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!
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