First Dog - What Is Normal For 15 Week Old Puppy?

[Lusticious]

PS - I have looked at the 'puppy development calendar' thread but still wanted to hear from some people regarding when their puppy was 15 weeks old!

Hello guys!

So I got my first puppy after a year of contemplating on breed and looking for a breeder (I'm in Australia) - A Japanese Spitz! (I believe they're not recognized in USA, but closest would be American Eskimo Dogs?)

Throughout the year, I watched a lot of youtube videos and researched reads for living with a dog, but nothing prepares you for the real thing like.. well.. like the real thing!

I've been to puppy class last three weeks, and the other puppies (Labrador and Blue Heeler) seem so much more well behaved than my puppy who is now 14.5 weeks old.

Problem I have with him are as follows, and I'm curious if these are quite 'normal'?

A) Hyperactive and Very Excitable

He is very excitable about strangers and guests! I have been trying to ensure to tell the guests to ignore him until he sit / downs and to take a step back if he jumps on them - but I can't do this with everyone, especially random people at the cafes or on the street! Does this behavior eventually tone down or go away on its own? He doesn't jump on me because he knows it is inappropriate (I've done the ignoring thing a lot, or distracting him with a toy).

Also in puppy class, first 15 minutes is me just stepping on his leash and standing still while watching other obedient puppies. Because he just wants to go to every other dog or their owners to greet them! It's kind of embarrassing if I must admit it - I realised no amount of trying to get his attention will help and trainer said best thing is to just step on the leash until he is calm, which takes about 15 minutes then he is better (he starts listening to me for last 20 minutes of class). The labradors and blue heeler puppies are so obedient so I feel like I must be doing something wrong!

Dodgy Recall

Not as concerned for this, but his recall is pretty good at home (with treat or toy), getting better in backyard (with treat or toy), but pretty much none existent outside - I'd imagine this is pretty normal though until he is used to everything that could distract him. I get the basis of the recall training, but I'm really not sure where 15 week old puppy should be - should it be near perfect? or is it ok to be still dodgy? :)

Some signs of 'dominance'

I've been curbing it slowly, but at the start (9 weeks) he was behaving very 'bossily'. Like nipping at ankle to play, GROWLING when I try to take his high value treat (I've fixed this with bully stick now, but not sure if he still does it with chicken neck bones, haven't checked that one lately). I feel like occurrence of this is decreasing, but just last night, he growled at me when I tried to lift him to take him to potty when he was sleeping in the middle of the night. I woke him up first, his eyes were open but still lying down so he was still half asleep - Quick 'clap' to make slightly louder noise woke him up fully and the growl disappeared. Are these behaviors normal? :[ The high value treat aggression issue was my fault, I gave him way too much freedom in the first week without significant obedience training. I feel like teaching him sit / down / leave it command kind of solved that problem (but still too worried to try it with chicken neck haha)

I have taken 2 months off work, and last one month has been like this everyday.

8:00am - 8:20am: walk in the neighbourhood, using treats to direct him as much as possible and make him stay near the heel - not going well to be honest. Also using leash to stop moving and change directions when he pulls, but I don't know if he is getting it! I've been doing it for last one week (he is still not fully vaccinated so I need to be super careful what he sniffs), I'm not really sure if he's getting better or not... some people have said it took their dog 3 days

8:20am - 8:40am: play time in backyard, some freedom time, and some short burst of 'obedience training' time mixed in between (his sit / down and 'leave it' is pretty good now!)

8:40am - 9:00am: breakfast time, short bursts of 'check-in look at my eye' training, tbh he rarely looks at me for check in outside still I also feel like I've said his name far too much and he has just learnt to ignore it.

9:00am - noon roughly: nap! best time!

12:00pm - 12:30pm: Visit to local cafe! he sits on my laps and see people and cars go by. A lot of people say hi, which he gets really excited about.. too much maybe

12:30pm - 1:30pm: come back home, and repeat of backyard freedomtime + training time + lunch!

1:30pm - 5:00pm: nap in the pen and his own time with toys

5:00pm - 7:00pm: play with him inside the house, short burst of training, and getting him used to different parts of the house outside the pen.

