff for rodents and dogs alike.  And remember that your dog can even be affected by the poison if he picks up or - ew - takes a bite out of a dead rat (there's that "Leave It" command coming in handy again.)

5.  Humans' drugs - lots of common medications are potentially lethal to dogs, so it's best to keep them away from all drugs.  In particular, they are in danger from NSAIDs like ibruprofen, other painkillers like acetaminophen, antidepressants like Prozac and amphetimines like those used to treat ADD/ADHD.  Even veterinary pain medication can be fatal if ingested in large amounts.  Keep them all well out of reach.

6.  Household cleaners - bleach is the obvious one, but also keep all the sprays and polishes away where they cannot be accessed by a nosey or bored canine.  Especially if they have a plastic nozzle.  Especially if your pooch is one of the many who has a penchant for chewing plastic (see Tarkka above).

7.  Many, many common house & garden plants, and other garden dwellers like fertilizer and cocoa shell mulch.  Have a look here on the Dogs Trust site for a list of plants that are poisonous to dogs.

pup tip - house training I

This is also known as "toilet training" for dogs, although it doesn't actually involve toilets, as such, just toilet-ing.  In American publications you might see this referred to as "house breaking".  Basically, it means teaching your dog where it is and is not acceptable to wee and poo.

Start house training as soon as you bring your pup home.  As with all training, timing is the key to early success and you will need to be committed to the cause in the early days.  Remember the consistency I'm always banging on about?  Well, that applies here too.  Big time.  If you catch your puppy in the act of getting ready to wee indoors every time and you say no every time and quickly hustle him outside to do the deed every time, then he will learn very quickly that that is what he must do every time.  If your puppy manages to do an indoor wee without being stopped, then he will learn that he can wee indoors.  Even if only gets away with it sometimes.

So, what happens if you scold your puppy for weeing or pooing indoors?  Even worse - what if you punish him for doing so?  What will happen is he will hide away from you to do it.  That's a fact and that is why you should never, ever scold or punish your puppy for relieving himself indoors.  He has to go somewhere and he simply does not know any better.  It is up to you to teach him where is allowed to go.  You simply show him what he is allowed to do rather than telling him off for doing what he is not allowed to do.  That means you need to keep your eye on him and take him out a lot in the beginning.

Taito squatting for a wee in the garden, aged 8 weeks.


















And what do you do when your puppy does his business outside?  As with all training, you give him praise and treats. You act as if he just accomplished the most outstanding feat of puppy amazingness.  Make him feel good about relieving himself in the correct place. 

It's up to you to know when your puppy is likely to need to relieve himself. And, in the beginning, it will be often.  Very often.  These are the times to take your puppy outside for a wee and/or poo:

• As soon as he wakes up
• As soon as he finishes eating
• Every 20 minutes while he is awake or playing
• If he is busily walking around sniffing the floor, particularly when going in circles
• Every time he asks to go out

You might need to have a bit of an eagle eye for recognising that your puppy is asking to go out.  They start asking really surprisingly early on.  Even the little 6-and-7-week-olds start asking before they ever leave us here.  But it doesn't necessarily mean your puppy will go up to the door and bark or scratch.  That comes much later.  At first look for the puppy just hanging around or sitting next to the door.  Or keep a watch for your puppy gazing at the door.  Or just barking frantically for no apparent reason.

Neka gave us a challenge.  She was asking to go out really quickly in her training, but her way of asking was a casual glance in our direction as she strolled across the living room towards the back door.  Funny girl.  It took us a while to catch on that this was her sign, but once we spotted it, we had the house training cracked.

For more on house training, have a look at this later post.

five (make that 3) more things you should teach your dog

Following on from my earlier post, five things you should teach your dog, here are a few more absolute essentials that didn't make the cut on the original five.

1.  Leave - Also known in some training classes as "Leave It".  The addition of the "it" may have something to do with the fact that dogs hear hard consonants better than soft sounds, so finishing the command on a hard T gives it a bit of extra punch.  Otherwise it can sound to a dog a bit like any other eee-word.  This really is an essential command for every dog.  It's useful for getting him to part with treasures he finds such as tissues, shoes, disgusting things found in fields, or, as in the case of Keskiyo a few years ago, a live and rather surprised pheasant.  Keskiyo, whose leave is really excellent, dropped the pheasant, albeit probably as much in shock at having caught it as in response to my roared command.  Nonetheless, drop it he did, and it survived to wind up another dog on another day.  Leave also works as in "leave that other dog/cat/person alone."

Karhu:  "May I please leave this bath?"

