The Smart Dog U Blog

New Puppy: Things You Gotta Know!

What could be cuter than a puppy? Little fluff ball of fur, big soulful eyes, chewing everything, peeing everywhere… There’s so much to teach a puppy, we all know that. But what should you teach first? And when should you start teaching? Should you enroll in a puppy class or just wing it all by yourself? This month’s newsletter will talk about what you should be doing the first few weeks after you bring your puppy home. There’s lots to teach, let’s dig in!

When & What to Teach Puppy
Read the rest over on the new Smart Dog U blog. It's way better over there, come on, what are you waiting for?

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Errands with The Big Dog

Today was errand day. Talos loves errand day. It's the day when he gets to greet his public. When he holds court. When he's the center of attention. Oh, how T loves errand day.

It's not nearly as much fun for me, of course. Because I'm the one doing all the work: hauling the groceries, making the deposits, loading the car, spending the money. And, of course, holding the leash for Sir Talos. Who I really think believes errand day is Talos Day.

You can't really be in a hurry and take a service dog in public. Because if you're in a hurry, you'll get grumpy really quickly. And that's not fun. Not fun for the people who are curious about the big, blue-eyed dog, for Talos, or for me. I add an extra hour for every two hours I think the errands should take. So if I could go out -- by myself -- and get the errands done in an hour, I know with T it'll take at least an hour and a half. Today's errands took four hours. And I've still not unloaded the car.

What's it like to take a dog into stores? It's...different. I'm so used to it now, though, that it's relatively normal to me. If I have friends with me, though, they always ask "Isn't it weird that everyone stares at you?" I gotta say that I don't really notice that anymore.

Taking a dog into a store is only difficult when the dog is a puppy -- still learning about the world. When they're pups, I'm in training mode. I carry treats with me, I'm on the lookout for learning opportunities -- or for potential scary situations. I'm always looking ahead, thinking ahead, trying to stay one step ahead of the pup, both literally and figuratively!

I have to pace myself so I don't tire the pup out. I have to time my errands around feeding schedules (because feeding schedules predict bathroom schedules). I have to be ready to head home if the pup is overwhelmed or wiped out.

But with a veteran like Talos, errand day is a breeze. He still learns a lot about the world - I don't think we've had an outing where he didn't learn something or wasn't exposed to something new. But he also enjoys seeing the sights, meeting the people (especially the kids!) and investigating his surroundings.

He's not a big fan, though, of errand days that involve Costco. He loves going in to Costco, he simply doesn't like the end result which is a crowded car. When I pile all the groceries in the back, he wants to sit in the front. Which wouldn't be a problem except he doesn't fit. He hasn't fit in the front seat since he was five months old! Here's a video of one of the last times he was in the front seat. We'd had a full morning of errands:

Errand days are good for him because he's continually exposed to all things related to life in public. When he's paired with his new person, he'll likely be in public every day, so these experiences are very important to his education. And it's kinda fun to run errands with my four-legged best friend!

Puppy Training Questions & Answers

Q:  When should I start training my puppy?

A: Right away! Puppies retain what they learn starting at five weeks. You won't get your pup until eight weeks, so get ready to start teaching as soon as you bring your pup home!

Q: What should I teach my puppy?

A: Puppies need to learn everything: house training, crate training, polite greeting, leash walking, basic manners such as sit, down, and settle. If you're not teaching your puppy what to do, she'll figure something out on her own. Unfortunately, the behavior the puppy chooses isn't usually something we approve of! Most importantly, your pup needs to learn self control, often called impulse control.

Q. How can I teach self control to my puppy?

A: I take the "life training" approach. I teach self control precisely when the pup is showing no self control! For instance, if the pup jumps up to get to the food bowl in my hand, I won't lower the food bowl until the puppy is sitting. I don't yell at the puppy, I don't push her into a sit, I let her figure it out. When she figures it out, voila!, she gets her dinner. But not until then.

Another way I like to teach self control is to moderate my energy level when I'm playing with the pup. I don't let the puppy get out of control. I'll gently ramp her up to a moderate level, and then I'll stop playing and hold completely still. When the puppy matches my energy level, I'll start to play again. This stop-and-start play helps the puppy learn to ramp her energy level up and down.