As for training method, I see that there is division between the 'traditional' method and 'positive-reinforcement' method! Whilst I think 'traditional' method is harsh, I do see behaviours that could be explained by this whole 'alpha' business.

I've been sticking with positive reinforcement, but I do raise my voice or I do pick him up to calm him if he is totally out of control (Haven't had to do much of this especially recently!). With the annoying bites / nippings, I can't just 'leave' him in the room (I tried and he pee'ed) so if I'm inside, I quickly lift him to put him in the pen and walk out. or I use leash so he can't 'approach' whatever he wants to nip at until he calms down. I also try to distract him but sometimes that doesn't work too well..

Any tips would be appreciated, if I'm doing something wrong, or if you could maybe give an insight on what your puppy was like at 12-18 weeks of age, it'd be great!

[Willem]

all of this is normal puppy behaviour - I wouldn't use other puppies from other breeds as a benchmark. IMO you expect far too much from a just 15 week old dog. Focus on things like toilette training, socialisation and teaching him what the borders are instead of expecting to be obedient. Education is a constant and slow process, and it will be pretty much like this for the next 6 month. It is a puppy, everything is new and needs to be checked out. Relax, lead him with joy and confidence and you will learn with everyday and so will he.

[karen15]

I wouldn't be walking him in the street until he is fully vaccinated.

[Teebs]

That's a pretty full on routine. Is this daily?

I would be very worried about doing it if you are heading back to work. The pup is going to be used to being out all-day every day and then be kept home alone, it could cause problems when you return to work.

[tdierikx]

Sounds like pretty normal puppy behaviour to me...

T.

[Roova]

I think its great you have a plan and you're making an effort to work on different things with your pup. I do agree it would be worth changing pups alone time to different parts of the day so no habits form though and definitely increasing it if you are getting closer too returning to work. As hard as it is being home and not with them, avoid separation anxiety is the name of the game. Remember to leave pup with things to keep him occupied and when you leave and return it should be a non event, as in you may not even talk to pup for a couple of minutes until he is calm and hopefully distracted.

Pups who enjoy attention from people and other dogs can definitely end up seeing you as the less exciting option. It's difficult when people want to pay attention to a cute puppy but if this is working against you, maybe try socialising in other places too? You want pup exposed to new places, sights, sounds and (safe) ground textures but in a positive way. Until fully vaccinated pick the ground you put pup on carefully..no high traffic areas.

Have you found Kikopup on youtube? She has tons and tons of puppy videos on things you can train which are super useful to the adult your dog will become.

There are so many great sites available, here's a couple to get your going:

Glasgow dog trainer

Victoria Stilwell

Denise Fenzi Denise currently has a free video showing 8 days worth of play\training with her puppy!! (This will help with focus)

Karen Pryor - Puppy training

Also if you can get yourself 'Crate games' by Susan Garrett - this is just awesome. Teaches self control, recall, confidence, sit\stay, distance work and distraction training.

Good luck with your pup, a photo of him would be fantastic (hint hint)

Edited October 12, 2016 by Roova

[Kavik]

Sounds like a typical Japanese Spitz - they are cheeky :laugh:

[persephone]

Sounds very normal behaviour from puppy to me .

It's great that you are working with the pup , but ...

Please make sure there is no real routine .

IMO this builds anticipation & excitement -- it also leaves a 'lost' pup when you do something different ;)

Spitz breeds can not be compared to non-spitz breeds in their temperament , really .

Picking him up - this is actually rewarding him ;) That few seconds of close contact with you is faaabulous!

Hasten slowly !!

:)

[tikira]

Congratulations o becoming a first time puppy parent!

The first thing that struck me about your post was that you sound like any new parent (human or pet). Everyone looks at others, and thinks everyone else is coping so much better, and all other puppies are better behaved etc... Talk to any other first timers, and you will find this is so untrue, everyone has issues in the beginning, they may just not be apparent at the time.

When we got our first puppy ( a headstrong Jack Russell), I spent half of the fist year thinking I had made a dreadful error, and that I was not cut out for the many many changes I or the puppy had to make to adjust! But trust me, it was worth every tear and grey hair!

