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       any longer.
       
   If the crate is too big (because you got an adult size one), you can
   partition the crate off with pegboard wired to the sides to make the
   crate the correct size, and move it back as your puppy grows. RC
   Steele also sells crate dividers.
   
   To house train a dog using a crate, establish a schedule where the dog
   is either outside or in its crate when it feels the need to eliminate.
   
   Using a mild correction (saying "No" in a firm, even tone) when the
   dog eliminates inside and exuberant, wild praise when the dog
   eliminates outside will eventually teach the dog that it is better to
   go outside than in. Some owners correct more severely inside, but this
   is extremely detrimental to the character of puppies. To make the dog
   notice the difference between eliminating inside and outside, you must
   praise more outside rather than correcting more inside.
   
   The crate is crucial because the dog will "hold it" while in the
   crate, so it is likely to have to eliminate when it is taken out.
   Since you know when your dog has to eliminate, you take it out and it
   eliminates immediately, and is praised immediately. Doing this
   consistently is ideal reinforcement for the behavior of going out to
   eliminate. In addition, the dog is always supervised in the house, so
   the dog is always corrected for eliminating indoors. This strengthens
   the inhibition against eliminating inside.
   
   In general, consistency is MUCH more important than severe corrections
   when training a dog. Before a dog understands what you want, severe
   corrections are not useful and can be quite DETRIMENTAL. Crating
   allows the owner to have total control over the dog in order to
   achieve consistency. Hopefully, this will prevent the need (and the
   desire) to use more severe corrections.
   
   Housetraining is relatively simple with puppies. The most important
   thing to understand is that it takes time. Young puppies cannot wait
   to go to the bathroom. When they have to go, they have to go NOW.
   Therefore, until they are about four or five months old, you can only
   encourage good behavior and try to prevent bad behavior. This is
   accomplished by the following regime.
     * First rule of housetraining: puppies have to go to the bathroom
       immediately upon waking up.
     * Second rule of housetraining: puppies have to go to the bathroom
       immediately after eating.
       
   With these two rules goes the indisputable fact that until a puppy is
   housetrained, you MUST confine them or watch them to prevent
   accidents.
   
   This means that the puppy should have a place to sleep where it cannot
   get out. Understand that a puppy cannot go all night without
   eliminating, so when it cries in the night, you must get up and take
   it out and wait until it goes. Then enthusiastically praise it and put
   it back to bed. In the morning, take it out again and let it do its
   stuff and praise it. After it is fed and after it wakes up at any
   point, take it out to eliminate.
   
   Make it aware that this is not play time, but understand that puppies
   get pretty excited about things like grass and snails and leaves and
   forget what they came outside to do! Use the same spot each time if
   you can, the smell will help the puppy remember what it is to do,
   especially after 12 weeks of age.
   
   To make life easier for you later on, use a key phrase just when the
   puppy starts to eliminate. Try "hurry up," "do it," or some similar
   phrase (pick one and use it). The puppy will begin to eliminate on
   command, and this can be especially useful later, such as making sure
   the dog eliminates before a car ride or a walk in the park.
   
   Don't let the puppy loose in the house unless it has just gone
   outside, and/or you are watching it extremely closely for signs that
   it has to go. The key to housetraining is preventing accidents. If no
   accidents occur (ha!), then the dog never learns it has an option
   other than going outside. When you are at home, rather than leave the
   pup in the crate, you can "tether" the puppy to you -- use a six foot
   long leash and tie it to your belt. That way he can't get out of your
   site in the house and go in the wrong place.
   
   For an idea of what this can involve, here is a hypothetical
   situation, assuming that you work and it takes you about 1/2 hour to
   get home from work:
     * 03:00 Let dog out, go to bathroom, return to crate
     * 07:00 Let dog out, go to bathroom
     * 07:15 Feed dog in crate, leave dog in crate
     * 08:00 Let dog out, go to bathroom, return to crate
     * 08:15 Owner goes to work
     * 11:30 Owner returns, lets dog out
     * 11:45 return dog to crate, owner returns to work
     * 17:00 Owner returns, lets dog out, go to bathroom, play (use
       tether if necessary)
     * 19:00 Feed dog in crate, leave in crate
     * 19:45 Let dog out, go to bathroom, play
     * 23:00 Let dog out, put dog in crate, go to bed.
       
   For a comprehensive discussion on housetraining dogs, see
   
   Evans, Job Michael. The Evan's Guide for Housetraining Your Dog. ISBN:
   0-87605-542-0.
   
     Evans was a monk at New Skete for some years. He discusses all
     aspects of housetraining puppies and dogs, giving many constructive
     solutions for all kinds of specific problems.
     
   Benjamin's Mother Knows Best discusses paper training in more detail
   than is covered here.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
Preliminary Training

   It is essential for every dog, no matter how big, or small, or whether
   you want to show, or work, or just play with, to have basic obedience
   training. If you want to go beyond the basics, that's great. But at
   least do the basics. One way to think of it is that without basic
   obedience, you and the dog don't speak the same language so how can
   you communicate? But with basic obedience, you can tell the dog what
   you want it to do and it will understand you and do it. Another way to
   think of it is getting your dog to be a Good Citizen: it doesn't jump
   on people, or run off, or indulge in other obnoxious behaviors --
   because it knows what you expect of it.
   
  Obedience classes
  
   Find a good class and attend it. Many places have puppy kindergarten
   classes; this also helps socialize your puppy. Do 10 minute training
   sessions every day. And if you like it, keep going. You'd be amazed at
   all the activities you can do with your dog once you and the dog learn
   the basics! Training is fun and simple if approached that way. Enjoy
   it!
   
  Around the house
  
   Puppies can be started far earlier than many people believe. In fact,
   waiting until your pup is 6 months old to start training it is VERY
   late, and will be the cause of a LOT of problems. Start right away
   with basic behavior: use simple, sharp "no's" to discourage chewing
   hands or fingers, jumping on people, and many other behaviors that are
   cute in puppies but annoying when full grown. Don't be severe about
   it, and praise the puppy *immediately* when it stops. Tie the puppy
   down in sight of people eating dinner to prevent begging and nosing
   for food (if you put it in another room, it will feel ostracized and
   begin to cry). If your puppy bites and scratches you when playing,
   give it a toy instead. Give a good, loud *yelp* or *ouch* when the
   puppy bites you. This is how the other puppies in the litter let each
   other know when they have crossed the line, and it is a good way to
   get the puppy's attention and let it know that biting is not
   acceptable.
   
   The other side of the coin is immediate praise when your puppy stops
   after a "no". You may feel like this is engaging in wild mood swings
   (and you may well get odd looks from other people); that's all right.
   You're making your wishes crystal clear to the puppy. It also needs
   positive as well as negative reinforcement: how would you respond if
   people only ever yelled at you when you did something wrong?
   
   Introduce things in a fun way without "corrections" just to lay a
   foundation for formal training later on. Formal training, demanding or
   exact, is not appropriate at this stage. Instead, concentrate on
   general behavior, getting its attention, introducing things that will
   be important later in a fun way, and some other preliminary things,
   such as discouraging it from lagging or forging on the leash (but not
   making it heel!). In sum, lay a good foundation for its future
   development and behavior.
     _________________________________________________________________
   
   
    Your New Puppy FAQ
    Cindy Tittle Moore, cindy@k9web.com
    
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