Training at 22 Weeks

When I was working I wasn’t wearing suits, but I did dress work-appropriate, well that has changed. The work has changed. I now dress accordingly to a new young designer, Ted Dee. My shoes have attractive chomp marks all over them, and the shoelaces are half-eaten. My ill-fitting jeans have artistically shredded areas by the same young designer, Ted Dee. My pockets are stuffed full of doggy treats and Poopie bags. So attractive! I am such a fashionista now! The young designer I’m referring to is, of course, my baby boy, Teddy.

Our trainer, Nobu Endo, My Puppy Rocks! Dog Training is working privately with Teddy and Jim, and I, and training a young active squirrely puppy is quite a challenge! Teddy is just such a happy little boy. He wants to experience everything in his world, and he has no history or knowledge of the dangers of what he is sometimes doing. Teddy began his training at 13 weeks, and now, Teddy is 22 weeks old. He is bigger and stronger now and weighs 44 1/2 pounds. It is apparent to me that I need Teddy’s full attention cooperation when walking, or it will be next to impossible. The trainer has cautioned me that Teddy doesn’t understand my goals. I have tried to explain them to Teddy but no avail.

I’m also reading dog psychology books and watching dog training videos on YouTube. I am particularly enjoying the book How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain by Gregory Berns. (Amazon Publishing. 2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003. www.hmhbooks.com.) I expected this book to be boring, and it’s entirely the opposite. The author is so loving and funny! He has so much love for his dog, and then is so funny describing the times that he is a bad dog parent! I completely relate.

In one training video on YouTube, the trainer discussed the challenges of training high energy dogs, such as Golden Retrievers to walk calmly and follow you. He said that the higher energy level was an indication of higher intelligence and that they need to expend some of their energy before they could focus and learn. I assumed that like a human Teddy would be able to learn better after being well-rested, and apparently, that’s not the case.

So, we spent time playing and exercising, and to my surprise, he was more focused and willing to learn. He wasn’t as easily distracted by the exciting things in his peripheral vision. So this was very positive and encouraging. He navigated perfectly everything we tried in the house. So with this new plan, we will keep practicing and then move into the backyard with the same strategy. Then eventually out to the street. Fingers crossed!

I want Teddy to be well-behaved and under control at all times. I think it’s essential to have the large breeds of the dogs well-trained! Smaller dogs are viewed as cute when they jump on people and do naughty little things, but the more substantial kinds of dogs are as viewed as dangerous.

I am particularly anxious to be able to take Teddy on walks. We are not there yet, but we are practicing!