Becca wrote Stephen, but I answered the email. She is getting a puppy, lucky stiff. I want a puppy. I have had to teach Stephen and Kathy a lot, but here is what you have to teach the human to teach the puppy. I will pretend Stephen is writing, don't tell Becca .. ....
1) Crate training is critical. The first night Yogi was in his crate, (the first night he was home with us thanks to this nice lady that drove us), he howled and screamed, ONLY wolf howl he has ever made. Now, when he is done with us, he checks into his crate. Funniest little routine in Washington is he wants to go to bed about 10 PM, we go to bed about 11:30, I have to tell him no, you have to go potty first and that is after the movie. Can’t stress this enough, crate is #1. Your dog will come to love the crate as their space. After an intense training session, after their first time at the dog park, let the animal go to the crate to process.
2) The leash. FORGET all the nonsense. Slip knot and nose noose is the bomb. Puppy will fight it a bit at first, then “OH all right” but it makes all the difference. With the lead done correctly HEEL or WALK CLOSE, (I prefer the latter)
3) Calm, Control, Consistent master this, life will be good.
4) There are only three commands that *really* matter: LOOK, COME and STAY. The dog should always look up at your face, near or far. Dogs will happily stare at their mistress, both of you need to be comfortable with that communication. Start these commands early, keep them going. NEVER ever punish you dog, no matter what evil he/she did, if he COMEs, if you lose that, you lose one of your safety commands.
5) SIT will probably be the easiest command, it is Yogi’s strongest. Use it to your advantage. EVERY time you go through a door, dog SITs when you open the door, stays till you are through it, moves only with COME or GO*.
6) EVERYTHING to a dog is a resource, food, water, sniffing while walking. You command all the resources, you are the source of all resources, you give permission to use a resource. The easiest is food. They will learn to SIT, LOOK, and not hoover their food until you give the OK. The hardest is sniffing while walking and that brings you back to your choice of leash, nose noose keeps the head high.
7) Distance and Distraction. COME, STAY, SIT should work even if you are 50 feet away, should also work if the phone rings, trashcan goes bang etc.
8) I use GO for the times I command the dog to go first. Example, down stairs, or into the house first. Many trainers will disagree, but I figure why own a spirited breed if you can’t send them in first. Obviously if you don’t have a COME or STAY you must not use GO.
9) Puppy classes. The primary benefits are: a few commands and some socialization, (and it's fun). The local PetSmart or whatever by Marshals is good enough for that. BEWARE of individual trainers. I could not find a Caesar Milan certified person in our area, I tried. Interesting that if you do a Google search, individual trainers come up that are not certified. But the best, by far, the must fun ever, is the Sumner Parks and Recs with Jim Grasley if he is still doing it. He has a zen that is a wonder to behold.
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