Dog Training Tips for Potty Training and Food Management

Dont you just love it when there is a free buffet? Guess what? Your little puppy loves it too...

One of the most common errors that our clients make when attempting to potty training their puppy is food management. They leave the puppy’s water and food bowls down and available to the puppy all day long.  With this said, they wonder why their puppy is going to the bathroom all over the place at different times.

Except for health reasons (consult your vet) or hydration reasons (it is really hot, your puppy is playing like a crazy dog), you don’t need to leave his water and food bowls down filled with food and water for him all day long. The one exception to that is in regards to the special needs of a young puppy and water.  We will get to that in a second.

Many times a puppy will drink or eat out of boredom.

"I have nothing to do. Look! There is a bowl of water! I think I will wonder over there and have some water..."

This leads to the puppy over eating and over drinking. They will go to the bathroom more frequently with less predictability.

So here is what you do:

Put the food and water down at meal time and then pick it up when the meal is done. I normally like to leave the bowls down for about 30 minutes. This will allow you to clearly manage the amount of intake and the time of intake. 

Now, let’s discuss the water and special hydration needs of a young puppy.  What I want you to do is to pour the water out of the water bowl and then to refill it with about ¾ inch of water (this is about the thickness of one of your fingers).  Put the water down for him and manage it.  Check the water every 90 minutes.  If he has consumed all the water, wait for 30 minutes and then give him another ¾ inch of water.

What we are accomplishing here is to manage when our puppy eats and drinks.  If we know when he eats and drinks, we can have a far better idea when he will need to go to the bathroom.

Please note: This is only part of the Potty Training process, contact Bruce and Robin Edwards for complete Puppy Potty Training Information at The Best DogTrainers in South Florida.

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Tracking Log 20141019 Asher

Time Laid: 9:15 AM Time Worked: 9:45 AM
Distance: 20 yards
Weather: 54°F FEELS LIKE 54° Sunny
  Wind: NW at 7 mph
  Humidity: 59%
  UV Index: 3 - Moderate
  Pressure: 30.13 in
  Dew Point: 40°
  Visibility: 10.0 mi

Article track laid just north of the dog run blockage fence.  Wind was somewhat diminished in this location.  Articles at 10, 15, and 20 yards. All articles were large leather wallets, similar to what we have been using in the house.

Asher was double-collared with prong and fur saver, one six-foot leather leash.

Track was heavily baited throughout.

Asher started nicely, although a little fast.  I had to stop him for each article, and the down was difficult on the first one especially.  Let him down for an extended period on each article, stroking and talking to him.  Feeding him in the down position.

No scoring for this exercise as it was his first article indication training exercise outside of the house.

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Puppy Training 3 Management Routines as a Training Tool

Dogs thrive on routine. Sometimes unwanted behaviors can be prevented by adopting regular routines that dogs become accustomed to. While training specific behaviors is important in molding a young dog into a great companion, management also plays a major role.

Roscoe, a 17-week old chocolate Labrador Retriever, arrives at TLC Dog Training Puppy Boot Camp for an intensive two-week training adventure. Roscoe is a sweet puppy, but he is very rowdy, and he must touch everyone that he meets with his BIG paws. Roscoe lives with a family with two boys, ages 7 and 10. The adults in Roscoes family have had Labradors before, and they are committed to teaching Roscoe how to be great family companion, but sometimes lack the time and the expertise to deal with rowdy Roscoes less than stellar behavior.

At TLC Dog Training, Roscoe lives in a crate in the house. When he comes into the main living area, he is on leash and closely supervised so that he doesnt have an opportunity to have a potty accident. He also has a large 10 x 10 outdoor pen, complete with a cot for sunning. Mornings begin around 7:00 a.m., when Roscoe and as many as two other dogs also in for training are turned outside for their morning bathroom break.

While the dogs are outside, trainer Leslie Carpenter prepares the dogs training treats for the morning training sessions. Leslie returns the dogs to their crates after 20 minutes, and she then takes each dog from his or her crate and works each dog. Puppies like Roscoe train for about 10 - 15 minutes, while dogs older than 6 months may train for 20-30 minutes.

