Week two has passed and Booey is learning (and growing) each and every moment! We went for his first hike up near the Canine Counselor mountain retreat here near Boulder, Colorado to do some exploring and backcountry training. It was amazing for me to see how even as a puppy, a dog’s natural instinct’s to navigate wild terrain kicks in! Even my old dog Bear who is 11 becomes a puppy again in the mountains. Prancing around playfully and running back and forth to help guide our “pack”. While him, Booey, my daughter and I enjoyed a beautiful Colorado mountain afternoon with beautiful front range views.
While observing how Booey, the puppy navigated his first wild adventure, in Colorado. I kept saying, “this type of terrain must be like disneyland for puppies!” He probably learned more from being in his natural wild element for a couple hours than he has learned so far in his ten weeks of puppyhood. Needless to say, Booey got an A+ on his trail walking ability. Both him and Bear never strayed afar and even stay with us as we took some off trail routs as well.
Since I spend a decent amount of time at my mountain location. I also began to imprint some of the command work I describe in the next paragraph while up there. This is so he gets used to responding to my command and control at both of our backcountry and regular homes alike. this is in addition to the generalized socializing I want to do with him to the alpine environment. Most importantly…he had a blast! Some dogs only learn how to respond to the environment or situation they were trained in. To avoid this and make your training more applied and practical, make sure you get out there and work with your dog in a wide range of scenarios you may find yourself and your dog in the future. We can learn a concept once and take it with us around the world and beyond. Dogs, being black and white, need to be whats called, “proofed” and shown that what works in one place, can work anywhere…
I have begun leash training Booey and phasing commands he already understands (“Sit”, “Come”, “Kennel”) from primarily being treat trained. Based solely on operant conditioning. I am now raising the bar and working on his mental committment to the task at hand (see past articles on single pointed focus building/ dog meditation) He is a working dog. But any dog can be taught how to focus, as long as it is developed correctly and communicated in a way they understand. With Boeey, I do not expect much at this stage. I do, however want to begin getting past the treat thinking stage and develop a more communicative way of requesting and maintaining his command and focus without relying on or having him always expect a treat. I still, am using occaisional treats to keep the basic conditioning element progressing. But am increasingly having priority one be that his natural instincts as a pack animal see my commands as his different “jobs” or “tasks” to help guide him through the life and environments we share. Especially when I know through experience when a dog could potentially get too caught up in everyday events and how to preventatively guide him to a better, problem behvaior free place. (greetings, new enviroments, when he’s mouhty, etc.)
This will ensure his foundation is only one of appropriate action, and with limited opportunity to manifest unwanted or problem behaviors. This is also why I alway make sure a command is followed through when told. If thats all he knows, his norm will be to respond to what I say without deviation. This will make him a reliable and trusworthy dog.
Although most of the postings about raising Booey are puppy related. They absolutely still apply to an adult dog. It just takes more persistence with older dogs. Since their initial impression of training and leadership by humans may not be what they feel is how they get through each day. Their inconsistent associations to commands (especially “Come”) can also require a real therapeutic process where patience and time are important.
Next week I will give updates on Booey’s progress and talk more about focus building and distraction work when implementing basic obedience commands with your dog. In the meantime, Booey has significantly reduced when and how intense his mouthing is and his potty training skills continue to improve. Although there was one day where he did sneak past my watchful eye and got three pees in…Nature’s Miracle!
Other than that, we keep expanding how long he can go between bathroom visits by using the kennel whenever I feel he needs to go prematurely to his actual ability to hold it. This for most dogs is 1-2 hours for every month of age and longer for overnight as explained in detail in last week’s post.
Until next time, lead your dog and accomodate all their needs, so they may take care of yours!
