# What sort of reindeer games should rudolf play?



## Ted White (May 2, 2006)

He's no reindeer, but here's what me and my 10 week old do durung the day:

Chasing a rag, either on a flirt pole or not. Other toys as well. He is crazy for this. I let him win all the time after a brief tug. Especially if he counters with a bigger bite.

I keep these brief and introduce large arm waiving as a distraction. Constant vocal praise and stroking.

Walk through the yard with a leash. If he resists the leash I call him to me with a treat of homemade chicken jerky. Yummy. Not really any resistance any longer.

Just picked up a car crate so we'll be going to some new areas, etc.

I figure I'll avoid other dogs like the plague, and have him take a neutral position with people. Keep right on going. He's never been really people interested, so no sense making everyone his pal.

What else do you guys do to mix it up / imprint? Any good article anywhere?


----------



## Hil Harrison (Mar 29, 2006)

I always got my lot interacting with others dogs seeing as young dogs learn from the older ones. Its just my opinion but I wouldnt avoid other dogs like the plague or you may run into some unsocialised behaviour later on when hes older. Its good for him to meet other dogs and play a bit with his own soort.

About the people bit........he doesnt have to be mans best friend BUT........are you taking him into the sport? I sure would socialise him some with people. Even if he's not interested now in people just keep him in contact with them. He 's only 10 weeks and out there exploring, but Í would keep him between your guidelines. Dont make the mistake of keeping him safe from harms way or whatever....get him out there thinking that all these new things are normal e.g. the other dogs and people and just let him discover stuff. You dont want an antisocial or scared stiff dog, cos it will come back at ya when he's older.The first 6 mths of a pups life are so important for the rest of the years to come. Nr 1 for me is socialise or you get problems later and I mean bigguns. I see the unsocialised dogs everyday and I can tell you they are darn hard to rehome. 

With a pup dont make the training and demands too long drawn out...........10 mins is plenty for a pup seeing as their concentration span is short. Make it playful and not too much pressure. Im a believer of letting a pup be a pup and from an age of 8 mths or so I out the pressure on more.

Keep the playing varied so it will keep him interested. If it gets monotonous he will learn to anticipate and get also very bored and go look for his own stuff to do. Food treats works great for pups but keep the reward small and easily chewable. Once you got the attention you can swap round constantly from food rewards to voice and stroking him. I never do the same thing constantly...once again they anticipate.

But then again thats just MHO;-) 

About the articles...........you could do a search on the forum here or check out the net....there is loads on there if you put in the right key words;-)


----------



## Ted White (May 2, 2006)

Great advice Hil. Break it up. Avoiding dogs was to really avoid having the pup traumatized by a dominant dog. Some play would be OK, I agree.

I've been working on the people socialization.


----------



## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

If you are planning to do SchH or IPO you can start tracking, which is always fun to do with a pup.


----------



## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

oh yes, start some tracking! it is FUN! and, i made a shaker out of a 16 oz. plastic pop bottle w/some pennies in it when Brix was little, and he STILL associates the sound of coins in plastic as "fun, fun, fun". i didn't play with it with him all the time--only when we were doing tug work; by the time he was probably 12 weeks old, i could shake it all around him, slap him lightly with it and he would just grip the tug harder.

it was NOISY, but put one together now (he's 20 mo old), and he's all over me, looking for it, or the tug, or SOMEthing to bite. i don't know if that was "right" or "wrong" training, but it's what i did (at least part of it)--and crazy sounds now either 1) get him drivey, or 2) get him drivey. FWIW!


----------



## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Yes, he doesn't have to be super duper social, but I made it a goal with my pup to go one new place every day until he was 4 months old. I more or less succeeded (there were a few days we just went to the same old place) and he now just about 5 months and pretty unflappable. You can't take him too many places really. Get as creative as possible. And have him around different animals. Cats, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, ducks, chickens...anything you have access to. If I see cattle or other livestock in a field and I have the pup with me, we pull off to the side of the road and I'll just have him jump out just to look at them (not too close!). Fawkes has seen goats, sheep, horses, cattle, ducks, and chickens and didn't seem to care, but he did low bark at some llamas we saw the other day, which I thought was a bit odd.

I'd avoid the animal shelter and the dog parks (not that I bring my dogs to the dog park anyways) for the disease aspects, but if you bring your dog out in public, he will almost inevitably run into other dogs whether you want him to or not when he's an adult, so at least being around lots of different sized dogs is helpful so he doesn't feel he has to posture or whatever. Managing a dog aggressive dog can be annoying. He doesn't have to play, but being around lots of well behaved, puppy tolerant dogs is helpful.


----------



## Ted White (May 2, 2006)

Great insight Maren. Thanks. I like the daily visits to someplace new. I must try that now that I have a car crate


----------



## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

So glad the rescue people are here to answer. LOL Not sure why anyone would take that advise.....................


----------



## Hil Harrison (Mar 29, 2006)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> So glad the rescue people are here to answer. LOL Not sure why anyone would take that advise.....................


and that comment was directed to?


----------