Morning training sessions include walks along a country lane with many distractions such as horses, other dogs, slow moving cars, and scents of wildlife. Roscoe will learn to sit quietly before he may leave his crate or pen, to sit quietly for greeting, and to sit quietly before proceeding through a gate. At first he doesnt know enough to wait in a doorway while Leslie walks through first, but over the two-week training period, he will gradually learn that "SIT" means sit and stay until he is told to do something else like "LETS GO" through the gate, and "DOWN" means down and stay until he is released or asked to do something else. Roscoe will also learn to come when called and to walk on a loose leash.

After the training sessions, Roscoe and the other dogs return to their crates to cogitate on what they have learned while Leslie prepares their breakfast. Fifteen to twenty minutes after the dogs return to their crates following training, Leslie feeds them in their crates and gives them about 20 minutes to eat. Then she picks up their bowls and takes them to their outside runs to enjoy the remainder of the morning.

Young puppies like Roscoe need to be fed three times per day, so about 12:00 p.m., Leslie returns the puppies to their crates and feeds them their noon meal. Older dogs receive a biscuit and remain outdoors to enjoy the Carolina sun. About twenty minutes after eating, the puppies return to their outdoor runs.

Around 4:00 p.m. Leslie prepares the afternoon training treats. Roscoe and the other dogs return to their crates and are then worked one-by-one in their afternoon training sessions. As each dog completes his afternoong training session, he returns to his crate to reflect on his training session. About 20-30 minutes after training, Leslie feeds each dog his evening ration.

The dogs then go outside for an individual romp in the paddock, followed by lounging time on the cot in their individual pens. Since Roscoes owners have indicated that they would like for him to have interactive playtime with other dogs, he and a compatible canine companion are given about 30 minutes for interactive playtime in the paddock.

Roscoe and his friend come into the house around 9:00 p.m. for final biscuits and bedtime.

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Dog Training Tips from Plantation about Extension Dog Leashes

Pardon me if I just get on my high horse for a moment and talk about one of my biggest dog training pet peeves…  People who use extension leashes with their dogs!

First of all, I have to state that we all just love things with buttons, widgets, and gizmos.  We always think that the more buttons, the better it is.  Let’s check out an extension leash.  Wow!  It has a handle and several buttons.  Look at all these things you can do with it!  You just have to get it because you need to be pushing those buttons!

No you dont. Bad, bad dog owner!

I always teach my clients that the most important thing that we must do when we have our dogs out with us is to let them know we are keeping them safe and protected.  We might be walking in our neighborhood, at the park, or at the mall.  In order to do this, we must have their focus so that we can let them know how they need to act.  If we are walking and change direction, they must understand that they need to change direction too.  If we slow down and stop, they must do the same thing.  This allows them to follow our lead and stay safe.

To be able to do this, our dog must always have an eye on us and we must have an eye on him. The only way this can happen is if he is by our side. If he starts to deviate from our side, we must be able to guide him back.  When this takes place, we are providing the proper consistency and repetition of our actions to communicate to our dog "dont worry, you are with me."

Now let’s talk about the horrible extension leash. The only thing this leash does is to give your dog the ability to do whatever he wants.  He can be twenty feet in front of you, behind you sniffing the bushes, or even in the street.  The one thing he is not is by your side, focused on your actions.  When this occurs in the canine world, and you allow it to occur, you are placing the "Boss Hat" on your dog. He gets to do whatever he wants because you are letting him.

With the extension leash, when another dog or person starts to approach you, your dog will bark and jump at them.  He is simply taking the leadership/protective role in the situation. You might get mad and yell at your dog, but you are still allowing him to lead.  He is the leader.

The good old fashioned six foot leash allows you can keep your dog right next to you and naturally provides the leadership your dog requires. You will have a great "walkies" and a dog that will be well behaved on and off the leash.

I could go on and on about this subject, but I will stop now.  If you would like to hear more why I hate the extension dog leash or have any other dog training questions, please call us at (954) 424-0170 or go to The Best Dog Trainers in Plantation and South Florida.

Labels: dog training leash walking extension

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