JERIS BIRDHOUSE JERIS BIRDHOUSE
JERI STEIDINGER
815-692-3550
jeri@jerisbirdhouse.com
www.jerisbirdhouse.com
PUPPY TIPS!
Here are some tips to help with your new puppy. Always make sure and use Vet care and follow your vets instructions for feeding and caring for him!
Purina Puppy Chow- LARGE BREED
Feed 3 times a day. Put some dry food in dish and cover with warm water and serve immediately. After the first few times you will be able to judge how much food to make and increase as his appetite increases! If you have to leave after a feeding, or putting puppy to bed, allow enough time so he can potty first!
Water -Too much water at this age can make poop runny! Sometimes if you put water down while they are still young they will drink til gone so you may just want to give a drink here and there and not leave a dish of water available at all times til it gets a bit bigger. Watch poop if too hard, increase water, if too runny, cut back on water some. This should just be for a few more weeks.
Chewing- Keeps a variety of toys for him to chew on available all the time. If you do pick them up, keep in one place so he knows where he can find them. If you see him chewing on something besides his toys, say NO! then give him something he can chew on, praise him for choosing the toy!
Potty Training- CONSISTANCY!!!! Keep confined when you can not watch him. If not confined, he needs to be with you at all times and can not be allowed to roam around the house til trained!!!! When he wakes up, he has to be takin out that second, you can not wait at all! Keep shoes, jacket etc by the door as you don’t have time to get these! As he gets bigger you will have a little more time to get him out.
Soon as eyes open, take out! Tell family members, you wake him up, then you take him out!
Say exact same thing EVERYTIME….EVERYBODY, EVERYTIME! “Lets go pee” and “come on, I’ll take you potty” are 2 different things and will confuse him, keep it the same and everyone that takes him out must do the same! I recommend, “Do you want to go outside and potty?”
This way as he gets a little older, and you have a few more seconds before he may have an accident, you can take him to the door, then keep asking…. “Do You Want to Go Out, Want to go Potty? When he barks, then take him out. He will soon go to the door and bark when he needs to go out!
Take to the Same Spot in the yard everytime, as soon as he starts potting, start praising, if this interupts him, then wait til he is finished. Make a huge deal of how good he is, they love to please you! Give a few more minutes to see if it needs to poop then. If others take him out for you, make sure they watch to see if it actually pottys or just walks around. You need to know so you know how long before you need to take him out again.
Accidents- you can not scold him if you do not catch him in the process! It is too late and he will not know what you are being sooo mean about! If you see him start to squat Firmly say “NO”, then run him out to his spot, saying the whole way want to go outside?,,,, want to go potty?,,, Even if you think he wont go anymore. Then praise him for trying!
Training will not take long if you are consistant and do not give too much room to roam, too early!
Saint Bernards grow so quickly and can soon get too big to handle. I recommend a dog training class if you are not experienced with training a dog. It is good socialization for him also. He needs to know the basics for his own safety too. It is much eaier and safer when you have him out doors if he can understand commands, especially near traffic and so much easier to walk him if he does not PULL! I believe you should use voice commands and also hand signals so if he is too far to hear you well he can see your hand signals. These can be taught at the same time.
Sit – push down on butt and point to the floor, saying “Sit” I snap my finger when pointing to the floor. Eventually you can just snap and point, he will sit. This can be started very young age and he will catch on very quick!
Speak - Have your puppy sit, then say “Speak”, keep saying it, getting him excited til he barks, then PRAISE!! Hand command, you could snap finger in air, not point at the floor.
Shake – or give me five! Just pick up paw while giving comand, then eventually just hold hand out…..PRAISE!!
Lay Down – have sit, then gently slide front legs out, saing “Laay Down” While pointing down to the floor, also tap on the floor. Eventually just point at floor. PRAISE!!
Stay – On a leash, have him sit, then place hand in front of his nose, say “Stay, while holding hand out in front of you, back up slowly just a step or two at first, Saying “Stay, Good boy, and repeat til you get to where you can walk a ways away, say Stay, stand there, look around, turn around etc., then say “ok come!” PRAISE!!!!
Recall – this is necessary for your dog to mind when you need him to come to you. You have to be consistant on your command and hand signal. You can not say “Fido come” one time and “Come here Fido” the next. Have him learn to stay, then give a quick tug on his choker and say “Fido Come” when he get to you have him sit or have him walk around you and sit at your side! PRAISE!!
Heal – He will not drag you if he has never been allowed! NEVER USE A RE-TRACKTABLE LEAD!
From the very first time you walk him, never allow him to walk ahead of you. Just give little tugs everytime he tries to go ahead of you, even if you have to keeping giving tugs several times in a row, he will learn. The very second he walks at your side PRAISE! When ever you stop, make him sit. Push down on his butt and say sit. If he is sitting to far from you, Stand him up, walk back around to your side and have sit again….PRAISE! Walk on the same side everytime, soon you can walk him with out a leash! When trained well a little child can walk him, that really makes heads turn! I never allow mine to potty on a walk. Don’t start this and it wont be a problem…you wont have to carry a big baggie around either!
Hope this helps, call if you need help or have a question!! Jeri