The big world beckons. Are you and Bozo ready? His immunity is building, his people socialization is excellent, and his dog-to-dog socialization is up to par now that he’s in puppy class. Your wee, wiggly, sweet-smelling puppy is growing up. Doghood is just over the bridge of adolescence. Just as with humans, adolescence is a time of heightened interest in his own kind, a time to focus on what it [...] Read more »
Puppies Bite;Train Them Never to Bite Humans
“Puppies bite and thank goodness they do.” When I first read that in Dr. Ian Dunbar’s book ”After You Get Your Puppy”, I immediately remembered all the occasions when I’ve seen puppies severely reprimanded for doing what comes naturally to them. My curiosity aroused, I read on – and I recommend you do too – the book, I mean. Go to www.dogstardaily.com where you will be able to download the free e-book. [...] Read more »
Puppy Socialization…Every ‘Thing’ Is New To A Puppy
I started writing this “things” post by making a list of things to expose Bozo to. It didn’t take me long to realize that the list is almost endless. Whatever you can dream up, is a ‘thing’ for Bozo. You just need to remember that absolutely everything is new to him. Then just stand in any room in your home and see, smell and hear the things in it as [...] Read more »
Why Bother With Training Your Puppy?
So far, we’ve talked about potty training, confinement, your homecoming at the end of the day, and feeding. Isn’t all that enough? Look at this cute little puppy. Surely he’ll grow up to be a well behaved dog if we’re nice to him, won’t he? Miracles happen, I agree. Unless you teach (train) your puppy to behave the way you want him to, it will take a miracle to have [...] Read more »
What to Do When Puppy’s Family Comes Home
Bozo has been home alone all day. The family returns either together or one at a time and Bozo goes bananas. He barks, jumps up, and launches himself at the gate of his confinement area. “Wait! Please wait.” As difficult as it is not to meet his energy with your own high-pitched greeting, especially if there are kids involved, PLEASE DON”T. Right now, today, on your very first homecoming, let’s [...] Read more »
Your New Puppy Has Arrived…The Early Days
Even as I write all that needs to happen in order to a) Be ready to bring the puppy home and b) To integrate him into your family, I feel the pressure of “so much to do, so little time.” I sincerely hope you’re reading this while you’re in the “maybe we’ll get a puppy” stage. Having a plan will make Bozo’s moving in much easier. It doesn’t matter where [...] Read more »
There’s A New Puppy Coming To Your House!
So, there’s a puppy coming to your house! Wow! That’s exciting. A bit scary too if you think about it. This brand new creature will be totally dependent on you for the next 10 – 12 years. It will learn what you teach it. If you don’t teach it anything, it will learn from that, too. So, you see,training your puppy to fit into your home and lifestyle makes sense. [...] Read more »