Puppy Training Essentials for Your Beardie: A Guide to Happy and Healthy Development

1. Beardie Puppy 101 Happiness is a warm puppy. Charles Schulz Happiness is a warm Beardie puppy. Maryann Szalka

2. 8 – 12 Weeks • Self centered and curious, may experience fear period between 7-9 weeks • Love to explore, usually with their mouths • Need lots of sleep • Short attention span • Immune system not fully developed • Bladder/bowel control improves • Puppy-proof your home • Use a crate • Safe toys • Three minute training sessions ( they are little sponges) • Take the puppy outside often • Establish a grooming routine • Patience

3. 12 – 16 Weeks • Lots of energy when awake • Senses and motor skills are developed • Inquisitive • Easily distracted • Crucial time for socialization • Better bladder/bowel control • Will start to test you (terrible twos) • Enroll in a puppy class • Housebreaking can begin in earnest (accidents are your fault) • Hand feed for a better bond • Patience • Reinforce lessons learned

4. 4 – 6 Months • Major growth phase – teething and hormones • Budding adolescents • Avoidance period = fearful period (7-9 weeks) • Will test the limits and your patience • Keep things fun, prone to anxiety now • Socialize, socialize, socialize • Don’t take housebreaking for granted • Monitor weight • Puppy training classes • Focus on successes • Patience

5. 6-9 Months • More growth and hormones = increased activity • May ignore or challenge you (males) • Renewed interest in chewing • Need lots of exercise • Reduce feedings to twice a day • Toys to burn off excess energy • Exercise together is great for bonding • Reinforce basic training commands • Don’t provide too much freedom too soon

6. 9 – 12 Months • Sorry, still a puppy • Setbacks happen • Separation anxiety, defiance, independence • Should be more mindful and responsive • Boys and girls grow up • Reinforce good behavior • Monitor weight • Train • Play • Patience

7. Essential Puppy Vocabulary Your puppy’s name No (independent of puppy’s name) Let’s go or Heel Come Wait/Stay Break/Okay Sit Down Stand Settle Off Give

8. Your Puppy’s Basic Needs • Eating • Drinking • Going potty • Playing • Sleeping Whoever satisfies a need is held in high regard !

9. Eating Three times a day until 6 months old Feed in the same place (crate) Premium food Supplements ? Same time each day, if possible Ask puppy to sit before putting dish down

10. Drinking • Puppies need a lot of water • Bladder muscles last to develop • Keep it fresh • Bring your own when traveling • Restrict water after 7:30 pm • Offer ice cubes • Get up during the night

11. Sleeping • Puppies need to sleep • Quiet spot • Mat, crate, pillow • Overtired puppies will have meltdowns just like kids • Growth occurs while sleeping

12. Going Potty • What goes in must come out • A lot depends on what the breeder did • Need to be consistent and vigilant • Anticipate your puppy’s need • Papers create another step • Need to go after • Waking • Playing • Eating • Drinking

13. Playing • Safe toys, age appropriate • Need to chew • Exercise • Relieves boredom • Great for bonding • Foundation for training • Interactive games best • Refer to handout

14. Questions? Can we play now?