Help! My new puppy is making me crazy!

Infants sleep a lot. Humans and dogs. It's when they wake up and start moving that the trouble starts. Try to remember that your puppy knows almost nothing. You have to teach it everything you want it to know. Fortunately, it's a simple formula. There's quite a bit of time and effort involved, but the more work you put into your puppy when it's young, the less you have to do later.

Crate training is the way to go. Your dog's crate (cage) should be big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lie down. That's it. Any bigger and he'll find a way to avoid any mess he (or she) makes.

When you are not actively watching your puppy, he should be in the crate. Your puppy should sleep in the crate, preferably in your bedroom. The crate should move from room to room - wherever the family is, the puppy should be with you.

Choose a spot outside where you want your puppy to eliminate. Take your puppy to that spot, on leash, when she wakes up in the morning, 10 minutes after she eats, 10 minutes after she plays, and before bed.

When your puppy "does her business" in your chosen spot - praise! praise! praise! "Good puppy! Good go potty!" You can use whatever term you'd like, but do choose one. It's very, very convenient later in the dog's life, when you're running late, if you know your dog will eliminate on command.

Anyone who's ever had a puppy knows puppy teeth are sharp! Puppies do explore their world with their mouth - they have no hands!

You can teach your puppy not to bite with a few simple techniques. When you see that your puppy's about to clamp down - say "eh!" or growl at him, just like his mother would do. If he does manage to grab hold of tender skin - yelp like one of his littermates! If nothing else, it will startle him into letting go!

From the time you bring him home, teach your puppy which items are his to chew and which are off-limits. When he picks up something he shouldn't (like the shoes you forgot to put away), trade him for his bone and tell him he's a good boy.

When your puppy reaches four to six months old, she'll be teething and start losing her "baby" teeth and getting her permanent ones. Like all babies, teething can make puppies very, very unhappy. You can help soothe her need to chew. Take an old, clean washcloth. Dampen it and tie it in a knot. Put it in the freezer for several hours and you'll have a soothing toy for your dog to gnaw.

Puppies can be perpetual motion machines that make their owners crazy. They seem to have two speeds - full and off. You have to teach your puppy to "chill!"

When the house is relatively quiet, sit on the floor with your puppy on your left side. Put the fingers of your left hand, palm up, through the puppy's collar so your arm is along the puppy's back. You may need to hug your puppy to you with your left arm to keep him in place.

Have the puppy sit quietly. If she struggles or tries to escape, calmly refuse to let her go. Don't grab at your puppy, just quietly hug her to you with your arm, keeping hold of her collar.

Praise your puppy as soon as you get an instant of quiet sitting. "Good puppy! Good chill!" and give her a treat. Reward her often and your puppy will learn that sitting quietly with you is a wonderful thing to do.

You may only get 30 seconds at first. Practise this "Sit and Accept Praise" exercise at least once daily and gradually build up your puppy's ability to be calm.

Walking on leash is not a natural behavior for a puppy. They want to wander off and explore. They want to do what they want to do!

The secret to "walking nice" on leash is convincing your puppy that walking with you is the absolute best thing in the world.

Here's how: have a bag of treats with you. Go outside and start walking. As soon as the leash tightens, either with your pup forging ahead of you or lagging behind, stop and wait. When your puppy looks at you, or makes any motion toward you, say "good puppy" and reward him with a treat.

Whenever the leash tightens, stop and repeat.

You won't get very far at first, but your puppy will learn that good things happen when he does things your way!

The Clicker Training Kit has everything you need to get started training your dog. The book explains in detail what/where/how, while the "Quick Start" Click-A-Trick cards will let you see results in no time. Clicker and treats are also included - all you need!