Hey everyone, my pup Kes is currently almost 15 weeks old and I am in desperate need of some help getting back on track as far as training goes. Basically, I got her on March 8th when she was 8 weeks old. About 2 weeks later, on the 21st, my father unexpectedly passed away. Since then things have kind of been a blur. I haven't had much time for training because of what happened. I have been doing my best to keep her basic needs met -- exercise, food, affection. And she has gotten lots of socialization since my father passed and people have been coming to visit us, My only concern is... I don't know where and how to begin behavior training. Which is weird for me to say, because before we even got her, I had been reading books, forums, and websites about dog and puppy training. She does know how to sit and speak on command. We're still working on "Lay Down, "Stay," and "Drop It." But other than that, I really don't know where to start. Off the top of my head, here are just a few of the issues we are having -- 1. Potty training... Basically, she still isn't potty trained. After my father passed it was hard for me to keep my mind on actually watching her. I feel like I kind of messed up because for 2-3 weeks I was down and out, and kept missing her signs. Now I just don't know how to get her to understand she needs to go outside. I plan on getting Nature's Miracle and cleansing every spot she went on, I know that will help a lot, but now it just seems like she SNEAKS into places just to pee and poo there. It's driving me crazy now to be honest. 2. Nipping and biting when someone pets her or tries to play with her. This has been going on since she was about 9 weeks. I heard that they will grow out of it, but is there a way to get her to stop, or just to be easier? The "Ouch!" method doesn't seem to work with her. 3. Walking on the leash..Honestly I'm not sure what I should expect here. What should I be looking for in a"good walk"? Should she be allowed to sniff whenever she wants? Should I walk her a bit then let her sniff and do her thing? It may be a strange question but this is my very first pup so I want to get it right. She's a beagle, so her nose is pretty much always to the ground. What do you guys think? 4. Getting her to pay attention. Seems like she only pays attention when hot dogs, ham or chicken are involved. I just don't wanna have to carry treats all the time. Anything I can do to fix this?? I'm contemplating clicker training, but I'm afraid that may take a little too long. I could definitely start learning now but I need some other advice ASAP. Books, websites, anything would be appreciated
These are all puppy behaviors. I know some people who have had a lot of success with clicker training. It may take a few weeks longer but in the end may give you a better trained dog? This is the book literally by the woman who wrote the book on clicker training. http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=ackpic...amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr
Thanks for the link, I will take a look. Yes they all seem like typical puppy behaviors... It was just much easier to train my uncle's pit bull. He was potty trained and wasn't biting (much) by 15 weeks! Maybe I am just expecting too much of my new pup too soon
