DINING WITH THE OTHERS

We dogs love to eat.  The thing is we are never sure when dish has the best food.  Cruising dinners is just the most natural thing to do.  Maybe the puppy has something better than I do??!  There really is nothing like that soft gooey baby food.
    This puppy Archie, the chocolate one, he likes everybody's dinner and will travel from dish to dish. Little Cedar, the blonde will easily just give up and say okay just have it. Personally I like Annabel the standard poodle's dish so if I can get there I will just stare at her until she lets me have it.
   If you have more than one dog at home it is usually best to feed them in separate places.  They can concentrate on the job at hand.  It is sometimes hard to read our subtle and not so subtle dinner time conversations but unlike people they are not always cordial to one another.

FINGER NIPPING GOOD!!
   I must confess even my puppies have nipped at a finger now and then or tugged on a pant leg.  I have tried to explain that humans have no sense of fun in this regard but it takes them a while to understand.

   If your puppy nips at you he is just wanting to have a bit of fun doggie style.  Do exactly what I do when a dog nips me too hard, yell.  At first a little yell could be sufficient.  However, if he just thinks you are enjoying the game then scream...use your drama.  Then be still and stop the game.
  That is what we dogs do to tell another that they are playing too rough.  Let's face it with you humans nipping is always too rough so you have to let your puppy know right away that it is just not your cup of tea.  Perhaps find a tug tug toy or some other thing you can do together that is mutually enjoyable.
 

WALK ABOUT

TIME FOR A LITTLE WALK
     We dogs like our walks but when puppy comes home he's not going to be ready for your five mile morning constitutional.  What he loves to do is follow.  My puppies follow me and they will follow you.  They get a little older and they say  'nope...you're not the boss of me" but little puppies are wonderful followers.
   Start your walks by having puppy follow you around the garden or some place where he won't get a disease from strange dog poop.  He'll love it.
  When you are having a good time with that put on a harness with a leash  Harness are so much nicer than attaching a leash to a collar.  He should follow you on his leash quite happily.  If he pulls or jumps just stop for a minute until he has collected himself and off you go again.
  If you are on a sidewalk and he gets nervous he could back our of a collar but with the harness he will be happy and secure.

ALL THE THINGS A PUPPY WILL NEED TO KNOW

One thing I have noticed about puppies is that they learn lots and lots in the first six months of life.  After that they would prefer to cruise on what they know.  Actually, they can learn lots of stuff like dance steps and finding the treasure at any age.  However,  stuff about the world like 'hats are not scary' or 'people are not waiting to steal my food' are things best learned young.

   If you want puppy to behave a certain way try to do it young.  I know a very smart, lovely dog who decided he had better not eat when he was staying at a relation's house because mum and dad were on vacation.  I understand this.  Loyalty has it's price.
  I think it might be a great idea to practise sleep overs....with dining involved...when the puppy is young.   I know my friend Annabel has certain issues about going to the bathroom on a leash because she never had to do this as a young puppy.  We all have our problems.  Anyway, trying to figure out all the things puppy will need to do as a grown up and giving them a little practice when he is young is a good idea.