Getting a pup next week, training ideas?

I am picking up a 12 week old male pup next week (Wally) and need some advice about training. I will be home with him full time for two weeks, before returning to work daily (I will be gone about 9 hours a day, but can come home at lunch time to take him for a quick walk). I am in NYC in an apartment.

So, for crate training... is it ok to leave him in the crate for 4-4.5 hours at a time? Or would it be better to gate him in the kitchen with some papers when I am gone and just use the crate for sleeping and when I can't supervise him?

thanks for any ideas!

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Permalink Reply by Ross on December 13, 2008 at 3:44am

Crate early, crate often. 4 hours might be okay, your new puppy should be able to sleep that long. We got our corgi when my girlfriend and I were both in school, so we used to come home in between classes. We had accidents here and there but that's a puppy for you. I recommend buying shelf liner and putting it under his crate (that way if a mess makes its way outside the crate, all one has to do is bring it over to the sink and rinse it off, rather than having to clean excrement from the carpet.
Make sure you don't scold your corgi if you find a mess in his crate, he won't understand, you have to catch him in the act in order to scold.
Make your corgi think of his crate as a safe and loving place. Never use your crate for punishment, and always use lots of praise and rewards when they use the crate.
Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on December 14, 2008 at 12:14am

I suggest getting several pocket-sized lightweight airtight odor-proof dog-proof pocket-sized containers for treats, and always keep them loaded with ammunition -- very tiny but desirable treats -- always have them handy so you can reward to dog for every desirable behavior. I keep one by the bed, one by the door, one if our dogwalking fanny-pack. If they're not in an airtight container, sooner or later you're gonna lose an expensive pair of pants when the dog chews through the pocket to get the treat (and boy will the dog be pissed when he discovers the pocket empty, and only smelling of dog treats). Keep the size of treats minuscule, else he'll get overweight from all the treats you'll be giving. Practice NILF -- nothing in life is free -- make him work for everything, but reward him for everything. Eventually, you can substitute praise for treats -- he will be perfectly willing to work for your approval.

Make a list of the commands you want to teach and be VERY CONSISTENT. If you have a partner, make sure you're both on the same page -- it's much harder for the dog when He says and means one thing, and She says and means another thing -- my wife an I have made this mistake. Standardize the vocabulary. Make that list. Be extremely consistent. Keep it simple.

I recommend McConnell(?), "The Other Side of the Leash". But read lots more.

There's also a thread here on "Really Reliable Recall" -- for when Fido is running full-speed for a porcupine, skunk, or the freeway -- check that out. Probably the most important commands are "Drop it!" "No!" "Stop!" and the Really Reliable Recall (not the routine "Come!").

I think Obedience is one of the most rewarding things about being owned by a corgi -- it's real communication.