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Housebreaking Your Puppy

10/24/2019

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The not so fun part about your new puppy, housebreaking or potty training. My husband would argue, it’s called housebreaking, not potty training. He says potty training is for toddlers, not puppies. Call it what you want, the goal is the same, you don’t want your puppy messing inside the house.  I am going to give you tips on how to get your puppy going to the bathroom outside in no time.

I have trained my own dogs over the years as well as helped with many clients’ puppies. I will admit when a client doesn’t follow my advice on this topic, I do get a bit frustrated! I want to make it as simple as possible even if it seems anything but.

The number one thing is persistence and well maybe, lots of patience. You need to be persistent of where and when your puppy goes potty.  I recommend you dedicate a special area in the yard where you want your puppy to use the bathroom and take her there every time! For the first several weeks, don’t worry about walking your puppy. You do want to use a leash though. This gets your puppy use to having a leash and also gives you control to keep them in their “potty area”.

Initially your puppy needs to know that outside is for bathroom use. So when you take your puppy out, only stay outside until he goes potty, then bring back inside right away. If your puppy starts playing around and not going potty, bring back inside and try again in about 5 to 10 minutes.

You need to look for clues that your puppy has to go potty. If you see them searching and sniffing, that is a good clue. Also take them outside about 10 to 15 minutes after eating or drinking. You may need to adjust this time, if you find they need to go sooner after mealtimes. Also take frequent breaks outside during or after playtime. At first outdoor time will seem excessive but as your puppy ages, they will be able to hold it longer.

I highly recommend crate training. I personally like the metal crates. The reason is you can adjust how much space your puppy has with a divider. You only want enough space for your puppy to stand up and turn around. Dogs generally do not like to potty where they sleep. If your puppy has too much room, you may find they will go in the crate. You can adjust this barrier as your puppy gets bigger. If you have a plastic crate, you can use a box inside to block off part of the crate.

Rule of thumb if your puppy is under 6 months, they should not be in crate for more than 3 or 4 hours. This will mean you for the first few months; you will have to get up in the middle of the night to take them out. If you work, you will need to hire someone to take them out during the day or come home on your lunch break. Puppies are a lot of work at first!

Never use the crate as a punishment. You want your puppy to feel safe and comfortable in their crate. To get them use to it, you can offer a training treat, a special toy, or lots of praise. If you cant keep an eye on them while you are home, you may put them in there, keeping in mind the time restraint. Or you can use a leash in your home, but keep in mind those sharp little razor teeth may chew through it.

When your puppy goes potty outside, praise them in a high pitched voice “good boy/girl!” Or you can offer a training treat. I also like to use phrases when trying to get them to go like “go potty”, “go pee”, “go poop”. Eventually they will associate these words and not waste time going to the bathroom. They know we are out here for business, which may come in handy during a rainstorm or freezing cold weather.

If you should catch your puppy going inside the house, do not start yelling or screaming. A firm “NO!” and take them outside to their spot will do! Never rub their nose in it or physically hit them! All you will be doing is scaring them, so the next time they will just go off and hide to do their business.

Some people like to use training pads or newspaper. I am very much against this! With the exception of toy dogs who may not be able to handle the elements of outside. Using training pads or newspaper is just delaying your pet from going to the bathroom outside. It’s an unnecessary step. This will confuse your pup. They will get use to going on the pads which are inside. Then you want to transition to outside but they are already use to going inside! Doesn’t really make sense.

Some puppies are quick learners and people don’t have much problems housebreaking. Others can take much longer to train. Again the key is persistence and patience. You must have a routine and stick to it. All family members and any help you may have also need to stick to the pups routine.
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I recommend getting a puppy in late spring or summer. This will make it much easier for you and your pup to want to go outside, because you will be spending a good amount of time out there the first several weeks. It’s not fun training a pup in a blizzard or below zero temps! When winter does blow in, your pup can have fun enjoying their first snowfall! Hopefully with these tips, they will be housebroken by that time!
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Choices In pet Care

10/2/2019

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​When I meet new acquaintances and tell them what my business is, they often get excited followed by many questions. When I first started in 2005, pet care businesses were only around for a few short years. I mean when I first responded to a Help Wanted ad for a Dog Walker, I imagined it was like what I saw in the movies. Someone walking like 8 dogs at once down a beautiful  beach boardwalk. Now where I live, we don’t have beaches and I only walk clients individually.

 Back then there was maybe like 3 or 4 professional pet sitters in the area. Today there is closer to 30 in the area I serve. There are also some “hobbyist” pet sitters. I will get to what the difference is in a moment. As you can see, this means a lot of pet care companies and hobbyists competing for your business.
As a pet owner you may be overwhelmed by the choices when doing a Google search. Do you board your pet, ask a friend/neighbor/relative, or hire a pet sitter? This can be so stressful to pet owners, I have actually read where people just refuse to travel.  They just cant stand the thought of leaving their pet.

