Puppy Training-The Good, the Bad, and Fun.
I am not sure about any of you, but I used to think puppy training was a breeze. With Oliver, things went very smoothly, and he knew where to go and what to do by 15 weeks, mind you, there were still accidents, but he was one puppy.
This time around, not only am I training one but two puppies. There are some positives and some negatives, but all in all, I love the process.
Back Story
My husband and I have Oliver, who is three years old and is an Australian Cattle and Mixture Pinscher mix. We have just added Leo, a Border Collie, and Poodle Mix to our family. We decided that Oliver needed a friend and that Leo's high energy and curiosity would be a great addition to our family.
When getting Leo, my family also got Leo's sibling Luna. As Dante and I live with my family, we now have five dogs and four cats roaming around the house. I know it's a full zoo here!
Since my sister has school to attend to, my mom runs her business outside the house throughout the day, and Dante and my dad are working in their offices, leaving me, the freelancer, now a full-time puppy trainer.
Since bringing Leo and Luna into our home, I have made a set schedule for them.
Kenzie's Puppy Schedule
7:30 am: Wake Up
Potty Outside Immediately
8:00 am: Breakfast
Potty Again
8:45 am: Play Time
9:30 am: Teething Snack
Potty
10:00 am: Nap Time
Potty
11:00 am: Playtime and Learning to sit
12:30 pm: Lunch
Potty
1:00 pm: Playtime
2:00 pm: Nap Time
Potty
3:00 pm: Play Time
4:00 pm: If nice out pool time*
5:30 pm: Dinner
Potty
7:00 pm: Hang out with Dante because I need a break, haha
Potty Time every 30 minutes until bedtime
10:00 pm: Bedtime
Trust me, this schedule changes; it is never perfectly on time. This schedule is just something I use as a guideline to help me keep things on track throughout the day. It is also helpful for the family that comes to help watch the puppies if needed. I take advantage of those naps to get as much work done as possible throughout the day, as they are napping now!
We have been doing crate training, and I recommend having blankets over the crate at night and taking the puppies' potty when they whine at night. It has helped the process of making them feel more comfortable and sleep better at night.
We have pee pads lad out around the house just if the puppies can't get to the back door in time to let us know they have to go potty. There are still accidents that happen off the pee pad, but Skout's Honor Urine Destroyer has helped clean up those accidents with ease. What I love about this cleaning solution is it is safe for pets.
One thing that is a lot of work is, we have to take them outside to the potty separately because they won't go and maul each other the whole time if we don't.
The Fun Part about playtime is that Leo and Luna have each other to run around with and can being rough. Oliver has played gently with them, taught them to fetch, taught them how to sit and go up and downstairs.
I am not a professional puppy trainer; I am just sharing my experiences with you, but if you have any questions about puppy training, I would love to tackle finding the solution with you.
I hope you all have an amazing week.
Sincerely,
Kenzie