Q: What about socialization? I keep hearing a lot about it, but I don't really know what it is.

A: Socialization makes the difference between a confident, happy, and friendly dog or a scared, fearful, and shy dog. Keep in mind that sometimes "fearful" takes the shape of a barking, lunging, and often scary-looking dog. Socialization is the process by which you introduce your puppy - a puppy is classified as younger than 20 weeks - to new things, places, people, surfaces, and sounds in a controlled and pleasant manner.

Until the age of 20 weeks, your puppy is like a sponge, soaking in all the different experiences. Around 16 - 20 weeks, though, the "socialization window" begins to close, and the pup starts to see things through a different set of lenses. In its first weeks at home, the pup is open to lots of new experiences, but when the window starts to close, the pup begins to look at new things a little differently. If you've done a great job socializing your puppy, you probably won't even notice this transition because your pup got accustomed to lots of different things early on. If your pup didn't get out, didn't experience the world, you'll really see this transition. Your puppy will be wary of new things, even harmless objects such as fluttering plastic bags, well-meaning but rambunctious kids, even inanimate objects such as trash cans or mailboxes. 

Q: I need some ideas to help me socialize my puppy - what should I be looking to expose my puppy to?

A: Good socialization requires a little planning. You'll need to have some really delicious food treats (I like chicken chopped into pea-sized pieces) before you take your puppy out. And you'll need patience, lots of patience. When you're socializing your puppy, that's all you're doing - you can do errands, too, but if the pup becomes overwhelmed, you've got to be able to take the puppy out of the situation immediately. In other words, if you're at your kids' soccer game and the puppy is scared by the whistles and the motion, you've got to be able to move the dog further away, even if it means returning to your car with the pup.

You've also got to be ready to tell people how to pet your puppy and how not to pet your puppy. You have to be ready to tell kids that they can't pet your puppy if she's looking scared or hesitant. Remember: socialization is for the puppy, not for the public. It's ok to say "no" to requests to pet your dog if it's better for the puppy. 

Think about the things your puppy will see throughout her life. If you've got kids, your pup is likely to see skateboarders, bicycles, kids running and screaming, etc. Expose your pup early to those things she'll be seeing throughout her life. Think about the different seasons, too. For instance, if your pup was born in the spring, the first time she'll see hoodies and snow pants won't be for another eight months! Get your kids to put their snow pants on and wear them at the dinner table a few nights. Have them walk around with their hoods over their heads. Believe me, if your pup doesn't see someone in a hoodie until she's 8 months old, there's going to be some barking! It's best to expose her now to those things, even briefly, so at least by the time winter arrives, she'll have seen these things. 

You also want your puppy to meet lots of different people and different dogs. It's not good enough if your pup gets along great with your other dog or your kids. You want your pup seeing different dogs and different people every day. Old people, short people, people with facial hair, young people, tall people, people in uniform, people who walk funny, babies, people on crutches, people in wheelchairs, people who dress differently, etc. You want your dog to see big dogs, black dogs, barking dogs, sleeping dogs, lazy dogs, playful dogs, energetic dogs, dismissive dogs. The more people and dogs your pup is exposed to, the better adjusted (read: easier to handle) she'll be both as a puppy and later in life. 

There's no shortcuts when training or socializing puppies. You just have to get out there and do it. I think it's kind of fun and I love trying to think of new things and places to take my pup. Just make sure the pup's having fun and get them out into the world!

Puppy Knowledge

Puppies are wonderful little creatures. They've got fat little bellies and everything they do is cute.

Puppies are blank slates. They don't have any bad habits. They need to learn everything. Take some time when your pup is still a pup and teach them good habits instead of letting them develop bad ones.

We had three pups at a recent Puppy Social. Two of them were terrier mixes and one was a sporting dog. They were all babies and all of them had different personalities.

The youngest, the sporting dog, had the least experience of course. He was tentative, but curious. He wanted to explore at his own pace and not be bothered by the other two (quite rambunctious and friendly) pups.

At Puppy Social, we let pups explore their surroundings on their own schedule. I like to look at each pup and get a feel for them. This little sporting dog was definitely feeling out of his element. He has another dog at home, an adolescent sporting dog. He gets along great with his big brother, but when meeting new friends, he's a bit on the shy side.

