By My Side Germans Shepherds & Dobermans

For this mornings breakfast, we worked on leash acclimation, and finished it off with the rest of their food on a trash can lid. 2 of many things that your puppy needs to be okay with, it is loud noises and being on a leash. At first they are unsure because they simply don’t understand what it is and if it is or isn’t a bad thing. You can see I give them food when I’m putting on the leash, and then encouraging them to follow me. When they do, I move my wrist just a little so they feel a slight tug and when I stop tugging and they get to me, I feed. I then give them more food and then take off the leash/collar. This will teach your puppy to tolerate having gear put on along with being calm awhile you do it. This also teaches them easily not to pull on the leash and redirects them from biting or trying to play with the leash. The metal trash can lid is very loud and clunky, so the puppies building a positive association with loud noise they are controlling and feeling will help them build confidence to hear and walk on different types of surfaces!

This week, we are to the point where the puppies are out at similar times when my adult dogs are. They all do occasionally go up to the fence to try and greet the adult dogs and have now learned how to play by themselves and coexist in the same space. My goal for any of my puppies while here, is teaching them neutrality. They can of course play when it’s warranted as long as they are capable of coexisting, being neutral, and able to be focused on me when I try to interact with them. My adults are also very neutral and good at this as well so that’s a big factor! If you have a friend or family member that wants to have social get togethers, it’s important their dogs are able to reciprocate this same neutral behavior.

The puppies had their final vet check today and 2nd shot. They all did so great. We had toys ready and scatter fed to help them build a positive association. They all did great eating treats while their shots were given and all tuckered out for a nap shortly after while we waited for paper work. They also did well in the car ride. This was their second long car ride and they were pretty quiet until they had to potty so we stopped at a friends house with a safe yard to let them potty in. They are such great puppies! They will still need the bordatella preventative when you take them to the vet and any additional electoral shots you may want. Their rabies shot will be due around 4-6 months of age which I’m sure your vets will review. They did get their final round of dewormer as well today. If you take your puppies out to unsafe areas where unknown dogs are, it may be best to deworm them again in 2-3 weeks and do a stool test to ensure they are clear. We did test a stool sample here and confirmed they are clear!

We’ve been working hard to teach each of their names individually! Now we are to the point, we can practice with them altogether. As you can see, they are each responding. We did this by saying their name excitedly whenever they looked at us and rewarding with pets, praise, and/or food. We also created movement by getting the puppy to look and follow us when saying their name. Continuing this will help set a strong foundation for your puppies recall! Right now, they only know their names with me so you may have to start from the beginning as new voices and tone will set a new challenge for them. Make sure you structure it to have success before they are listening 100% of the time.

Hi everyone! These are sheets I will be sending home with you and thought it would be useful to have before you bring your puppy home. They are guides to introducing your puppy, potty training, and puppy biting management. These are all suggestions and general guidance for raising a puppy. Please keep in mind, you are able to reach out to me at any time if you need any guidance! I am a dog trainer and CGC evaluator too if you have any questions regarding training. ❤️

We have been working intermittently to teach “crate” as a cue. This is done simply by saying “crate”, luring the puppy in, marking the behavior and rewarding. As you can see, these little ones are smart! They may not know this 100% but the process is at least started and they have a good positive association with the crate. The crate should be utilized when your puppy should be sleeping, resting, and whenever they cannot be supervised. Before putting the puppy in the crate, they should be relieved, and mentally/physically enriched. They are good at whining when they have to go potty but keep in mind, they may be vocal the first week, have to potty in the middle of the night, and will definitely be vocal if they have a need that is not met. If you know they are fulfilled and have pottied fully, letting them cry it out should work.

Today’s spotlight puppy is sweet Bella! She is such a social girl. She wants to play with my other dogs and greet anyone that comes by. Whenever she leaves her crate, greeting me also has to be the first thing she does. She is doing awesome with potty training. When she has to go out overnight, she will whine to go, run out the door, potty, and then runs back to the door to come back to me without even being convinced. It is the sweetest thing ever!