Yuma - new puppy! Lots of questions!
So as I mentioned in our introduction, we adopted Yuma a week ago and he is now almost 9 weeks old. He is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE, but can also be a little terror! So I have some questions about behavior and training:
1) What is the most effective way to discipline a Kai? For the labs and Shepheards I grew up with, saying "AHH" or "NO" or at most giving a little spank was always enough, but that is clearly not the case with Yuma! Especially when it comes to chewing on hands and household items, he is not responsive to anything but distraction... Is this normal? I know he's a puppy and he's going to chew, but I just want to make sure we give him the best chance at being smart with his teeth!
2) How long does it usually take for them to catch on to potty-training? No matter how often we take him out, how gratuitously we praise him for going, etc. he doesn't seem to be making much progress! It's only been a little over a week, so I'm not too worried. It does worry me a bit that it doesn't bother him to eliminate right next to his water bowl and in his den... I've heard that that could be a sign of future behavioral problems.
3) Lastly (for now!) what do you find is the best nighttime potty routine? He is very good about getting through the night and usually only has to get up to go once. Should we try setting an alarm for a few minutes before he usually starts whining so that he doesn't think whining means we get up and pay attention to him? Or is it ok to wait for him to ask to go out by whining or scratching at the crate?
Thanks so much for helping us out! Will try to post pictures of our rascal soon!
1) What is the most effective way to discipline a Kai? For the labs and Shepheards I grew up with, saying "AHH" or "NO" or at most giving a little spank was always enough, but that is clearly not the case with Yuma! Especially when it comes to chewing on hands and household items, he is not responsive to anything but distraction... Is this normal? I know he's a puppy and he's going to chew, but I just want to make sure we give him the best chance at being smart with his teeth!
2) How long does it usually take for them to catch on to potty-training? No matter how often we take him out, how gratuitously we praise him for going, etc. he doesn't seem to be making much progress! It's only been a little over a week, so I'm not too worried. It does worry me a bit that it doesn't bother him to eliminate right next to his water bowl and in his den... I've heard that that could be a sign of future behavioral problems.
3) Lastly (for now!) what do you find is the best nighttime potty routine? He is very good about getting through the night and usually only has to get up to go once. Should we try setting an alarm for a few minutes before he usually starts whining so that he doesn't think whining means we get up and pay attention to him? Or is it ok to wait for him to ask to go out by whining or scratching at the crate?
Thanks so much for helping us out! Will try to post pictures of our rascal soon!
Comments
1. I wouldn't smack a Kai. Hasn't seem effective for me to build confidence in such a sensitive breed. Use re-direction and treating when he makes the right choice to leave your hand alone. Mika, my 6 month old was a complete terror when it came to biting. I actually hid on the couch one night with my 3 year old Kai. We were both on the back of the couch so she couldn't reach us huddled up because she was a little maniac.
With Koda, I used negative punishment for hand biting, timeouts in the bathroom. It took twice before he got it and never bit me again. With Mika I chose not to go that route. It took longer, and required a clicker, but she got it.
I always say to people, don't expect your puppy to act older than they are. Set your expectations for a nine week old not for a six month old. Then you will see that this is normal behavior, and it will change.
2. Again, you have a nine week old. Are you crate training? If not, then start. Kais won't potty in their crate. Also bring him out more often than you are and I would put him on a leash when you do.
3. Nope, you are doing fine. He will stop needing to potty in the middle of the night in a couple of weeks. Pull water away a couple hours before he goes to bed.
We had a little bit of an extended period of time when potty training Kunai (Mika's brother
In the beginning Kunai really seemed indifferent to WHERE he went and started to do the naughty boy thing of little pee pee's everywhere! And I'm a stay at home mom, so they all get plenty of attention and can go out very regularly...Agh, lol! We got to the point when in the house we had to watch him like a hawk and if he even started heading to his favorite area's we'd swoop him up (we'd be a bit dramatic about it, no swatting) but ... we'd swoop him up and enthusiastically say "potty outside" which is what we tell everyone when it's time to go out... go out with him and really lay on the praise when he went pee outside. He hit a little bit of a stubborn streak where he'd make a B line for his favorite spots, which then we had to include a firm and dramatic "NO peepee" followed by the same outside routine stated above.
Also, if he would go outside with Kitora to potty he would get so distracted that he'd forget to do his business. So, in that respect outside time was ineffective because he was to busy playing. If he went out with our older dog Mirra, business would get done just fine. Who he went out with was just as important. For Kunai, it seemed that he needed to know that we were not happy/displeased with the peeing in the house in order for him to make the final adjustment. And again, he never required a swat - just our demeanor and tone change was enough for him.
100% agree with crate training for nighttime routine. Ki let us know when she was done with the crate, and she literally was done at about 5-6 months - she only crates when we leave the house. Kunai however, is very happy in his crate. 9pm everyone heads outside (we have 4 dogs) Mirra, Kitora and Kunai romp and play for about a full hour. We have a water bucket always out there with them and then at 10pm they come in the house and it's bed time. The girls sleep in our room (or Ki in our daughters) and Kunai is told "night-night" and he goes right in his crate, gets his treat and goes to bed without ever a peep - he never whines or cries (which I know is not always the norm) but he is very happy in his bed. Brad and Jen do an amazing job of initiating crate training. It's awesome!
We are crate-training him. He's very good at night... Always goes right to sleep and whines a few hours later when he needs to potty. We also put him in the crate several times during the day for naps, and he's very good then, too. He'll whine for maybe 30 sec before he does the "I give up" sigh and goes to sleep. I just hope he doesn't learn to whine at night when he DOESN'T need to go out, thinking that we will give him attention. We haven't left him alone in the crate at home yet, but we'll have to go grocery shopping soon!
Yuma is very very subtle on the rare occasion that he "asks" to go out, but I think we're starting to pick up on his cues. Because of this we are willing to admit that it's usually our fault if he has an accident
He went for his first real walk today and I was surprised how natural he was on a leash! What a good boy!
Here's Karen Pryor's website on clicker training. http://www.clickertraining.com/
I'll have to say that having a clicker on you at all times can be tricky. I put a lanyard around my neck inside the house with the clicker on it. That way anytime she initiated appropriate play without biting, I had it.
Is Koda the Kai you have from Marian's dogs? I was looking through his thread and he is very handsome! Yuma is looking like he'll be a very handsome boy, as well
Thank you. The Prince is very handsome, and he knows it. lol. He has a regal air about him.