Keeping a Schedule!

I think the most important thing I learned over the last year is that dogs like structure. Little Fido wants a schedule of things that he/she is going to do everyday! I learned this by having a set schedule for about the first 5 months, and then my work schedule changed, and so did Kevin's, So even though I didn't have to get up at 6 am anymore Willie still expected me to get up, and when I wasn't getting up he demanded that I get out of bed. He would do things like pull on the covers, paw at my head, lick my face etc.

So with that I firmly believe a schedule will help keep your dog semi-behaved! At least it does for Willie, and I do notice a difference when the schedule changes slightly. For example there is a thunderstorm going on during our normal walking time. Willie still expects to go on a walk, so he starts by grabbing at the leash, then he grabs the leash and brings it to me, then it progresses to him grabbing the leash and running back and forth between me and the door, so on and so forth. After being entertained by this I get up and distract him by grabbing his toy, or maybe by doing a little training session.

Remember not everyone gets an easy puppy, so be prepared to spend at least 3-4 hours per day with your dog! And even if your pup is easy going you should still be spending 3-4 hours per day with them. Personally I am dedicated to Willie, and I don't have children so he gets a little more attention throughout the day, but he is also a very hyper-active little guy that needs a little extra exercise, and even the extra I give him is usually not enough!

So here is a little example of a simple schedule you can keep with your pet, and remember to involve the whole family...especially the little ones. Keeping everyone interacting with your pooch will help him/her trust all of you even more, and will help them feel more comfortable, and at ease!

So in the morning be sure to have at least an hour or more to dedicate to your pup before heading off to work. First thing would be get out there on a walk. Go at least a mile, and this could take 15-30 minutes depending on how quickly your pup walks. Willie is a sniffer, and sometimes it's hard to get him going, but I find the quicker you walk the more attentive your pup will be! Now I try to incorporate little trainings while we are walking. If Willie's attention span is really off that day I may do some look at me training. So when Willie's attention seems to shift to something other than the walk I will stop, say "look", and wait until he turns around and looks at me. Once he does I will either praise or treat him, and then we will be on our way again. Repeat when needed! This will definitely add a little more time to your walk, but it also gets your pups mind working; which can also help wear him out!

When you get back home feed the animals! Whether you have 1 or 5 get everyone fed, and then get ready for your day. By the time you are done getting ready your pup will probably be done eating, and would have had the chance to digest his meal before his one final play or training time before you leave for work or school. If you happen to catch him sleeping let him sleep, and finish up what is needed and leave for the day. I always make sure that Willie has plenty of things to keep him occupied while I am gone. I personally have never used a crate, and never would, but if you do make sure it is big enough for your dog, so that he/she can stand up tall, and also be able to turn all the way around with out any trouble. Before Willie was fully potty trained we used the kitchen as his "home" we would gate it off so that he would not have access to any other part of the house! He had a little dog house in his area to sleep in, plenty of toys to play with, and usually a bone to chew on. (Make sure you are giving your dog toys and chews that are big enough so that they cannot swallow them whole!)

Lunchtime: I personally have worked at companies that are close enough to home, so that I can go home at lunch, and let Willie out, and then I spend a good 10-15 minutes of throwing the ball. If it's nice we will play ball outside. This really seems to wear him out pretty quickly! Before i would head back to work I would introduce a new chewy, or toy so that he had something to keep him busy for another hour or two! (A good thing to do especially on warm days....fill a kong with some peanut butter and stick it in the freezer before you leave in the morning, and then when you come home at lunch the kong should be nice and frozen, and highly entertaining!)

If you can't get home to your pup for long periods of time I highly recommend hiring someone to come over to let him/her our, or having a friend, or family member stop by. I had to use my dad one or two times, because I wasn't going to be able to let Willie out at lunch. Now some may think this is spoiling your dog, but Willie was pretty young, and young pups definitely cannot hold there pee as long as say a 2 year old pup can! Another option is puppy day care. There are plenty of centers around, and they are fairly inexpensive, and this will actually be a good socializing experience for your pooch!

Evening: You've been at work all day, and your poor pup has been cooped up. All you want to do is come in and relax. Think again!!! The minute I get home I give Willie about 3 minutes to settle down, and then I immediately get him ready for our evening walk. The evening walk tends to be longer. We typically go about 1 1/2 to 2 miles, and we are usually gone for about an hour. I use the same techniques as I did for the morning walk. Usually there are twice as many distractions! Kids, other dogs, babies crying, guys mowing the lawn, balls flying through the air etc....In the evening I tend to follow the same route.....I do this because I know that Willie knows the route, and he also knows the people, and dogs on the route, and this makes him happy, and also tends to make him a tired pup by the time we get back! On our route he has made a lot of puppy friends....we have JoJo, Charlie, Bella, Digger, Marley, Maddie, Nacho, Yogi, and Lily. This is a great thing to keep in mind when you are walking! Help your pup make friends, and in turn you may make a friend or two as well!

After your walk....it's feeding time! (Again get the whole family involved...unless little Fido is food aggressive). Once the animals are eating you can take the time to make dinner, eat, and even relax! Now I do not have any children at home, so I usually do this stuff on my own....sometimes Kevin pitches in, but with him working third shift it's a little hard, but we make do! But if you do have children be sure to get them involved. In the evening after homework and before bed have them play in the yard with your pup, or play a game in the house! The evening is also the perfect time to do a short 5 minute training session. By bedtime your pup should be ready for bed!!!

**Forgot to mention....the Most important thing about keeping your pup on a schedule: The potty schedule will always be the same!