Now that I know Sobe can hold his pee for an hour without accidents, I am keeping him out of his crate for 1.5 hours plus an extra 15 minutes. Yes, that's me pushing it! We've had a couple of accidents already this week because after the 1.5 hours, he will pee on the floor. Last night was a record for us. I walked him at 7:30pm and I kept him out of his crate until he peed on the floor at 10:30pm! He could have held it in for a half hour longer until his walk if Rick didn't get up and run to the kitchen. Sobe excitedly ran after him and with no signs of sniffing or circling, the little guy just squatted and peed.
It sucks that Sobe still doesn't know to go to the door when he feels the urge. Although this morning, I sat him by the door to leash him up and he peed there. I'm not sure if that was because he just couldn't hold it any longer or if it's because he associated the door with being outside and it triggered his bladder to just let loose. I'm hoping it's the latter because that's a sign that he's finally understanding!
The Excorcism of the Devil Dog
One thing of concern I'd like to mention is that Sobe HATES when I wipe his paws down after going outside. Sobe used to wriggle about and try run away from me whenever I use the baby wipes on him but last night, he started growling and biting! I tried the whole Cesar Millan thing on him where I'd poke him in the ribs and make the infamous, "Sshh!" sound but that aggravated him. Then I put him down on the ground and held him there but he was growling and barking even more and really tried to snap at my hands. I don't know how Cesar does it but it didn't work for me! Maybe it's my "energy". I must admit I was getting pretty pissed off at the 3-month old four-legged furball. How can this little thing try to dominate an adult human, higher up in the animal kingdom?? Instead of keeping him on his side, I picked him up and held him in my arms and didn't let him get away. He still wriggled about and growled but I felt that I had better control of his kicking limbs. Eventually the growl turned into an anxious whine and finally, I felt his tail go limp and drop. I wanted to do a victory dance but to keep up the pack leader image, I walked him to his crate and told him "nite nite." Sobe was exhausted so he crawled in there, I dropped him a couple of treats, and went to bed. Where was Rick, you ask? Rick was snoring in bed since it was close to midnight. It was only me, Sobe, and the Devil Dog.
If anyone has tips or tricks on how to control his awful behavior, I'm all ears! This morning, I used treats to get Sobe to let me to wipe his paws. Puppy snacks can be like holy water to deter doggy evilness!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
No Accidents!
I'm so proud to report that Rick nor I had to wipe up pee from the floor yesterday! There were no accidents in between Sobe's walk and crate times, which is a first. My poor overwashed hands are tremendously thankful! Not having any accidents can probably be attributed to the fact that it was a Saturday and we were both home most of the day keep him in check. It was more regulated compared to last weekend which was filled with car trips and house visits for Chinese New Year. The articles I've read in my research are absolutely correct in saying that puppies must be supervised 100%. You have to watch them like a hawk to prevent anything unwanted from happening. There were times when I myself had use the bathroom and I'll come back to a puddle or find him chewing on my phone charger.
There were a couple of things Rick and I did yesterday that makes us believe Sobe has made definite progress with his potty training. We both went out yesterday for 4 hours but Sobe didn't soil his bedding (no bacon bone this time!). I also kept him out for an extra 30 minutes after his walks. We typically let him play for about an hour after a walk and he would usually pee a little before or after the hour. After referring to Sobe's Potty Journal, I noticed that his accidents were starting to occur mostly after the hour so yesterday, I kept him preoccupied with his toys for the extra 30 minutes to see if he can hold it for that long. There were times when I caught him leaving his toy to sniff around but I would redirect his attention to the toy. I basically hung out on the floor with him, waved the toy in his face or called his name whenever he would start sniffing. When the full 1-1/2 hour passed, Sobe would be exhausted from play and I'd bring him to his crate. This worked yesterday and I hope to keep this up with him, gradually extending his time out of the crate.