The best thing we did was find an experienced dog owner, (who happened to be a wonderful trainer too), who calmed us all down, and helped to put lifestyle adjustments and training options into place that we could all live with.

We slowly realised that the humans in our puppy's life (ie; ME) needed to be taught how to handle a puppy, and even more,to realise that EVERY puppy will be different, and will need different solutions to unacceptable behaviour. For example, Tip was a Terrier, and a major annoyance was what we called "bark oclock", very early in the morning when he barked incessantly at birds. We looked at our trainer in horror when she suggested a cuddle in our bed early in the mornings! But we did this, and it worked brilliantly, she had shown us how to think laterally and manage the particular problem until we could train him to be quiet when asked! We still use this approach when nothing else works. We adjusted our expectations, and then trained what we wanted, or managed it if that was what worked!

Your puppy is still very young, and needs time to learn the ropes. As Roova mentioned, Kikopup's training tips helped us too. The trick with googling answers is to be selective, there are great hints out there, but also not so great. Not all that is on the net will work for you, or for your pup, so if you are confused, or have a question, please don't hesitate to ask us here, you will receive a lot of advice, all different! The trick will be to filter what you read, and extract what you think may work in your particular situation. As you become more familiar with your puppy, and get to know what your own expectations are, then it will become easier to filter the advice, and put it into practice.

All the very best of luck with what is the beginning of many lifetimes of joy, and unconditional love between your and you dogs. .... and we need a picture or two!

Cheers Di

[Rebanne]

all sounds pretty normal but I would not be picking him up to take him out to the toilet in the middle of the night at 15 weeks. He should be either sleeping through the night or capable of trotting through the house to outside.

Do not compare him to working breeds :D

Do you leave him alone in the backyard? He might not be checking in with you because you are always there and he knows it.

Relax and enjoy him! :D

[mowgliandme]

As everyone else has said, this is normal puppy behaviour :)

But as youve asked for some tips, these are what I did with my puppy that i would recommend!

For hyperactivity: this is probably the best thing out there:

I did this with my puppy for probably 3 full days and then just in new environments, and she is now super calm everywhere we go, she will settle down at the train station, when camping, lay under the cafe table for hours, or if i stop on the street to chat with people.

If you are at home and the doorbell rings, you can try to pop him in a play pen on your way there, or leash him to the dinning table? That way you/guests dont have to interact with him until he is calm.

In the long run, you can teach him a "place command" Ive put a spot of felt about 3m from the door, and say "on your spot" and she will go and sit there until released (we are only up to about 5 seconds for this and I haven't tried this with the doorbell because ive just started teaching it!)

People on the street/cafes are just like that! I just tell them she's in training and to ignore her, and then give her treats for ignoring them (I took her on the train and about 6 people were trying to get her attention but she was just happy chilling at my feet) But theres always people that will try to swoop in for a pat as you're trying to walk nicely past them :p

Dodgy recall:

Firstly with commands that you REALLY want him to understand, like recall/come, (or really any command) don't use them all all unless you are sure he will do it, or you can ensure that it happens, this establishes that this phrase "(puppy name) come" means he ALWAYs has to come, if you keep saying it and he ignores it, then he is learning to ignore it~ just like over using his name, it dilutes the meaning of the words. And for the first few months always have a treat or a great reward for these things.

So practise from short distances, inside, in the back yard, outside the front door, on the street in front of your house, "be more exciting than dirt" is the words of our trainer, run backwards, flap your arms, make noises, use toys, whatever you have to so that you say the words once and then the puppy comes.

Outside we do the same thing on leash, I use higher value treats outside, I can use regular treats inside the house/in the backyard but when taking the puppy out i bring little cubes of roast chicken, cooked mince, sausages etc.

I also add distractions slowly and adjust rewards accordingly, yesterday i put down grated carrot on the floor and called the puppy away to cooked mince, then i put mince on the floor and called her and gave her a raw chicken neck etc

So if you say sit and he doesnt sit, you have to lure him into a sit very quickly! otherwise sit becomes another word like "and" "boy" "puppy"

I had originally banned everyone else in the family from using the words "puppy come" unless i'm there to supervise because they will do it wrong or they wont have treats. To my puppy, come means: come here and sit in front of the person, close enough so that they can grab your collar, and stay there until released.

