Back in the post “He’s Here. The Early Days”, I suggested getting half a dozen or so stuffable chewtoys*. These are specific purpose toys. With these you will develop Bozo Pup’s acceptable object-chewing habit. Chewing is a natural behaviour for puppies. You will want to indulge that behaviour and enable him to form acceptable chewing habits. Squeaky toys, stuffed toys and balls are other use toys. Stuffed chewtoys are always to be considered as ‘settling tools’ and ought not to be used other than in the crate, on Bozo Pup’s bed or in the long-term confinement area.
Okay… so you got the chewtoys. Now… what are you supposed to put in them?
– In one or two of these, put moistened kibble with a very small liver treat somewhere in the middle. Freeze them.
– Stuff a couple more with dry kibble for easier removal. You can use canned dog food or peanut butter to ‘glue’ the kibble in, if you choose.
I heard from a new puppy owner recently that her pup wasn’t interested in his stuffed chewtoy. Strange, indeed. There’s food in it! I checked and found the kibble so tightly stuffed in there, that after several minutes with no success, the poor little fellow lost interest. Do check that Bozo Pup can actually get the stuff out!
Success is the key to moving forward – Always.
So now… back to the crate.
Always place several stuffed chewtoys in the crate with Bozo. Your goal is to instil in him a positive association with his ‘safe place’. What better way than through his other favourite thing (besides you)…food!
I assume that, like the rest of us, you don’t typically restrict yourself to one room when you are at home. Take Bozo with you… in the crate. It’s easy.
– Let him watch you toss in 2 or 3 stuffed chewtoys and close the door.
– Let him in when he asks
– Close the door and move the crate
Now wasn’t that simple?
OK, so Bozo’s in his crate chewing on his toy or perhaps napping. Now what? Set the timer for the top of the hour. When the timer goes, hustle Bozo to his outside toilet area.Praise and treat for performance. Return to his crate for ½ hour if no performance – by Day 2 you’ll have this one down pat and Bozo will be getting the idea too.
So , what if you don’t have a crate, want a crate or even like crates? No big deal. Buy a flat dog cushion/bed instead. The general idea remains the same but the process is different. In the various places you’ll want him to be with you when you’re at home, screw a hook or eyebolt into the baseboard big enough to attach his leash to. Put a smaller eyebolt next to it to attach his stuffed chewtoy. Of course, the bed and tethered toy can be used in conjunction with crating, say, beside your TV-watching chair where the crate doesn’t fit. This method can also work, but is definitely for the vigilant
Don’t EVER leave Bozo unattended while tethered. You can’t even begin to imagine how quickly puppies can get tangled and cause themselves serious harm.
Bozo Pup likes his crate. Both you and he are making progress with potty training. All good.
But now, the weekend is over. Vacation has ended. On the very next day the whole family has to be gone all day.
Next time we’ll talk about Bozo Pup being ‘home alone’.
* stuffable chewtoys are rubber chew toys into which you can put kibble and other treats
The Puppy Nanny 