I've got 5 episodes of the Dog Whisperer on my DVR to keep me patient and motivated!! :)
There were a couple of things Rick and I did yesterday that makes us believe Sobe has made definite progress with his potty training. We both went out yesterday for 4 hours but Sobe didn't soil his bedding (no bacon bone this time!). I also kept him out for an extra 30 minutes after his walks. We typically let him play for about an hour after a walk and he would usually pee a little before or after the hour. After referring to Sobe's Potty Journal, I noticed that his accidents were starting to occur mostly after the hour so yesterday, I kept him preoccupied with his toys for the extra 30 minutes to see if he can hold it for that long. There were times when I caught him leaving his toy to sniff around but I would redirect his attention to the toy. I basically hung out on the floor with him, waved the toy in his face or called his name whenever he would start sniffing. When the full 1-1/2 hour passed, Sobe would be exhausted from play and I'd bring him to his crate. This worked yesterday and I hope to keep this up with him, gradually extending his time out of the crate.
I've got 5 episodes of the Dog Whisperer on my DVR to keep me patient and motivated!! :)
Friday, February 19, 2010
Splat!
The little superhero decided to leap off of Rick's lap last night from the couch. I was cooking in the kitchen and I heard this big crash followed by howling/wailing from Sobe. When I rushed to the living room, I found Sobe on the ground just sitting there, wailing. His cry was so heartbreaking! Rick told me he just jumped for it. Sigh... I think when we have kids, I'm going to have to put a safety belt around Rick and the child so the two of them don't separate. After about 2 minutes of crying, Sobe pushed himself up against Rick for comfort. We checked his limbs and everything was fine. I think he was hurt but was more shocked and scared than anything.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Disappearance of the Bacon Bone
What a long day it was yesterday for me, Rick and Sobe! Rick and I both worked all day, which meant Sobe spent about the same amount of time in his crate. Poor little guy! I walked him in the morning and I went home around lunch to walk him again and play with him. He was able to hold it until then! What a good sign! Before I left to go back to work, I opened up a bacon-flavored chew bone for him to work off his boredom since the afternoon will be a 4-5 hour stretch for him until one of us gets back. I thought the bone would last a good while.
At the end of the day, Rick and I left work around the same time. I ran to catch the train home, hoping Rick would get there before me to rescue Sobe from being crated all day. I pictured Sobe lying belly-up in his crate, exhausted from gnawing on the crate wires with hopes of breaking free. And who needs physical therapy for a recovering ankle when I have a puppy who makes me walk him several times a day and run through rush hour swarms of people to get home to him?
I speed-walked my way home from the train station and by the time I burst through my door, I saw the crate door open and Sobe gone. Phew! Rick made it! I calmed down, settled in and peered into the crate. I saw there was no water left in his water bowl. Sobe sure was thirsty! That was when I noticed that his food bowl was still full and there were crumbs all over his blanket. I searched for the bacon bone and it was gone - nowhere in sight. Sobe apparently chewed and ate away at the entire bone! Which explained why he probably got thirsty and drank all his water and was too full to eat his regular healthy (and expensive!) food. When I grabbed the bedding to get rid of the crumbs, I also found that he peed on it. Go figure with all the water he lapped up. Now I know not to buy anymore bacon bones for him!
The rest of the night was thankfully more relaxed and Sobe did not end up with constipation after eating that bacon bone! We used up the last of the wee wee pads so Sobe ended up peeing on the rug next to it a couple of times. I need to teach him to go to the door when he needs to pee!
Things Sobe mastered today: Going up the steps in front of the building, walking into elevator without hestitation, and the highlight - he learned to lie down!!
At the end of the day, Rick and I left work around the same time. I ran to catch the train home, hoping Rick would get there before me to rescue Sobe from being crated all day. I pictured Sobe lying belly-up in his crate, exhausted from gnawing on the crate wires with hopes of breaking free. And who needs physical therapy for a recovering ankle when I have a puppy who makes me walk him several times a day and run through rush hour swarms of people to get home to him?
The rest of the night was thankfully more relaxed and Sobe did not end up with constipation after eating that bacon bone! We used up the last of the wee wee pads so Sobe ended up peeing on the rug next to it a couple of times. I need to teach him to go to the door when he needs to pee!
Things Sobe mastered today: Going up the steps in front of the building, walking into elevator without hestitation, and the highlight - he learned to lie down!!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Law & Order
I am constantly strategizing on how to train Sobe... what we can do to make it work for us and for him. I think that as he's approaching his "terrible 2" stage, we need to be more strict with disciplining him. (He's already testing the water with us and trying to get his way). Here's what I researched so far that I think will help us help him. It's also helpful that I establish some training rules so that Rick and I are on the same page and remain consistent.