There's nothing wrong with that. But it does mean that the owner will have to do a little more work getting the little guy out and about, allowing him to experience the world as pleasant and fun.

The socialization window closes between 16 and 20 weeks of age - you don't have long to get your pup out to explore the world. So don't wait - get your really good treats, get your pup and go out and take lots of walks where you can show your pup how wonderful the world can be. Let your pup explore at his own pace - never force your pup to go meet another dog, person, or object. If your pup looks scared, create a safe-zone where the pup can look, but can't be reached by whatever he finds scary.

Just getting your pup out and having fun with him will go a long way to developing your pup into a well-adjusted dog.

As Talos' time with us comes to an end, it's dawning on us that we'll be bringing a new pup into our home soon. I'm already thinking of socialization opportunities for the new pup. It's never too early to start planning!

Let Them Look

I talk a lot about socialization on this blog. Talos is over a year now and I'm still socializing him. You've heard the mantra: the critical period for socialization is up to age 20 weeks. Here's the important part: socialization never stops!

This morning was filled with errands. I took Talos with me, of course, and he learned a lot today. Our first stop was a networking meeting at 7:00a. He doesn't normally get out of bed until 9:00a, so he was quite the sleepy-head (which means he was quiet and well-behaved). 

As the morning wore on, the activity ramped up: Walmart, the bank, and Costco, he livened up a bit as his brain got used to being awake.

We were in Walmart when a loud, wobbly cart came through the aisle. It was one of those huge carts - the big plastic ones where the kid sits inside like it's a train car (or something like that). Talos noticed the noise before I did and peeked out into the main aisle to investigate. I know his body language - this wasn't an "I wanna go see that," it was more of "What the heck is that noise? And will it hurt me?"

Ah, perfect teaching moment for a dog. I quietly reassured him (put my hand on his back) and allowed him enough leash so he could get a good view of the source of the noise. He backed up a few paces as it got closer to us, but as it passed he stretched his neck to see if he could get any more information from it's scent. He didn't try to bolt, he didn't growl or bark, he just wanted to gather more information.

From my perspective, that's a really good thing. Talos is with a puppy raiser to learn all about the world. The scary noises, the funny looking carts, the weird smells in the parking lots, and the list goes on.

I could have demanded that he ignore the noise. I could have insisted that he pay attention to me. I could have assumed he was blowing me off or blocking me out. But that not only would have been wrong, it would have also been stupid. Instead of focusing on me, I focused on Talos - what's the best thing for him? Certainly giving him more information so he could determine the situation was safe was the right answer -- for both of us.

The same goes for you, too, if you're socializing your puppy (or continuing to socialize your dog). If your dog isn't paying attention to you or following your requests, it's your job to find out why. Is the situation overwhelming? Are the noises too loud? Is your dog surrounded by too many kids? Are too many hands reaching in to pet him? Are five different people talking to him? Does he need time to investigate and gather more information?

Your job, whether you're a puppy raiser for service dogs or you're raising your own pet dog, is to give your dog the tools and information he needs. Your job is to educate. Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to give your dog more information. You'll have a well-adjusted, easy-going dog as a result. And here's the bonus: you'll be much better at noticing and and reading your dog's signals, too!

Ah, Maturity

Oh, the beauty of maturity. Talos, now just over one year old, is starting to show glimmers of how good a service dog he's going to be. 

His trouble has always been settling down. He likes to be on the move. He likes to have attention. He's no fan of just hanging out. Of sitting still. Or - heaven forbid - of lying down and taking a nap while he's in public. (He's ALL for naps when he's home.)

Yesterday he went to a Federal agency with me to have lunch with my husband. Normally we eat quickly then get Talos out and about. Sometimes we were in a hurry because we wanted to get Talos on the freight elevator, or up and down the clear glass stairs. But usually we were in a hurry because Talos would whine loudly if we took too long. 

Yesterday, though, after just a couple whines, he laid down and took a short snooze. Incredible! I didn't think Talos was capable! 

Today he ran errands with me that took us to the bank and to WalMart. In the bank he stretched out an patiently waited. I began to wonder if he was feeling ok!

Walmart is one of his favorite stores - filled with kids. He was attentive, walked at my pace, turned to me when I called his name... I was thinking maybe someone had switched dogs on me in the middle of the night or something. 

