Your puppy is starting to adjust to his new home. You're starting to bond. He's hopefully picking up the basics of potty-training and starting to enjoy his crate-time.
Today, we'll add a new lesson. This is a fun, easy one, but so important when it comes to training down the road. We are going to teach your puppy to focus his eyes on your face, regardless of treats, distractions, etc. (Photo Courtesy - Marilyn Peddle)
Step 1 - Teach The Focus Behavior - To start out training the focus, choose a moment when your puppy is engaging with you and you have something he wants. For example, you are holding his food dish, or you are holding up a toy that he wants to play with. Move the toy/food/treat mid-way up your chest (i.e. nearer your face), point your pointer finger at your face and freeze. This pointer finger will become a physical cue later. The moment your pup looks away from the item and looks at your eyes, say "yes!" and give him the item. You can also use a clicker here. You need a sound that signals the pup. "Yes!" or a click works equally well. Click the moment your pup makes eye contact. You can start this from a sitting position, either in a chair or on the floor. Make sure your puppy can't get the reward until you release it. If your pup is large and jumps up, turn slowly to the side so his paws slide back onto the floor. Do not knee or kick him. He is focused on getting the reward and he'll soon figure out that jumping doesn't work. If your puppy is having an especially hard time figuring out that you want him to look at your eyes, you can move your hand up closer to your face and then reward when he makes eye contact. I prefer keeping my hand away from my face as this makes it clearer to the puppy that you want him to look at your eyes, not the treat. But to start out, if you need to, you can use the treat as a lure. Continue then with the steps below.
Step 2 - Add Cue and Time - Once your pup is looking at you and focusing on your face and eyes quickly, add in a verbal cue along with your pointer finger cue. "Watch me" or "Focus" are great. Your pup will be naturally watching your face more even without the cue, but it can be handy to ask for the behavior at certain times (like when he spots a dog across the street and gets distracted). Say the cue when your dog makes eye-contact. If you are able, try to anticipate when your dog will look at you and say it a millisecond before.
Begin to ask for eye contact a few seconds longer and reward. If the pup breaks eye-contact before you say "yes", you've gone too long. Shorten the time you expect each time. Start out with a few milliseconds more and gradually add time. If at any point, the pup starts failing too often (more then every great once in awhile) take a step back and make sure his response is more solid before moving on. Step 3 - Increase Difficulty (Distractions) - Now, instead of moving the toy/food/treat halfway up your chest, leave the treat in a treat pouch and use your empty hand (with pointer finger) as a cue. Continue to use your verbal cue as well. Add distractions in gradually. Perhaps work on "focus" outside. Remember that when dogs move to a new area, they often have to go back in training a couple steps. Don't worry, your pup hasn't relapsed. He's just learning that the "focus" behavior also applies outside. Continue to add new distractions as your pup continues successfully "focusing" on you for longer and longer periods of time. At this young age, continue to reward every time. You will space out treats later on, but not yet.
Advanced - Move your treat/toy/desirable object down to his eye level, or even place it on the floor (if he will wait to go for it). This usually will not take place until the puppy is older and knows "leave it" and "wait." Do not release the puppy to get the object/treat until he makes and holds eye contact. DO NOT move onto this step too quickly as it can set you back if the pup gets the object/treat before he is released. To keep your puppy from grabbing the treat, you can move your foot overtop of it and wait for him to give you eye contact. Then you click or say "yes" and reward.
Puppies learn this habit very quickly and as you continue to positively reinforce, it will become a default behavior for your puppy. Instead of focusing in on your treats, he'll focus in on you.
Week 2 - Homework
Continue with potty-training and crate training. If a relapse occurs, don't despair, take a few steps back and start again. Puppies go through a lot of change in these first few weeks and some days will go better than others. Minor things can contribute to set-backs, but every time you start over, they become a little more solid.
Begin with teaching "focus." Keep it fun and lighthearted. Remember a nine-week old puppy is still very much a baby.
While we're focusing on eyes this week, here is a very brief dog behavior article about "whale eyes." Canine Body Language: Whale Eyes
Learning to potty on command is a crucial life skill for a service dog. Most times while out, I don't have the opportunity to take my pup for a long walk until he finds the perfect spot to do his business. He needs to potty quickly and in the place I choose. (Photo Credit - Jarble)
Many of my pet-owner friends are shocked that my two dogs go on command. They usually say something like "You mean you can actually train dogs to do that? ... I could never get my dog to do that." I usually smile and nod rather than going into detail about how to train for this. But, since it's a very important skill for a service dog to master, I'll share it here.