1. Affection - We love Sobe and he's a ball of fur and we want to pet him all the time but we should only show him affection when he's calm, when he does something right or listens to a command. If he's out of control (not the normal playful energy), we need to calm him down before we give him affection. So for instance, if we're playing with him and he gets hyper and nips/bites, poke him in the ribs (or use massager) and say, "no bite!", then don't play with him anymore until he calms down. He's usually a good boy and plays on his own on the rug so I think he deserves affection most of the time but we just need to be careful on when not to give it.
2. Working it! - Before food, treats, toys, or playtime, we need to make Sobe sit and wait before he can get it.
3. Pawing - I notice that Sobe's been trying to climb on top of us and paw us when he wants something. This is his way of exerting dominance and so we need to cut that out ( I didn't know at first). Until he stops and sits, he doesn't get what he wants.
4. Walks - Remember to keep the leash loose and let Sobe walk. Stay next to, or a step ahead of him. Tighten leash when he goes in the opposite direction, followed immediately by slacking the leash again. This is how he knows that life will be easy and struggle-free when he doesn't pull. It's ok if he walks horizontally but just not the opposite direction.
Things to work on:
1. Commands & Vocabulary - Sit, Outside, Lie Down, No bite, Off (when he jumps on us), Nite Nite, Slow (when he tries to run off on the leash when walking. He's pretty good at responding to this now!), Come here (he's SO stubborn with this one!), Get Over There (when he hovers and smothers you while you're trying to do something like clean his pee!)
2. Walking into the elevator at the lobby - he did it this morning for the first time!
3. Signal for going out - Training him to sit by the door before going out.
4. Wee wee pad - We usually let Sobe play after his walk. After about an hour, and if he's not crated we'll find him sniffing which means he probably has to pee. We need to bring him near the wee wee pad so he can learn to go on it. He's already starting to use the pad but still has accidents. I was skeptical about this one at first but a neighbor said that teaching him to use the wee wee pad as an emergency method will alleviate stress for us and for Sobe. Sobe won't have the burden of holding it for hours and we won't have the burden of hurrying home if we can't make it. Sounds good to me! I hope to slowly eliminate it as his bladder get stronger.
Below are pictures Rick took of Sobe on his afternoon walk. He's walking pretty confidently now even in the sleet and rain. He's also trying to climb the stairs to our building. Don't you love his little army jacket? It says "Rebel" in the back. If he has the army hard hat, he'll look like a true soldier marching down the street!
1. Affection - We love Sobe and he's a ball of fur and we want to pet him all the time but we should only show him affection when he's calm, when he does something right or listens to a command. If he's out of control (not the normal playful energy), we need to calm him down before we give him affection. So for instance, if we're playing with him and he gets hyper and nips/bites, poke him in the ribs (or use massager) and say, "no bite!", then don't play with him anymore until he calms down. He's usually a good boy and plays on his own on the rug so I think he deserves affection most of the time but we just need to be careful on when not to give it.
2. Working it! - Before food, treats, toys, or playtime, we need to make Sobe sit and wait before he can get it.
3. Pawing - I notice that Sobe's been trying to climb on top of us and paw us when he wants something. This is his way of exerting dominance and so we need to cut that out ( I didn't know at first). Until he stops and sits, he doesn't get what he wants.
4. Walks - Remember to keep the leash loose and let Sobe walk. Stay next to, or a step ahead of him. Tighten leash when he goes in the opposite direction, followed immediately by slacking the leash again. This is how he knows that life will be easy and struggle-free when he doesn't pull. It's ok if he walks horizontally but just not the opposite direction.
Things to work on:
1. Commands & Vocabulary - Sit, Outside, Lie Down, No bite, Off (when he jumps on us), Nite Nite, Slow (when he tries to run off on the leash when walking. He's pretty good at responding to this now!), Come here (he's SO stubborn with this one!), Get Over There (when he hovers and smothers you while you're trying to do something like clean his pee!)
