First time owner: Please comment on my schedule

Alex927

Hi all,

First time owners here that will be picking up our dog this weekend (I hope..think). I've been doing a ton of research in preparation and I was hoping for some feedback on the schedule I have arranged for Wade (the new addition to our family).

Just based on what I've read so far I'm extremely happy to have found this forum. I realize there is not just ONE school of thought when it comes to this sort of thing so your feedback is greatly appreciated.

First a little background....Wade was rescued from a gassing shelter in NC. He is about 1.5 - 2yrs old. Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Mix. I think we'll be bringing him home on Sunday and I plan to take the following Monday off.

Here's the schedule I've worked out for us as I've learned that a daily routine is crucial. I realize some of the things I've got planned might very well be idiotic as I'm a noob so please DO point them out and correct me!!

Sunday Afternoon
1. Bring home Wade. Hour long drive home.
2. Immediately after exiting the car, take Wade to a spot I have chosen so that he can go potty. While he's going, praise lavishly. Give treat immediately afterwards.
3. Take him on a tour around the property. (he should be fully vetted)
4. When done, Enter home but ensure that Wade enters after. This is part of our efforts to establish the heirarchy.

Upon entering the house, it's our understanding that it's okay to let him explore but only while supervised at all times. We'll settle in and get situated for a bit before going out to the park where we'll get him some exercise as well as work on some basic training (basic commands and Attention training).

How long should the training duration should be? I've read something like 5 minute periods at most.

Sunday night, about 11pm, I'll take Wade for his final walk of the day and then will crate him by around 12pm. Per the housetraining rules I read on this forum the crate will be in our bedroom near our bed.

Now for our schedule for the next few weeks (Monday - Friday):

6:45am- Walk 30 minutes. Training exercises 5-10 minutes coupled with PLAY for about half an hour.

8am - Wade gets crated. I get ready the go to work.

12:30 - I come home from work. Take Wade out for a 20 minute walk. He will likely eliminate. Training for 5-10 minutes coupled with play time for about 20 minutes.

1:30pm - If Wade has eliminated outdoors I think I might place him in something like this http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...X0DER&v=glance in my kitchen area. If he has not elilminated he would have to go back in his crate.

5pm - Wife comes home and takes Wade out for a 30 minute walk. 5-10 minutes of training coupled with half hour of play time. When coming back home if Wade has eliminated outside he gets to roam in a limited space of the house under full supervision of my wife.

5:45pm - I come home. Greet wife (lol) then play with Wade until about 6:30 - 7pm which is around when we eat dinner. After dinner, I intend to do some training along with play for another hour or so. Realistically speaking I'll probably want to watch some tv and would love for Wade to just chill out for a while and hang with me.

11pm: Wade's final walk of the day. 30 minute walk. Some training exercises for about 5 minutes followed by play.

12am: Wade goes into his crate for bed time.

I still havent figured out a weekend schedule....and I still have questions on when I should feed the guy.

So what do you guys think? Where do you see flaws / issues / oversights? Are training sessions too frequent / infrequent? Too long / short in duration?

When do I feed Wade? I've read that if I put down food and he doesnt eat it in 15 minutes I should put the food away. I think I'll feed him in the mornings or afternoons...but not sure.

I'd appreciate any / all help comments and criticisms!!! I have much to learn....

thanks!

Dreadog

First, CONGRATULATIONS on your new dog. It sounds to me like you are being very conscientious of your new friend's needs. I am also a bit of a noob, but I wanted to tell you:

1) Your schedule sounds very much like ours, which has worked out really well for us and our dog.

2) Even the best laid plans will have problems. I think you have planned well, just keep in mind that there will be unexpected bumps and challenges, so try not to stress over them.

Do you know if your pup is already crate trained and/or housebroken? I clicked on the link to the dog pen, and I have to add that that would never hold my dog. I think your pup would be better of in his crate, because I think he will easily escape from the pen.

I would keep the training very friendly at first while he is adapting, basic doggy manners and expectations. As for feeding, I think most dogs get fed 2x a day, so once in the morning and once in the evening.

Again, congrats, I hope to hear tons of Wade stories once he gets settled.

Alex927

thanks for your response Dreadog.

I'm totally prepared (or at least aware) that there will be bumps in the road. I'll take your words to heart and I intend to make the necessary adjustments whenever nexessary. I'm curious though...What types of challenges have you encountered?

I'm not sure that our dog will already be crate trained or house broken. I should've asked about this actually.....I am going uder the assumption that he is not though.

I've read up on different ways in which to introduce the crate so as to ensure that it becomes a den-like place of peace and tranquility. I don't necessarily like the idea of confinement (I do know that crate training is NOT curel) but the idea that the dog can have a place to kind of "escape" to really appeals to me. Afterall, from a personal standpoint, sometimes I need a little escape too!

