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Puppy Info |
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| Raising a Puppy | ||
| The Three Laws of Learning | ||
| 1. Behavior that is rewarded is most likely to be repeated. Reward the behavior you want, ignore the behavior you don't want, unless it is dangerous or destructive. | ||
| 2. Behavior that is not reinforced (rewarded) is most likely to be extinguished. Note: Some behaviors are self-reinforcing. | ||
| 3. Once a behavior is established, occasional reward makes the behavior stronger. This is also called the Gambler's Syndrome. | ||
| House Training Your Puppy | ||
| I have house trained many puppies with great success, in all seasons. The method below is not my invention. In fact, it is not a “method”. This is about learning your puppy's needs, physiology, behavior and ability to learn. | ||
| Congratulations on your new puppy! Now that you have your new furry friend, are you wondering how to housebreak him or her? Don't despair! House training your new puppy can be relatively easy and very successful if you devote the appropriate time and patience. A successful puppy training plan includes supervision, confinement and plenty of encouragement. | ||
| Elimination | ||
Your first task will be to teach your puppy where you want him to eliminate (go to the bathroom) by accompanying him every time he goes outside. Select a specific area where you want him to go that is easy to get to, i.e., close to the door! Your puppy will become familiar with this place as he recognizes his odor from previous eliminations. You should gently praise his sniffing and other pre-elimination behaviors. Make sure to energetically praise your puppy after he eliminates in the proper area. |
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Mealtimes |
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You can help control your puppy's elimination routine by also controlling his feeding schedule. Most puppies should eliminate within an hour after eating, so it is best to avoid feeding him a large meal right before confinement. You should offer him food two or three times each day at the same times and only make the food available for a maximum of 30 minutes. Your puppy's last meal of the day should be finished between three and five hours before bedtime so he has plenty of time for elimination. Make sure to take your puppy outside for elimination after eating, drinking, sleeping or playing. Develop a schedule of mealtimes, play sessions, confinement periods (for sleeping or rest) and trips outside to the “bathroom” to adjust your puppy to a fairly predictable elimination schedule. |
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| Prevent Mistakes | ||
You'll find the most challenging part of house training your puppy is preventing accidents indoors. To avoid this, you need to constantly supervise your puppy. When you are not able to directly supervise your puppy, confine him to a small, safe area. Always take him outside to eliminate just before you confine him. You may want to use a wire or plastic crate to confine your puppy when you can't directly supervise him (see the article Crate Training). If you are leaving your puppy home alone every day for long periods, you may want to confine him in a larger area such as a small room. This area should be large enough for your puppy to eliminate, if necessary, and lay down several feet away from the mess. Place newspaper at the places where your puppy is likely to eliminate. Help your puppy become comfortable in his confinement area by playing with him there or simply being in the room with him while he rests. |
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| Correcting Mistakes | ||
Most importantly, be prepared for your puppy to make mistakes! No puppy has ever been house trained without making a few mistakes. Punishing your puppy is the least effective way to correct his behavior. When your puppy has an accident and you catch him in the act of eliminating indoors, you should correct him with a mild, startling distraction, such as clapping or shaking a can containing a few pebble or coins, and then immediately take him outside to finish eliminating. Correcting your puppy more than a few moments after he eliminates is ineffective because he will not understand why he is being corrected. And if you are too harsh with your correction, you will teach your puppy not to eliminate in front of you, even when you are outside. This harsh punishment could damage your bond with him. Never rub your puppy's nose in his mess - you will only teach him to be afraid of you. Some Silky Terrier dogs who “squirt” or urinate when they greet people may do so out of nervousness or excitement and scolding will always make the problem worse. Rather, do not greet your pet right away. Ignore the pet until he settles down and then greet him. If (and when) your puppy has accidents inside your home, he may continue to eliminate at the same spot if he can smell the odor from his previous mistake. Use an effective commercial product to remove urine and fecal odor from the spot so he is less likely to return to this area. If your puppy continues to eliminate in certain areas of your home, do not give him access to these areas by closing doors, using baby gates or moving pieces of furniture over the soiled areas. Many Silky Terrier dogs will not eliminate in areas where they eat, play or rest, so try placing food or water bowls, beds and toys in areas where they have previously soiled to discourage future elimination. House training your puppy can be a rewarding and bonding experience for both you and your puppy. Be sure to contact your veterinarian with any questions or concerns you may have during this important training process. |
