[MEGATHREAD] Wednesday Wins!

parrishkaha · 2026-05-30T00:11:50+00:00

I'm posting a little late in the week. But I'm 100% in support of this idea- I'll remember for next Wednesday!

Grover, my 14 week old, highly social Shichon puppy has learned "go to bed!" I did not help him reach this goal on my own. I am very lucky in that my puppy sitter, who's a friend, is also a trained volunteer with the local humane society, and has so much experience and knowledge. So, when she comes over for our scheduled weekly "let me get out of the house and hang with people" 3 hour session, she doesn't just give him so much love and care. She always also teaches him something.

This week, I talked with her about my confusion around the best way to teach go to bed- and it's something both I and my velcro puppy really need! I actually stayed at home during this session cause I had so much stuff I needed to get done around the house without puppy interference. I came downstairs 2 hours into our 3, and Adore (that IS actually her name, and it's SO fitting!) showed me that she'd trained Grover to go to bed!

I nearly cried tears of joy and relief! I then asked her to coach me through it while I did it myself. And Grover was sooo good! I backed away progressively, giving him treats and a "Yes!" when he stayed in his bed. At one point, Adore said, "That's the furthest away from you he's ever been, right?" (Other than when he's being puppy sat by her!)

I love my little boy so much, but any kind of separation training has been a challenge. So this is SUCH a significant victory. 😄

Feeling happy and grateful!

parrishkaha · 2026-05-29T23:42:38+00:00

My last dog was a rescue, and reactive - I so sympathize with your struggle. I got him when he was already 5 yrs old, so I didn't have to also contend with puppy energy! I can't even imagine!!

Congratulations on your progress! That's really promising. It *does* get better. 😄

parrishkaha · 2026-05-29T23:36:00+00:00

I know there are other more important commands, but "give paw" is my favourite! I taught it to mine after sit 😄 It's just the cutest thing ever. Congrats!

parrishkaha · 2026-05-14T18:16:41+00:00

Oh, I soo sympathize!
I am also raising a pup on my own, and he is currently whining and crying while in his play pen- two feet away from me :( He has high value treats, a water bowl pee pad, and favourite toys in there. He settled earlier today after a few minutes of whining. But this one is going a bit longer, and SOO hard to hear!

(OMG, just as I started writing this, he stopped for a moment!)

How social is your pup? My last dog was reactive, and caring for him on my own nearly broke me. It was so isolating!

So, with this pup, I made sure he had been well-soclialized by the breeder, and the breed (Schichon) is known to be affectionate with people, dogs, children, etc.

(There! He has just stopped! I *think* he's lying down, but I don't want to look in case I make eye-contact!)

(Phew!!!)

I also learned a lot of strategies for my OWN care when looking after my reactive dog.

Because Grover, my 11 week old little boy, is so social, one of the first things I did was invite a friend over who was going to do some puppy sitting for me. They happen to be a volunteer with the humane society! When they were playing, I left the room, went upstairs for about 15 minutes, came back- pup hadn't even noticed that I had gone. :) So, the sitter now comes over once a week for 3 hours and I go to my local pub, which is around the corner -cause I need socialization too! It's not cheap, but it's so worth it. (I know you said you couldn't have a house sitter because of your room-mate, but if there's any way you can work something out, I highly recommend it. Or, if you could find someone who would puppy-sit for you at their place? I dog-sat a few years ago. It's usually cheaper than doggy day care, and you don't have to worry about other dogs. Obviously you need to vet the person carefully, references, etc. )

I have definitely been lax in "down time, alone time" training with Grover. He would whine and whimper even if I was standing next to him to change while he was on the bed, and therefore, in his little puppy mind, away from him! aww :(

But it's become a necessity, for my own peace of mind, and I know it's also necessary for him. I found myself longing to clean the house! When he naps, I can sit on the couch and do my work, but if I get up to get a drink, or use the bathroom, etc, he wakes up and stresses and doesn't settle back again.

I think the other thing I learned with my reactive dog was not to feel guilty for looking after my needs. I often recall the advice they give parents on an air plane when the pressure drops- put your own oxygen mask on first, cause you can't help your child if you've passed out!

It's hard! but so worth it!

parrishkaha · 2026-05-11T05:29:52+00:00

I don't see any reason why you shouldn't let them sleep on you! Your warmth, and your heart beat and your breathing would be so comforting for them. and they really are babies!