In the checkout line - where everything is at eye/mouth level for him - he left the candy alone, moved up when I asked, and yes <gasp> even laid down in the checkout line. 

Maturity is a good thing. 

Talos Rocks D.C.'s Metro Train

A service dog needs to be comfortable in many different environments. They've got to be ok with lots of different noises, locations, people, surfaces - nothing should surprise them when they're out in the world working with their partner. 

Talos and I ventured to D.C. at peak cherry blossom time. And we went on the Metro system. I was a little apprehensive. Trains were new to Talos. They make a lot of noise. The stations are dark. They're a little like riding a roller coaster, pitching left and right. 

Talos went through the card-reader gate (a narrow contraption with guillotine like gates that slide shut between passengers so only one person can get through at a time) without a hitch. Didn't even look crossways at it. 

I breathed a sigh of relief. 

Time to board the train! We got on with a few families headed down to see the cherry blossoms. Thankfully, there were two little girls. There's nothing that Talos loves more than small children. As the train departed the station, he looked at me, his face concerned. I spoke softly, gave him a few pieces of cheese, and he decided it was not worth panicking about. 

Another sigh of relief. 

A few more stops and he'd completely forgotten he was on the train. The little girls, captivated by the big dog sitting right in front of them!!, decided to baby-sit Talos. For which I'll be forever grateful. Here's a picture of one of them telling Talos a story. He was paying close attention. 

 We had to change trains at Metro Center. For those not familiar with the Washington, D.C. Metro system, Metro Center is the station where all four Metro lines converge. It's the central hub. It's huge. It's loud. It's crazy. It's dark. I was scared because I didn't know where to go or how to catch my next train. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers - the mom of one of the girls held my hand through the entire trip, went out of her way to find (and ride) the elevator with us (Talos can't do escalators yet), and got us on the right train. Her five-year old daughter continued to baby-sit Talos - soothing him when the loud trains whooshed past us, frightening Talos. 

Finally we made it to the correct stop and I bade my new friends farewell. I think the little girl would have had just as much fun sitting with Talos as seeing the cherry blossoms! Talos was sad to see her go, as was I. 

We met up with three other dogs in training from Service Dogs of Virginia. Here's their blog  about the day. We saw cherry blossoms. We saw loud, exhaust spewing buses. We were crushed in crowds of people. We saw the Washington Monument (Talos was unimpressed). Here's a quick snippet of our ride down, the cherry blossoms, and the ride home: 

 The ride home on Metro was a crush of people. The crowds were phenomenal. At one point, I couldn't see Talos' head because there were so many people packed into the train. He didn't even notice. Or if he did, he didn't care. It was if he did this trip everyday. On the way home, I swear he was bored. 

The people traveling on Metro couldn't have been kinder. Not one person complained, squealed, or shied away from riding the train with a dog. He, in return, was a gentleman, although at one point he did lay down on a man's feet. I didn't realize it until it was the guy's stop and he politely asked Talos for his feet back. Like I said, the other train riders really helped us have a fantastic experience. 

Another successful socialization trip for Talos and I. I think T's got the makings of a fantastic service dog. He's steady, even-keeled, and solid as a rock. I'm as proud as a mom when her child takes it's first step. 

On His Best Behavior

 Spam Lite. 

That's what I took with me this morning to the Frederick Chamber's Summit Award breakfast. Talos and I were there to accept the At Your Service award for Smart Dog University. 

It was diced into tiny pieces and it was my super-duper high value reinforcer for Talos to reward a job well done. He earned quite a few pieces this morning. 

We walked into a full room - over 100 attendees were there for breakfast and the awards. Talos noticed the bacon wafting through the air while we were still in the parking lot! The room was packed and to navigate through the sea of people, Talos had to follow closely behind me as I cut a path through the room. 

He's a big dog - he stands taller than the standard table top - so everyone's breakfast was at the perfect viewing, smelling, and eating height for this hungry Great Dane. He passed every plate he saw, not even stopping to get a better view (or smell). I took him through the buffet line and he politely kept his muzzle clear of the blueberry pancakes, crispy hot bacon, scrambled eggs, and oven roasted potatoes.

