As we begin the season of giving thanks, Daniel and I would like thank all the members of our Comfort Crew family.  Perhaps we stop in to walk your furry kidz while you are at work during the week.  Maybe we stop by while you are on vacation or a much needed weekend get away and give food, water, snacks and plenty of snuggles and games of chase and tug.  Of course we cannot forget the kitty boxes and games of stalk the string.  Whatever the reason we we come to your door, we want to thank you, very much, for making us a part of the lives of your pets.  We know you have lots of choices and we appreciate that you chose Comfort Crew.

Since we get to see our pet clients very often, but our human clients not so very much, we thought it would be nice to send out a quarterly/monthly newsletter with information that we hope you will find useful in the care of your wonderful companions.

We hope everyone has wonderful holiday and safe trips to and from your destinations.  Our mission is that during your travels or time away from home whatever the reason we are here to make sure your pets are loved and well cared when you are away from home.

We all get excited as Thanksgiving approaches.  It means fall color, cooler weather, crispy leaves and of course friends and family.  It is important to remember that our furkids are excited too, and there are some things we need to consider as we all gather together for the holidays.
 

Tell your friends, co-workers and family members Comfort Crew!  If they book service with us YOU will receive one free visit per booking.  There is no limit to how many free visits you can earn.  We also have a blog on our website and would really appreciate your support and comments.  Let others know when they visit our site we are your Comfort Crew of choice.

Science has come a long way in the studies of animal behavior, and has given us the knowledge which allows us to avoid making the same erros of the past.

No matter how it seems, your puppy or dog does not misbehave on purpose and potty training failures are not because your puppy is stupid. It is simply a case of miscommunication and one that you can easily fix right away.

Some puppy training mistakes are much more critical than others and are often the cause of several behavioral problems in dogs that you might never think to trace back to this puppy training stage.

90% or more of dogs that do develop these problems do so because of early puppy training mistakes and miscommunication, which then became reinforced because they went undetected and in turn were repeated on a consistent basis.

No matter what the breed, it is the training and the dynamics of the human/dog relationship that causes a puppy to end up as an adult dog with these kinds of problems. Of course there are some breeds that have more of a propensity for certain problem behaviors, but with the appropriate upbringing these need not be a part of any dog's life.

Before you bring a puppy home, plan to take one or two weeks off of work, so you have uninterrupted time to focus on the puppy -- and, in particular, puppy potty training. Otherwise, it will take much longer to housebreak your pup.

Puppies learn new skills at different rates. It will take time for your puppy to develop a firm understanding of where it's acceptable to potty and where it is not. It will take time for your pup to consistently understand that all of the house is the den, an area not to be soiled.

Puppies need to relieve themselves frequently, sometimes as often as once an hour. There will be many accidents, especially at first. Never lose your temper at the puppy, and always use simple, consistent one- or two-word commands. If you do not, your pup could become frightened and confused about what you expect.

The first step in puppy potty training requires that you learn the clues that indicate your puppy needs to potty. These clues are: restlessness, sniffing the floor, or returning to a previously soiled spot. Your pup will need to potty about 5-20 minutes after eating, sleeping or playing. When you take your puppy outside to potty, to to the same spot each time and don't play. You want your puppy to focus on one thing only during puppy potty training -- going in the right area. As soon as your puppy potties, praise enthusiastically. Give your puppy a small food treat to reinforce the positive behavior. While your puppy is going potty, praise very softly so you don't interrupt the behavior. Be enthusiastic after your puppy is done.

While you're puppy potty training, you must keep the puppy close to you always so that the puppy does not have the opportunity to fail. This means starting the puppy out in a small area of the house and following the puppy nonstop. Alternatively, attach one end of a leash to the puppy and the other end to you, so that the puppy is no farther away from you than the end of the leash.

When you are not able to watch the puppy, put the puppy into a kennel. Or, if you have a fenced yard and the weather is good, you can put the puppy outside. However putting the puppy outside when you aren't watching means you lose the opportunity to reward. The kennel is a preferable training tool. A young pup 7-9 weeks old should be in a kennel for no more than two hours at a time. A puppy cannot control itself for longer than that.

If you catch your puppy in the act of going potty in the house, you can do one of two things. The most common advice was to correct with a firm no and immediately take the puppy to the proper toilet area. This may not effectively discourage the puppy from going indoors. What often happens instead is that puppies learn to make sure you aren't watching when they go indoors, so they go behind the couch, in a closet, etc.

Newer understanding of dog behavior says that instead of punishing on the spot, you do everything you can to prevent indoor accidents. If they happen, ignore them. You don't want to give the dog any attention for this mistake. Simply put the puppy in its kennel, or outside, when she's finished, say nothing and clean up the mess thoroughly using an enzymatic cleaner. Then redouble your efforts to get the puppy out before there is an accident.

Don't ever hit a puppy for accidents. You'll frighten or confuse the puppy if you do so. Never punish a puppy after the fact. Remember, a puppy thinks it is being punished for whatever it is doing at the time of your correction.

The same thinking applies to rubbing a puppy's nose in his or her mistakes -- don't do it. The pup is not capable of making the reasoning leap that this is an area previously soiled, and that's why you are punishing. Dogs are oriented to the present.

If you take your puppy outside and nothing happens, return the puppy to the kennel for 5-15 minutes. Then take the puppy outside again for a few minutes. Repeat this cycle until the puppy goes. As soon as that happens, the puppy can stay outside the kennel. This kind of routine helps the puppy focus on going when you want the puppy to go.

As your puppy starts to get the routine, beging training to also go potty while on the leash, in areas other than your yard, and on varied surfaces. When you travel, your puppy will have the confidence and experience to go wherever you need the puppy to go.

You and your dog will make lots of mistakes during this time. Your puppy will do fine as long as you strive to be as consistent as possible. Your occasional training errors and frustrations will not permanently scar your dog. Dogs are quite resiliant. And so are you!