Signs of dominance:?

Im not 100% certain on that one (so if i'm wrong feel free to correct me) but my view as a more positive reinforcement person...

Is that if a dog is grumbling at something, it means it doesnt like it, so I try and make it as enjoyable as possible. Resource guarding can occur if you frequently take good things away from your puppy, so when they're little i add things to their food bowl while they are eating, add a treat into the kibble as i walk past, so now if i go near her food bowl she will look up at me in a excited happy way.

Teach them to drop chews, for an even better treat, do this until established before taking the chew away for a second, give a treat, and then giving the chew back etc

here is the kikopup video

I dont see why you would need to take away chicken neck from a dog...? Id give them in a crate so they cant be disturbed and I'd only do it for training purposes and to make sure i can do it if the needed in the future using the same techniques as the resource guarding video above

Source: I am doing the kikopup weekly puppy insights program and training at positive k9 in kew with my 18 week old puppy

Anyways i think youre doing really well :) puppies are a handful and some times these things sort themselves out on their own but the best thing you can do is set your puppy up to be successful :D Good luck

[Tassie]

ne Great post mowgliandme. Love kikopup's videos, and I hadn't seen the calming one ... perfect for this situation.

And to the OP .. sounds like you have a perfectly normal 15 week old - still adjusting to what play that was OK in the litter is not OK with humans (poor thin skinned creatures they are :laugh: ). And as others have said, Spitz are probably on the slightly less naturally biddable end of the scale .. doesn't mean they can't be trained .. just means you need to find out what really floats his boat in the way of treats and play.

Personally I don't find it helpful to think in terms of dominance. Growling is a really important mechanism in pups and dogs to tell others that for whatever reason, they are not happy with what's happening at the time, and if it keeps going, they may bite. "Treasure the grown" .

In the particular instance, the slightly loud noise or call to let pup wake up properly was a good thing, but I'd make a mental note to put ... making touching/handling him when he's asleep (not randomly, but when you really need to) rewarding for him .. make it worth his while.

As well as the kikopup youtube clips, you might also find some useful information if you google Absolute Dogs .. Tom Mitchell and Lauren Langman have some useful information on relationship building and so on.

You did do one thing "wrong" though .. :D .. no photo of your adorable fluffball. :laugh:

[Lusticious]

Omg, a lot of replies in only a day, thanks a lot everyone! A lot of people made a comment about my biggest mistake, not posting a photo... Here they are! (pics are from my instagram @slothicious :))

Another question before I quote everyone, I keep him inside the pen when I can't directly manage him (sometimes I keep him on the leash when I'm in the kitchen, but otherwise he's in the dog play pen) - which is a lot of times. Is this ok? I've let him roam in living room area a bit more last few days since I can kind of tell his toilet habits better now, but he still gets put in the pen otherwise. do I just keep doing this until he (and I) makes less toilet mistakes? (He peed in the kitchen while on leash today, I didn't pick it up fast enough!)

- i think 9 weeks

- last week! 13 weeks

I wouldn't be walking him in the street until he is fully vaccinated.

Heya Karen, I had a lot of chat with a lot of people regarding this including vet (two streets away) think as long as I avoid high traffic areas and stay on my street, it is fine and benefits far outweigh the risks!

That's a pretty full on routine. Is this daily?

I would be very worried about doing it if you are heading back to work. The pup is going to be used to being out all-day every day and then be kept home alone, it could cause problems when you return to work.

Yes it is quite full on This is daily! All the 'nap' times, I've left him alone and he seems to be okay so far, no signs of separate anxiety yet, but rather a drowsy, just woke up dog. I think the 'nap / alone' times at the moment are going to be quite similar to what it will be like when I'm at work - except instead of 3-3.5 hours, I'll be away for 4-4.5 hours (I'm coming back for lunch time walks). Can dogs of Japanese Spitz size eventually hold bladder for 8 hours normally or would that be sort of 'cruel' (I wouldn't want to risk bladder infection either)? I have indoor doggy toilet pad (piddle place) that I plan to get him to use eventually for wee.