Brett Endes
The Canine Counselor
Twitter@caninecounselor
Facebook.com/caninecounselor
thecaninecounselor.com

What an amazing week it has been! There is something therapeutic about having to constantly care for and be responsible for a puppy. Maybe it is just me being more distracted than usual? Disallowing me to ruminate on my own human problems. Or perhaps it is the satisfaction I know I will receive by the investment I am making. By taking the time and effort it requires to raise a puppy in a way that will ultimately develop him into a happy, well mannered, and balanced dog. (The world sure could use more of them!) Aside from the fact that Booey is going to be a very large and powerful working-minded dog, I need him to be as socialized and well behaved as possible. Since I use my own dogs to help with my client’s dogs. Not only would it be bad for business if my own dogs were unbalanced. It also would not be helpful to the dogs that need to see examples of what they, too can acheive, if the dog who I am using to do this with is not content and listens to my requests in all environments.
So with that said, I am on the case 24-7! Redirecting chewing on anything innapropriate and discouraging any type of mouthing on skin, clothing, etc. Although it can sometimes be like the scene in Rocky when Mickey is making him chase that chicken. It is very important to minimize the efficacy of Booey’s ability to chew anything other than his appropriate toys/chew items. As I mentioned, since he is only 9 weeks now, I mainly take a passive and redirective approach to curbing his behaviors such as chewing or hyperactivty. For example: when I see Booey is chewing the couch, I calmly but directly approach him and encourage him to “Drop It”. He is still learning this concept (doing much better after a solid week of “drop its” for sure) and I still at times have to open his mouth to release the undesired item (couch) and then present an approppriate chew item with strong encouragement when he begins to chew the correct item. By doing this, at times past the point of being exhausted, I know see him making his own conscious decision to redirect himself towards the right chew items when he gets in the mood to work on something. As he continues to become more aware of his actions, I will continue to positively reinforce all of his appropriate decisions.
The above mentioned recreational chewing and teething, is different though than the more personal act of mouthing or nipping. This means that although taking into account he is a pup learning the ropes of the dog/human worlds. He still needs to be discouraged that any type of mouthing directed towrds humans is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. (It is admittedly difficult at times and I even gave a cute nickname to the times when he gets in a nippy mood, “Alligator Snaps”!) This is simply because I love him and he’s pretty damn cute so my human thinking wants me to givenames and edearments to his actions, even when they would be considered highly offensive by another dog who is the older, more experienced member of the pack he needs to establish himself in. An example of this is how my older dog, Bear let him know that, “if you jump on me or nip at my body, Im going to let you know instantly that I do not play that.” No “alligator snaps” for him… It was one warning growl, and ever since day one, Booey has shown his respect for Bear without fail. As a human, I need to do this in a more indrect and genralized way by using the good ol’ bitter apple, teamed up with some reflex training (not pulling away to encouraging nipping) and redirection as described above. Booey is smart and it only took a couple bitter apple tastes to now disengage his biting as soon as I reach for the bottle. I should invent a holster for bitter apple so owners can have a Quick-draw McGraw ability to respond to the intense nipping many puppies display. Because Bear is a better dog trainer than I could ever be. boey and him are at the point where they actually play together since clear boundaries have been established and maintained. As long as Booey always remembers that Bear is the Master Sensei of the dog martial art type of world they live within and he is just a young disciple! I always say that dogs are the best teachers of one another and the more we learn to understand and project their way of communicating, we are all better off.
Housebreaking is another area I am placing a great deal of focus these first few weeks. I am beginning to learn Booey’s patterns when he is more likely to have an accident and when to use his kennel to teach him how to hold it for longer increments which during the day are nearing 4 hours at a clip and he will hold it overnight for 8 hours without a problem! The main goal of housebreaking is for dogs to learn two skills: 1) To learn that outside is the only availble place to releive themselves, and 2) How to learn how to hold it for increasingly longer periods of time as their ages and abilities increase. So if I took Booey out at 7 AM and he does all his business, I know he will be ok inside for approximately 2 or so hours. What I do is around 9AM I place him in his kennel for another hour, which makes him hold it past the 2 hour mark, and then take him outside around 10AM where he readily does all his business until the next interval. What I am doing by taking this approach is letting his natural denning instincts that disallow potty breaks in his living space to get him to hold it a little past his limit while still accomodating his age and ability (usually 1-2 hours for every month of age and longer overnights). Therefore, I am not using the kennel as punishment for going to the bathromm in my house or for not going outside to completion. A kennel should be neutral place of security for a dog. I actually am using it as a casual tool that teaches him how to go longer and longer by using his natural instincts. By teaching him these skills, I will end up with a dog who only needs be let out 2-3 times per day and goes immediately to completion so I am not spending time in the rain, snow, or when in a hurry waiting for my dog to pick the right “spot” to go to the bathroom or having to take him out constantly to catch him before he goes in my living room from not being taught the above mentioned skills of how to exclusively go outdoors and bladder control.
