Training Destiny

I hope you don´t mind but I wanna share with you how Destiny´s training is going.

Of course she is only 10 weeks old so no real breakthroughs are going to happen now

But she is getting the hang of sitting before meals are put down and for treats. I sort of free feed but I don´t leave food in the bowl after 9pm and the bowl gets filled with the amount they are suppose to get and put in front of them in the morning.

She was already crate trained so that is no issue although we cuddle a little bit over a show at night and I have fallen asleep with her laying on my shoulder. But she has no problem being in the crate at night and in the car.
And she is sleeping through the night now as long as she has her duckie in her crate with her.

Housetraining is going beoynd belief and the accident that have happened are of course my fault and almost all by the backdoor where they are let out. She actually will let me know if she needs to go out.

Recall is kinda harder since she is very independant so I need to take a can of treats out and use that by rattling it with calling her back. But she responds to her name so it´s progress and being 10 weeks she can´t be expected to have a good recall. But I am setting the groundwork.

She does have a thing for my underwear and bra´s and I have no idea how she is getting them out of the laundry basket but she is scary smart.

Last night we went to dinner at my brothers house who has 3 big dogs. And after dinner my sister in law was giving them some bites of of lamb and since Dessy was to small to get in with the other dogs so she crawled up the back of one of the bigger dogs that was sitting and sat on her head to get her piece
She has also moved her crate to use to climb on the couch

All in all she is a very smart pup and easy to teach and I can´t wait untill she gets old enough that we can start training for real.

I still havent found a collar or harness that is small enough for her but I still take her for socialilation everywhere I can with people, children, dogs and cats that I know are vaccinated.

Sounds like everything is going really well! What about a kitten collar for her?

Thank you. Yes I did buy a kitten collar but the only one I could find was en elastic one and she just slips out of it.

I have a toy breed puppy collar in neon pink on order for her with the petstore so hopefully that will be in soon.

You sound really proud of her and rightly so.Laughing at the underwear bit, mine has a thing for hubby's socks.When he takes off his shoes, she'll torture him till he gives her his socks.Runs up the hall, lies on the mat and plays with them, never put a hole in one yet!Funny the things they like.Look forward to following Destiny's progress. Good luck

Well done both of you.

You're doing so well with her, she sounds wonderful - glad Tangle isn't the only one with a thing for underwear, I kept finding her with my 19 yr old sons underpants - yack

She sounds a real star and you are clearly doing all the groundwork ... the younger the better. Well done to you

She's obviously a clever little thing and she appears to compensate for her size with her brain and problem solving

My last little dog had a real thing for dirty socks. At the time I had three men in the house and they were always moaning that their socks weren't were they'd left them My little Lhasa would invariably hide them behind a cushion on the settee or a chair.

Thank you all for the comments

She really is a little star and I can´t wait untill we can start training for real since that is my favorite part.

Her and Leo could not be more different from each other. But hopefully he will have calming affect on her and she will bring his confidence in the world up a bit.

What a fun dog to have!

Sounds like she is coming along famously.

Personally I would stop the free feeding and divide it into 4 meals a day, if she eats up early the length of time she will have to go before another feed will be far too long. Her last feed should be just before bed time.


WELL DONE, I wish there were more owners like you who put the work in to help their pups.

This may help with the stages your pup goes through. Like babies pups do vary a bit with the stages but it may help if you understand what stage your pup is at. At 10 weeks old she is coming out of her first fear period and this is the most important time for socialising her. If possible can you take her out and about carrying her? I find putting a pup in a bag helps, her head looking out of course


Prenatal Period
Conception to Birth
Neonatal Period 0-13 days
Puppies are not able to regulate temperature or eliminating without their mother's stimulation

Transition Period 13-21 days
Ears and eyes gradually open. Best time to introduce other species and novel items

Awareness Period 21-23 days
Rapid time of sensory development. Best time to introduce new floor surfaces and auditory stimuli

Canine Socialisation Period 21-49 days
Pup learns how to stop mother's discipline and how to be a dog.

During 4th and 5th weeks,
short car rides may be introduced and stimuli such as radio, dishwasher, TV hair dryer vacuum cleaner introduced.

During the 5th and 6th week
individual attention with humans should be given daily.

Human Socialisation Period 7-12 weeks
Best time for rehoming. Pfaffenberger believed that from 7 to 16 weeks of the puppy's life his basic character is set by what he is taught.The pup should be socialised to as many pleasant but varied experiences as possible during this time.

Fear Impact Sub-period 8-10
weeksExperiences that a pup perceives as traumatic during this time tend to be generalised and may affect them for the rest of their lives.

Seniority Classification Period 12-16 weeks
The age of cutting teeth and apron strings. By 16 weeks, the puppy's emotional makeup is fully developed.

Flight Instinct Period 4-8 months
There is a time during this period lasting 2-4 weeks when the pup will test his wings. He won't come when called and will run away when the owner tries to put on the lead.

Second Fear Impact Period 6-14 months
In large breeds, this stage may last longer. This period shows a fear of new situations and novel objects

Young Adulthood 18-24 months Many dogs may show a rise in aggression levels during this time. They may become protective and territorial and take advantage of any relaxation of the guidelines set by the owner.