Puppy tips

[Anon645]

Hi,
I have brought home my 12 week old puppy today. Despite doing my research prior I'm already feeling overwhelmed and was hoping that if anyone has any particularly good tips or advice for a first time puppy owner they could share it ? :)
Particularly anxious about toilet training.

the pippa mattinson Happy Puppy book was our bible, followed it to the letter lol and would’ve been lost without it. Especially the toilet training bit which has a very good step by step guide and explains why you do what you do-It was pretty relentless but it really worked and our puppy very quickly learned that indoors was not for toileting.
It is a tough time though, no denying it-but just remember this too shall pass!

When I had my first dog years ago I was super anxious about toilet training but it was really not that bad. You probably read all of this but take them out really frequently. Every 30 mins to start when they are awake as well as after eating, drinking, playing etc. Don't use puppy pads as it just makes it take longer and they chew them. Buy a spot cleaner if you have carpets and an enzyme cleaner for accidents. Good luck with it!

It’s about every 30 mins from memory that the happy puppy book does too, you do feel like you spend a lot of time standing on the garden but stick with it!

What breed? I got berated on here last year, for telling the truth about having a puppy, I did get some apologies later. It's hard work for a few months. Your life is not your own,it's hourly toileting. It's getting up in the night. It's peeing, pooing, chewing, crying. We were incredibly unlucky,3 weeks after getting out border collie puppy,we both got COVID for the first time ever and were so ill. We then crated (she's 7 months now, just told her it's bedtime and off in it she went) we had her in a small crate in our room at first,then a bigger one in the hall (bungalow) now a big crate in the spare room, next door to ours.we started basic training straight away,and before she had her jabs,we put her in a backpack on our front and carted her around,so she got used to sights, sounds. Borders tend to be reactive to certain tones. We have another dog, border 8, we lost our last dog january 2023. We spent a few months debating, got her in September. In an ideal world it would have been in spring or summer. It's no fun having to go outside in the night in rain,wind, washing muddy paws. I always say it's a baby. But I've always had dogs,2 once 3, I wouldn't be without them. We need a picture.

We dog proofed when the last one was a puppy, got rid of the carpets, laid laminate. I did use puppy pads, you can't soak the laminate,our place is open plan, lounge/kitchen. Weeny hall outside bedrooms/bathroom,so we couldn't close her in a room, for damage limitations. We have fenced off a portion of the garden for them,to stop her digging, getting anything she shouldn't have. I made sure there was masses of chew toys. The mouthing was really easy with this one,she's chewed a couple of cushions that's all. The important thing is.... they are all different, like children,you don't know 100% what you will face.

Puppy’s are clowns for the first 8 months. Don’t be fooled by their cute floppy ears, they’re total menaces. Then they grow up and will be one of the best things to happen to you!
ps watch firework videos on YouTube with them around. Don’t react, not even to say ‘it’s ok’. Helps them realise there’s nothing to be scared off when firework season comes about.

Puppy Training: Start today. Not when your dog goes to training classes. Literally, today. You can find great guides on YouTube to teach your dog to sit/down/stay/recall etc. Use them. Puppy training does not start and end with a crap six week puppy training course in a room with 6 other dogs. Use your dogs daily allowance of food to train it - don't give them extra treats. Don't use pads/newspaper - it just teaches the dog to go in those places inside and quite frankly is grim.

House Training: Outside every 20-30 minutes. After every nap. After every game. Watch for the warning signs - circling and getting ready to squat. Straight outside. If the dog doesn't pee/poo, bring them back in. Don't let them amble around for ages or they won't learn. Use cue words 'Wee' or 'Poo' or 'Jobs' - start by letting them wee and then say 'wee' (or whatever word you want to use) and then give them a reward once they perform. Within a few days they should learn that 'wee' means do a wee.

Socialisation: Take your dog out in a sling/backpack etc. Do NOT take it out in your arms - it will wiggle free and hurt itself. Show it the world from the sling. Let it see other dogs/cars/busses/wheelie bins etc. Just don't let it's paws on the ground or let strangers pat it until it's had it's second vaccination. Socialisation does not mean just showing them dogs/people/cats, it means showing them the world.

Distance: Let your puppy spend time alone. Leave the room for 10/15 seconds at a time. Don't go back until the puppy has stopped crying. NEVER go back when the puppy is crying (not unless it's screaming in pain and trust me, you'll know the difference). If you go to a dog that is crying, it learns that if it cries you come running. And PLEASE do not let your puppy sleep in your bed. It needs to have somewhere that is its own - at least for the first few months. Letting dogs sleep in your bed from day one just encourages separation anxiety later in life.

People: Do not let people encourage your dog to jump up. They love doing it to puppies. They like it less when it's a 50KG dog doing it. Or even 10KG. It is your dog, not there's - do not be afraid to put in boundaries.

Finally, remember your puppy is a dog. It is not a baby. It is not a child. Treat is like a dog. Don't hold it upside down in your arms to kiss it's belly (FFS to people who do that) and don't hold it under it's armpits to kiss it's nose. It's a dog.

You will spend several days/weeks over the next few months wishing you'd got a cat. Or a gerbil. Or a rabbit. It DOES get better.

DO NOT force time alone. Your puppy needs you in order to become a secure adult. This is very outdated advice. My pup was over a year before she was left and now is bombproof so it’s not true at all you have to start when young. Start when they are ready and choosing independence which will be a while yet (and they do choose when they have not worried about being away from you). There are lots of things you can do when young to help them become more independent. None involve distress.

The biggest cause of SA is being left too young. My neighbour will attest to that. Her puppy is 8 months and screams the place down every day and has done from day 1. She still thinks he’ll get used to it!