2. Walking into the elevator at the lobby - he did it this morning for the first time!
3. Signal for going out - Training him to sit by the door before going out.
4. Wee wee pad - We usually let Sobe play after his walk. After about an hour, and if he's not crated we'll find him sniffing which means he probably has to pee. We need to bring him near the wee wee pad so he can learn to go on it. He's already starting to use the pad but still has accidents. I was skeptical about this one at first but a neighbor said that teaching him to use the wee wee pad as an emergency method will alleviate stress for us and for Sobe. Sobe won't have the burden of holding it for hours and we won't have the burden of hurrying home if we can't make it. Sounds good to me! I hope to slowly eliminate it as his bladder get stronger.
Below are pictures Rick took of Sobe on his afternoon walk. He's walking pretty confidently now even in the sleet and rain. He's also trying to climb the stairs to our building. Don't you love his little army jacket? It says "Rebel" in the back. If he has the army hard hat, he'll look like a true soldier marching down the street!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Happy Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day! Sobe's Family Gatherings
February 14th marked the arrival of the Year of the Tiger and also a day to celebrate love. Happy Chinese New Year!! Happy Valentine's Day!! Rick and I were happy to have Sobe a part of the celebrations albeit the walks and pee-pee spills in between. I was worried that the weekend celebrations would throw him off schedule but I tried my hardest to walk him and feed him around the usual times. Sobe did have a couple of accidents at mine and Rick's parents' house despite sticking to the schedule. It could've been from the excitement of being in new places and being around Boots (Rick's family's Pekinese) and Tarzan (my brother's Yorkie). Then again, Sobe still has accidents at home despite his frequent walks! Like I said, it's a work in progress!
New Faces, New Places
We took Sobe with us to visit Rick's dad, his brother and sister-in-law, Pat and Grace on Saturday evening for Chinese New Year's eve. This is the time where Chinese families do ancestral worship and rituals at home and gather for dinner to welcome the new year. Because we knew we would be there for most of the night, we packed Sobe's food, food dish, carrier, blanket, toys, and Nature's Miracle odor eliminator/cleaner for his accidents. It was like packing a diaper bag for a baby!
When we arrived at Pat and Grace's place, I didn't let him out of his carrier until Boots the Pekinese sniffed him and didn't feel threatened. Boots is not very social with other dogs and tends to display anxiety followed by aggression towards them so we were all trying to give Boots as much control over the situation as possible in his home and not overwhelm him. Once Boots was done sniffing and felt that Sobe was okay, we let Sobe out. At this point, Boots retreated and ran out of the room, not wanting anything to do with Sobe. Sobe was very calm and relaxed and did not run after him. I'm so happy that Boots accepted Sobe in his own way! I think it helped that Sobe didn't agitate him by chasing after him to play. When it came to interacting with people, Sobe loves to be cuddled and held. He would go limp once someone holds him and allow the person to handle and manipulate him every which way. Hmmm.... he's not really like that at home! He's a bit more rambunctious and mischievous!
The very next day, we took Sobe to my parents' house to visit for New Year's day. We didn't pack as much since my parents live only 10 blocks away. Again, he was very social, mellow and calm and allowed everyone to hold him and cuddle him without struggle. Makes me wonder if he doesn't like me very much since he's not like that with me! (Hmmmm again.) When Tarzan the Yorkie arrived, I brought Sobe outside to introduce them before going back in the house. Tarzan being a more energetic dog played with Sobe for hours! Sobe received an uncountable amount of wet willies because by the time I went to get him to leave, his head and ears were all wet from Tarzan licking him. I think Sobe got him back because my brother said there was pee on the floor and Tarzan rolled all over it. My brother and his wife had to deal with a smelly pee-matted Tarzan on their 45-minute drive back home.
Needless to say, Sobe was exhausted that evening. He slept quite a bit! By the way, his walks have improved. He is more willing to walk and we've conquered his fear of my building lobby. My next goals will be for him to let me know when he has to go outside by sitting next to the door and knowing to use the wee wee pad if he has to go in between walks for emergencies. The emergency wee wee pad has been set out since he arrived but he either ignores it or chews it up. The past couple of days, he has gone to pee on it on his own but often times still has accidents elsewhere. I'm also working on "lie down", "come here" and "stay". He's about 75% done with the last two commands. We and Sobe have survived Puppy Bootcamp week 1!!