First, this is not an article on potty-training. There are far better resources out there that can direct you. Here is an excellent PDF from UCDavis - Housetraining Your Puppy. The chart on how often a pup needs to go out at different ages is especially helpful. When my pup was eight weeks old, I was pretty sure I spent most of my day taking him out to potty.
Secondly, it's easiest if you start out right from the beginning. I never take my dog for walks or allow them to play outside when I'm potty-training. If they get used to playing for awhile first or for going for long walks first, it can be difficult to train them to go immediately on command. TRAINING TO POTTY ON COMMAND
Step 1 - Put the leash on, go right outside and stand in one place. Even if you have a fenced in yard, it's important to not let him go off exploring right now. Don't engage the puppy until he has gone. Then praise him profusely and offer a treat reward.
Step 2 - After the puppy potties, feel free to play with him outside and let him off leash (in a fenced yard). Basically you're all business until he goes and lots of fun afterwards. This teaches him to potty as quickly as possible so he can get to the fun part.
Step 3 - Add in a command like "go potty" (or what I personally use is "hurry up" since that's less embarrassing to say while out in public). Say the command at the moment your pup squats and then praise him enthusiastically and treat. (If the praise distracts him mid-stream, then dial it back a little. Each puppy needs a personalized level of praise. It shouldn't take you long to figure out a happy medium.) It takes awhile of doing this consistently but the pup will eventually start associating the word with the action. Then you'll be able to simply say the word and watch your puppy do his business in thirty seconds. Praise and rewards should continue for the rest of the pup's life.
BUT WHAT DO I DO WHEN WE'RE OUT AND HE STARTS TO GO?
Don't panic. He's still a puppy. He's still learning.
The best approach is to try to make sure he's empty before you go on walks or out to avoid this happening in the first place. Keep outings very short at first.
Learn your puppy's signals so you can get to a potty spot before he squats. My puppy starts sniffing around more and gets very distracted.
If you don't catch him in time and he goes to urinate, say "let's go" in a excited voice and run to the potty-spot. This interrupts the process and gives you a few moments grace to find a proper place for him to go and give the command.
If it's too late and he's gone, just ignore it. No praise. No reprimand. You don't want him to associate a negative response with his going potty inside or out as this can lead to other issues later.
Don't expect to force your puppy to "hold it." A puppy is not physically or mentally capable of holding it. If you see the signals (sniffing distractedly, running around in circles, etc.), find a place right away and give the command. You're not trying to control your puppy's need to go right now, but rather teaching him the steps and words he needs to do his business. Later on down the road, he will learn to hold it for longer and longer periods.
Always, always, always clean up after your dog. Service Dog handlers especially need to set a great example so other teams don't suffer.
ADVANCED - PLAN FOR ALL KINDS OF SCENARIOS There isn't always a grassy patch available. After your puppy is house-trained and responds reliable to the "go potty" command, it is time to expose him to going on other types of surfaces. Sidewalks, asphalt, gravel, woods, etc.. Take him to one of those surfaces when you know he has to go and start from the beginning again. Give him the command and stand still and business-like until he goes. Then praise profusely and give him a treat reward. If he absolutely refuses to go, take him back inside, crate him for a little while so he doesn't have an accident, and then try again.
Some dogs would rather hold it forever than go on odd surfaces. If this is your puppy and he absolutely refuses to go, it's not the end of the world. This can actually be a good thing since he will be very unlikely to have accidents while you're out. You will need to make extra sure though that your dog has adequate potty breaks in appropriate spots so he won't be uncomfortable. WEEK 1 - HOMEWORK - Continue building positive associations with the crate. - Begin incorporating the above listed steps to start teaching your puppy to go on command. - Read and reread this article! More learning the language of dog Calming Signals - The Art of Survival
You've picked out your puppy or found a perfect dog at the shelter or rescue who seems to have a lot of potential. You've signed the papers, exchanged money and loaded your bundle of fur into your car. At home waits a crate, dishes, leashes, collars, toys and an huge stack of hopes and dreams.