2.  Heel - Otherwise known as walking nicely on a lead.  This can be a tough one for Lapphunds.  Neka took an absolute age to finally stop pulling on her lead, regardless of how much training we did.  And we did a lot.  When she was about 5 months old she actually pulled me over into the street in the path of a bus.  Lappies pack a lot of power for a relatively small dog and they go from 0 to 60 in a split second, usually off to the side, taking your shoulder out of its joint as they go.  There are lots of good products available to help with the really stubborn pullers, and I eventually went the harness and head collar route.  These days she's excellent on her lead.  Unless she sees a squirrell, of course.  Or a cat.  Or occasionally a squirrell-shaped blowing leaf.

3.  Off - This is the all-purpose command to mean "get all 4 paws on the ground".  Use it to mean "get off the sofa," or "get off the street from the path of oncoming taffic and back onto the pavement," or "get off the stairs."  The real biggie, though, for this command is to stop your dog jumping up on people.  Some are happy to have their dog jumping up occasionally for a quick cuddle.  After all, it's certainly easier to reach them when they jump up to you rather than you bending down to their level.  However, if you do that you need to beware that they will forevermore equate jumping up on people with affection and therefore they will jump up on other people at every opportunity.  Don't let your dog jump up on other people, people.  Little folks don't do too well with dogs jumping up on them.  Equally old folks.  Not to mention folks dressed in their nice clothes.




Kallio illustrating another excellent use for the "Off" command.  Obviously he thinks anything the cat can do is fair game.











There are lots of things you can and should teach your dog, but I've reached the end of my list of absolute essentials.  Hmmm, maybe I should have kept point one from the first list as separate entries: sit, down, stay. That would have nicely filled out 2 sets of 5.

What has been the best or most important thing you ever taught your dog?

five things you should teach your dog

Even if you have no intention of ever attending a formal obedience competition, all dogs should be enrolled in obedience classes when they are young, at least.  Training your dog is good for you both.  Quite apart from the socialisation that your dog receives at such classes, the training increases the bond between the two of you, and it gets your dog in the frame of mind for doing as he's told.  If you're inexperienced at training, you learn how to do it, and your dog gets to learn all the basics that he needs in order to be a responsible member of canine and human society.

And even if you have never attended any kind of dog training class, there are some things every dog should do on command.  Here are five of them.

1.  Your dog should sit, lie down and wait/stay on command.  These are basic doggie manners that you will use again and again. The more impatient and fidgety your dog, the more important it is that he will respond to the basics.

Keskiyo learning to stand on command.











2.  Every dog should have a reliable recall.  Now, I can actually hear the legions of Finnish Lapphund owners howling with mirth as I type this.  You see, Lapphunds are renown for finding every person, dog, squirrell (twig, blade of grass, etc, etc) so absolutely captivating that they will leave you waiting until they are good and ready to come back.  However, if you ever plan to allow your dog to run freely off-lead, then you must have at least some prospect of getting him to come back to you when you call him.  If you are lucky enough to have a greedy, food-motivated dog, then the recall is much easier to train - and much more likely to work in practice, even when there are extreme distractions involved.

3.  Every dog is likely to have an injury during its lifetime, whether it is a major one requiring vets and surgery or just a minor one like a skin graze or splinter in the paw.  If you - or the vet - are going to be able to find the problem safely and without frightening or further injuring your dog, then he needs to be accustomed to being examined.  You should therefore teach your dog to willingly submit to being gently handled from head to toe, in his ears, nose, eyes, mouth, belly, paws, between the toes and the sensitive bits under the tail.  You should teach him to accept such intrusions while he is standing, while he is sitting, while he is lying down and to expose his belly for examination too.

4.  The instant down is one that I credit with saving Neka's life - perhaps more than once.  The ability to get your dog to immediately stop what he's doing, drop to the ground and stay there is a vital skill to keeping your dog safe.  It will also possibly keep the local squirrell and cat population safe too, as the very best instant down will even stop your dog in mid-chase.

5.  Finally, one great skill for dogs is to have what is known as a soft mouth.  This is also known as bite inhibition.  Dogs with good bite inhibition will take things from fingers without grabbing and they will hold things in their mouth without biting down hard.  It's this capability that means your dog will instantly let go when his teeth encounter human skin.  In playing with people, he won't accidentally bite, and in a scuffle with another dog it really will be all noise and fur with no actual damage done.  My favorite places to go for all things training, including soft mouth, are Gwen Bailey's Perfect Puppy and and Ian Dunbar.  Online, you can get some good Dunbar advice in a free pdf from Dogstar Daily.





 Quite apart from anything else, good training ensures you can occasionally get your group of dogs together for a photo opportunity.

 L-R: Keksi, Keskiyo, Neka (back), Maija

Already I can think of at least 2 more essential things that every dog should know.  I feel a five more things you should teach your dog post coming on...