Over the past 13 years I've watched my mom juggle the countless appointments, practices, homeschool projects and music lessons that come with having eight kids. Our living room, with windows perfectly framing Mt. Baker's snow-sprinkled shoulders, is the epicenter of our family's activity. It is also where my mom manages the day-to-day tasks that keep Annie's Doodles running smoothly. Tucked away in a "room" that looks suspiciously like an old pantry, Annie keeps an eye on the ever-whirling activity while answering emails and making phone calls. 

Oh, and did I forget to mention the dogs? Whether it is our veteran family dog, Carmel, a mama dog, or rookie puppies enrolled in Puppy K, there is rarely a time when the Carlson house is dogless. 

Puppies+ Kids + Dogs = Chaos?

 Well, not necessarily. Early on, we discovered the magic of contentment training. If you work from home regularly or just want a pup that is happy to sit and observe the craziness of everyday life without adding to it, contentment training is perfect you! 

All you need to start your pup on the road to contentment is a leash and a little patience. It really is as easy as 1,2,3!

Step 1
Begin contentment training after the pup has gone potty (for closer look at the best place to try this in your puppy's schedule check out our post Puppy Naps & Potty Training).
Pick your pup up and carry them inside. I emphasize carry, because you want to do everything you can to signal to your pup that it is not play time. 

Step 2
On arriving inside, immediately take the leash and tie your pup to either a table leg or your chair. Clear everything away so there is not much to get tangled on. Toss your pups blanket and favor toys on the ground.   

Step 3
Leave them alone. (Not really alone, because of the choking hazard, your checking on them, but they don't see you. ) For about 20 minutes. The goal is to sneak back and catch them when they are not barking and crying and reward them with some love and take them off the leash. Try this twice a day for a week and your pup will get the hang of it. 

Sounds too simple, right? Well, yes and no. At this point in the training process, it now depends on how tolerant you can be,  bad news for people like me who struggle with chronic impatience. Initially your pup will cry and whine. They will become tangled in the leash. They will hit you with those puppy-dog eyes, making you feel like a monster for ignoring them. Don't give in! If your pup is tangled, get up, walk over, and untangle them. Do so quietly without talking or petting them. 

Just as with crate training, the less you respond to your pup's cries and accusing eyes the faster they will learn to content themselves with laying down and watching as you move around the area working, eating, etc. Once your pup becomes accustomed to the whole idea it won't take long for them to adjust. After a week or so of training with the leash, you can see how your pup does without using a leash. Because you are taking away this major element, it is vital to keep everything else the same. Straight from potty. No playing. No petting. And try not to talk in the puppy voice that... yes, we are all guilty of using. Over time your pup will learn to pick up on these nonverbal cues without having to follow any sort of strict schedule. 

Puppies newly separated from their littermates must learn that their "Pack" habits such as: jumping, nipping, and barking, are not appropriate behaviors.  "Pack" behavior is a natural part of puppyhood. The pups spend their days chasing, wrestling, and rough housing with their brothers and sisters. The transition from pack to people does not happen overnight. Contentment training is one of the best ways to teach your pup that there are new expectations for their behavior. This is especially important if your pup will be around younger children. By tying the pup to a chair leg, or a kitchen island you allow the pup to be part of the fun, but the little ones will be safe as long as they stay out of the pup's radius.  After a few months you will have had time to train your pup on how to properly approach children without bowling them over with puppy love!

Another easy way to work on contentment training is by tying the pup to whatever chair you will be sitting in while working.  Annie does this all the time! She scatters a few toys around her chair, and every now and again she will pet or nudge the pup with her foot. Pups usually settle down quickly and are content to chew on their toys while getting a few  pets from mom. Just make sure that you set an alarm to remind you when the pup needs a potty break. Focused periods of work broken by a little bit of fresh air are great for your pup, but they also help increase your productivity as well! 

The ultimate goal for contentment training is that you are able to move around in the same space as your pup without having them underfoot begging for attention.

​ Good luck and try not to cave in to those puppy eyes! 

  - Hannah & The Doodles

Whether implemented for a short time or used as a staple, crate training helps establish rhythms and patterns essential to you and your pup's comfort. Introducing a puppy to your family means plenty of cuddles, but it also requires a new prioritization of time and energy. I often draw parallels between puppies and newborns. Just as with a newborn, puppies operate best when they feel safe and follow a structured routine. Establishing a routine that fits your family can be one of the greatest challenges presented by bringing home a puppy.

