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[Stephxo]

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Hello everyone, nice to meet you on behalf of Alfie, Bella and Peanut!

Peanut is our new 7 week old Border Terrier! I know shes still quite young, she will be 8 weeks on Sunday which is when I really want to start proper training. At the moment I have got bedtime sorted, Peanut is sleeping in a large crate at night with half dedicated to being an area where she can go to the toilet at night and the other half where she can sleep, hopefully this is okay? One problem I am facing is toilet training, so far she hasn't used the puppy mats and its really wet outside and even with a coat on after being in the garden two minutes she gets really cold and starts shaking, she also just watched the other dogs run around, anyone got any tips on how I can get around this? When she pees somewhere I have tried soaking it with a puppy mat so her scent is on it and she is getting closer to them.

Then there's just one more thing and that's socialisation, she has to have her injections from the start which means she most likely won't be able to go out on proper walks until shes 12 weeks old. Even when we had Alfie when he was 8 weeks he has always been unsure of people and I don't want Peanut to be the same, we live in the valleys a long way from any towns but we do take the dogs on holiday with us which means they need to be good with people and dogs. Any suggestions on ways to socialise Peanut are welcome, along with any other training tips that may come in handy such as tricks and recall, anything you guys feel are important that may have helped you guys with any problems you did or didn't have!��

Thanks for taking the time to read this and provide any help its really, really appreciated ! Xx

 

[londonpuppysitter]

Hi! Great to meet you on here Congrats on your new pup, Peanut is a lovely name. It's great that you will be starting her training early, they are so clever, and can pick up new tricks and commands very quickly when they are this young - especially terriers who are very sharp! I have a mixed pup who has jack russell terrier in her, as well as poodle and chinese crested and she literally had a hunger for learning something new from the moment I brought her home at 8 weeks.

7 weeks is quite young to bring a puppy home. It's usually better if you can leave a pup with the litter and parents for as long as possible so that they get their initial socialisation, but not to worry! There is plenty you can do to help - like exposing Peanut to literally as many different new experiences as you can, and always in a positively reinforcing way. Try to think about thinks you want her to be okay with as an adult - transport, people, other dogs, sounds, animals, children, machinery - just try to involve her as much as possible in your every day life. Get a puppy sling so you can take her out and about with you to experience new sights and sounds before she is 12 weeks. It is important not only to introduce her to new things, but also to make the experiences positive - so focus on being calm and happy yourself as puppies soak up how you are feeling - they will feel it if you are anxious! And bring plenty of treats out with you, and toys, and get people to feed her and approach in a friendly and non-intimidating way. No need to overwhelm your pup. And also remember that your pup should be sleeping most of the time anyway - 2 out of every 3 hours is recommended for good development. So keep it all short and sweet, but regular. I've covered it in quite some detail in a recent reply to another user on this forum, so have a look at my previous topic replies for a more detailed advice on toilet training.

Regarding your crate, you might want to get a divider to make her sleeping space smaller, as this will help with toilet training. Your pup will instinctively not want to go to the toilet where it sleeps, and it is a good practice to make sure that you are in control of her toilet times, rather than your pup choosing when and where to go for themselves. With a smaller crate for sleeping you will be able to control your pup's toilet habits better at night, and also teach your pup to "ask" to go out - she will quickly learn that whining means she will be let out to go to the toilet, and this will soon translate to her whining at the front door to alert you she needs to go. Look up "crate training" on google and you will find some useful tips on toilet training. I will be doing an article myself soon to post on my blog, as this seems to be a really popular concern for new puppy owners.

If you are eager to train your new pup tricks and commands I suggest you look up "clicker training" - it is the most effective way to teach a pup anything, and fast. It's also a lot of fun, and your pup will love it!

Please visit my website and blog as I will be posting plenty of material you will find useful and entertaining. And I would absolutely LOVE it if you would join my mailing list

Thanks so much for your puppy love & support!

Zara M.

http://londonpuppysitter.com