Let's start towards making those dreams of an owner-trained service dog a reality.
FIRST THINGS FIRST - IT'S OKAY TO SLEEP WITH YOUR PUPPY If at all possible, it's best avoid having to lock a puppy in the crate before he is ready. This may mean sleeping with the puppy (either in bed with you, or setting up a place for you to sleep on the floor with the pup for a night or two). There are trainers who frown on letting your puppy sleep with you, but this is where you need to do what's best for you and your puppy. Having a traumatic, lonely first night is probably not best. For me, it worked fine for my puppy to sleep in his crate with me near by, my hand petting him to sleep. Any time he woke up the first night, I was right there. He easily transitioned to nights on his own then.
Introduce Your Puppy to His Crate
STEP 1 - Optimally you bring your puppy home in the morning and have all day at home with him where you can gradually introduce him to the crate. Puppies will need to sleep often, but when he's awake, play with some toys and toss one of them into the crate. Encourage him to go in after it. (It's great to have an exercise pen set up and attached to the edges of the crate. That way you can still keep puppy out of harms way and begin house training without forcing him into a crate that he's not ready for yet.)
DO NOT CLOSE THE GATE OR FORCE YOUR PUPPY TO REMAIN IN THE CRATE.
If toys aren't your puppy's thing, try treats. Toss something especially yummy into the crate (just inside the door) and encourage your puppy to reach for it. Continue playing outside of the crate and periodically toss treats further and further into the crate until your puppy has all four feet inside.
STEP 2 - After another break (and probably another nap - 8 week old pupsters tire quickly), work up to all four feet in the crate again. You may have to start at the beginning all over, but never fear, this time it will go faster. Then once your pupster is in the crate, keep tossing treats inside to encourage him to stay in the crate for a couple seconds. Again, do not force him to remain in the crate. STEP 3 - Continue to build up the length of time he is comfortable in the crate with the door open. You can do this by feeding him his meals in the crate or by stuffing a Kong toy and letting him work on it in there. If he picks the Kong up and walks out of the crate, gently take the Kong from him and toss it back in. Soon enough he'll realize that if he wants his Kong, he has to keep it in the crate. Eventually you should be able to close the door for a second and immediately open it and invite the puppy out.
If at any point your pup starts showing signs of stress, take a few steps back and start over. Continue working on this crate introduction until your puppy stays quietly in the crate for a minute or two. Intersperse more breaks and lengthen the time you have the puppy in the crate until he can sit or lay quietly for a couple minutes on his own. From here you just continue to lengthen his time in the crate.
You may start walking away for a minute or too as well. At this point, if at any time he begins to whine, do not immediately return or release him from the crate. Hopefully if the introduction went well and you have done things gradually, he will stay calm, but if he whines, don't despair. Wait until he is quiet. As soon as he is quiet, tell him he's a good boy and let him out. In the beginning I also found it useful to toss a treat in the closed crate every time my pup was quiet. He figured out pretty quickly that rewards came when he lay down quietly and waited. Slowly space the rewards out longer and longer as your puppy's stamina grows. Remember you have at least two rewards at your disposal, treats and releasing from the crate.
Choose a verbal cue to use too. "Kennel up" seems to be popular, but feel free to choose whatever word(s) works best for you! REMINDER - Never punish your puppy with the crate. Never bang on it or yell at him. You are trying to create a safe, comfortable haven for the puppy. This is his safe spot.
WHAT IF HE ACTUALLY HAS TO GO POTTY? - Puppies sometimes whimper or whine when they have to go potty. The best approach is to take your puppy out prior to any crate work. However, if your puppy is in the crate and starts whining and you think he might have to go out, you can try this approach. Use a specific set of words, like, "Do you need to go potty?" and then take him out immediately and let him go potty and bring him back to the crate when he's done. Don't play with him. Just bring him right back and put him inside. Then, wait for him to be quiet for a moment or two and release him from the crate.