Regarding the pen I provided a link to in the original post....I was unsure of that as well. On one hand I didn't want to crate the dog for too long a period but I think in terms of consistency I might have to stick with putting Wade back into the crate before I go back to lunch around 1:15 - 1:30'ish.

TooneyDogs

The schedule looks fine, especially the lots of short training sessions. Just a couple of comments. The basic training....in particular the Attention work should be done at home not the park. Use the park for exercise/play for awhile.

Forget the hierarchy stuff. You definately want him to follow you through doors and not bolting through them but, that's for safety not status.

As for the feeding, if you're going to feed dry kibble, he'll need to eliminate about 16 hours later (that's how long it takes to digest and pass). Semi-moist kibble takes about 12 hours to pass and a RAW diet about 5-6 hours. Times will vary with water intake, exercise, the dogs metabolism rate and the sleep schedule.

Alex927

Good to know. Thank you!

Am I misguided in that i should try to immediately establish "Alpha" status? Does this sort of thing occur naturally? I am not a fan of the "alpha roll".

this is definitley good to know! We're thinking Orijen or Canidae kibble.

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TooneyDogs

It happens naturally. You're already Alpha...he knows it and doesn't want the job. Only 1 dog in 1,000 wants the job and even then, Alpha is only Alpha 75% of the time. The Alpha doesn't always lead the pack on the hunt or 'schedule' the days activities....sometimes a lower pack member will lead the pack.

Throw that Alpha stuff away. Work on building confidence, trust and an honest relationship. Toss food.....just getting him to watch you (beginning Attention work)...then, raise the bar by getting him to follow you/walk with you around the house...treating as you go. This is the time to introduce the Bridge Word (a word that tells him he just did something right...some folks use a clicker for this).

Dreadog

Luckily, we have had very few "bumps" with our puppy. Mostly they have involved potty accidents inside and chewed up kid toys and a rug.

TxRider

Sounds like a great schedule to start with, you can adjust things over time.

The only thing I might do different is the play pen part, I might train the dog to go to mat/bed and stay on command, or just to an open crate.

But I'm not crate person at all, my dogs have free run of the house, and just need to follow a few simple rules like no getting in the trash, or on the table/counter, and no relieving in the house. They learn it fast and that's that.

I also watch the dog carefully at first and don't pet, praise, attach too much all at once as well until the dog is used to me leaving it alone in the house. It's quite easy to build separation anxiety in a dog by your actions, and much harder to get rid of if you do.

My first focus in bringing a new dog home is always preventing separation anxiety, followed by potty training, followed by rules of no counter surfing and trash surfing etc.. The rest all falls in line after that over time. Basically focusing on the biggest potential disaster and down the line to the next smallest etc.

jmsilhy

Sorry to hijack your thread Alex, but I'm learning a lot from it and I would like to ask TxRider how does he prevent separation anxiety from a new puppy. Thanks!

Alex927

not a problem. I'm curious as well.

EDIT:

for my purposes, it looks like I won't get a "play pen" (thanks TxRider) of sorts for Wade and will just keep up with the crate training even after i go back to work.


Tooney, I appreciate your insight. I'll not worry about establishing "alpha dog" status. It seems you are recommending that I begin with Attention training first.

In what order would you recommend I train Wade?

Per my schedule you noticed that I'll be implementing some short training sessions. What would you recommend on day 1 in the morning, day 1 in the afternoon, day 2...etc.

I feel like I should prioritize.....but not sure what gets priority.

I'm thinking First, Attention Training in conjunction with house training and basic commands...

TooneyDogs

As TxRider pointed out, the main objectives are welcoming him into your world....showing him where he eats, where he sleeps, where the potty area is, what'is off-limits, what happens and when, etc. Setting a routine puts him at ease and reduces the stress of a new place.

At the same time, you can do the basic training....Attention; accepting a collar and leash; Wait/Sit for the door to open; wait/sit for food; handling of feet, ears, tail, crate training.

One tip: Let him come to you/get close to you on his own. Don't 'make' him/command him to do that. That will go a long way in building his trust and confidence in you (be ready to praise and treat for showing that bravery!)

Alex927

regarding routine.

i feel a bit dumb asking this but I was originally going to take Monday off. (Wade comes home sunday). Would it be better if I went to work on Monday so that we can get the routine started?

regarding that tip about not making him come to me. Good thing I learned that NOW! whew, I feel like a dodged a bullet. haha...thanks again.

TooneyDogs

I'd stick with your plan to take Monday off. It will give you a chance to make sure there are no serious issues with being alone. By that, I mean destructiveness....dog going absolutely ballistic/terrified to be alone. Give him that day to settle in and reassure him.