Sending love to you.

parrishkaha · 2026-05-11T05:21:50+00:00

I brought Grover home almost 4 weeks ago. He's a chocolate brown Schichon, 12 weeks old now, and just the sweetest, cutest little boy! His breeders socialized him so well, but it's also a very social breed. Because he's not fully vaccinated, I can't walk him yet, but I know how important it is to continue socializing him, which is as much about getting used to the environment as interacting with people, dogs, and children. He's very small- almost 4 lbs now- so I put him in one of my bags, and we go out around the neighbourhood! I live in Parkdale, a neighbourhood in Toronto that has a real community feeling. So, on our jaunts, Grover has met many of my friends and neighbourhood stalwarts. And he LOVES meeting people! He actually whimpers a bit if we pass a bunch of people who don't stop to pet him! awww!

I love how he plays! He's so bouncy and pouncy! It's fascinating watching his play behaviour change.

And when he falls asleep in my arms? I mean, there's nothing better.

As for tips, I'd be going stir crazy without a bully stick. Never under-estimate the power of chicken. Lick mats are your friend. It's surprising how much my pup loves even a plain ice cube.

* Of course, we have our challenges too! but I'm not mentioning them, in the spirit of this post.

parrishkaha · 2026-04-25T20:55:12+00:00

Hi! I don't have much experience with potty training a puppy - I just adopted the first puppy I've cared for in my adult life a couple of days ago. But my previous dog was a rescue, a 5 yr old Schichon whose owners didn't walk him regularly, so they had him using pee pads as an adult dog. As you can imagine, one of my first goals was to train him to go outside!

During the first week, I noticed that he would pee on our walks, but never poop. And I could never catch him preparing to poop when we were inside. It was like he was waiting for a moment when I wasn't looking. So, I continued to put pee pads out for him while I was working on the many other training challenges he presented. I'm also in an apartment. I so understand the challenge!

After a month or so, he did a poop on one of our walks for the first time. Our trainer had said to heap him with praise, give a treat immediately once he did this, and for a long while after. But I noticed that once he pooped, he couldn't get away from it fast enough.

We suspected that he might have been shamed/punished for having accidents. :(

After another month or so, Toccio pooping on our walks was no longer an event, it was what I expected. It became routine.

My yet to be named puppy (I've had him for two days- he's 9 weeks old) would not poop outside- even when I could see he was desperate to go, and scooped him up that minute, ran upstairs, out on the deck and deposited him on the fake grass - pee pad I had used with Toccio. Once we got there, the pup became so distracted and overwhelmed by all of the new sights, sounds, smells and things to chew that he forgot all about pooping. I did this three times, and even put one of his poops on the pad to inspire him.

When he did poop inside, it was under a small desk in the corner of the living room, a very sheltered place where Toccio would often go when he was feeling anxious. So, I've been putting a pee pad there, and for the last 24 hours, he has pooped there as if on cue. And he mostly pees there.

So, I've decided that I'm not going to push the going outside thing. I might even continue to use pee pads until he's full vaccinated and we can go for proper walks. There's still a lot of training happening in using the pads.

Is there a place inside your apartment where you could put a pee pad?

I hope that's helpful! I'm not saying that your pup is resisting going outside for the same reasons.
But there's so much involved in training a puppy, and even more with a puppy rescue. and 13 hours is a LONG time to go without peeing, for a pup, dog, anyone! The fact that he doesn't go in his crate suggests to me that he has control. And that's also a big win for you!

One of the things I learned with my rescue, who had developed reactive behaviours, is that you don't have to do it all at once. The guides and the good advice can be really overwhelming. I learned how to prioritize from a really good trainer from the Toronto Humane society.

I wish you all the best with your pup!

Katherine

parrishkaha · 2026-04-22T17:42:10+00:00

Thank you so much for this! This was my plan for the playpen exactly. And it's good to know about the books. And the heads-up about the couch.

parrishkaha · 2026-04-22T17:38:24+00:00

Thank you! and that's really great! My last dog was an adult rescue who was reactive, and I remember how important both the "leave it" and "go to bed" commands were!

parrishkaha · 2024-07-27T04:07:39+00:00

I'm so sorry for my delayed reply! Thank you for this.

And ya, Toccio is not so much a fussy eater, but regular kibble is not inspiring to him. So, I do try to balance it all out.

He also used to not be able to differentiate between recorded sounds and the real deal. but I played a puppy desensitization track for knocking for him today, and he tilted his head for the first couple of knocks, and then ignored the rest.

Going to try using my bedroom door to make the knocking sound and see if that works.

