What your Harman Corgi puppy knows
Your puppy has had a busy life with us. We have worked on numerous things in their short life. Why do we take the time to do all of this work? We know that puppies learn best what puppies learn first. That means that if we expose your puppy to new things as a tiny pup it will be easier for them to learn or be trained later in life.
In order for a dog to be a successful part of a family, it must learn how to act in the human world which is much different than the world of dogs. We strive to give our puppies experiences that will set them up to successfully integrate into the human world.
The work is not finished but we have laid the foundation for your dog to successfully become a member of your family that will participate with you in things that you love to do.
Litter Box Training
- Your puppy is already litter box trained. This makes puppies realize that there is a right place to go to the bathroom and created dogs that tidy and house train easily.
- Some people will choose to use a litterbox due to their work schedule while other will opt to start house breaking from the start. Our puppies have experienced using a litter box, pee pads and grass.
- Our litter boxes contain Alfalfa pellets like are fed to horses but you may also use other products. Since your puppy associated the smell of Alfalfa pellets with their bathroom, we will send some home with your pup. Sprinkle these in the place where you want your puppy to go to the bathroom.
- We suggest that you set up your puppy’s living area much like ours so that it makes it easier for your puppy to make the transition.
- Your puppy has been started with house training but you will have to complete the process as he or she gets older. At 9 weeks of age, puppies are not physically able to “hold it” for long periods of time. A good rule of thumb is that puppies are able to hold it one hour for every month of age, so a 12 week old puppy should be able to hold it for 3 hours before having to go out. If they have access to water this time will be decreased.
Crate Training
- All of our puppies have started crate training. We train our puppies to sleep in a crate with the door open then work with them individually so that they learn that their crate is a safe place. While crate training we give them special treats to keep them busy and reassure them that a crate is a safe place.
- At this age puppies still need lots and patience and reinforcement.
- Since your puppy is sleeping in a crate with the doors open, they should have no problem with sleeping in a crate at night. This does not mean that they will not have to go out to the bathroom at night, simply that they should not be frightened of the crate and fight it.
- Since your puppy is sleeping in a crate with the doors open, they should have no problem with sleeping in a crate at night. This does not mean that they will not have to go out to the bathroom at night, simply that they should not be frightened of the crate and fight it.
- Feed your puppy 2-3 hours prior to bedtime and limit water an hour before bed time.
- Take your puppy out to the bathroom or to the litterbox after eating AND right before bedtime
- Place your puppy with a chew, the blanket that smells like mom and some toys in the crate.
- Turn off the lights and play the children lullabies that I do here.
- If all possible the puppy should sleep in your bedroom. They will want to be near you. They may whimper a bit and you can dangle your fingers in the crate if you want but for the most part ignore the puppy so that they know it is bed time not playtime. This should not last more than a few days.
Manners
- No one wants an unruly dog so our puppies have started basic obedience training. This means that your puppy will know how to sit and ask for things politely and will be started walking on a leash.
Basic manners that we have worked on include sitting when coming up to a person instead of jumping up and sitting before being fed. Your puppy should sit and look up at you. This is called manding. I would continue on with both of these manner building exercises once your get your pup.
Your puppy will come to the “Puppy Call” – a high pitched “Puppy, Puppy, Puppy.” Make sure to give them a treat and praise them when they come and start adding their name. I use this call every time I feed them.
Marker Training
- Our puppies have started on clicker or marker training. Your puppy has been started with this traiing using both a clicker and the word “YES” as a marker. We use marker training to help train your puppy with positive reinforcement and recommend that you continue using marker training to help your puppy learn the behaviors that you want them to learn.
- Your puppy will do almost anything for cheese. I use this as my main training treat, Simply cut the cheese into small pieced about the size of a pencil eraser.
- Your puppy has been started on marker training using both a clicker and the marker word “YES”. The following Zak George video will introduce you to marker training.
Recall
- Your puppy will come to the “Puppy Call” – a high pithed “Puppy, Puppy, Puppy.” Make sure to give them a treat and praise them when they come and start adding their name.
- We start with them as little babies when they start eating food. Every time that we feed them we call “puppy, puppy, puppy”. As they get older we add the word “come” after the puppy call.
- We suggest that you continue on with this super easy form of training and add your pups name at the end EVERY time you feed them. It is important for the safety of your dog that they come when called and this is a great way for them to start learning their name.
Grooming
- Your puppy has been worked with to be desensitized to touch. All parts of their body has been touched including their feet, ears and mouth.
- Why does this matter? Your pup will need to be brushed when they are older and we want them to love being brushed not fight it. They will have veterinarian visits where their ears and teeth will be checked. They may come in contact with small children later in their lives who will pull on their hair, ears and more.
- Their nails have been trimmed weekly, they have had a bath and they have experienced brushing. This is something that you should continue and it is easy to do. Just touch their ears, lift the lips to expose their teeth, brush them and touch their feet even in between their toes a couple of times a week. It will make brushing, routine vet visits and nail trimming go much easier once they are adults.
- Your puppy has had his or her nails trimmed every Sunday since they were 4 weeks old. When they are small puppies we use human fingernail clippers. It is important that you continue to trim their nails so you can keep them short as adults and they do not fight anyone who attempts to trim their nails as an adult.
- Your puppy has been brushed regularly since they were 5 weeks old. As you know Corgis shed their undercoat two times a year. It is important to continue regular brushing to remove dead hair and keep your puppy familiar with the process so they do not fight you as an adult. Introducing your puppy to brushing now is much easier than making the introduction as an adult.
- Your puppy will get a bath before they leave our care so that they will smell great. They are also exposed to a shallow puppy pool outside so they have some experience with getting wet. Some of them love it, others do not. I would not recommend bathing your puppy more than once a month so that their skin does not dry out.
Experiences
- Your puppy has experienced many new surfaces, textures, smells, sights and sounds for the past 4 weeks. It is important to continue exposing them to new people (if possible), new surfaces, textures and sounds so they are not afraid as adults. Once vaccinated, you will want to take them with you on adventures that you enjoy. For example, if you like hiking, take them with you. Just understand that you may need to start out on a short hike and may need to carry them part of the way. If you like water, get them a life jacket and take them with you.
- Your puppy has been desensitized to sounds. We have exposed your puppy to many sounds that they may hear in their lifetime including fireworks, sirens, thunderstorms, other animals, etc. We also play a variety of types of music daily. We suggest that you continue to expose them to new sounds. You can find lots of recordings of novel sounds on the internet. Start with the volume low and gradually increase it once your puppy is not bothered by it. Access some new sounds by clicking on the button below.
Harnesses, Leashes & Collars
Your puppy is accustomed to wearing a collar and a harness. I think that dogs should wear collars for identification and to hold their vaccination tags. Since Corgis’ necks are about the same size of their head, they often slip out of collars. When dogs are on a leash -walks or in public, they should wear a harness.
Due to the fact that your puppy can not go to places where other dogs have been until they are fully vaccinated, you will either have to work on leash training inside your house or in your backyard. Once your pup is fully vaccinated and can go out on a leash, they will quickly regain what they learned as a pup here!