I think its great you have a plan and you're making an effort to work on different things with your pup. I do agree it would be worth changing pups alone time to different parts of the day so no habits form though and definitely increasing it if you are getting closer too returning to work. As hard as it is being home and not with them, avoid separation anxiety is the name of the game. Remember to leave pup with things to keep him occupied and when you leave and return it should be a non event, as in you may not even talk to pup for a couple of minutes until he is calm and hopefully distracted.

Pups who enjoy attention from people and other dogs can definitely end up seeing you as the less exciting option. It's difficult when people want to pay attention to a cute puppy but if this is working against you, maybe try socialising in other places too? You want pup exposed to new places, sights, sounds and (safe) ground textures but in a positive way. Until fully vaccinated pick the ground you put pup on carefully..no high traffic areas.

Have you found Kikopup on youtube?

Good luck with your pup, a photo of him would be fantastic (hint hint)

Thanks! Should I mix the times? I've been doing it this way as this will be quite similar to my work schedule! (I'm away for about 3 hours twice a day now, after each play / feed session)

Sounds like a typical Japanese Spitz - they are cheeky :laugh:

They sure are - I did read that the spitz types have different to usual 'temperament' but sometimes I think he's a cat!

Congratulations o becoming a first time puppy parent!

The first thing that struck me about your post was that you sound like any new parent (human or pet). Everyone looks at others, and thinks everyone else is coping so much better, and all other puppies are better behaved etc... Talk to any other first timers, and you will find this is so untrue, everyone has issues in the beginning, they may just not be apparent at the time.

When we got our first puppy ( a headstrong Jack Russell), I spent half of the fist year thinking I had made a dreadful error, and that I was not cut out for the many many changes I or the puppy had to make to adjust! But trust me, it was worth every tear and grey hair!

The best thing we did was find an experienced dog owner, (who happened to be a wonderful trainer too), who calmed us all down, and helped to put lifestyle adjustments and training options into place that we could all live with.

We slowly realised that the humans in our puppy's life (ie; ME) needed to be taught how to handle a puppy, and even more,to realise that EVERY puppy will be different, and will need different solutions to unacceptable behaviour. For example, Tip was a Terrier, and a major annoyance was what we called "bark oclock", very early in the morning when he barked incessantly at birds. We looked at our trainer in horror when she suggested a cuddle in our bed early in the mornings! But we did this, and it worked brilliantly, she had shown us how to think laterally and manage the particular problem until we could train him to be quiet when asked! We still use this approach when nothing else works. We adjusted our expectations, and then trained what we wanted, or managed it if that was what worked!

and we need a picture or two!

Cheers Di

Thanks Di for the helpful advice! That is so me everyday haha. A lot of frustration, but I'm usually not angry at him! (I'm only human so every now and then...)

I really would like to find a local trainer for a home visit but I don't know who would be suitable The trainer at my puppy class just ignores my puppy because he is hyper-energy and she always uses the labrador and blue heelers as examples. She shows those owners a lot of tricks and demonstrates it with their dog but she's not done it once with my puppy I kind of understand why she would do that but still, I can't help but be a little disappointed and think that she's not that great. When i asked her questions regarding my puppy, I was being sold 'home visit' sessions... I'm keen with it, except I haven't got full confidence the trainer will be money's worth.

all sounds pretty normal but I would not be picking him up to take him out to the toilet in the middle of the night at 15 weeks. He should be either sleeping through the night or capable of trotting through the house to outside.

Do not compare him to working breeds :D

Do you leave him alone in the backyard? He might not be checking in with you because you are always there and he knows it.

Relax and enjoy him! :D

haha I try! but I want him to grow up into well behaved adult dog so I keep pressuring myself :)

He doesn't have access to backyard unless I'm there to open the door for him. I've considered doggy door but the neighborhood isn't too secure so I don't feel too comfortable thinking about him being outside...

