That’s right, I’ve officially welcomed home my very own little SexyPuppy, otherwise known as Angus MacGyver. He flew in from Illinois yesterday.
Angus is an eight week and two day old black Labrador Retriever extraordinaire. He weighs 14.9 pounds (or he did on Wednesday anyway) and he has the most beautiful furry face I ever saw in my life.
So far, his interests include taking long walks, going to the park, chewing on his squeaky bunny, and peeing on stuff. He is the greatest dog ever. He can do no wrong. In fact, his crap doesn’t even stink.
He already knows how to properly retrieve like a big hunting dog. And he can sit on command. Well, sort of anyway. I’m going to teach him to do EVERYTHING…sit, stay, heel, pick up his toys and put them in a box, wear sun glasses…oh yeah, and that stupid trick where you put a bone on the dog’s nose and make him hold it there.
I took him to the pet store and he picked out some toys. Then he and I picked out a new vacuum cleaner.
I absolutely can NOT believe I’m so ga ga over this dog. You’d think I had a baby or something. In fact, I’ve even lost sleep over the puppy because he can’t go all night without going to the bathroom.
Hmm…wonder if I can get some kind of “family leave” from work?
Boy am I clueless though. I read all these books about how to make him into a good dog, but none of the stuff is working. So I keep trying it anyway. Maybe one day it will work.
Yesterday, he started yelping at 4:30 in the morning. I’m trying to crate train him, but I left him in his crate too long while I tried to sleep, so he pooed in it. I was determined not to let him out of his crate when he barked, but it was 4:30 in the morning and I thought that might be a little early for the neighbors to get up and start getting ready for work.
So I took my poo-covered puppy and put him on a leash and went outside to stand in the rain in the dark. He doesn’t get the whole “collar and leash” thing, so he thinks it’s a tug 'o war game. Even though I SWORE I would NEVER play tug of war with my puppy because it could make him aggressive, I now found myself standing in the rain at 4:35 am with this poo-covered blob going whacko, zinging back and forth on the end of the leash, all tangled up in it and yanking with all his might.
Of course, he was having a great time. And as soon as I took him back in the house, he started “circling.” So I took him BACK outside in the rain and repeated this scenario at 4:50 am. Then again at 5:21. Oh, and he can’t manage the steps to my second floor apartment yet, so everytime we go in and out, I have to carry him–wet, muddy, poo-covered–whatever.
I will have to teach him to walk on the leash like a good dog. I’m going to take him to doggy school, so I’m sure he will be fine as soon as I learn how to train him properly. Plus, he slept most of the night last night and didn’t bark at all. Thank god I got some sleep so I can be energized for more of the same today.
Well, first, remember he’s a puppy. Second, don’t ever let him get away with chewing on the leash. Paper train him, and he’ll eventually get the ‘house broken’ bit. You’ll just have to lose sleep if you want him house broken and crate trained. It’d probably be easier to get him house broken first, but since I’ve bothered with crate training, I could be wrong.
But most of all, whatever you do, be consistant. That, more than anything else, can make or break a dog. I’ve seen way too many good dogs ruined by inconsistant training.
Last, remember that he’s a puppy. Be patient. And have fun!
Don’t let Angus (Annnnn-gooooos!) pull on the lead. When he starts, make him stop. Physically restrain him if you have to. Leads are not for pulling. It’ll take a while, but it’s worth it. Especially with a big dog. (A sharp “No!” will usually work, too.)
Leave your shoes by his crate at night. The stinkier the better. Not that a delicate flower such as yourself would ever have stinky shoes. The idea is to get you scent down with him. He won’t feel so lonely.
You can’t take him out too much. When ever he “changes states”, take him out. From sleeping to awake, take him out (even in the middle of the night. Keep a raincoat and flashlight by the door. Umbrellas are just asking for trouble.) Hungry to full, take him out. Playing to resting, take him out. Take him out when he starts to get sleepy, too.
The next couple of weeks (maybe months, but I don’t want to discourage you) will be long. But you’ll get into a rhythm soon, and then it’s a piece of cake. (I should have said “walk in the park” to continue the theme.)
Don’t let him get away with anything as a puppy that you won’t want him doing as a full grown dog. It may be cute now, but he’ll keep doing it when he’s big, and it’s easier to correct a puppy. (This is way-vague, but that’s so it can cover anything. Chewing shoes, jumping up, sleeping in your bed, whatever.)
Like a baby, which he is, get him on a schedule as soon as you can. Eat, sleep, go out. And then you’re Jake.
-Rue.
I took my sweetie out for a walk when I came home for lunch (I’m leaving him alone about three hours at a time, so I can work). I did what you said, and sort of laid down the law regarding the leash tug o’ war. Basically, I just STOPPED when he tugged on the leash and told him “no” firmly. It only took a couple of minutes for him to figure out that it wasn’t okay. Then he spent the rest of the time outside acting like a good dog.
I still called a trainer to see if I could get some in-home lessons. But I’m sure I can handle this! And I wouldn’t have let him be in charge yesterday morning either, but did I mention it was 4:30 in the morning? Ack! There should be a free “pass” for us new puppy owners who have a hard time being consistent prior to dawn.
Certainly, I know that any problems that arise are MY fault and not the puppies. I just have to learn how to train him properly. He’s only been here three days now. He and I will figure it out!
Ahhh! We also have a big, black Angus, a Newfoundland. What a lucky person you are to have a good dog!
When we brought our Angus home, we took him outside to the potty area every 2-3 hours, day and night. Yeah, it was a pain at first, but I didn’t want him to pee indoors, as it wasn’t going to be acceptable in the future. He caught on very quickly, but remember that the bladder is still really small, and he’ll have to pee a lot.
Training is a must for a happy dog, as well as happy parents. Find a good class through your local parks & rec, or pay for professional training. Trust me, as the mother of a 170 lb dog, it is always worth it. The dog wants to please you and be happy, and he can’t do that if he’s not properly trained. It’s about communication- if he doesn’t know what you want, it causes him lots of distress, which can lead to behavior you don’t want, like chewing, revenge-accidents, depression, barking, crying, etc. Make sure that you and your sweetie are on the same page with commands and expectations, too. If you say “heel” and your sweetie says “walk” or “come”, you may get two different responses or none at all because the dog is confused. Always use the same commands for the desired action.
Enjoy! Puppyhood is great, and it sounds like he already has lots of love!
I just called a local dog training club and got some good advice and a phone number where I can sign up for puppy kindergarten. The woman on the phone actually reassured me…told me that I was doing just fine, and that a dog this young (8 weeks) is simply going to have a hard time with a leash at first. So that made me feel better.
He should be about 80 pounds or so when he’s full grown, so I KNOW now is the time to start working on it. I’m determined to have a companion like my father’s (the puppy’s mother): Obedient, eager to please, happy, and just generally a joy to be around. I think Angus is up for it. He already knows his ball from his squeaky bunny. That can’t be a bad sign!