Puppy Training

I AM YOUR PUPPY

I am your puppy and I will love you until the end of the Earth, but please know a few things about me.

I am a puppy.  This means that my intelligence and capacity for learning is the same as an 8-month-old child. 

I am a puppy.  I will chew EVERYTHING I can get my teeth on.  This is how I explore and learn about the world; even HUMAN children put things in their mouths.  It's up to you to guide me to what is mine to chew and what is not.

I am a puppy.  I cannot hold my bladder for longer than one to two hours.  I cannot "feel" that I need to poop until it is actually beginning to come out.  I cannot vocalize nor tell you that I need to go, and I cannot have "bladder and bowel control" until six to nine months.  Do not punish me if you have not let me out for three hours and I tinkle.  It is your fault.  As a puppy, it is wise to remember that I NEED to go potty after:

Eating
Sleeping
Playing
Drinking

...and around every two to three hours in addition.  If you want me to sleep through the night, then do not give me water after 7 or 8 p.m.  A crate will help me learn to housebreak easier, and will avoid you being mad at me.  I am a puppy.  Accidents WILL happen.  Please be patient with me!  In time I will learn.

I am a puppy.  I like to play.  I will run around and chase imaginary monsters, chase your feet and toes to 'attack' you, chase fuzz balls, other pets, and small kids.  It is play; it's what I do.  Do not be mad at me or expect me to be sedate, mellow, and sleep all day.  If my high energy level is too much for you, maybe you should consider an older rescue from a shelter or rescue group.  My play is beneficial.  Use your wisdom to guide me in my play with appropriate toys and activities like chasing a rolling ball, or gentle tug games, or plenty of chew toys for me.  If I nip you too hard, talk to me in "dog talk" by giving a loud YELP.  I will usually get the message as this is how dogs communicate with one another.  If I get too rough, simply ignore me for a few moments or put me in my crate with an appropriate chew toy.

I am a puppy.  Hopefully you would not yell, hit, strike, kick, or beat a 6-month-old human infant, so please do not do the same to me.  I am delicate and also very impressionable.  If you treat me harshly now, I will grow up learning to fear being hit, spanked, kicked, or beat.  For instance, if I am chewing something wrong, say, "No chew!" and hand me a toy I CAN chew.  Better yet, pick up ANYTHING that you do not want me to get into.  I can't tell the difference between your old sock and your new sock, or an old sneaker and your $200 Nikes.

I am a puppy and I am a creature with feelings and drives much like your own, but yet also very different.  Although I am NOT a human in a dog suit, neither am I an unfeeling robot who can instantly obey your every whim.  I truly DO want to please you and be a part of your family and your life.  You got me (I hope) because you want a loving partner and companion, so do not relegate me to the backyard when I get bigger.  Do not judge me harshly, but instead mold me with gentleness, guidelines, and training into the kind of family member you want me to be.

I am a puppy and I am not perfect.  I know you are not perfect either.  I love you anyway.  So please, learn all you can about training, puppy behaviors, and caring for me from your veterinarian, books on dog care, and even researching on the computer.  Learn about my particular breed and its "characteristics."  It will give you understanding and insight into WHY I do all the things I do.  Please teach me with love and patience the right way to behave and socialize me with training in a puppy class or obedience class.  We will BOTH have a lot of fun together.

I am a puppy and I want more than anything to love you, to be with you, and to please you.  Won't you please take time to understand how I work?  We are the same, you and I, in that we both feel hunger, pain, thirst, discomfort, fear, but yet we are also very different and must work to understand one another's language, body signals, wants, and needs.  Some day I will be a handsome dog, hopefully one you can be proud of and one that you will love as much as I love you.

Love,

Your Puppy

P.S.  I also get very lonely if ignored for too many hours.  Please when you come home from work, school, or visiting, give me 15-20 minutes of quality play time so I get over my feelings of abandonment and loneliness. 

Posted with permission - Copyright 2000, by J. Ellis - Southern Shadows Rottweilers.
P.S. added by Regenbogen Kennels.