New Faces, New Places
We took Sobe with us to visit Rick's dad, his brother and sister-in-law, Pat and Grace on Saturday evening for Chinese New Year's eve. This is the time where Chinese families do ancestral worship and rituals at home and gather for dinner to welcome the new year. Because we knew we would be there for most of the night, we packed Sobe's food, food dish, carrier, blanket, toys, and Nature's Miracle odor eliminator/cleaner for his accidents. It was like packing a diaper bag for a baby!
When we arrived at Pat and Grace's place, I didn't let him out of his carrier until Boots the Pekinese sniffed him and didn't feel threatened. Boots is not very social with other dogs and tends to display anxiety followed by aggression towards them so we were all trying to give Boots as much control over the situation as possible in his home and not overwhelm him. Once Boots was done sniffing and felt that Sobe was okay, we let Sobe out. At this point, Boots retreated and ran out of the room, not wanting anything to do with Sobe. Sobe was very calm and relaxed and did not run after him. I'm so happy that Boots accepted Sobe in his own way! I think it helped that Sobe didn't agitate him by chasing after him to play. When it came to interacting with people, Sobe loves to be cuddled and held. He would go limp once someone holds him and allow the person to handle and manipulate him every which way. Hmmm.... he's not really like that at home! He's a bit more rambunctious and mischievous!
The very next day, we took Sobe to my parents' house to visit for New Year's day. We didn't pack as much since my parents live only 10 blocks away. Again, he was very social, mellow and calm and allowed everyone to hold him and cuddle him without struggle. Makes me wonder if he doesn't like me very much since he's not like that with me! (Hmmmm again.) When Tarzan the Yorkie arrived, I brought Sobe outside to introduce them before going back in the house. Tarzan being a more energetic dog played with Sobe for hours! Sobe received an uncountable amount of wet willies because by the time I went to get him to leave, his head and ears were all wet from Tarzan licking him. I think Sobe got him back because my brother said there was pee on the floor and Tarzan rolled all over it. My brother and his wife had to deal with a smelly pee-matted Tarzan on their 45-minute drive back home.
Needless to say, Sobe was exhausted that evening. He slept quite a bit! By the way, his walks have improved. He is more willing to walk and we've conquered his fear of my building lobby. My next goals will be for him to let me know when he has to go outside by sitting next to the door and knowing to use the wee wee pad if he has to go in between walks for emergencies. The emergency wee wee pad has been set out since he arrived but he either ignores it or chews it up. The past couple of days, he has gone to pee on it on his own but often times still has accidents elsewhere. I'm also working on "lie down", "come here" and "stay". He's about 75% done with the last two commands. We and Sobe have survived Puppy Bootcamp week 1!!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Massager Turned Training Tool
As cute as Sobe is when he's playing, the minute he sinks his tiny dagger teeth into my hands, feet, clothes, or other non-chew toy items, it can quickly become annoying. He was biting my pants the other night and I gave him a push saying, "No!" but he would jump right back at me, thinking it's a game. I shoved him away a couple more times and said, "NO!" in a louder, stern tone but it was still useless. Sobe became relentless. He really tested my patience with the biting and I must admit that I did what every professional trainer out there would frown upon: I gave Sobe a spank on the butt. He was shocked at first and jumped aside but in a couple of seconds, he darted right back for my pants. I felt hopeless and I didn't want to just walk away because that would mean that he got his way. I felt the need to make him stop. While I sat on the floor trying to come up with a plan, my eyes fell upon a little electric hand massager I had gotten for Christmas one year. The massager has three nubby legs and vibrates when you press a button. I grabbed it and while Sobe was preoccupied with gnawing on my pants, I pressed the massager's nubby legs against his butt, pressed the button to buzz him, then quickly turned it off and hid the device behind me. I said, "No bite!" The buzzing shocked him and he quickly jumped away and tried to see what caused it. After a few seconds, he turned his attention back to my pants and started to go for it. I buzzed him with the massager again, and he darted away, shocked. I repeated, "No bite!" This time, he walked away from my pants.
