Hello everyone, I have recently got my puppy. She is now 8 weeks old she is a cross bread akita x husky but most definitely takes after the akita trait more I would say. I am writing on the chance that one or a few of you may be able to give me some advice... Just some tips on puppy training, as some of you other akita owners may know is that they can be very stoubourn and believe me when I tell you this is the case with my little girl... Tips on crying Puppy nipping (she is obsessed with biting feet) General commands ( she now already knows: sit, here, lay down and up - up being standing on her two back legs) Sorry for the long post just cramming it all in. Thankyou in advance. Shannon.
Congratulations on your new Huskita puppy! They are a great cross! I've raised many puppies. I currently have an 8-week-old Boerboel. When you first bring your new puppy home, everything is going to seem rather strange to them, and they will be well outside of the realm of experience of the world that they have thus far developed.Crying is a form of canine communication much like any other, and it is the first form of communication that the puppy learns, and so often, the first one that they will use to get attention or to try to get their needs met. However, once your puppy has come home with you, it is important to get them settled in, into a routine, and start training them to settle down and how and when to communicate appropriately. How and when you respond to your puppy’s cries will teach your puppy about when it is appropriate to cry and when not to, and what they can come to expect from doing so. First of all, it is important to ensure that you always respond if your puppy is crying for a valid reason, such as needing water, or to go to the toilet. When you first begin to leave your puppy alone for more than a few minutes, or begin to teach them to sleep alone at night, these can be trigger points for puppy crying, both for attention and because they might be scared to be on their own. Also, you should get your puppy used to being left alone gradually, building up from a few minutes at a time. If you are positive that your puppy has everything they need and is comfortable, and that you are not simply trying to leave them alone for too long too soon, the next question to consider is how long you should leave a puppy crying for before you will need to intervene. Do not jump up to check on your puppy if they are crying for just a minute or two; they may be trying their luck, or concentrating on crying rather than seeing that everything is in fact alright and that they can calm down and relax! If your puppy is still crying non-stop after 15 minutes to half an hour, however, you might need to check on them, as this is the time frame within which it is reasonable to expect the puppy to tire themselves out and eventually settle. Check on your puppy in this case to ensure that they do not need to go to the toilet and are not hurt, but do not hang around and pander to your puppy’s desire for attention. Nighttime and bed times are the most common times when you can expect a new puppy to cry, as they will be left alone for a protracted period of time, plus the house will be dark and silent. Try to allow your puppy to sleep within earshot of you so that they will be able to hear that they are not totally alone, and consider leaving a nightlight on for them, and possibly a radio turned down low so that the house is not completely silent. It is important to get your puppy used to the idea of sleeping through the night, but bear in mind that younger puppies might not be able to go for a full eight hours without needing the toilet. Puppies spend a great deal of time playing, chewing and investigating objects. It’s important to help your puppy learn to curb his mouthy behavior. Bite inhibition refers to a dog’s ability to control the force of his mouthing. Puppies usually learn bite inhibition during play with other puppies. When you play with your puppy, let him mouth on your hands. Substitute a toy or chew bone when your puppy tries to gnaw on fingers or toes.Puppies often mouth on people’s hands when stroked, patted and scratched (unless they’re sleepy or distracted). Encourage non contact forms of play, such as fetch and tug-of-war, rather than wrestling and rough play with your hands. If your puppy bites at your feet and ankles, carry his favorite tug toy in your pocket. Provide plenty of interesting and new toys so that your puppy will play with them instead of gnawing on you or your clothing. Provide plenty of opportunities for your puppy to play with other puppies and with friendly, vaccinated adult dogs. The instant you feel your puppy’s teeth touch you, give a high-pitched yelp. Alternatively, you can keep a leash attached to your puppy during time-out training and let it drag on the floor when you’re there to supervise him. If a time-out isn’t viable or effective, consider using a taste deterrent. Be patient and understanding. Because mouthing issues can be challenging to work with, don’t hesitate to enlist the help of a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPD). Avoid waving your fingers or toes in your puppy’s face or slapping the sides of his face to entice him to play. Do not discourage your puppy from playing with you in general. Avoid jerking your hands or feet away from your puppy when he mouths. Slapping or hitting puppies for playful mouthing can cause them to bite harder. Most puppy mouthing is normal behavior. Puppies sometimes have temper tantrums. If you’re holding or handling your puppy and he starts to throw a temper tantrum, avoid yelping like you’re hurt. A trained professional can help you determine whether or not your puppy’s mouthing is normal, and she or he can guide you through an effective treatment plan. At 8-weeks-old, the only command your puppy needs to learn is how to respond to the clicker. You are putting way too much on your pup at once. Instead, teach your puppy to respond to the clicker. It's easy. All you need is a clicker and treats. I recommend clicker training for all dogs. Click and give your dog a treat. Repeat about 30 times. To maintain this connection, it is important to follow the rule: Never click without treating and never treat without clicking. I do this about 3x per day for a week. I don't teach sit until Week 11, Down at Week 12, Come at Week 15 and Jump at Week 31. This is my training schedule and it's worked well for all my dogs: Week 8: Respond To The Clicker Week 9: Name Week 10: Touch Week 11: Sit Week 12: Down Week 13: Stand Week 14: Release Week 15: Come Week 16: Stay Week 17: Heel Week 18: Take It Week 19: Leave It Week 20: Bring It Week 21: Lean Names of Everything Week 22: Bell Week 23: Eliminate on Command Week 24: Leap Week 25: Jumping Through A Hoop Week 26: Jumping People Week 27: Go To A Place Week 28: Spin Week 29: High Five Week 30: Shake Week 31: Jump Week 32: Roll Over Week 33: Sit Pretty Week 34: Speak Week 35: Teaching Hush Week 36: Tug Week 37: Open/Close A Door Week 38: Fetch Week 39: Back Week 40: Yawn Week 41: Bring Your Slippers Week 42: Leash Week 43: Get Your Dish Week 44: Put Toys Away Week 45: Search/Find It Week 46: Catch Week 47: Act Ashamed Week 48: Left/Right Week 49: Weave Week 50: Count Week 51: Bow Week 52: Jump Rope Week 53: Fetch A Drink Week 54: Bring Tissue Week 55: Light Week 56: Limp Week 57: Crawl Week 58: Play Dead Week 59: Bang!
