to DU'ers with problem puppies...

[Dookus]

HA-HA!!!

My pup rocks! Less than 48 hours since I got him (he's 12 weeks old) and already he goes potty outside (not one mishap in the house), walks very well on a leash, sits on verbal command, goes happily into his crate, and can identify two of his toys.

In another week, I'll have him washing the dishes and alphabetizing my CD's.

[Worst Username Ever]

1. Is this the bulldog? I need pictures!

[Dookus]

3. Yup

Tucker the Wonder Pup

[Worst Username Ever]

5. Awesome.

My g-friend and I were watching Van Wilder last night, and she went wild over the bulldog. I remembered your pics from earlier in the day and wanted to show them to her. Thanks!

Great looking dog!

[redqueen]

2. Wow, Dook

You should write a book!

Well done!

[Dookus]

7. I can't take much credit

I know a bit about training dogs, but this guy's just a champ. He simply hasn't done anything wrong. No peeing, no chewing (on anything other than his toys and chewbones), no harassing the cats....

He was a little stubborn on the leash at first, and still occasionally decides to stop, but I get down and call him, give a little tug, and he comes a wobblin' along.

He cries for a few minutes at night when he goes in his crate, but then stops and lays down. I do let him up on the couch (I know, bad doggy daddy) but I've taught him to come up to me and sit and wait for permission to come up.

I think he's just really smart and he really likes to please. It's gonna be a lot of fun really training him.

[tridim]

13. Re: Dogs on the couch

IMO, owners who don't let their dogs on the couch are lame. They love it up there, so why supress it.

[Dookus]

14. at his age, it's not ideal

he's just figuring out dominance issues, and letting them on the couch with people makes them think they're equal in the hierarchy. That's why I make him sit and ask permission before coming up.

[redqueen]

16. That's quite impressive

You really are one lucky doggy daddy!

Hope you'll keep us posted as you train him... he'll make a great student. :)

[Blue-Jay]

4. I'm not impressed.

Now, if he groups the CDs by genre before alphabetizing them, we'll talk.

:D

Cute dog, BTW. Does he snore yet?

[RebelYell]

6. Positive reinforcement works

Screaming at or striking dogs does not.

You're little bundle of joy is absolutely adorable!

[Dookus]

9. yup

anything he's learned so far has been just through praise. He has no interest in doggie treats, and a firm "no" seems to get his attention if he seems interested in something he shouldn't be.

[RebelYell]

15. When's he's a bit older and has his adult teeth, say 6 months

Try a bag of peeled baby carrots for special treats. I've taught my dogs AMAZING things using carrots. They will do nearly anything for a carrot.

[Dookus]

17. thanks for the advice

I need to find some little treat that really motivates him. But luckily, for now, just praise seems to be working wonders. He's very attached to me and follows me around everywhere.

[napi21]

8. Get down on your knees! This is a VERY RARE puppy!!!

Believe me, I've raised many pups over the years. Yes, you usually can get most to learn some things by 12 weeks, but the person you got him from must have spent a lot of patient hours with this little guy, because whatever you could have done in the 48 hours with you alone I doubt could possibly have accomplished that much. Call the breeder and thank them!!!!

[Dookus]

10. heheh

actually, he was one of eight. They were paper-trained, and had never been on a leash or worn a collar. While I'm sure she spent a lot of time with the pups, I doubt he got any individual training.

As I said, I can't take a whole lotta credit. I'm just doing the things you're supposed to do, and he's really smart and really wants to please.

Also, I fully expect it all to turn around and for him to make a fool of me. He's just setting me up.

[napi21]

20. Yea, he probably will when he get to be a doggie teenager.

And anybody who thinks dogs don't go through teenage stage has never had a puppy very long.

Good luck to you.

[Dookus]

22. heheh

yeah, I bet.

When do they become "teenagers"? 6 months to a year? Later than that?

[tridim]

11. Your pup should teach a class..

You can teach him that next.

Great looking dog BTW. My Boston Terrier is close ancestor to English Bulldogs, so I know the personality very well.

[RebelYell]

18. My grandparents had a boston named Chet

He was a very cool dog.

[Dookus]

19. yeah?

Are Boston's similar? The standard claim on bulldogs is that they're smart, but a little stubborn, very very sweet and especially attached to their master, GREAT with children and cats, and generally lethargic layabouts.

[tridim]

28. That describes Bostons quite well

except the terrier in them makes them a bit nutty. She's only lethargic when she's sleepy, otherwise she's bouncing off the walls.

[Dookus]

29. heheh

yeah, terriers can be a bit manic, can't they?

If Tucker has a manic side, I haven't seen it yet. He seems really calm all the time, which I like. It's one of the reasons I wanted a bulldog.

[auburngrad82]

12. Our dogs ARE the pre-wash cycle.

They get to "clean" the plates before they go in the dish washer. Bad habit to start. Now they can all spell P-L-A-T-E-S.

[Dookus]

27. lol

lucky little doggies!

[DebinTx]

21. What an adorable puppy!

I've got 2 golden retrievers, 1 cat and a hampster ruling my roost.

Looks like you've got a good friend for life. Just a note about dogs doing their duty - dogs do not like to sleep where they do their thing, so when you finally let him stay out of the pen at night, keep him in his own "bedroom". Eventually when he just sleeps wherever in the house, he won't do his thing in the house.

[liontamer]

23. What a cute puppy

and so smart! you must be a great teacher

[Dookus]

24. nah, not really

he's just being really good so I'll forgive all the transgressions he's planning to commit soon.

[Susang]

25. He's lulling you into a false sense of security

Sneaky dog, that Tucker. He's planning something, I can feel it. I'd watch your shoes, he hasn't begun to start teething in earnest yet, you know! }(

[Dookus]

26. well

he's been chewing a lot on his little rawhide chew sticks. It's adorable, because it sticks out the side of his mouth like a cigar while he chomps away. Looks like an old jewish deli owner I used to work for. Maybe I shoulda named him Aaron.

[ikojo]

30. By the way TUCKER won the cute poll against the

MIGHTY MIGHTY QUINN the cat.