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  1. #1
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    need a few reminders

    We just recently got a new labrador puppy "hudson" aged 11 weeks. We have another labrador "lola" aged 2.5 years. We had to get "Charlie" aged almost 4 put down due to a snake bite.
    Even though I've done it twice I'm after peoples advice on what to use for treats to train him (sit, stay etc). I'm also after info on when to start walking him. Also any other tips on training. Toileting etc. Thanks for any help

  2. #2
    Senior Dog Halcyon's Avatar
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    Hello and welcome!

    Treats
    Depending on level of distraction, many people use kibble taken from their daily rations. You can also use small chunks of fruit and meat as a healthier alternative. For convenience, many stores also sell pre-made treats. Make sure to check where it is made and that the ingredients are safe. I believe there was a chicken jerky scare a while back in the USA.

    Walking
    Socialisation is essential so it's important to get him out and about to expose him to a variety of positive experiences. The age in which you begin really depends on your environment and level of comfort. For example, if you live in an area with a high chance of coming into contact with parvo, it may not be the best idea to take him out without completing his puppy shots. Back when Bobby was that age, we avoided places where dogs would frequent (e.g. parks) and focused on interactions with people. We took him to the local supermarket and even carried him at times. It's a good idea to ask your vet for advice. They should know about the dangers of coming into contact with disease. Mostly, it depends on your comfort level. We avoided parks until ten days after his 16 week shot as per the vet's advice.

    Potty-Training
    How have you been potty-training? We didn't get Bobby fully trained until 6 months which was completely our fault but he did catch the gist of it at around 4-5 months. We routinely took him out to pee every five to ten minutes initially as he would just pee (sometimes whilst walking!) without doing any of the signs the potty training articles mentioned. No sniffing, no circling. We took him out the same door each time and made sure to throw a party (treated initially, eventually phased it out when he started dividing his pee) and added a command. Make sure you praise, praise and praise as if you have just won the lottery.

    Gradually, we extended times between potty outings from every ten minutes to fifteen, fifteen to twenty-five, etc. He also did excitement peeing as well which contributed to the length of time it took to potty-train him.

    Bite Inhibition
    I know you didn't mention this in your OP but my gosh, this was the big shocker for me. You can read about my experiences in Puppy Biting (Sticky maybe?) and more information in our sticky, Puppy biting!. You might already be familiar with it but it is best to prepare yourself.

    If you need anymore advice, feel free to ask! Lots of helpful members here and I'll try my best to answer.
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  3. #3
    Senior Dog doubledip1's Avatar
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    The general rule is 5 minutes of exercise per month of age. So for an 11 week old puppy, between 10 and 15 minutes of exercise a day. You should allow off leash free play on soft surfaces like grass. (This is what I remember, I could be wrong.)
    You can use pieces of his regular kibble as treats, banana slices, carrot slices, chicken breast, lots of things.

    Regarding potty training... take him out OFTEN. This could be as often as every 5 minutes when you are home. As soon as he goes outside, throw a party. Go absolutely bonkers. "Yay, Hudson! Good boy, Hudson! What a good puppy you are, Hudson!". Lots of cookies, jump up and down, dance around, you get the picture. Just go bonkers. Throw the kind of party you would throw if you just won a billion dollars. Take him out IMMEDIATELY before and after you play. If you have friends coming over, immediately before they knock on the door, right after you open the door, right after they greet him etc. Bladder control goes out the window when they're excited or playing.

    If he has an accident inside (and he will), clean it up using paper towels and an enzymatic cleaner (I prefer Nature's Miracle). Follow the directions on the bottle. Do not punish Hudson, do not rub his nose in anything, just clean it up and DO NOT REACT.
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  4. #4
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    One snack I tried with traing the other two was cheese. It seemed to work (but anything would with a lab).
    I didnt realize I needed to take him in/out so often for potty training. Ive taken him out about ever 30mins-1 hour.
    I've made the biggest celebration in front of him and given him a snack when he does wees or poos outside. The part I'm getting frustrated with is sometimes he will be out for a few hours then come inside and do wees straight away. I know it's not his fault but it's frustrating.

  5. #5
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    Love the photo doubledip1 :-)

  6. #6
    Senior Dog Halcyon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hudson View Post
    One snack I tried with traing the other two was cheese. It seemed to work (but anything would with a lab).
    I didnt realize I needed to take him in/out so often for potty training. Ive taken him out about ever 30mins-1 hour.
    I've made the biggest celebration in front of him and given him a snack when he does wees or poos outside. The part I'm getting frustrated with is sometimes he will be out for a few hours then come inside and do wees straight away. I know it's not his fault but it's frustrating.
    Pups have a very short attention span. Do you make sure he pees before coming inside? Bobby at that age, was a walking pee-er. Sometimes, they don't pee everything all out at once before something else grabs their attention. Make sure he pees and finishes peeing before coming inside. Try hanging outside for a few extra minutes and encouraging him to go.
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  7. #7
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    I'd also suggest ensuring you use a "key" word like potty/potty or hurry/hurry and repeat it as he does his business and reward with a treat and praise when he does it. routine is also good; try to take him to the same spot to go and if possible restrict him to that spot so he gets used to going when commanded......we found it worked really well when he was little. my guy goes anywhere now but he still does his business on command which is super helpful when on a long road trip or at someone else's place. good luck!
    Beth, Charlie and our boy Boston

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  8. #8
    Senior Dog CraftHer's Avatar
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    Just want to add about potty training, when you take him out no play until potty. Then throw a party when he goes! This is especially useful at night.

    Mocha is very treat motivated, so it didn't matter much with him what we treat with, he was just so darn happy to get a treat! We used small soft treats. Now, when I get a handful of treats, he will go through his repertoire of tricks before I say anything.

  9. #9
    Best Friend Retriever Gibbysmom's Avatar
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    Hope you post some puppy pics soon too!!!!

  10. #10
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    I didn't treat train but Sunshine still got lots of 'treats'. I use vegetable scraps. Whenever I prepare veggies, I put any cutoff's or scraps in a bowl, then in the refrigerator. Broccoli, beans, carrots, squash, radishes... Crunchy ones are preferred!

    My puppy training tip, talk to him all the time. EVERYTHING has a name, every toy, every room, every piece of furniture, every game... If you start to feel foolish for repeating the name over and over and over.. as you play, you are doing it right. It doesn't pay dividends right off but pays off HUGE in the future! It is great for rainy days or times when he needs something to do and you are busy. I call it the "I'm looking for ___" game. Similar to hide and seek but you don't have to hide anything. "Hudson? I wonder where Mr. Bunny is?" RunRUNRUN sniffSniffSNIFF.. Then you an help him out. "Did you check the guest room?" ZOOM... My latest 'game' is having my 3 year old gal bring toys to other toys. She just NEEDS to have something to do sometimes. "Sunshine? I think Mr. Bunny wants to play with Eore." She will find the bunny and drop it by Eore then stand there l@@king at them, waiting for them to play. LOL!

    For the peeing thing. My rule is all black dogs pee before we go inside. When she was a pup, I made a HUGE deal out of this. We would play or come back from a run and I say we are going to go inside BUT, all black dogs pee before we go inside. We go to the designated area and she has to pee before we move. Yeah, sometimes we were there for a while but we do not go inside until she pees. Then the HUGE PRAISE PARTY!!!! We have the same rule before getting into the car. I use the phrase "Last call." It morphs into a pee or poop on command thing which works out fantastic.

    Nothing happens overnight and it can be frustrating at times. But keep at him and after he catches on it is great. You can just say, 'Come on, let's go inside.' And he will run and pee first!

 



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