I tried this again when I found Sobe chewing on Rick's bookbag. I initially told him "No bite" but when he didn't listen even after a few times of me telling him, I used the massager. He would quickly stop. I used the massager in a couple more instances when he was overly hyper and chewing away on anything other than his toys. Thanks to the massager, he is already responding to "No bite" pretty well now.
In case anyone thinks it's torture, the massaging tool is not painful at all (it's meant for us humans without the thick fur!).
Thursday, February 11, 2010
What's He Up To?
I'm sitting at work on my lunch break now wondering what Sobe's up to. I heard from my husband at around 1:15pm telling me he walked Sobe at 12:30pm. Sobe peed on our foyer rug before going out, peed outside, and then came back home and peed on our living room rug. Just wonderful! Rick put him in his crate before leaving for work at 1pm. In addition to putting Sobe in there, he also put in his food and water dishes! I just KNOW I'm coming home to a surprise this evening. It's been over an hour since his walk. I hope he can hold it until I get home. I also am wondering if he's crying since he probably got used to us playing with him at this time of day when we took days off earlier this week.
I'll keep everyone posted on how Sobe handled his first afternoon alone!
Okay, so Rick actually went home earlier in the afternoon but we agreed to test Sobe's bladder control. Rick texted me with a note, "He's doing fine. Still sleeping." That was 4pm. 4:30pm: "He's awake now. Just chewing on his rawhide. He whined a little but seems fine." Rick had to leave by 5:00pm to attend a mixed martial arts class (which deserves a whole other blog). I left work at 5:30pm and got home as fast as I could. I was running up the stairs of my building by 6:15pm and found Sobe sleeping on top of another blanket in his crate. His initial fleece blanket was tossed aside to a corner of the living room. His bladder couldn't hold for all those hours after all. I found out later that when Sobe saw Rick getting ready to leave for class, he cried and just let loose. However, holding his bladder from 12:30pm - 5 is pretty darn good! We decided to stick with a midday walk for Sobe until he gets it.
Sobe's evening bathroom activities have been more or less the same. A walk at 6:30pm, Sobe peeing in the apartment around 7pm, another walk at 9 and again at 11:30pm before we all go to bed. One improvement today is that he is finally walking into the lobby of my building and towards the elevator!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Snow Day Frustrations
A snow storm struck New York today blanketing our cars and streets with the white stuff. We woke up this morning at 7am and saw about an inch on the ground already. Our wonderful neighbors who own a 1 year old daschund, Joy, left a gift of 2 jackets for Sobe. They fit him perfectly! Sobe started the day off well. I took him out for his morning walk and he did his business and played in the snow. He was extremely cute to watch! Rick and I walked him one last time an hour later before we left for work and then dropped him off in his crate.
Sobe did so well in his crate. Rick got home at around 1pm and found Sobe waiting for him. No whimpering at all. Because it was a snow day, Rick didn't have to go back to work. Instead, Sobe got taken to my parents for some snow shoveling action. Guess we'll see how he handles his afternoon crating tomorrow when we will both be at work a full day.
The frustrations started in the evening. I took him for his 6pm walk and he did his business like a good boy. He met a couple of dogs along the way and one growled and barked at him. Sobe stood his ground and remained calm. On our way back home, I noticed he was leading and pulling on the leash more. I couldn't get him to calm down. Maybe because of the snow?
An hour later, Sobe had an accident at home. I took him back out again and this time with more snow, he didn't quite stay focused on getting business taken care of. I continued walking and we ran into another dog. The two sniffed each other and Sobe began to growl and bark at him. I've never seen Sobe act this way before and it was disturbing. Is he learning this behavior from other dogs? This isn't the type of behavior I would want to condone. Again, he tugged and pulled on his leash as I brought him back into the apartment.
20 minutes later after playing with his toys at home, he had another accident! These accidents are small amounts, not a full bladder of pee. I didn't catch him in time so I just cleaned it up. Another 20 minutes later, our neighbor (the daschund, Joy, and his dad) rang our bell to ask about the jackets from this morning. Sobe went out to meet Joy and the two were roughing and tumbling. Joy kept knocking Sobe over and Sobe eventually bared his teeth and growled and barked at him. Again, very disturbing to me. I grabbed Sobe and told him "No!" He calmed down until Joy bounded over again and jumped on him, causing it to start all over.
