Fern Michonski / Fern’s Music
Pre-School Music Education Expert: The Children’s Advocate for Love and Kindness, Inspiring Creativity and Joy.
April 24, 2014—Taking a break to train a puppy! 
Hi to all my blog readers! You have not heard from me for the past 4 months for a very good reason! I took a break to focus all of my time and energy training my new puppy. It has been a lot of work but is certainly worth it!
Last fall my precious yellow Lab passed away at the age of 13 ¼ years old. It was pretty empty around the house without his presence and I missed him terribly. Being the animal person that I am, I knew it was time to bring new life into my home. Therefore, this past January a new member joined our family, our sweet baby boxer puppy, Remy.
Training a puppy is a major undertaking and requires a puppy parent to donate enormous attention and love to their new friend. At this point, Remy is 5 months old and has passed “puppy class.” He still has a lot to learn, but he is indeed coming along nicely. If you are planning on bringing home a new puppy to love, here are a few tips to make your adventure easier:
- Buy a dog crate! Crate training your new puppy is essential to a happy existence for both you and your puppy. It is a comforting spot for the puppy to sleep, it provides safety while you are not home and it will be his favorite space for the rest of his life.
- Buy a nice, soft fleece blanket and soft pads to put in the crate. Then allow your puppy to bring out his soft blanket into the safe area of the house when he first comes home. It provides soothing comfort for your pup. Be sure to choose items that can be easily cleaned in the washing machine.
- Put gates up in your home, keeping your puppy in an area of your home where there are not carpets, preferably in the kitchen area where you have easy access to the back door. Then, to get your puppy potty trained, you really have to spend nearly all of your time keeping an absolute close eye on your puppy the entire time he is not in his crate. You will come to know his habits. The minute you see him starting to squat or sniff the floor, pick him up and say, “Let’s go potty,” and head for the door. Puppies want to please—always make it positive and offer hugs and rewards for a job well done! Do not yell at your puppy for mistakes. Just show him what you want him to do. I hung a bell beside the back door and every time I took Remy out to go potty I would say, “Ring the bell—Let’s go potty.” Now, whenever Remy needs to go outside, he will go up to the back door and ring the bell! I know he needs to go out and I come running.
- Bring your puppy to school! I started Remy at 3 months old. I wanted him to be socialized to other dogs, plus understand the commands sit, down, stay and come at an early age. Our instructor advised me to reward him with healthy food treats, always keeping everything positive.
Remy is a happy puppy, growing fast and offering so much love and joy to our family. Though having a pet requires training, classes, patience and a lot of work when the puppy is young, taking the time to train your puppy will guarantee a lifetime of happiness with a well-adjusted dog. We are well on our way. Now I can get back to blogging!