March 06, 2002
Wednesday

Puppy Photo by Gigi Pilcher

So now you've been watching your new puppy Rover, whenever he's loose in the house. And when you can't watch him, he's been in his crate, which is not much bigger than he is. And you are the Treat and Praise Dispensing Puppy Trainers. Right? OK. So now you've been playing with him about an hour, and Rover isn't entranced by you right this second, and he's sniffing in the corner, and looking like he wants to sneak into the dining room, if only you weren't watching so closely. But you are. Watching closely. And as soon as he starts sniffing around, you grab the leash, clip it onto Rover's collar, and lead him - or carry him, if leash training is next on the agenda - to the door. The Door. This is The Door out of which you will be leading him to pee. This is The Door at which you want him to let you know he has to urinate. So we want a Fuss to be made at The Door.

So get your voice up into a higher range and say his name, and ask him if he wants to go out, with emphasis and an upward lilt on the word 'out'. And stress that word 'out' so he knows that it's associated with you opening The Door. And as soon as his cute little butt starts to wiggle, open The Door. That way he'll learn that if he goes to The Door and wiggles his cute little butt, you will OPEN The Door.

Now, I'm going to be a little sexist here, so forgive me please. But this last part is harder for guys. And it has to do with that upward lilt part. That's just not in the Male Curriculum, so I have an alternative for men who just don't even want to play with an upward lilt, or for people who just don't have excitable puppies like Rover.

Try tying a string with a bell on it to the doorknob, with the bell right at Rover's nose level. And when you bring Rover to the door, on the leash, you move his head so his nose nudges the bell, and rings it. And when the bell rings, you open the door. So Rover learns that when he runs to the door and rings the bell, you will OPEN The Door.

Next: What happens after you OPEN The Door?

 

 

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