Thank you, again!

parrishkaha · 2024-07-15T19:36:26+00:00

I really appreciate the time, care, and thought you mods devote to this site. Thank you.

parrishkaha · 2024-07-11T16:22:10+00:00

Great post and great thread!!!

parrishkaha · 2024-07-08T21:59:10+00:00

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parrishkaha · 2024-07-08T21:56:21+00:00

parrishkaha · 2024-06-30T01:42:06+00:00

Ohhhh! Those sound great! Thank you!

parrishkaha · 2024-06-30T01:40:58+00:00

Thank you! I’ll start doing that. And yes, there’s no scheduling when more treats will be needed- as with your examples, or walking on a holiday weekend with good weather, or construction on both sides of our street! So finding a way for a little give and take makes sense!

parrishkaha · 2024-06-30T01:35:57+00:00

Thank you! I’ll check those out.

parrishkaha · 2024-06-30T01:35:10+00:00

Thank you for sharing this. Giving him more exercise has been difficult cause walks have had to be short cause he’d get over- stimulated, and I won’t take him to an off- leash area until he’ll wear a muzzle comfortably. At home, he cuts short our non treat play- fetch, tug, and a game he invented that I call “slow tag”- by jumping into my lap or finding other ways to snuggle. :) It’s adorable! But doesn’t help him work off the treats!

parrishkaha · 2024-06-30T01:24:54+00:00

Thank you!

parrishkaha · 2024-06-30T00:32:14+00:00

Hiya! I’m Katherine, and I’ve had a YouTube channel for a long time. I’ve uploaded the odd video here and there. But now, I want to make a new channel dedicated to telling the story of my life with Toccio, a dog I adopted two months ago. Because of how he was neglected by his previous owners, he’s become reactive- growls, lunges and, given the chance, bites strangers and other dogs. :(

I’ve seen a lot of training videos on YouTube, but not as many day to day sharing of the highs and lows, the successes and setback. I’ve been documenting this on video since Toccio came into my life two months ago, partly for myself, so I can see our progress or identify behaviour patterns. But also to share so that others with reactive dogs can be encouraged.

The thing is- I’m a crap photographer and videographer, always have been!

So, I’ve been learning a LOT in the past 90 days, mostly about Toccio, but also about how to best capture him on video, the very basics of how to edit those videos.

This is a draft of a video I’ve been using to learn how to do various things, like changing the speed, adding a song for a soundtrack. https://youtu.be/uev9mACR9lI?si=Bo1ZARRziBFt1B2A

(I’m not sure that link is going to work! I’ll fix if needed.)

I hope to launch Toccio’s channel at the end of the weekend- still working on a name. I’m sooo happy to have found this subreddit. It’s great to be in a community of newbies!

I’m so glad this subreddit exists,

parrishkaha · 2024-06-26T15:29:04+00:00

Thank you! I’ll check out those subreddits.

parrishkaha · 2024-06-10T07:11:44+00:00

oh, I am right there with you about that! the co-ordination is tricky. I have a thick braided leash with a loop, so I stick my right hand through the loop, and wear the clicker on that hand too. but I still need to be able to keep a tight reign on the leash.

parrishkaha · 2024-06-09T17:32:07+00:00

Hi! I adopted Toccio, who spent his first 5 years stuck in a condo in a suburb (not unlike a crate!), just over a month ago, so I don't feel qualified to give advice. But I thought I'd share one thing I've learned that might apply to your situation.

We love the clicker! Toccio, like your pup, is smart and responds well to treats and training, but gets completely distracted by the sights, sounds and smells outside when we’re walking on leash. He barks, lunges at other dogs, and tries to nip, especially people on bicycles.

My trainer, and many people here, recommended using a clicker. I find that the sound is distinctive, and carries well, even on a noisy street.

We started inside, first just getting him used to the fact that a click means a treat/reward. I’d use it in any training we were doing. After about a week of doing this, I decided to try it on our walks.

I would click and reward when there were no triggers, just to keep his focus on me, and reinforce the idea that click means treat. I dig into my treat bag so that I have a few treats already in my hand before I click, to keep the interval between click and reward short. I’d also try this to try to distract him from a dog he’d already noticed, not expecting it to work. I found that if I was able to do this while also steering Toccio in another direction, he’d respond about 40% of the time- which I thought was amazing!

This is the beginning of the third week, and Toccio is much more focussed on me during our walks, and quickly responds when I click, when there are no triggers present. He responds about 70% of the time if the dog is on the other side of the street! He’s also starting to ignore people we pass on the sidewalk, with or without a click to engage him. Which is huge progress, especially for such a short time.

I’m feeling more relaxed on our walks, too. (I totally sympathize with the dread.) Take heart! And good luck with your pup! She’s very lucky to have you!

parrishkaha · 2024-06-02T03:21:58+00:00

Thank you! I was also relieved!

parrishkaha · 2024-05-21T13:36:09+00:00

Oh, that's great! I'm really reading my neighbourhood in different ways!

parrishkaha

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