A final note regarding housebreaking is that your dog needs lots of exercise and stimulation when not in the kennel to offset the the few weeks of being more couped up than usual. This is only a short sacrifice that is best made early so your dog quickly can earn the ability to be more free-roaming throughout your home without the worry of pee and poop on the rugs. The way I see it is that if your dog would’ve been laying around and tired from an active lifestyle, it doesn’t matter if its in a kennel or under your chair. The kennel however, dissallows your dog to sneak of and have an accident when you get busy or distracted from the world of potty training.
To sum up week one of raising Booey; I love him! He is super smart and thrives on structure and promotion of his mind being balanced as often as possible. Alligator snaps are diminishing and 95% of bathroom visits are happening outdside. Socialization everyday. More command work and training in store for this upcoming week. Next weeks update will be covering the basics of puppy obedience training.

After pretty much making the decision bf even meeting our new family member by going to petco and getting everything you could imagine a new puppy would need. We actually headed east! To a wonderful dog breeder about an hour away here felsigerberg kennels in Colorado. What made me soo confident that I would take home a new addition, besides the fact I told my 6 year old daughter that we may get a dog. Was that after doing research on finding a Rottweiler breeder/importer that focused on what I was seeking in a Rott (only the most solid gnenetics/temperaments and overall love for the breed), they were one of my top choices. And they were right here in Colorado! After getting a little lost down a number of long dirt roads, we finally arrived. As we pulled up, there were about 7 or 8 cute little tanks running around to greet us. My daughter flip flopped every few minutes on which one she wanted, but had my eye on Booey from the start. He was plump and a little pushier than the rest. I liked that! As a more dominant type and guy who is used to handling more intelligent work-minded dogs for a living, I was seeking that in preferably a male dog. After spending over an hour at the breeders, we said our goodbyes, placed him in his first of many kennels as he grows, and headed back home to introduce him to his new home and our other dog, Bear.
Booey was calm and slept most of the way home. Once we arrived, he was eager to explore and investigate his surroundings. That was until Bear trotted downstairs to see what was going on…Booey, who was first to tackle and provoke his littermates back on the farm, realized Bear was the alpha amongst the dogs in this domain. As most dominant minded dogs who are not as tough as they think they may be, they wear what I call, the mask. This is the con game many dogs I see put on when they go to the dog park or doggie daycare for the first time. It is an attempt to hide their true colors to certain dogs. The dogs they know are truly dog-experienced and confident in their assertiveness around other canines. the dogs who will not tolerate the same antics another puppy or human would accept as playful behavior. Because dogs are so aware and smart (I certainly wish more people had these traits) they lay low. This is in order to divert the attention away from themselves from the dogs they know isn’t going to have it if they show their true colors.
This masking dissipates once a dog feels home is more like the dog park and they have nothing to hide. Because they are being led by a well versed human leader in everyday life. In the case of Booey, and most puppies, it really is just lack of excposure to the big boys. As expected, after about an hour, he began to cautiously approach and sniff Bear in an attempt at making an offering to allow him into his new pack. Admitedly, Bear being the only dog for years, despite his regular contact with other dogs and pups, is still warming up as well and is beginning to be less stand offish as the day progresses.
Let’s see, to be avoid running on endlessly as I sometimes can do, I will go over the basic area I focused on and highlights of our first day with our new puppy.
Housebreaking, going almost immediately outside and enjoys being praised for doing so. He holds it in the kennel, despite his mixed feelings on spending more than a few minutes in it. One accident the next morning from not knowing his limit to hold after the previous potty break.
