Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Puppy Advice
We haven't had any luck finding his family. David is actively trying to find the puppy's family or to find someone to adopt him. I really want to keep him, but it just doesn't look like we're going to be able to. Anyway, while we have him I am trying to train him a little bit. He already know sit and shake, but doesn't get lie down or stay. Any tips on teaching these?
Also, I have never had a puppy. My family always adopted older dogs, so they were out of the puppy stage and pretty mature. I think the puppy is being manipulative. When we go inside he scratches the sh!t out of the french doors on the patio. He is fine outside after 10-20 minutes, but for those 10-20 minutes he scratches the door and whines and howls (we found out he has hound in him - he has got a howl, loud but cute). Should I just completely ignore the behavior? If I go to the door or go outside the cycle starts all over again. I don't want to do some sort of mental damage to the puppy by ignoring him, but I don't know how else to deal with it. Any ideas?
Re: Puppy Advice
You are right on the manipulative part, he's like a little kdi trying to get his way. Try and give him a special toy or treat when you go inside so that he associates that with good things. I especially like a Kong with a treat inside so it keeps him mentally occupied for a while.
In order to get him to lie down you need to put him in a sit then gently pull his front legs out so he lies down and say the command at the same time give a treat. After about three times you shouldn't have to touch his legs, we point to the ground and say "lie down", they watch our hands like a HAWK the entire time. Sometimes we do it with treats as reinforcement.
David's having none of the keeping the puppy talk, eh? I was REALLY crossing my fingers for you, but not holding my breath.
He does want to, and I can tell he does. He just thinks the timing is really bad, he is afraid that once the baby comes we won't have time to take care of a puppy the way a puppy needs to be taken care of. He is also worried about the cost of vet bills, and everything like that. We've talked a lot about it, and he just doesn't think it's the right time. It's hard for me because I am super emotional, and tend not to think in the logical sense like he does. To me I think we'd find a way to make it work, but I understand his point b/c any day now there will be a baby. The baby will need lots of attention, and I won't be able to tend to the puppy, and David will be working and taking care of things at home and won't have time. So, as much as I really like that little guy, and as much as I really want him as my own, I understand where David is coming from.
Buy some moist and meaty "food" at Walmart or Target and use these as training treats. They are small, soft and not too much to give when training a dog.
I've learned with training Millie that treats really drive her to do well, and as she's learned commands, we slowly stop treating for the basics (like sit, shake) and ONLY give treats for more advanced stuff (like "stay", "take it", "touch" and "come"). We have her in PetSmart classes, which has taught me a lot about rewarding good behavior and ignoring bad ones.
Ok, to get him to stay, you ask him to sit, then say stay once. If he stays there for 3 seconds, give him a treat. Try again, this time tell him stay, take a step back, wait 3 seconds, treat. Add time and add steps until you can get 20 seconds of stay with 15 feet distance. (Learned this from training class and Millie has gotten "stay" down pat within a week.) Just be consistent with it and your puppy will get it.
I haven't learned lie down yet though...can't help you there.
When he scratches those french doors, you tell him "eh eh" loudly and shake a can of pennies at him or get a spray bottle of water and spray him once/say eh eh at the same time until he stops. (The can shaking and water spraying briefly takes his mind off the scratching, isn't supposed to harm them, and helps you redirect his attention to something good.) When he stops, give him a treat. If you go to him when he is scratching the doors, he is getting rewarded with your attention. If you go over there, shake the can or spray water and then, only reward him when he stops, he will learn the good behavior is to NOT scratch the doors.
I'm not an expert but this is what I've learned in training class about rewarding good behaviors and making sure you aren't accidentally rewarding the bad ones (with your attention, etc.). I hope this helps!
The Nifty Foodie
Life/Craft Blog
The Nifty Foodie
Life/Craft Blog
I hate to say this but D is right. I never thought it'd be so hard to continue to give our adult dog the attention she needs and she is a pretty self-sufficient dog! I can't fathom having to see about a puppy right now.
That being said...I still think you should keep the dog.