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| House Training Silky Terrier Dogs | ||
Most Silky Terrier dogs are taught not to urinate or defecate in the house by owners who punish them for doing so. This usually works, especially when the dog is a puppy and is watched constantly. However, puppies are taught by their mothers to slip away and eliminate out of her sleeping area. If Silky Terrier dogs and puppies are not watched constantly, they are able to do just that--slip away to eliminate. These Silky Terrier dogs learn that it is not appropriate to eliminate when anyone is WATCHING instead of learning to eliminate outdoors. Once this occurs, house training becomes a problem. Dog owners often mistakenly believe that the dog "understands" that elimination in the house is wrong because the dog acts "guilty" when shown the evidence. Try seeing this form the dog's point of view. The dog does know that something is wrong because she understands the facial expression and tone of voice of her owners. She may even understand that it is her "fault" because she knows that disapproval is directed at her. Some Silky Terrier dogs even make the connection between urine and feces being in the house and owner disapproval but the dog does NOT understand how to avoid the punishment in the future. To prove this to yourself, pour a cup of water on the floor. Let your dog see you do this. Start pointing at the water spot and yelling. Why is she acting guilty? You know she didn't do it and so does she. She is appeasing you to avoid conflict. If you are having a problem with house training, it is easier to solve than you may think. First, if your dog was previously 100% house trained consider that she may have a medical problem. Have your vet give her a check up. Second, if your dog was never 100% house trained you can be pretty sure the solution is in clearing up the misunderstanding about the rules. Don't worry, it's never too late. If you need convincing, check out some case studies. The examples will give you hope. Silky Terrier dogs want to do what we want. It's our job to make what we want clear to the dog. THE PLAN To house train a dog thoroughly, keep her with you on a leash indoors and outdoors for three days. For a new pet, this is also an excellent bonding exercise. Take her outside every few hours. Always use the same door. Do not play, just stand there, holding the leash. When she eliminates outdoors, offer a food treat immediately then praise her and play with her before going back in the house. Once indoors, she is still with you on a leash. If she attempts to eliminate indoors, you'll be right there to scold her and go outside right away. Do not play, just stand there. IF she eliminates, praise then play. If not, return inside and go about your business. Remember she is still with you on a leash. Additional training: Use the same phrase every time you go out, such as "Hurry Up" to use later when you want your dog to eliminate on command. Hang some bells on the door and teach your dog to ring them by lifting her paw to the bells each time you go out. She'll learn to ring the bells when she wants to go out which makes house training easier. This method will show her : - it is never O.K. to eliminate in the house - that it is always O.K. to eliminate outside - that you cannot play outdoors until after you eliminate - you can earn food rewards for eliminating outside if you can get a person to go out with you This is exactly what we want her to learn. Especially the last one. Many Silky Terrier dogs learn that they should go out to eliminate but have no idea how to open the door. If they bark at the door or scratch it, we will hear this and everything works out. But Silky Terrier dogs who know the advantage of taking a person outside with them will learn to come and find you when they need to go out. After a few days of leash bonding, keep your dog confined to a small area of the house that can be easily cleaned whenever you do not have her on a leash. If you must leave her for several hours, arrange for someone to take her out midday until you are sure she can keep the training. Repeat the leash training if she is having accidents. SUBMISSIVE URINATION If your dog is very subordinate to you or submissive to strangers, he may roll over and urinate when he greets you. This is not a house training problem. Believe it or not, a dog does this to PLEASE you. It is normal dog communication. If you show anger the dog will urinate again, if he is able. But if you do nothing, the behavior continues. A related behavior is loss of bladder control from excitement. It is difficult to tell if your dog has submissive urination or loss of control but both are treated in the same way. In either case, the dog is completely housebroken except during greetings. This problem requires special handling. You might want to install a dog door so you can greet your dog outside or you could have someone else let the dog out a few minutes before you come home. If this is impossible, have a family member distract your dog when he starts to greet you long enough for you to get in the door and start ignoring him. Ignore him completely for about 10 minutes. Especially avoid leaning over him. Gradually fall into your routine of watching TV or reading. Pat the dog as if you have been home all day. The dog will gain more control as he gets older and more used to the routine. |