STEP 4 - ADVANCED - Once your puppy readily enters his crate and calmly remains there for as long as needed, train your puppy to wait for a release command before exiting his crate. Start to open the crate door. If he starts to step out, gently shut the door again. Do this a few times, and he will begin to hesitate and/or look at you when you open the crate. As soon as he hesitates tell him he is a good boy and let him out. (Don't smack your dog's face with the crate door. Open it slowly, a little bit at a time, so you can close it gently as soon as he begins to step out. No pinching, no bumping. You don't want to make doors scary things. This creates dogs that dart frantically through doors. A very undesirable trait in a Service Dog.) Continue to do these steps, gradually asking for longer waits and/or opening the door a little bit wider each time. If your puppy knows the sit command, you can also incorporate that here as well. He'll pick up manners quickly.
Above is the optimal way to introduce your pupster to his crate. However, if you started out like me where you had to pick your puppy up late at night and got home in time to go to bed, then you might need to adjust your strategy a little. (This can also work for starting an adult dog with crate training.)
IF PUPPY JUST CAME HOME - If at all possible, place the crate by your bedside, or take your puppy to bed with you. (I slept on the floor next to the crate the first night.) You are not spoiling your pup. Your puppy has been taken from everything he has known and the comfort of his mom and siblings. Tonight is the time to be there for him. Teaching him independence will come later as your baby grows up and gains confidence. Be prepared to take your puppy out a time or two overnight. They have small bladders and usually aren't ready to go all night without taking a leak. Then, after a night of sleep (give or take a little), you can start the above steps on crate training with your new friend.
IF STARTING OVER - Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, you follow the same steps listed above to "re-introduce" the crate. If your puppy or dog hates his crate so much that he won't even go near it, then start rewarding him for even looking at the crate. The idea is to break crate training down into tiny steps that the dog can succeed at. Even a dog that has been traumatized by a crate can succeed by looking at the crate for a second or two. Then slowly build from there. A clicker can be especially useful here. (Visit Clicker Training - Karen Pryor for more information about using a clicker.)
A second technique to add to the above training approach is to release the dog to come away from the crate any time he approaches the crate. Sometimes "retreating to safety" can be an even bigger reward than a treat. Toss a treat in the direction of the crate. Not so close that the dog won't get the treat, or darts in and snaps it up with tail tucked, but close enough that the dog has to summon a small amount of courage to get it. Then quickly call him back to you.
Soon he will learn that he can come away any time he approaches the crate and it will become less intimidating. So, encourage your dog to approach the crate by treats, tossed toys, etc. As soon as he does, call him away. It can take a bit of trial and error to learn to read your dog well, but this approach is invaluable in the future to help your dog gain confidence in a lot of other areas. Understand that leaving the object of concern (ie, the crate) is the reward. And this translates in his mind to a good thing happening every time he nears the crate. So, he will return to the crate more often. Gotta learn to think dog here. :)
BONUS TIPS!
Be patient. Some dogs take their good old time, but they'll get there!
If you have to crate your puppy at some point before he's ready for safety's sake, please don't feel guilty. Life happens. Yes, your puppy might backtrack a bit, but just start at the step he's comfortable with and progress from there again.
Know doggie stress signals and calming signals (lip lick, shaking it off, whining, panting when not hot). These are ways dogs calm themselves when overstimulated or stressed. Take a step back in your training.
Give a jackpot of treats for exceptional bravery or big steps forward in the training process.
Exercise your puppy before crate time so he is tired.
Make the crate comfortable. Comfy blankets for non-chewers. Some puppies like a blanket draped overtop. Out of direct sunlight and cold drafts.
Have bones or chew toys ready if your puppy has to be crated for longer times.
If you have to leave the pup during the day
for a bit, turn on some classical music or the radio to keep him company. icalm dog player is also an
option.
If you can, get an Adaptil Diffuser for the room where the dog crate is to help
ease the stress of rehoming.
Here's a good video clip about crate training!
WEEK 1 - HOMEWORK -
Work on crate training at least three or four times every day. More often if your up for it and neither your puppy or you get bored. Play for
a little, then work with the crate, then play for a little, then let
him sleep, etc. - Read and reread this article. Learning the language of dog is so important - Canine Body Language
There is no time table for crate training.
Dogs and puppies vary greatly in how long it takes for them to accept new
things. Some take a hour or two. Others may take days or even weeks. But it is
important that a Service Dog knows how to settle quietly and comfortably in a
crate. So keep at it. Slow and steady and MOST IMPORTANTLY, POSITIVELY and
you'll see success!
