Friday, July 22, 2011

PUPPY

We have a puppy. She's a shiba inu named Koko and she's 8 weeks old, and she is super-adorable. And it's a good thing too, because she is basically a patience-testing machine. I'm learning what kinds of chew toys she likes and how to get her so worn out that I have some time to not worry about her while she's sleeping. She's doing very, very well with housetraining (probably thanks to her excellent breeder). She also wants to chew our chairs and dig through the last stair. So if you have tips on helping puppies chew the right things I am game.

7 comments:

Emily said...

With our puppy, when she was having trouble knowing what was ok to chew, we just used the same feedback as for other training. Meaning, we praised the heck out of her when she was chewing HER toys. When we caught her WHILE she was doing something naughty (chewing a shoe, etc) then we said "HUH-UH!" in a disappointed/angry tone and stopped her from what she was doing by trading her for one of her toys. Then when she was chewing her toy instead, we immediately stopped scolding and started praising her like crazy for chewing her own toy.

There are also sprays you can buy to make things not interesting. Or, where puppy is trying to dig your stair, I would put double-sided tape there until puppy has a bad experience with it. Sticky stuff feels unpleasant to dogs (and cats).

Emily said...

Also- at puppy preschool they recommended using a spray bottle with water or an aluminum can with a coin inside (which you shake). Like, if you tell puppy "HUH-UH!" and puppy ignores you, then you use one of those and to get their attention.

Jul said...

Ooh, congrats! Shiba ken are probably way too smart for their own good. I would recommend a bitter spray and redirecting her to plenty of chewable toys. Be sure to always reward good behavior, too.

Christina said...

Yay, puppies! But yes, I hear you with the patience-trying.
We have something called Bitter Apple Spray, which you can apply to things you don't want her to chew. I bought it before we got Stella, but we haven't really had to use it yet because she's crazy about rawhide. If there are rawhide chews around, she'll usually chew them rather than our stuff. Don't get the flavored ones, though- they stain furniture. Stella also loves bully sticks. You could try one of those. Good luck!

Shana said...

Give her plenty of toys, and switch up what's available to her, so she doesn't get bored. Get ones that use her mind (she has to solve a puzzle to get a treat from the toy). I can't wait to meet her!

Andrea Landaker said...

Bwah ha ha, sounds like good training for having kids . . . :-D I know nothing about dogs; good luck!

Rachel Helps said...

Thanks for all the advice everyone! We're trying to make a better distinction between play/crate time, since I think she chews on furniture when she's bored/wants attention. She absolutely loved playing with a plastic bottle one day. So I think we can find more things she likes to chew.