Lets take a look at the options I just mentioned. With all these options, don’t wait until the last minute to make a decision. You will want to do some research. You also run the risk of a boarding facility or pet sitter being fully booked or some may charge higher fees. This is especially true around busy travel times during the year.

BOARDING FACILITIES
I only recommend boarding your pet in certain circumstances. If your pet is house protective, has destructive behavior, lots of accidents when alone, or needs extensive or difficult to administer medicines. Keep in mind boarding your pet can cause a great deal of stress for them. Your pet could also catch an illness. You have to get your pet there, which sometimes may conflict with your schedule, meaning you will have to pay for extra nights to accommodate. If you must go this route, look for facilities that give your pet as much free reign and exercise as possible. Last thing you want is for your pet to be cooped up in a crate all day and night. Also choose a place where someone will be there with your pet 24 hours. Some cities/towns have made it law that boarding facilities have a caretaker there 24 hours. 

Make sure to scope out a few places you are interested in and don’t just go off price. If your veterinarian doesn’t board , you can ask them for referrals. Read reviews or get references. Keep in mind though that reviews are not always fact! A lot of pet sitters offer boarding in their own homes as well, but make sure you check them out just as you would a facility. Make sure to read all their policies and ask questions!

HOBBYIST PET SITTER
A hobbyist pet sitter is someone that does pet sitting as a side gig. They are not a business. Most likely are not insured or bonded. Usually this is a teenager or young college student trying to earn a few bucks. They will watch your pet for pretty cheap. This sometimes comes at a higher cost for you though.

 Problem is hobbyist pet sitters and dog walkers will not have the same “professional attitude” towards your pets or home. That’s not to say all are not responsible but I have heard many horror stories over the years. Teenagers throwing parties and trashing the home. Pets being forgotten about, not fed or taken out. The hobbyist being careless or not trained properly to deal with difficult situations. Worse yet, the “pet sitter” abusing the animals. Some may not even like or know anything about pets.

If the hobbyist is a local teenager, its important you talk to their parents. It’s a lot tougher than it seems to take care of pets, so make sure the parents are willing to step in if needed. If it’s a young college person, try to find out a little bit about their background. Have they done this before, get references. Check in with them daily! Have them send pictures of your pet.

FRIENDS/FAMILY
This is kind of a long the same lines as a hobbyist pet sitter. You may go this route to save money. You may or may not pay your family or friends. They may come to your home or you drop your pet off at theirs. If you have a friend or family member you trust, you are pretty lucky! Keep in mind though that this could be a great burden to them and they may feel bad turning down your request. They may be too busy to take on that responsibility or feel put out having to stay at your home. I have heard horror stories about this too. Actually I have my own.

 I normally always hire a pet sitter when we go away. A few years ago though, my brother-in-law was living with us. So I thought “well we can just have him take care of the pets.” I have 3 cats and a sheltie. We carefully went over all the instructions with him and I even left a sheet with instructions. Well we were 6 hours into our 12 hour drive and I get a phone call. Ironically, a pet sitter, spotted my dog dodging traffic on a busy road. She picked him up. We try calling my brother-in-law, no answer. So I had my mother-in-law go over to our house to wait for the lady to drop my dog back off at home.  Turns out my brother-in-law just let the dog out without putting him on his lead, then went back to sleep. Oh and my cat was outside too because he apparently forgot to lock the back door and she knows how to open it. So turned out I had to call my pet sitter I use anyways and luckily she was available to help out for the next 9 days we were gone.

 Its your call though! Like I said if you have family or friends that you trust, count yourself lucky! My bad experience and countless stories I have heard from my clients, I rather just hire someone. The price is worth my peace of mind and the safety of my pets!

PROFESSIONAL PET SITTERS
 Professional pet sitters will be insured and bonded at the minimum. Some states require them to be licensed, but not all, so check your local ordinances. I often get asked what bonding means. This is an added insurance for damage or theft. This will be their main source of income and what they do for a living.  Some pet sitters will be a member of organizations like Pet Sitters International or National Association of Pet Sitters. Honestly this doesn’t mean that they are any better than a company that is not a member. So if a sitter you are interested in, is not, I wouldn’t let that sway you.

Professional pet sitters may offer a variety of services. Seek out one that offers exactly what you are looking for and don’t assume all of them offer the same. Services can be overnight sitting, boarding in their own home, multiple drop- in visits, dog walking, cat sitting only or dog sitting only. Many will care for other types of animals too. Many pet sitters will also bring in your mail, newspapers, and parcels. They may or may not water plants. Will rotate lights and window coverings. Take out your garbage or bring in garbage cans. With a professional, your pet will be their #1 priority.
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 Will using a professional pet sitter guarantee great service? Unfortunately not! It’s important you do your research again! Pet sitting is also not cheap but if you find a quality pet sitter, it is well worth the peace of mind!

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    Vicky Guy is a professional pet sitter. Animals have been her passion since she was a small child. 

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