How to toilet train your puppy

Most people dread toilet training their puppy, but it doesn’t have to be hard. You just have to use the right method. The first thing you need to realize is that puppies can't understand what you say. Some of my mates think the human word for mess is "bad dog". So don't shout. It only makes things worse. A puppy is too busy exploring the world to pay attention to what his back end is doing. You'll have to keep track of that for him.

Start out by limiting the potential for damage. Don't let your puppy wander freely about the house. Instead, set up a doggie zone in a room where the floor is easy to clean. Be sure to provide bedding, water and plenty of toys. The bed is important. We don't like to do our business where we sleep.

Now it's time to get to work. Pick a place for your dog to go. This can be a corner of the garden, or any other area that is easy to get to. Never play with your dog here. This spot is strictly for business.

Take your puppy to his toilet area several times a day. You can use a command to tell your dog what's wanted. This helps reinforce the right behavior. Be sure to say it when you first arrive at the toilet area and repeat it when the puppy does what you want. Young dogs can be slow on the uptake, but they eventually get the idea.

Praise your dog when he's finished, and take him back to his toys for some playtime. This makes toilet training just another part of the day rather than a stressful experience. Don't expect immediate success. Puppies don't have much control and accidents will happen. That's why you have a doggie zone.

Watch for signs that your puppy needs to go. This will be first thing in the morning, immediately after meals, and right before bedtime. Very young dogs should go to their toilet area every hour or two. To avoid nighttime accidents, take the puppy's water away when you go to bed and take the dog out once or twice during the night. Put the water back in the morning to avoid dehydration.

Puppies are babies, and they take a lot of work. The good news is we dogs grow up fast. It won't be long before your dog is as well trained as any other member of the family.

Scotch LeSamoyed

Selecting the right dog for you and your family

Hi, everybody! For those of you that don't know me, my name is Scotch. Today, I want to talk to you about an issue that is very important to me -- selecting the right dog for your family. I, myself was very fortunate to be adopted by a wonderful and loving family, but a lot of dogs aren't as lucky as me. It's not because they were bad dogs or the owners were bad people, but because the two just were not compatible. Sometimes these things happen, but in the end, it's usually my pals and I that get hurt.

The first thing that you humans have to understand is that we dogs are like you guys in more ways that you know. Each of us has different personalities and temperaments that make us special and unique. For instance, I'm more of an easy going, laid back dog, while my cousin Spot is high strung and barks at everything. Obviously, Spot wouldn't be happy living in a home where he was forced to be quiet all day and didn't get the attention that he wants. Buying a dog is kind of like finding your boyfriend or girlfriend. You have to find someone that is compatible with your lifestyle or things can go bad quickly.

Another thing that you need to watch out for when buying a puppy is how big we may get in the future. A lot of people see us as puppies and underestimate how big we'll grow in the months to come. Do a little research first before buying one of us to make sure that you'll have room for us when we finish growing up.

There are also some practical issues that you need to consider before adopting one of us. We're like little kids and you'll be responsible for taking care of us including feeding, grooming, and taking us to the veterinarian. Dog food can be expensive, so if you are on a tight budget, you might not want to adopt a dog like my cousin Cookie who is a big dog and likes to eat everything in sight. Instead, you might want to pick a smaller dog that doesn't need to eat as much. A lot of us also like looking as good as we can by taking a trip to the groomer. My cousin Queenie, who has long hair, needs to go several times a year to keep her coat looking fabulous. Then you have my other cousin, Rex that doesn't need to go at all. I like to call dogs that have a lot of hair high maintenance, while those with shorter coats are lower maintenance dogs. A final practical concern that you'll have to deal with is our health. We get sick like you guys and need routine checkups to make sure we're healthy and happy. On top of that, some breeds have a predisposition to developing certain diseases and conditions. I'm not saying that every dog of a certain breed will have issues, but that you should be aware of any potential problems that might pop up in the future.

Now that I've finished with the lecture, what are you waiting for? Go out and adopt a dog!


Scotch LeSamoyed
 

Greetings from Scotch!

Hi there. This is Scotch, but I have pals all over the world that go by so many names. I've got a cousin named Spot, a nephew who sports the moniker King, another cousin named Cookie, another cousin we call Queenie, and another cousin named Rex. It goes on from there, but I can lose track of things quick so I'll try to stay focused. Do you smell bacon?

been and just wanted to remind everyone just how much we love you. While you are out all day hunting for food, I'm at home not doing much of anything. You say you were only gone a minute. Well, it seems like seven to me. It's as if a whole week goes by when it's a work day. That's why I shake my tail off and dance like a fool when you get back. Plus, it's a holdover from my puppy days. It's what my wild cousins had to do to get fed when the rest of the family got back. Pups would nip and lick at the mouths of the adults so they would regurgitate some food for them. By the way, I notice you have never done that for me. I forgive you though since you bring home the goodies in bags, boxes and cans. Are you sure you don't smell bacon?

  

I've been looking forward to a time when you and I can go smell some things together. Since you only have two legs, I understand it is difficult for you to keep up. However, I am surprised at your limited attention span. I can sniff a spot until my nose hurts and you just want to go on to the next spot. Really, why is that? I must say that I am quite impressed with your nose though. I like to get right up on the spot and sniff until there is nothing left. You don't even have to bend over! That is quite impressive.

  

I've been busy too. I'm still trying to work out which soft things I can sleep on and which ones I can't. I've been studying which things made out of hide I can chew and which ones I can't. I don't really see a difference between leather shoes and rawhide chew, but I guess you do. I appreciate your patience. I've been trying to remember the thing about what is mine and what is yours too. Where I come from, what is mine is mine, and if you walk away from yours, well then it's mine too. If you wanted to keep it, you should have buried it somewhere. Unless it is bacon, then it is always mine.

    

  

Written By:

  

Scotch LeSamoyed

  

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