We survived our first week with Jarvis the puppy and we are all getting used to the new family member and household routine.
Jarvis is very cute, very sweet and has a lovely relaxed temperament. He loves people, doesn't flinch at the doorbell, telephone or smoke detector and seems to be very bright.
Make no mistake, this is a lot of work. If you are thinking of getting a #pandemicpuppy or a puppy for Christmas, know that right up front.
Throughout the day the four of us rotate "puppy duty" checking on him regularly between online school and work to make sure he goes out on a regular basis, has toys, exercise and lots of attention.
Thank goodness we have Carol to help us.
Carol Upton is a Certified Dog Trainer (CPDT_KA) with the CCPDT which is one of the two leading independent certifying organizations for professional dog trainers in the world. Carol trains all levels of skills and specializes in behaviour modification and leash reactive dogs (often called “leash aggression”). Working with fearful, anxious and aggressive dogs takes knowledge, skill, and experience. Carol has been helping dogs and people to live well together for over 15 years now.
We had our first lesson this past weekend and we were amazed how quickly the puppy could learn once he had the right training.
In one hour Carol taught us how to teach Jarvis to sit. Our homework for the week is to practice teaching him a sit/stay combination as well as learning his name. She also gave us great tips for how to take him out on a leash, which, in one day, he mastered so we can now take him for walks every day.
Puppy's are babies and our baby is teething like mad. He wants to put everything in his mouth. Here are her top tips
- Substitute. Substitute. Substitute. Always have a toy available and stick it in your pup's mouth every time it opens.
- Lead with a toy. Instead of playing with your hands, always have a toy for your dog to grab onto.
- Reward correct behaviour.
- Learn to be a tree. Trees are boring and dogs don't chase trees.
- Ankle biters. Some dogs bite ankles not hands. Redirect a dog's natural tendency to chase and bit.
- Introduce movement slowly.
Have a new puppy or a question or issue? Let me know and we'll see what advice Carol has. You can follow our adventures on on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter as we share our experiences.
