Hello, my name is Sky and I’m a Border Collie
(like Gin). I was born in Barking, Essex on the 20th of January 2001. We are highly intelligent
dogs and at just eight weeks old it is possible to teach simple things like
fetch ball, sit, and to come when called. Bonnie said I will be very good at
agility when I am old enough. (About a year old) It is very important that you
let your puppy grow properly before starting agility, because of excessive
strain on their bones and joints. Bonnie and Colin started training me as soon
as I was home with them, as it is very important for all breeds of dogs to
start basic training as soon as possible.
I am very outgoing and confident, when I play with Nanook she sometimes gets
too rough so I have to growl and snap at her to let her know that I have had
enough. She will soon learn that I will not put up with it and I will not be
bossed around just because I’m smaller. Puppies and older dogs will soon sort
out their status in the pack (this is an important part of life) and you
should not interfere unless the adult dog is about to harm the puppy. I am
supervised at all times when playing with adult dogs to make sure I don‘t get
hurt.
You should never leave your puppy alone to play until you are sure she has
been accepted by the other pets in the home.
For the purposes of this page I will refer to all puppies as she or her
(apologies to all the boys!)
House training is easy, when I wake up, Colin or Bonnie take me out in the
garden so I can do my business. This helps me to learn that I must not
do it in the house but in the garden.
If your puppy has had an accident in the house, it is best just to clear it up
and say nothing. Once the accident has happened, it is over, if you try to
punish your puppy, she will not understand what she is being punished for. If
you actually catch your puppy in the act, say ‘NO!’ sharply, pick her up and
take her to her toilet area. Punishing your puppy should be done the same way,
with a firm “NO!” and perhaps a finger tap on the nose, but just a good sharp
“NO!” normally does the trick. Never hit your puppy as you can easily hurt
or injure her.
If you see you puppy chewing something that she shouldn't, again say “NO” and
exchange the object for one of her toys. The most important thing to remember
when training your puppy is to always be consistent.
Training Your Puppy.
The best method of beginning to train your puppy is to use
treats. Be sure to only use treats made specifically for dogs and never
give your puppy or dog human chocolate as it is poisonous to dogs and can kill
them!
To encourage your puppy to sit, hold the chosen treat in front of her nose and
slowly raise it up and back, this will encourage the puppy to raise her head
and lower her bottom. As soon as her bottom touches the floor, say “Sit” and
give the treat along with praise. It is also a good idea to make her sit for
her dinner, this way she will learn to wait and not jump up at the bowl.
“Down” can be taught two ways.
First, take a treat and hold it in front of your puppy’s nose, move it slowly
down between her front legs and out along the floor, encouraging her to lay
down, as soon as she is in the down position say “Down” and give the treat.
Second, sit on the floor with your knees bent to form a tunnel. Have the puppy
one side of the upside-down ‘V’ made by your knees, take the treat slowly
through the tunnel, again as soon as she is in the down position say “Down”
and give the treat followed by “Good girl.”
This type of training is called ‘positive reinforcement’, reinforcing good
behaviour by giving a reward. As you progress in your training, you can cut
down on the treats and simply use praise as a reward, most adult dogs will
work just fine only getting praise as a reward.
As well as learning from your voice, your puppy should also
learn from the hand signals you give. For example, when you raise the treat to
achieve ‘Sit’ you are raising your hand. Continuing to raise your hand as you
ask for “Sit” even without a treat will help your puppy to associate the
signal with the command. Eventually, your puppy should obey just the hand
signal without any voice command. This may be all you have to command your dog
with in her senior years when her hearing may not be so good.
It is good practise to always use clear, consistent hand signals for the
various commands that you will be teaching your dog throughout her life.
