Being the Top Dog

I've been doing a little research about being the top dog. I buy into the philosophy that dogs are pack animals with a fairly structured hierarchy. And that one way to help your dog and yourself to be happier is to establish and maintain who is the top dog in your household. So then the next question is how exactly do you do that. Some things I know, but figured I could use a little more education.

I've found quite a few articles on this topic. For example, I found one article on http://www.dummies.com/ about being the top dog in your home. I'm not sure I agree with everything, but then that is to be expected. Typically I try to read a lot, think a lot, and pick the nuggets of useful information that I can internalize and implement. In this case, here's what I learned and how I will try to implement:

• Dummies.com says Never step over or around your dog. I have read advice on this before, and in fact my husband agrees. But I read another piece somewhere that I like better, which suggests stepping over your dog or requiring them to move is one way to establish yourself as the Top Dog. If you go around them, you leave the impression that they can lay wherever they want, and you are beneath them and therefore can simply walk around.
• Dummies.com says Always go through a doorway first, before your dog. In this case, I kind of agree again. However, we have situations where I need the dogs to go first. For example, I always want my dogs to go first up or down the stairs. Quite simply, we have small children, and I don't want dogs inadvertently bumping them. But what I do is have them stop, give the command to go, and then follow. So that is my compromise. I feel I am still controlling the situation, and I am still the Top Dog.
• Dummies.com says Don't pet your dog just because she nudges your hand. This I do agree with. And related, if your little dog jumps up at the edge of the couch or at your leg so you will pick her up, don't do it. The issue here is that you are letting the dog determine how and where they will get picked up and receive attention. If you are the Top Dog, you should control that. Other research indicates that it is ok for the dog to nudge your hand for a pet, have you get them in a sit stay for a bit to establish your control, and then pet. So you don't have to completely disregard their need for some cuddles. Just do it on your terms.
• Dummies.com says Practice 30 minute down stay every day. I do agree with this, though it is very hard to do a full 30 minutes. Giving commands and requiring them to be followed is a great way to establish yourself as Top Dog. The down stay is also a great thing for your dog to know.

Anyway, there are a few more bits of advice in that column that are worthwhile to look up. I have a few additional articles I like as well, so if I have time later today I'll post a few more tips that I like.

Gotta love your vet

Way back, many many years ago, I had my first dog ever. A blue dobie named Max. Max was super sweet and I thought very attractive. His tail was cropped in typical doberman style, but I left his ears floppy. Because of his color and ears, lots of folks thought he was a Weimaraner. Anyway, when he was a puppy, he was in the backyard playing with my roommates dog, and somehow hit a big plate glass window and cut up his leg. Took him to the vet who bandaged him up. I had to travel for work the next week. About mid-week, my roommate called. She'd taken him to the vet and they were concerned they would have to amputate his leg because of pressure sores. He was my baby! I was totally freaked out.

Anyway, long story short, I was going to have to travel for work for a bit, and Max needed bandage changes multiple times a day. So I ended up boarding him at a place that did high end dog training, and changed vets to someone who was across the street from the boarding place, and who would travel to see him multiple times a day.

Long story short...I loved my vet. I would say that until my kids came along, I had a better relationship with my vet than any other doctor or vet or medical person. Ever! Over time I moved waaaaay across town. I continued to make the 45 minute drive to the vet for many years. But finally just recently decided I couldn't do it anymore. We started going to a new vet closer to the house. And it's just not the same. It's a "practice", so any visit you could see a different vet. And it feels more like a business than someone to whom I am entrusting my puppies!

Anyway, still working on the whole relationship thing.

Best way to clean piddle. Ever!

My best claim to fame at the moment is that I do know how to clean up piddle from the carpet. So, I will share. My husband actually is the one who found this out after many hours of internet research and trial and error. And I will share it with you free of charge, out of the goodness of my heart. Because us fellow-puppy owners need to help each other out!

First, you need one big spray bottle with water, one big spray bottle with Nature's Miracle, and one big roll or paper towels. All which can be refilled, etc.

The trick is to use the water bottle and dilute the piddle. Soak it pretty good. Then, use paper towels to soak up the water and piddle. Soak up as much as you can, until it's almost dry. Then soak the spot again with Nature's Miracle.

Since we began using this method with one of our previous puppies, we don't have carpet stains from piddle unless we didn't see the accident.