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| The Crate | ||
| Watch the puppy. Crate your puppy when you can't watch him. You and the puppy need a safe place for him to go when you can't watch him every second, where he won't learn bad habits. Silky Terrier dogs are DEN animals. A crate is like a den. A small room like a bathroom or back porch is not the same. It is too big, the ceiling too high, and nothing like a den. If you can't afford a crate, borrow one. A crate for your puppy, (and when he's an adult) is as important as a bed for your child. Keep the crate in a busy convenient location such as the kitchen or living room where the family spends a lot of time. | ||
| When you eat dinner, he goes in the crate. When the phone rings, he goes in the crate before you answer the phone. When you leave for work, the dog goes in the crate. When he eats, he eats in the crate. When he naps, put him in his crate. When you just need a break from puppy watching, crate him! Put him in the crate in a happy voice, have a nice soft fleece for him to lie on, give him a favorite chew toy and shut the door. Ignore fussing, don't talk to him, and don't let him out when he is fussing (Law #2). If he learns that fussing gets him out of the crate to be with you (Law #1), then he will fuss louder and longer every time. | ||
| Elimination | ||
| Every time you take the puppy out of the crate, put the collar and leash on the puppy and take him outside, even if you have a fenced yard. Very young puppies (8-10 weeks, maybe to 12 wks) need to be carried from crate to door, or they will urinate before they get outside. Don't ever put him out by himself! This physical connection is very important for bonding and training. The leash is not for corrections or pulling the dog, but only to keep the pup close to you. He should not wear a collar when he is inside, as he may get tangled in it and injure himself. I have seen puppies get their lower jaw hooked on a collar, or foot stuck through a collar. It is too great a risk. | ||
| Do not rely on a puppy to tell you when it's time to go out. | ||
| That is expecting too much responsibility and communication at too early an age. It is up to you, the adult human (This is not a child's job!), to know when he needs to go out. Watch his activity level and the clock. An 8-12 wk puppy that is busy playing may need to urinate every 15-20 minutes, whereas a resting puppy might go for an hour, and a sleeping puppy can go 8 hours at night. Activity makes urine! Activity makes urine! Repeat this 10 times, slowly. This is a very important lesson for new puppy owners. Silky Terrier dogs have an instinctive sense of cleanliness for their den. They are reluctant to wet or soil it, and will keep it clean and dry if physically possible. Eventually this sense of cleanliness will eventually extend to your entire house. | ||
| With the puppy on a leash, go to the place where you want him to eliminate, and be as boring as possible. Stay in one place. This is not a walk for sniffing and exploring, that comes after. Use commands for elimination. I use a different word for each function (since they use different muscle groups), "Quickly" for urinate, and "Hurry up!" for defecate. You can choose your own words, just be sure they are not words used often in your everyday conversation, or at least have a unique way of saying it. | ||
| Say "Quickly!" repeatedly until the pup urinates. It becomes a habit for both of you, and soon you will only need to say it once and he will go immediately. This is the ONLY TIME I recommend saying a command repeatedly in training. (If you are clicker training, click and treat (c/t) as the urine stream ends. The click ends the behavior.) | ||
| OVER-REACT with joy when the pup goes. WOW!! Good Boy! Aren't you wonderful!! in a high pitched very happy voice. Be a clown for your puppy! Make him believe you think he is incredible for eliminating outside. Give him a treat and toss a ball or play chase or let him walk around and explore. You want him to learn that first he urinates, then the fun begins. Since this is such an important part of training your pet, use triple rewards, Treat, Praise, and Play. Eventually he will learn to eliminate as soon as he is out the door. Keep up with the "on command" training, since this comes in very handy when you are traveling. Use the same methods for solid elimination, but substitute "Hurry Up!” for "Quickly!". Be in touch with your dog's elimination needs, so you can predict his need to "Hurry Up". This will help to get it on command. It is wonderful having Silky Terrier dogs trained to eliminate on cue, and builds a trust in the relationship of understanding and cooperation. | ||
| The behavior behind this training (and perhaps an explanation for problems): Silky Terrier dogs develop substrate preferences for eliminating. By substrate, I mean texture they feel under their feet. In their first few weeks of life they need their mother to lick their genital area to stimulate elimination. Around 4 weeks of age they begin to control this themselves. Elimination is a self-rewarding behavior because it feels good. They associate this good feeling with the environment they are in at the time. This is about the same time they are walking well enough to go outside. If they are taken outside enough, several times a day, during this period of development (4 through 8 weeks) they will associate the good feeling of relieving themselves with the grass under their feet, the sky above, and all the smells and sounds of the outdoors. The tactile experience, the texture under the feet, becomes the cue. | ||