It was pretty rough this evening with him growling, pulling on the leash and having accidents in the house. I also felt my training efforts were constantly being interrupted with our neighbors' dogs outside. I guess that's a part of being a puppy parent. I'm pooped!
Sobe did so well in his crate. Rick got home at around 1pm and found Sobe waiting for him. No whimpering at all. Because it was a snow day, Rick didn't have to go back to work. Instead, Sobe got taken to my parents for some snow shoveling action. Guess we'll see how he handles his afternoon crating tomorrow when we will both be at work a full day.
The frustrations started in the evening. I took him for his 6pm walk and he did his business like a good boy. He met a couple of dogs along the way and one growled and barked at him. Sobe stood his ground and remained calm. On our way back home, I noticed he was leading and pulling on the leash more. I couldn't get him to calm down. Maybe because of the snow?
An hour later, Sobe had an accident at home. I took him back out again and this time with more snow, he didn't quite stay focused on getting business taken care of. I continued walking and we ran into another dog. The two sniffed each other and Sobe began to growl and bark at him. I've never seen Sobe act this way before and it was disturbing. Is he learning this behavior from other dogs? This isn't the type of behavior I would want to condone. Again, he tugged and pulled on his leash as I brought him back into the apartment.
20 minutes later after playing with his toys at home, he had another accident! These accidents are small amounts, not a full bladder of pee. I didn't catch him in time so I just cleaned it up. Another 20 minutes later, our neighbor (the daschund, Joy, and his dad) rang our bell to ask about the jackets from this morning. Sobe went out to meet Joy and the two were roughing and tumbling. Joy kept knocking Sobe over and Sobe eventually bared his teeth and growled and barked at him. Again, very disturbing to me. I grabbed Sobe and told him "No!" He calmed down until Joy bounded over again and jumped on him, causing it to start all over.
It was pretty rough this evening with him growling, pulling on the leash and having accidents in the house. I also felt my training efforts were constantly being interrupted with our neighbors' dogs outside. I guess that's a part of being a puppy parent. I'm pooped!
First Few Days 2/6-2/9 - Adjusting to New Home
Since I am starting this blog a few days after getting Sobe, it's difficult to remember all the events that happened over the past few days. I'll try my best to categorize what I've been working on with Sobe. I've been doing a lot of Googling trying to research as much dog training material as possible hoping to become the Puppy Whisperer. I appreciate any tips/suggestions along the way!
Socialization
Sobe socializes very well with other dogs and people. My brother and Sarah brought their dogs over and Sobe was quite calm and confident. He wasn't timid, scared or aggressive. He exhibited very good energy. After getting acquainted, Sobe was very playful. He and the dogs ran all around the apartment. I'm thankful I have an understanding neighbor who lives downstairs! He acts in the same calm, confident manner when meeting dogs outside on his walks. He only barked and fended for himself when a daschund played too rough with him and tossed him around a few times.
Our neighbors love him when we take him out for walks. Again, he's not afraid on strangers and does not show signs of aggression. Just curiousity at first and then he wants to take off with the person! Hmmm... need to work on his loyalty!
Housebreaking/Crating
Rick and I decided to use the crating method to potty train Sobe. The crate is placed in a corner of the living room where Rick and I mostly hang out. The breeder told me that she was already working on housebreaking him and the training shows. He is able to hold his bladder for a good 2 hours when he's outside his crate and when he's in his crate, he's able to hold it for 7 hours. The first night we got him, I ignored his crying at 5am thinking that if I didn't pay attention, he will learn to stop crying. He stopped after 10 minutes and started crying again at 7am. This time, he was not only crying, he was scratching the crate and trying to free himself. I went out to the living room and got hit with the smell of poop. He somehow got it all over himself. I felt so bad for him. Now I know not to feed him too late and know that his cries in the morning means he needs to go outside!