Upon returning to our seat, I cued "your mat" which means lay down on your mat and be a good, quiet boy. The picture above, taken by crazy-talented Mary Kate McKenna, is proof that he earned his Spam Lite this morning by doing everything I asked. 

 He sat patiently through the meeting. You'd have thought he'd been training for years as composed as he was when we were introduced and received our award. He was more pulled together than I was! 

Then the other recipients came up to receive their awards and carefully stepped around Talos and his tail. Talos never batted an eye. As if he was born to accept awards and attend ceremonies. What a dog. 

Finally, the ceremony came to a close, and it was picture taking time.  He got to have some fun after the formal ceremony was over and really enjoyed the social aspect of the event. 

If he's anything, it's a social butterfly. Never one to turn down a scratch under the chin or a belly rub, Talos is always up for whatever attention will come his way. 

A quick thanks to everyone who came up to say hello to Talos - every function he attends with me is a learning experience for him. You're not just saying hello, you're helping him learn. 

Here's a little bit of the morning on video:

Failure is NOT an Option

I spent the day with Talos at the Frederick New Media and Technology Conference. We had the honor of speaking about how businesses should use Twitter. 

Until today, I've always had the option of leaving if Talos couldn't handle the situation. Today, however, was a pressure-cooker: I had to speak. So I couldn't leave. 

Which put a lot of pressure on me. Talos didn't know about my contraints. 

I packed well. I packed four peanut butter stuffed Kongs. I packed four pork rawhides. I packed three sandwich bags of diced bologna and beef-broth-soaked kibble. I packed an 8" rolled rawhide. I was ready! 

Talos did well, overall. He got a little whiny, a little restless at the beginning of each session. (We had to change rooms about every hour.) I learned to ignore him and then he'd give up and he'd lay down. Just as he'd fall asleep we'd have to move. 

The second session of the day was ours. I had to speak. He had to behave. 

And he did. 

In true Talos form, he came through when I needed him most. The picture above is from Mary Kate McKenna, the most amazing photographer I've ever met. I thought it completely captured the "Talos experience."

I was so preoccupied with my talk that I forgot to consider what Talos was thinking. Clearly, from this photo, he was quite curious about why he was at the front of the room! 

In the end, all of our hard work and training paid off. Talos was able to handle a full day's work. And handled it just fine, thank you very much. 

He came home and totally melted down with the other dogs. He was letting off steam. Like so many of US do at the end of a hard week. It was good to see. 

Until now, I'd been confident that his temperament suited him well for service work, but I wasn't sure of his ability to settle. Now I know he can settle. In one of the talks, I had to keep prodding him because he was snoring so loudly! THAT'S a relaxed dog! 

Thanks to everyone at the conference - and everyone in general - who not only puts up with, but accepts, a service dog in training with such open arms. It's not always perfect. It's not always easy. 

You have no idea the training value you're providing. Many thanks to you for graciously allowing a snoring, whining, slobbering dog in your midst. The training value of the event today is not to be underestimated. His future "new person" thanks you for your help. 

And to T - you did a fabulous job today, my Great Dane friend. Excellent work. My heart swells with pride. You will change someone's life. 

Fear Not (Video)

We're always on the lookout for ways to expose Talos to new and unusual sights and sounds. When we were at the Christmas Tree farm we had the chance to get our Christmas tree bundled. The bundler is loud and big. And there was plenty of room to move away if Talos showed any fear or avoidance of the crazy contraption.

The key to introducing your dog to something novel is to do it incrementally, to do it systematically, and to always (and I mean always!) go at your dog's pace. If you see signs of anxiety (tucked tail, ears back, lip licking, hiding behind your legs), STOP! Move further away, speak calmly and quietly to your dog, and try to feed some extra yummy treats. If your dog isn't eating those delicious treats, you know he's still too stressed. Move even farther away. Keep moving away until the dog's body language is more relaxed and until he's able to take treats.

What NOT to do: Don't reprimand your dog, don't boss your dog, don't pull your dog closer, don't stay there and expect your dog to get used to it. That's not fair to the dog and proves to the dog that you're not on the same team.

Take a look at what a really good relationship (developed through clicker training) can get you...a dog who's a little uncertain, but who trusts that everything's ok as long as he's with you.