The downside is that if I were smart, I would have bought stock in Bounty paper towels many many years ago, and I would probably be super wealthy by now...

Cloudy, with a chance of piddle

Yep, raining again. I started doing some searching for tips about getting your pup to potty outside when it is raining. Lots of advice, but nothing really new. I had a doberman previously, and he HATED to go in the rain. That pup could hold it for a week!

In any case, I did find lots about litter box training your dog. We gave it a half-hearted attempt at the beginning, but abandoned it. Now it is a fine decoration and play toy. But like everything, this isn't so easy for Woodfi. He will poop and piddle in the litter box. But he will also poop and piddle in other places. He is definitely an equal opportunity piddler! I think part of the problem is that he likes to do his business in private. The litterbox we got is open-air, so I wonder if we got a regular cat litter box he would use it more. Hmmm... We did get pellets used for horse stalls instead of the expensive doggie litter, and I've also wondered if the enticing smell (whatever that is!) would make a difference?

I understand the principal, and I've done lots of reading, like on YorkiTalk and other dog forums. Maybe the problem is me and not the dog?
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/training/166986-litter-box-training-your-yorkie.html

Hmmm...maybe I will continue to do the leash housetraining and also add in the litterbox training and keep you all posted...

Housebreaking, my favorite topic

Of course, housebreaking, potty training, house training, whatever you call it, is a consumming topic. After my first child was born, I was amazed at how obsessed I was over bodily functions. I counted input (minutes nursing and oz from the bottle), and I counted output (wet diapers, poopy diapers, what color was the poop, etc.) I thought I would never be that obsessed again. But boy was I wrong! This housebreaking thing is killing me!

And that darn Woody, he did it again tonight! Home from work. Outside to potty. Which yes, I did observe, but no, he wasn't on the leash. Inside and within 5 minutes piddled on the floor. I'm very grateful for my tile right about now.

I found a website that promises you can housebreak your puppy in 5 days. http://www.housebreakingmypuppy.com/. I know from personal experience that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. So what do you think? It took me scrolling through four page to find out that isn't only $39.99, and if I buy before midnight tonight, I can get $15 off. I'm tempted...seriously...

Raining. Again.

I should be happy that it is raining again. For the kabillionth time in the last kabllion weeks. It provides me with a built-in, no-questions-asked excuse for why Woody won't potty outside.

About a week ago I tried the leash thing--only going outside on the leash, where I could watch him potty and instantly praise his positive deposits. I do think that it has had a positive impact. However, here's a question for you. What do you get when it is raining outside, you are leash-potty training your 6 mo old puppy who, BTW, 1) doesn't like to be in the rain, and 2) likes to poop in private. Answer. Nothing. Yes, bit fat nothing. Outside anyway. I think that darn puppy didn't poop for 2 whole days! Either that or I just haven't found the little poop nuggets yet.

But as I said, I do think it has had a positive impact. I did the leash thing religiously for a whole week. Woodfi didn't go out of his crate without being on a leash. Potty accidents in the house reduced dramatically. Didn't go away, but did go down. As an unintended side effect, the guilt factor did rise dramatically. Which is why I only stuck with it a week. But we're still in a decent place, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

Introduction to our puppies

I spend so much time thinking about my puppies, I might as well write about them. Cute. Cuddly. Lovable. Maddening! Adorable. Couldn't live without them. :-) We have tons of adventures. And in the end I think I will be an expert. In all things puppy. But for right now I am definitely still learning.

My husband and I are on puppies 3 and 4 for our marriage. And we each had dogs previously. So we're not newbies. Except in the way that every new dog makes you a newbie for that dog. So for right now we have a 4 yr old 60 lb tri-color English Setter named Blanton and a 6 mo old 10 lb black and tan Yorkie named Woodford. Yep, named after fine bourbons. And no, the kids didn't name them. But named they are, and the names have stuck. Despite the fact that my daughter thinks that Woodford is still a placeholder until she thinks up a really good name. Blanton aka Blanti aka Blant aka Spooge Boy. And Woodford aka Woodfi aka Woody aka Piddle Boy aka Jack aka No Woody! You get the picture.

And this blog is about building our lives with our dogs. Learning together. Overcoming puppy challenges. Housebreaking. Grooming. Cleaning. Playing. Because we love our dogs. And they love us.