I think I'll leave him for full night soon! I take him out at 10pm, used to go out every 3 hours at start, 4, and now I've pushed it to 5.5 :) Just wanted to do it gradually!

As everyone else has said, this is normal puppy behaviour :)

But as youve asked for some tips, these are what I did with my puppy that i would recommend!

For hyperactivity: this is probably the best thing out there:

I did this with my puppy for probably 3 full days and then just in new environments, and she is now super calm everywhere we go, she will settle down at the train station, when camping, lay under the cafe table for hours, or if i stop on the street to chat with people.

People on the street/cafes are just like that! I just tell them she's in training and to ignore her, and then give her treats for ignoring them (I took her on the train and about 6 people were trying to get her attention but she was just happy chilling at my feet) But theres always people that will try to swoop in for a pat as you're trying to walk nicely past them :p

I dont see why you would need to take away chicken neck from a dog...? Id give them in a crate so they cant be disturbed and I'd only do it for training purposes and to make sure i can do it if the needed in the future using the same techniques as the resource guarding video above

Anyways i think youre doing really well :) puppies are a handful and some times these things sort themselves out on their own but the best thing you can do is set your puppy up to be successful :D Good luck

Thanks! I'll watch the links you recommended :) I put him in the pen now when visitors are here, and he gets ignored until all 4s, then treats are thrown at intervals for being calm! then he gets the pats from low and below so he doesn't jump... it's just that I don't get that many visitors and it's sort of hard to do with strangers on walks hehe. I guess I just have to persist with what I've got?

I only tried taking the chicken neck because the piece was getting small and I was worried he would choke. I tried other treats but he must've valued that as highest out of everything I've had at the time, bcz he wouldn't budge and would growl! This is where it gets very confusing, some advices say to never back off, and some advices say to never push it. it's like total opposite answers!

ne Great post mowgliandme. Love kikopup's videos, and I hadn't seen the calming one ... perfect for this situation.

And to the OP .. sounds like you have a perfectly normal 15 week old - still adjusting to what play that was OK in the litter is not OK with humans (poor thin skinned creatures they are :laugh: ). And as others have said, Spitz are probably on the slightly less naturally biddable end of the scale .. doesn't mean they can't be trained .. just means you need to find out what really floats his boat in the way of treats and play.

Personally I don't find it helpful to think in terms of dominance. Growling is a really important mechanism in pups and dogs to tell others that for whatever reason, they are not happy with what's happening at the time, and if it keeps going, they may bite. "Treasure the grown" .

In the particular instance, the slightly loud noise or call to let pup wake up properly was a good thing, but I'd make a mental note to put ... making touching/handling him when he's asleep (not randomly, but when you really need to) rewarding for him .. make it worth his while.

As well as the kikopup youtube clips, you might also find some useful information if you google Absolute Dogs .. Tom Mitchell and Lauren Langman have some useful information on relationship building and so on.

You did do one thing "wrong" though .. :D .. no photo of your adorable fluffball. :laugh:

Thanks for all the advice! I did read that spitz types were different to the working dogs, but is the difference quite significant?

Edited October 12, 2016 by Lusticious

[tikira]

Oh wow, he is stunning. Did you mention his name or have I missed it?

You are doing so much that is right, I only wish I had it as uch together with Tip, but we, like most people I suspect, bungled through, and I loved that boy beyond measure (he lost a battl with a brown snake at 10 years old- no amount of training changed that outcome!)

I am sorry the puppy class teacher is not what you need, I think it reflects badly on her that she feels too insecure to handle your boy. Is there any chance of moving to another trainer? Trust your own instincts with any advice given. I had one accredited trainer tell me to put a choke chain on my 4 month old puppy and tighten it until he gave in.... trust me, if I had done that I would have had a deceased puppy on that chain, as he would never have given in, instead I trained all his life with food and toy rewards, he would do anything for party pies!!!!!

Don't worry too much, you will eventually have a well behaved dog once he understands the rules, and you have a solid plan on how to get him to that point. Consistency is the trick. We had the most success with rewarding the good, and ignoring or mildly grunting at the bad, unless it was dangerous, or as happens, I lost my cool (no lasting effects there though, thankfully!). They still all love the sound of the clicker!