Take a look at the Dog Training Advice and support Facebook group for all the advice you need.

Honestly it's all routine. Pups get bored and tired easily so have a routine in place. A tired pup is a nippy pup so remember to encourage down time where pup sleeps. down time is the most important thing to teach a pup so you don't get an over excited hyper dog in the future.
Toilet training is routine again, after naps straight out to the toilet, before bed, after meals and drinks or a big play. Stay out as long as it takes and reward when pup goes. The pup stage you'll find will be easy once the routine is in place. It's the adolescent rebellion at 9-12 months that drives you a little insane.
Start pup with bits of training. A sit and wait is a good place to start. Mental stimulation games are really good but don't over do it. These pups will be acting like they don't need naps lol they do.

Amazing to wake up to all this constructive advice today!! Thanks !
I will have a good read through later and respond to comments but for now can anyone recommend a good and cheap enzyme cleaner /carpet cleaner for wee ?

@Anon645 I use vinegar mixed with water in a spray bottle. Works great and no dangers.

Make sure you use white vinegar, otherwise your house will smell like a chip shop,! You will see on here, everyone is different. Not much mention of crating. Some people think it's cruel
My puppy started barking, freaked out at the TV,, (we were watching The Thing,John Carpenter) she was then on high alert, tried the usual tricks.i said ",do you want to go in your crate"? She happily went in there. Older dogs had beds in our bedroom. That's for the owners to decide, where the dog sleeps. As for the crate,both this puppy and the one we lost january 2023(almost 18) they bought cheer electric cables!! I've seen ",3 month puppy depression"mentioned on MN, saying it's like pnd. I think that's rubbish,you do get good days,bad days. Even a house trained dog can cause problems. I'm sitting on the sofa with my 8 year old border collie a couple of weeks ago,and she suddenly threw up. It's part and parcel
Then there's the moulting,muddy footprints, scent marking. To me a dog free house isn't a home.

Blasted phone. I typed THEY CHEWED electric cables!

I remember reading something online where a woman said to put 30 pieces of kibble in your pocket each day.
Every day try and find something your puppy does that makes you happy and give them a piece.
Initially you'll start out with a heavy pocket at the end of each day, but as time progresses before you know it your pocket's empty by the afternoon.
This really saved my sanity because in those first few months it's so difficult to see the wood for the trees!
Just like when my DC were toddlers and I'm end the day feeling that I'd done nothing except say 'no'.
A positive mind set and giving yourself a break sometimes while chanting 'this too shall pass' helps.
And DEFINITELY never comparing your pup to another. That way lies madness!!
Our pup is 13 months old now, and while he's certainly not the finished product, he brings far more laughter than tears these days 😂

Drivinmecrazy. I agree, they are all different, even in the same breed. Still wanting a picture of this puppy!

Will get white vinegar today.

Toilet training is not going well. I'm putting her outside loads but she is coming in and then urinating inthe house a couple of mins later, despite just having been outside !!! It's like she is holding it in in the garden until she comes in and then releasing it in the kitchen /living room straight away :(

It's so tough, I'm constantly cleaning up wee !

Here she is

You can't just put her outside, you need to pop her lead on so she's not messing around and go stand with her until she goes. Once she pees/poos, lots of praise and a treat.

She's adorable 🥰

Ah a border terrier! Yup, that's what they do! We were ridiculously unlucky,had our pup 3 weeks then got COVID,I ended up bedridden. DH a few days behind me, but not as ill. I laid her on the bed with me, because I was so breathless I coul hardly walk, she of course peed through the whole lot to the mattress. I used to go out (still do last thing at night) say wee wees!

You need to go out with her and say have a wee! Have a wee! To her and stay out until she goes, then you praise loads and loads. If you just let her out she thinks it’s just playtime and the house is the toilet.

She’s gorgeous, puppies are horrible for a while but it will be worth it. Lots of fab advice on here, so keep asking questions!

Totally normal! Crying in the garden is part of the journey! I would say wear a treat belt and every time they do something 'good' then give them a a treat (maybe a piece of kibble from their daily allowance).

So if they look at you - treat. Sit nicely when there is a distraction - treat, stand in front of you not jumping up- treat. The only thing I wouldn't treat is toileting outside, I'd just tell them they are a good boy/girl.

Welcome to one of the smartest dogs there is. Often labelled stubborn or stupid. Nope. REALLY trainable but you’ve got to make it worth their while!

Toilet training is just repetition. You will have accidents. It’s just one of those things. Keep putting out. Keep praising. Don't treat because they’ll continually ask to go out just to get that treat 😉 You do need to go out with them.

Get yourselves enrolled in a good reward based training class. There are borders competing at the highest levels so it shows how smart they are!

They bite HARD as puppies and it can come back as adolescents. Keep shoving that toy in. Terriers need to bite their whole lives. They need to learn what to bite. You’ve got a working terrier on your hands. Reinforce recall now. Don’t call, reward to choosing to come back. That’s how it works with a results driven dog. Every time they look, Yessssss treat. Every time. Capture them when they’re young. They need to WANT to do it.

Alone training as above. Don’t even attempt it until they are choosing to be alone. That won’t be for quite some time.

We’ve just reached 18 months. Experienced dog servants but she keeps us on our toes 😉

We always ( and still do) take our pup ( 12 months old now) out on the lead. Walk her around saying go wee and wait until she goes, they soon get the message. Being on the lead means they cannot run around and play or eat stuff!

Of course every dog us different but how long roughly did it take to toilet train your puppy ?
I genuinely am worried that I am going to have to pull up and replace all my carpets :( there's a such a sheer volume of accidents. But can't really afford to lay down all new floors.