# T-MINUS 25 DAYS!



## Cody_Ray (Jan 1, 2013)

My very first V will be ready to come home with me on Jan. 27, I'm terrified I wont be able to teach him good manners lol and all the fundamentals of a well trained dog. I've browsed the bookstores for training books but there is so many out there its a bit overwhelming when trying to figure out where to begin. My biggest concerns are potty training and walking on and off lead. I know socialization is important so I'm assuming puppy classes are recommended? um yeah any type of advice is welcomed thanks a bunch!


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## SkyyMax (Apr 5, 2012)

Cody,
I think Creekside kennel starts the pups on toilet training (which is a plus), but you will have to take your little guy out every 20-30 minutes in the beginning, and of course after a nap or feeding. Praise him with treats when he goes outside 

The pup will have accidents inside, when it happens, clean it with paper towels and put soiled towels outside (great advice from forum member *Ozkar*), so your boy will understand where he needs to go.

About training - the most important thing is to praise all positive behavior and ignore or redirect the negative.

I guarantee you little guy will be testing the limits, so stay strong ;D


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## Kdwyer915 (Oct 23, 2012)

Don't let the first two years define the rest of your relationship with the dog. The first two years are going to be ****. The "chew til their two" saying is 100% correct. They eat the most random things and you will probably lose your favorite pair of shoes, a couple dinners off the kitchen counter, maybe a couch, or an end table. But don't worry, after the first two years are over with you'll be left with the best dog and companion.


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## KB87 (Jan 30, 2012)

Our boy will be 1 on March 1 and just in this past week he's reentered into the mouthing/stealing phase which is extremely irritating. I think we must have gotten lax with our re-enforcement and he's taking advantage so tonight I'll be spending the better part of this evening working on things with him. Although they get older it doesn't always mean that their training sticks. We're learning this the hard way.

Just a note on socialization- do it from the beginning. I know a lot of people are fearful to introduce their pup to other dogs until the pup has all of its vaccines but we introduced him to dogs in the family and neighborhood who we knew were healthy and up to date themselves. As soon as he had all of his shots we got him into a puppy class. We also had people over as often as possible so he got used to new people and people being in the house. I would say this has really contributed to him having a gem of a personality- he's a total lover and can't get enough of new people/dogs.


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## Cody_Ray (Jan 1, 2013)

Should I be worried about being to rigorous with training at an early age?


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## SkyyMax (Apr 5, 2012)

You can have 2-3 training sessions a day, no more then 10 minutes each.
Every puppy is different, if he gets bored or destructed, it's time to end.

V's are like sponges - they learn new thing so fast! Play with your pup after each session and he will be looking forward to training, because it's not a chore but fun!

I think the most important commands are: "Come", "Stay" and "Leave it", someday they might save the dog's life.

You can check several Youtube channels for training tips, my favorite are tab289 and kikopup - they only use positive reinforcements.

Good luck!


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