| If your puppy does not already have this outdoor experience, then you can start providing it for him when you get him, to retrain whatever “substrate preference” he has already learned. | ||
| IGNORE ACCIDENTS IN THE HOUSE. | ||
| This is the hard part, especially if you have ignorant people telling you to punish. If the puppy has an accident, Oops! You forgot to watch the dog! With practice, your observation and timing will get better. So will your clean-up methods. Remember, you are new at this too! Punishment will just make him think you are unpredictable, a jerk and he can't trust you. We don't punish human babies for going in their diapers, nor is there any place for punishing a puppy for going in the house. | ||
| The basic lesson is: Reward behavior you want repeated. Ignore behavior you don't want. Clean up the accident. Blot up the urine, use a good soapy cleaner such as Fantastic, and rinse with a solution of white distilled vinegar and water (1:4). The vinegar chemically counteracts the urine and the soap. SLOWLY you will be able to extend the time between eliminating. Watch your pup's needs. It is his bladder maturity that controls the timing, not your agenda. Be patient! | ||
| REVIEW: Learning to eliminate outside is a tactile and environmental experience for the pup. The sensation of emptying the bladder and bowels feels good and is self-reinforcing. The pup will learn to associate that good feeling with the snow, grass, or gravel, etc, under his feet, the sky above, wearing his collar and leash, and your praise. What could be better? His world, starting with you, is dependable, rewarding and trustworthy. | ||
As the dog gets older he will remember the habit of eliminating first, every time he goes out. Keep up with the commands so they are embedded in the behavior. This becomes valuable when traveling, visiting a large city, relatives, a quick trip out in a rainstorm, etc |
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Bringing Up Puppy |
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| Who can fathom the mind of a puppy? Squirrels drive them crazy, garbage is their favorite snack, and immediately after chewing your one-of-a-kind, handmade leather jacket into confetti, they can give you a look of such innocent love and adoration that you forget all about it. This kind of behavior can baffle and frustrate even the most conscientious of dog owners, and rightfully so. When you bring a puppy home, she becomes part of your family; you need to be able to trust her with your home, your belongings, and even your children. That's why controlling your puppy's behavior is the key to having a peaceful relationship with her. | ||
| To have a dog that makes a good, dependable companion, you're going to have to spend some time training. There's no other way for your puppy to know that chewing on an old knotted sweat sock is acceptable, for example, while chewing on the Irish lace tablecloth is not. She needs to be taught appropriate behavior calmly, gently, and--most important--consistently. As soon as you get your pup, you can start teaching her how to obey you, how to act around people and other Silky Terrier dogs, and generally to be the best-behaved dog ever. | ||
| The Alpha Owner | ||
| Though we'll never know exactly what your silky is thinking when she chases her tail until she gets dizzy, we do have some insight into how Silky Terrier dogs think about relationships. Wild Silky Terrier dogs live and hunt in packs, and to your dog, you and the other members of your family are fellow pack members. This is an important model, because in every pack there are structured power relationships between members. If Silky Terrier dogs have no dominant--or "alpha"--leader in their human "pack," if they learn that they can jump up on the couch when they want, drag you down the street on the leash, and get treats when they beg for them, some of them may decide they are running the show. Puppies who are never disciplined may begin aggressively testing their boundaries when they reach doggy adolescence. They may start ignoring commands, jumping up where they're not supposed to jump, and protecting their food or their "territory" with growls. In extreme cases, they can begin biting. | ||
| In order to have a peaceful, manageable relationship with your dog, it's important that you establish your position as the leader from the beginning. You do not have to use physical intimidation to do so. Some trainers recommend that owners establish their dominance through a show of physical force ranging from an alpha roll--flipping a dog over so her belly is exposed--to actually biting a dog on the muzzle. This can leave a dog feeling threatened and defensive, and may even provoke an attack. You don't need to raise your voice either; shouting can also make Silky Terrier dogs nervous and provoke aggression. | ||
