The Art of Discipline!

Well now enters the fine art of disciplining a puppy. Not that Hoover has been a well behaved little guy all along and I am just having to discipline him now. He has remained the same daily since about day 7 of our adventure together as a family and I find my self disciplining him daily, even several times daily! He is by no means a "bad puppy" I don't believe in such a thing. I just think that hes a puppy and needs plenty of guidance as do children.

I do not spank my puppy or hit him at all, I do not put his nose in his pees on the floor and smack him on the bum and tell him that he is a bad boy. That would be rude, and mean. I do however run quickly to him if I catch him peeing on the floor and carry him outside telling him that "Hoover pees outside". I keep him out for a while, he finishes peeing then I reward him with a boisterous "good pee" and a pet acknowledging the fact that peeing on the grass is where Hoovers are supposed to pee. We are in the process of teaching him to "leave it" should he be touching something that he shouldn't be. He is catching on very well. If your house is properly puppy proofed there shouldn't be much around that he can get into and land him self in trouble. He is told to "leave it" if he sniffs the garbage can, or is going after the toilet paper rolls again. now you don't want to be telling your dog to "leave it" or "no" all the time, that would give the best of us a headache if our boss at work watched us all day and kept doing that to us. Let alone that he starts thinking that's his name!!!

When he bites he grabbed by the collar and pulled away from our body and lifted, he is told a very firm "no bites" and then the game that was being played with him is done. He is given a toy and we walk away. Biting is natural for puppies so it cant be broken totally till after all of their adult teeth come in and have fully emerged. Until then just being firm and reminding them that biting is wrong if its on people but OK if its on a toy is the best that you can do. I will even let out a high pitch ow when bitten to resemble a yipe of a sibling puppy to help him connect that biting is not OK. Lucky for us we waited till 9 weeks to pick him up so he had already learned allot of biting manners. He does has an affinity for pant legs though, and that is reinforced many times daily and he keeps hanging on. I guess that it will be a battle for a few more months, we just have to make sure that it isn't made into a game before then.

The pee is taking over the house, I come home from work everyday and put Hoover outside, and wash the floors. Its getting exhausting and I am beginning to understand that they really are a hard breed to house train. The pooping outside is coming along rather nicely but he just pees so often that its hard to stay on top of him. Even after the floors are all washed I find that my sun room still smells like pee, but I am beginning to wonder if its all in my head. Cause I have cleaned that room like crazy day after day. New picture of him today, taken yesterday. He is growing so fast, and looking more different every day. Knowing that this faze lasts for such a short time I try to relish in it and appreciate the chewing, barking, and naughtiness. Soon he will be a grown up and I will be missing these days.