Crate training is a wonderful method that fulfills a growing pup's two main requirements: safety and structure.  Though it may seem like your pup has limitless energy, they do need to learn how to stop and rest. I often encourage people to place the crate as far away from hearing as possible. The purpose is twofold, you cannot hear your pup and your pup can't hear you. Placing the crate in a laundry room, mudroom, or garage for the first week makes it easier on both of you. We all want to comfort a crying pup, but, if you respond to your pup every time they whine, they will whine continually in order to get your attention. The great thing with crate training is, after the first few days (if you remain disciplined), your pup will learn to view their crate as a place of safety and rest. 

Over the years Annie's Doodles has trained many pups and we have developed a schedule that combines potty and crate training. We suggest using Midwest Life Stages Crate (available on the Store page). This crate has adjustable panels so that as your pup grows the crate can too! One of the first steps in crate training is to ensure that the crate is properly adjusted to your pup's size. If the crate is too small your pup will be cramped and uncomfortable. However, if the crate is too large your pup will inevitably go potty in the back corner and sleep in the front. The best indication for crate size is that your pup should be able to lie down fully without being cramped. With both crate training and potty training it is key to limit accidents! Below I have written out two schedules. One is barebones, providing only the basics. The second is for those wanting a little more detail. 

Basic Schedule:

• Potty
• Eat/drink/play
• Potty
• Free Time
• Crate/nap
• Repeat

Note you should take your pup to go potty about every 30 min

Detailed Schedule:

• Wake up - 6:00am
  • Take pup out of crate and carry outside to specified potty location
  • Do not let the pup walk, we do not want any accidents on the way
  • When you put the pup down do not play with them, it is business, not play time
    • I like to give them a verbal cue, saying "potty, potty, potty"
    • Once they have finished praise and pet them
• Feed/Water 
  • Give the pup 1 cup 3x a day (They can eat as much of this food in 10 minutes as they want and then pick up the food and no more food until the next feeding. We want their bodies to get on a schedule.)  of Life's Abundance: All Life Stage Dog Food
    • It is important to pay attention to your pup's eating habits
      • If they leave food in their bowl, they are full
      • If they eat it all, wait until the next feeding time to give them more
• Potty
  • Twenty minutes after you feed and water your pup it is time for a long potty
    • Long potty = Pee + Poop
    • Remember to follow the same routine
      • Pick them up
      • No play
      • "Potty, potty, potty"
• Inside Play Time 
  • This is their free time, but only on hardwood or tiled floors
  • Carpet = Grass, Grass = Potty!
  • While they are in training, I block-off all carpeted areas
  • Contentment Training
    • During this free time I will play with the pup, but when I need to eat or work I put them on a leash and tie them to my chair
    • Initially (just like crate training) they will fuss, if ignored they will eventually lay down and observe the sights and sounds
    • It is good for your pup to realize that there are times when they will get your undivided attention and times when they just need to hang out
• Potty
  • After 20 min of inside time it is time to take them out for another potty
• Crate/Nap
  • Carry the pup straight from their potty into their crate
    • This signals them that it is not play time anymore
    • Nap for thirty minutes to an hour
• Repeat the schedule

Ideally you will be able to take some time off from work to help your pup fully adjust to their new life. If not, though you can easily modify our prescribed schedule, your pup should not be left in the crate for longer than an hour at a time during the day. Puppies need naps, but they also need plenty of free-time!

If you think there will be times when you are unable to let your pup out after an hour, we recommend that you read How to Train a Puppy in 7 Days (available on our Store page). One of their suggestions is that you leave the pup in a fully puppy-proofed mudroom or laundry room rather than a crate. 

Good Luck!

Hannah & The Doodles

     What are these creepy-crawlies?
       The two highest gut-busters on our most-wanted list are      
       Intestinal Worms and Giardia (a microscopic parasite).
​
      Are Worms/Giardia common in puppies? 
        Yes! Both Worms and Giardia are extremely common in    
        puppies.


Should I be worried?
  No! These issues are generally easy to fix.

 Is Annie's Doodles proactive when it comes to combating Worms and Giardia?
   Yes, your puppies are treated for both issues before leaving the farm. That being said, sometimes the puppies will need another dose once they are away from their littermates! We include a vaccination/deworming information card in the puppy-packet you will receive on Puppy Pick-Up Day. These cards detail the types of medicine we use to treat your puppy and the dates on which the medicine was administered, just in case your vet wants to give one more round of the medicine once the pup is away from the litter.

 - Hannah & The Doodles