After the first night's mishap, I've been diligent in sticking to a good schedule. I remove his food after his evening feeding and he sleeps through the night until 7am. When I hear him whimper, I get up and take him out immediately, using the word "Outside." When he comes in, Rick plays with him as a reward. He runs around with his toys for an hour and we put him back in his crate for a nap. We've been keeping the following schedule with him and so far, he's down to 3 accidents in the house:
7am - walk/feed
12 noon - walk/feed
3pm - walk
6:30pm - walk/feed (figure this will be about the time I get home from work)
9pm - walk
11pm - final walk before bed
He always plays for an hour or so after each walk before we put him in his crate. When we put him in during the middle of the day, he will whimper but hiding treats around his blanket has made it a better experience for him.
By the 3rd day with us, he already knows to sit and stay, especially when we go for walks and come back. He sits and waits when I put his harness on or remove it. Initially, he would squirm and wriggle but he realized he wasn't getting anywhere because I would have him clamped between my knees. It's amazing how quickly he learns.
We still have a some ways to go with the housebreaking. If we don't crate him after an hour, he will pee on the floor. Hopefully now that Rick and I are going back to work, he'll be more accustomed to the schedule.
Walking
Sobe absolutely refused to walk the first time I took him out. I think this is because he's not used to walking on concrete and the sights, sounds, and smells were brand new. It was such a struggle and I wanted to teach him good walking habits. I had to pick him up a lot in certain spots where he would just sit and not walk but by the second day, I started using treats to lure him along. This worked great. When he tries to turn around and go the other way, I stay put until he can't go any further and has no choice but to go towards my direction. The walks were tough the first couple of days with him fighting the leash, not wanting to walk, and trying to pull in the opposite direction. Patience does pay off. I had to stand in the cold for a long time and wait for him to walk then praise him. He's been really good with the leash now. My only problem now is to get him to walk in my building lobby towards the elevator. No amount of coaxing or treats can get him to walk in there!
How It All Started
(Sobe's half brother, Benny)
It all started with a Girls Trip up to visit a friend in Boston. One of my girlfriends, Sarah, decided to take her new Lhasa puppy, Benny, with her on the trip. Benny is one of the most mild-mannered, loveable dogs I have ever met. He was great during the 4 hour drive up to Boston, didn't show signs of anxiety or aggression and slept through the nights in Boston without making a fuss. Like all puppies, Benny would have accidents in the house and can be overly playful and get into mischief but he was easily controlled and tolerated discipline from his momma. It was that weekend I decided I want a dog just like Benny!
That Monday, I went online to look for Benny's breeder. Karen Kennedy of Kennedy's Stoneridge Kennel out in Oklahoma had pictures of the latest Lhasa litter posted on NextDayPets.com. After looking through each puppy picture and reading the personality profiles, I decided on Sobe (formerly known as Winston). Karen has been extremely helpful in finding a match with my lifestyle and personality. It's difficult not to be able to interact with the dog prior to purchasing but I was confident after reading reviews on the breeder and interacting with Benny that Sobe would have the similar personality traits that Benny has.
Sobe arrived just this past Saturday. My husband, Rick, and I picked him up at the airport and we could tell he was scared and tired. He wasn't a fresh smelling puppy either! After a bath and a few hours later, he proved to be the most loving dog any first-time dog owner can ask for!
Breeder Info:
Karen Kennedy
Kennedy's Stoneridge Kennel
Jay, Oklahoma
9185294578
http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/dogs/breeders/1100165/11556~1.aspx
That Monday, I went online to look for Benny's breeder. Karen Kennedy of Kennedy's Stoneridge Kennel out in Oklahoma had pictures of the latest Lhasa litter posted on NextDayPets.com. After looking through each puppy picture and reading the personality profiles, I decided on Sobe (formerly known as Winston). Karen has been extremely helpful in finding a match with my lifestyle and personality. It's difficult not to be able to interact with the dog prior to purchasing but I was confident after reading reviews on the breeder and interacting with Benny that Sobe would have the similar personality traits that Benny has.
Sobe arrived just this past Saturday. My husband, Rick, and I picked him up at the airport and we could tell he was scared and tired. He wasn't a fresh smelling puppy either! After a bath and a few hours later, he proved to be the most loving dog any first-time dog owner can ask for!
Breeder Info:
Karen Kennedy
Kennedy's Stoneridge Kennel
Jay, Oklahoma
9185294578
http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/dogs/breeders/1100165/11556~1.aspx
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