Go about your routine during the day though. Run errands, mow the lawn, etc. Don't molly coddle him or pay excessive attention to him (don't devote the entire time to him). Try to stick to the feeding schedule, sleep times and potty breaks as much as possible under the circumstances.

Alex927

ok...I'm going to take the day off for sure..the only thing is, when I'm not at work I really have no routine of any sort! But I'll take your advice and not coddle the guy all day..it'll be hard not to but I get where you're coming from on this. Definitely will begin the schedule.

I realize that I assume that he's ready and willing to be crated so who knows.....maybe I'll spend Monday trying to acclimate him to it. I've read many tips on how to get him used to it.....so we'll see what happens.

That could very weill be my first "bump" on this journey.

Thanks a MILLION everyone for your responses/help!!!

Yui

You're very orgainized, I wish I could say the same thing for other people getting their first dog!

On another note...just the other day I was looking up Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers on Petfinder and your dog just happened to show up! xD How convienent!

Shell

At the risk of sounding stupid, do you really sleep less than 7 hours a night? If you put the dog in the crate at midnight and are walking him by 6:45 am, assuming you take even 10 minutes on each side to get (un)dressed/shoes/coat, that's a short night for most people.

I haven't been crating although I would like to crate train Chester as a safety measure in case we travel or he needs to stay at the vets etc. He was housebroken when I got him though so after I observed he was not destructive, he gets full roam and I *think* is physically more comfortable from being able to stretch and roam during the day (and night although he's a good sleeper).

Alex927

haha..not stupid at all. I usually sleep around 1-2am and sleep until about 7:45 but with Wade and this schedule I'm planning on making myself go to bed earlier, hopefully around 12 - 12:30 so I should get roughly the same amount of sleep I do now.

cool...actually, my plan is to give free roam to Wade as soon as I know he's housebroken.

TxRider

Well he's talking about a dog that is 1.5 years old, not really a puppy any more.

Dogs can bond and get dependent very quickly.

I just try not to show them too much affection at first, cuddling and petting and making me too much the reliever of their anxiety or making myself their security blanket so to speak and inadvertently making it worse by making their state of mind dependent on my presence. Especially the first week or so when they tend to stick to you like glue and look to you for so much.

You just want to pet em, cuddle em, coddle em, ease their fear of a new place as it's our natural tendency. I try not to, and to let them come to terms with the new place on their own and focus on just letting them out on a schedule, correcting for sticking their nose where it doesn't belong, setting the rules and boundaries and get them used to the rules of the house and used me coming and going with no fanfare right off the bat.

I also give them some exercise in the morning before I leave with a long walk, and toss them a jerky or a pig ear when I'm walking out the door. No words, no petting, no fuss, just toss a treat and leave while they are chewing it.

The quicker I can get them used to a routine with no fuss the better.

If you make a fuss over them, they think it's a big deal too and can expect it, if it's right off the bat when you get them home they take that in as part of the rules and how it should be, and if you make a big fuss when you leave, chances are they will make a big fuss of you leaving as well.

Same coming home, though I usually can't help myself and I make a fuss when I get home and end up with a tazmanian devil welcome anyway.

GottaLuvMutts

That's great if it works for you, but not all dogs can do that. My dog doesn't have SA (well, sometimes I think very mild) and is fully housetrained, but still needs to be crated when no one is home. If left out, she will find food to get into. Even if I put away all the food, she will jump on the counter and lick dishes in the sink, worm her way into cabinets with baby locks on them to get to the trash, etc, etc. I've had her for 9 months, and she's been crated since day one. Crating doesn't seem to do any damage, and for a border collie, that's saying something.

While you're taking the day off on Monday, consider crating your dog for an hour or so while you run an errand. If he has SA, you'll know it, either by barking/howling/scratching or by his state when you return. It's much better to start off slow and let him know that just because you left for a bit doesn't mean you're not coming back. Be sure to give him goodies while you're gone, like a frozen kong or other chewy.

Alex927

great tips. Thanks txRider.

I think it'll be hard for me not to get excited to see myboy when I get home though.

Thanks for the input! Great idea too. I'm definitely going to crate him "on schedule" so to speak. I'll go the morning walk, train, play session...crate Wade and then leave for about an hour (without fanfare) then I'll come back to see how he's doing and we'll hang, get to know each other some more (but I won't lavish attention on him..I've got a book I've been meaning to read anyway so this is perfect). Then at lunch I'll do the same thing....walk, train, play..then crate....if the morning went well I might double the time of the crating.

I'm sitting here wondering if this is one of those things that sound great "on paper" or "in theory" but when it comes to the actual application things go greatly awry. haha.

we'll see soon enough! man I can't wait.

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