The Puppy Stage
8 to 12 weeks training
1. Avoid situations that could scare your puppy !
This is the time they are bonding with you as a leader of the pack more than any other time. Lead him or her in situations that give them confidence. He is still a puppy and needs your love and protection. If they are scared, pat them and tell them it's of. Avoid frightening experiences and work on giving the confidence. They need lots of petting and play.
2. Provide supervised play
If you have children, make sure that you watch the child and make sure that the child is not picking up the puppy. Dropping a puppy can hurt the pup and will provide a mistrusting environment. In addition, do not allow the puppy to jump all over the child, bite, or pull at their clothes. Tell the puppy ( DOWN ) and place him in a sit position.
If the puppy is biting, tell the puppy "No" and gentle hold his muzzle. Teach the child and pup to sit quietly for petting. You supervise and you correct the pup and child. Teach them to play together with toys. Remember if you don't want a 90 ~ 100 lb. dog jumping on the child, teach games that do not encourage the puppy to play rough. A ball, squeaky toys, chew toys or socks are what we use at this age. The puppies usually enjoy retrieving. Teach the child to wait till the toy is dropped and don't play keep away. This encourages the puppy to want to jump and get the toy. Also, be careful that the child does not step on the puppy. It's your job to supervise that play so that your pup is trained properly and your pup learns that children can be trusted.
This is a good time to introduce your puppy to children, Elderly people, and strangers. Remember that these positive introductions will influence your dog's confidence, ability to train, and trust in you and others. You must ensure that all experiences train your pup's temperament, trainability, and trust in you.
3. Forget the word NO unless the puppy is biting. only use the word NO for biting.
Housetraining begins as soon as you take the puppy home. Remember always, take the puppy outside when it wakes up. Watch the puppy and if there is an accident, take the puppy outside and praise him or her. Rubbing their nose in it will do nothing but make your puppy smell. They are developing bonding with you and will be eager to please you. I use the word ( OUTSIDE ) when training a pup to go outside or if there is an accident. They get the idea. If you use the word NO, the puppy may not want to go when you are around. Remember they are just learning what you want. They are learning words and their goal is to please you. Praise is a big motivator. Remember harsh corrections will influence your dogs emotional and trainability. You do not want a Doberman submissive or scared, so conditioning them with positive praise.
There is a article on the information page on housebreaking, Just remember the crate is necessary but a puppy should not live in a crate. Research has shown that many puppies that are isolated from humans at this age are maladjusted for life.
Remember to continue grooming your puppy. We use one of those plastic gloves and rub over the puppy everyday. Use a dremel for their nails. When we are petting them, we handle there feet and paws so that they are trusting. Run the dremel so they are use to the sound. You want to do this so that your pup will allow you to do there nails without objecting. Practice and positive experiences are a must. Dremel nails weekly. If you do need to bath your puppy, make sure they don't get chilled. Dry the pup completely with a towel. Sometimes you can use a hairdryer on their chest. Be sure that your pup is use to the dryer before you tart. You do not want your puppy to be fearful of this.
Use a Dog or puppy shampoo that are for pets only. Not humans. Rinsing completely is vital. Dobermans should not bathed too much, as it takes the natural oil from their coat.
13 ~ 16 weeks
Studies has shown that you must begin training by 16 weeks.
This does not mean you can't train after that, but the pup may not reach potential.
Hopefully you are already plying retrieving games with your puppy's toys. Throw their favorite toy and encourage them to bring it back. Do not play keep away if you want them to bring it back. Don't chase them around the yard to get the toy. Call them. Most of the time your pup will come back to you eagerly. If they don't bring the toy back, go and get it and begin the game again.
When petting the puppy, I always say the word sit. I put them gently in that position. only give the command once and place them in the sit. Tell them how wonderful they are and pet them.
A word of advice ~ If you don't want your pup (dog) you should not allow the puppy on the couch from the get go.
Begin obedience training at this age at home. (sit, down, stay, lead breaking)
Use praise and rewards. Our dogs love to eat so food is the reward we use. Research has shown that using punishment will result in a submissive behavior that most people do not want. You can ruin a puppy by causing cowarding, aggression, and other negative behavior by punishment. A puppy is a puppy and you should allow them to be just that. Most formal obedience classes begin at 6 months. Before you begin, make sure you have exposed the puppy to many positive experiences and done your work at home. If your puppy has been socialized, a puppy class at an earlier age may be appropriate but you must make sure the puppy has very positive experiences.
Just remember to praise your puppy for things they do right and know they must have success or they won't try.
Use light corrections and be forgiving. Allow and teach your puppy things you want of them as an adult dog, not reinforcing negative behavior that would not be good for a large dog. Have fun and if you have any questions please give us a call. 209-785-0669 any time.
GOOD LUCK !