Keep us updated! Cheers Di

[Papillon Kisses]

There are a number of amazing trainers in WA who do home visits. If you tell me roughly where you are (PM if you prefer) I may be able to recommend some.

Gorgeous dog!

Edited October 12, 2016 by Papillon Kisses

[Willem]

...Thanks for all the advice! I did read that spitz types were different to the working dogs, but is the difference quite significant?

...'quite significant'?... the difference can be extrem! that refers to behaviour, needs, maturing, training, bonding, food requirements etc. etc...

[mowgliandme]

Thanks! I'll watch the links you recommended :) I put him in the pen now when visitors are here, and he gets ignored until all 4s, then treats are thrown at intervals for being calm! then he gets the pats from low and below so he doesn't jump... it's just that I don't get that many visitors and it's sort of hard to do with strangers on walks hehe. I guess I just have to persist with what I've got?

I only tried taking the chicken neck because the piece was getting small and I was worried he would choke. I tried other treats but he must've valued that as highest out of everything I've had at the time, bcz he wouldn't budge and would growl! This is where it gets very confusing, some advices say to never back off, and some advices say to never push it. it's like total opposite answers!

Yep there is definitely a lot of opposite ways of raising dogs! You have to decide what works best for you :) but i think what people are trying to get at with that one was that "if you do it when they're puppies, they'll get used to it" idea which isn't always true and can go either way. A puppy may be okay with you taking its bone away but as an adult it may not be... or your dog may be okay with it forever?

I dont think theres anything wrong with spending a lot of time in the playpen given there is interesting stuff/toys to play with in there as well as places to sleep, and water available.

Adult dogs sleep 17 hours a day anyways and puppies sleep even more! Seems he is getting enough exercise, going on outings, training, being supervised when outside is better than letting him loose and giving him opportunities to make mistakes/mess up (like chewing furniture or trying bin stealing)

He is absolutely gorgeous :)

I think you're doing a fantastic job, i'm sure he will turn out wonderfully!

[Tassie]

He is just gorgeous. Thanks for sharing his photos.

[Lusticious]

There are a number of amazing trainers in WA who do home visits. If you tell me roughly where you are (PM if you prefer) I may be able to recommend some.

Gorgeous dog!

That'd be great! Especially if they understand the Spitz temperament! I live south of Perth CBD, close to Belmont area.

...Thanks for all the advice! I did read that spitz types were different to the working dogs, but is the difference quite significant?

...'quite significant'?... the difference can be extrem! that refers to behaviour, needs, maturing, training, bonding, food requirements etc. etc...

See, I mentioned that my puppy is a Spitz and they are more independent and stubborn than working dogs and my trainer told me that basic principals are the same (she's probably right) and I must be doing something wrong at home (then she suggested that she does home visit because she needs to see what the dog is like and that I'm probably misinterpreting his behavior - all fine but just a little hard sell especially considering she hardly deals with him in class) :/ Also she's never heard of Japanese Spitz before...

He is just gorgeous. Thanks for sharing his photos.

Thank you Tassie! :) no worries!

Edited October 13, 2016 by Lusticious

[persephone]

There are a number of amazing trainers in WA who do home visits. If you tell me roughly where you are (PM if you prefer) I may be able to recommend some.

Gorgeous dog!

That'd be great! Especially if they understand the Spitz temperament! I live south of Perth CBD, close to Belmont area.

...Thanks for all the advice! I did read that spitz types were different to the working dogs, but is the difference quite significant?

...'quite significant'?... the difference can be extrem! that refers to behaviour, needs, maturing, training, bonding, food requirements etc. etc...

See, I mentioned that my puppy is a Spitz and they are more independent and stubborn than working dogs and my trainer told me that basic principals are the same (she's probably right) and I must be doing something wrong at home (then she suggested that she does home visit because she needs to see what the dog is like and that I'm probably misinterpreting his behavior - all fine but just a little hard sell especially considering she hardly deals with him in class) :/ Also she's never heard of Japanese Spitz before...

eems a new trainer /school is the go ;) It's nice to work with somebody who knows dogs .