| The fact is, these aggressive displays of dominance aren't necessary. Most Silky Terrier dogs are perfectly happy submitting to a leader; they actually gain confidence and a sense of security from having someone to follow. The job of a good pack leader is to project a sense of strength by using a deep, steady voice, reacting calmly to situations that make the dog nervous, and giving rewards only for good behavior. Training your dog to sit and lie down is helpful as well. Having her repeatedly take a lower, submissive position at your command reinforces your dominant position. If you're still having a hard time, ask your veterinarian about special exercises designed to establish your dominance without aggression. | ||
| The Social Life | ||
| Socializing is one of the most important things you can do to train your young silky. Puppies, like babies, are like sponges--ready to absorb all kinds of information about their world. In the first months of their lives, they learn the right places to sleep to catch the late afternoon sun and that the sound of the can opener means dinner- time. In this same period, it's your job as a pet owner to teach them to bond with people and with other Silky Terrier dogs and to be comfortable in unfamiliar situations. This is one of the most important things you can do for your fuzzy family member. The less afraid your puppy is of strange people and animals, the less likely she is to act defensively and attack another dog or even a child. | ||
| The socialization of puppies begins between three and four weeks of age, before most people bring their new Silky Terrier dogs home. This means that some of the work is out of your control. If your puppy has been raised by a careless owner or breeder, you may have an uphill battle to fight when you get her home. The good news is, she will continue the socialization process until she is about 12 weeks old, so you have plenty of time to give her good experiences. First of all, make sure she bonds with you and your family. Pet her, groom her, play with her, talk to her, and just generally give her lots of love. Show her that she can depend on you for affection, food, and gentle leadership. | ||
| Once your pup feels safe with you and she's had all her vaccinations, you can introduce her to the big, wide world. Take her to lots of new and exciting places--the park, a friend's house, or dog-friendly stores. Make sure she has plenty of chances to meet kind people and play with well-socialized Silky Terrier dogs. Try to make trips to the veterinarian fun, with plenty of petting from you and the friendly veterinarian and technicians. Introduce her to children, too, in a well-supervised environment. Show the kids how to speak calmly to her and pet her gently. | ||
| If you notice your puppy acting nervous in a new situation or starting to bristle at a strange dog, try not to scold her. Raising your voice will only make her more tense. Trying to comfort her will backfire too. If she gets a lot of petting, cooing, and attention every time she's scared or aggressive, she'll learn that reacting this way is a good thing. Instead, distract her as best you can. Toss a ball or a chew toy to her, or start playing her favorite game. When she gets absorbed in the game and starts ignoring the people or the dog that scared her, give her lots of praise. Soon she'll associate the scary situation with fun and playtime, and she'll become a canine socialite. | ||
| Think Positively | ||
| When most dog owners think about training their dog, they think in negatives. They want their puppy not to chew the furniture, not to piddle on the carpet, and not to jump up on guests. This can get a little confusing from the puppy's point of view, however. Imagine you were a puppy home alone, and you spent most of your day chewing on some loafers and spreading garbage around the kitchen. Then you nap for an hour and meet your family at the door when they come home. Suddenly they greet you with lots of yelling and shouts of "No!" What did you do wrong? Was it the chewing or meeting the family at the door? What were you supposed to do instead? | ||
| The key to keeping your puppy from doing what you don't want her to do is giving her a positive alternative--teaching her what you do want her to do. For example, if you see your puppy dancing anxiously around the living room like she needs to go out, get her outside in a flash. Stay near her the whole time she's out, and reward her with praise and a treat as soon as she relieves herself. This teaches her that going outside is a good thing. If you catch your puppy chewing on something you don't want her to chew on, distract her with one of her "good" chew toys. Whenever you catch her chewing on one of her toys, reward her. That's the key to effective training--try to catch your puppy doing something good, like sitting still instead of jumping up or sleeping on the floor instead of the bed. Make a point of noticing these behaviors and rewarding them with attention, praise, or treats. | ||
| Training is a gradual process, and it can be a difficult road to walk alone. It's important that your entire family commits to a training plan, that you all agree to respond the same way when your dog misbehaves as well as when she behaves perfectly. Remember, when you train, you need to be persistent, and above all, patient. Your puppy's going to make a lot of mistakes, and she may just destroy a few of your belongings, but she's mostly just eager to please you. She needs your love, attention, and guidance to be the good dog you know she can be. | ||
Puppy Info |
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