Someone obviously began teaching him how to Sit and am integrating it lighlty (without committment for now) during times of transition (meals, doors, walks, interactions with dogs/people). We went to the dog park today on a light day with some familiar dogs he could begin to socialize with. Although many vets disagree with allowing dog contact before fully vaccinated, I see the result of not enough imprinting to dogs, people, and life in general, at this time when they are most impressionable. Of course, there may be a small chance another dog could be sick there. However, percentage wise, your dog could potentially be far more at risk for euthansia due to aggression for not being socialized enough as a puppy once he becomes an adult. This is the worst case scenario, and Im hardly one to be an annihalist, but my dog is going to be a monster and very intelligent. Im getting hime used to as many dogs, people, kids, cars, places, sounds, and experiences as I can, and as early as possible!
So far we went 2x and the first time, like when first meeting Bear, he was a little low key. Towards the end he started some parallel activities with the other dogs at the dog park here. Paralell activities are not full engagement in play and social behaviors with other dogs. But doing similar types of behaviors like sniffing, laying down, and chasing a ball. By the second time we were there, this eveolved into some actual back and forth competitive play with some younger dogs.
We also spent 2 hours at my daughter’s dance recital practice tonight which gave her exposure to hundreds of kids and adults of all ages. As you could expect, no one could resist the power of the Booey cuteness!
Today he is having less of a fit in his kennel and to be quite frank, I am glad he is. Last night was rough and were gradually integrating the kennel more into his life over the next couple weeks. Although I have to do my job by telling clients to ride it out sometimes. I certainly will be saying it with a bit more compassion from now on.
Right now Me Bear and Booey, after falling asleep with my daughter in bed earlier are relaxing in my office after a long day for all. Everyone is laying on their sides tired, relaxed, and content.

As you can tell by recent facebook and twitter postings. I have recently acquired a new Rottweiler puppy named Booey. What is most interesting about this is that I, personally have not raised a puppy in over a decade. Not since my old man Bear was a little 8 week old pup himself! Yet, I have given advice on how to raise literally thousands of puppies since then. Which on paper should make me pretty qualified to reaise the perfect dog from scratch. I mean, I soo easily and matter of factly can explain to a dog owner that they need to neutralize the energy they are projecting to their dog, for the sake of training. So it should be a piece of cake for me to “practice what I preach” for my new arrival, shouldn’t it?…Not!
You see, with my dog older dog, Bear. He is an extremely easy dog that could probably take care of himself if he ever had to! He never really required much thought of the concepts I teach dog owners. Since the dogs I usually work with need a more structured lifestyle to help them with their prior issues. Bear is a relatively easy dog compared to some of the complicated cases I see in my practice.
Now Booey, is a sweet and overall well behaved puppy (at least so far). He is, however a working Rottweiler and requires a great deal of structure and fulfillment of his need to work and be active on a daily basis. With any puppy, it is necessary to be on the ball and consistent in setting the proper foundation for their future adult lives. Because of this, I now am hearing my own voice talk to me in similar fashion as I do with my clients. Giving me advice that contradicts my human emotions towards this plump little package of gold! Did I just admit to that???
Ok, you got me, Im a sucker for that new puppy smell and the strong nurturing instincts that come forth when undertaking the responsibility and level of compassion one tends to have for a new dog, expecially a super-cute and endearing puppy like Mr. Booey (or “B-dog as my daughter calls him)
Yup, I find myself fighting my own emotions to let him out of his kennel when he’s barking or rushing home after an appointment to make sure he’s ok. Of course, I consistently adhere to certain basics such as no mouthing, getting him used to working for activites, housebreaking schedule, socialization, etc. Which stems from the reality that he is going to be a very large and powerful dog with dominant tendencies and high drive. The other part of me, that I so easily at times had found myself discounting and telling clients to “get over” so many times. Is purely driven by the fact that he is soo cute and has a real endearing personality. This state of mind is what fuels the majority of my interactions with Booey and I’m loving every minute of it!
Here’s where my chronicles begin…I thought it would be interesting to create a blog of sorts dedicated to the upbringing of Booey. As well as a journal of my daily progress, struggles, and doings as I raise my new pup. From both the perspectives of Brett, The Canine Counselor and just a dog lovin’ guy who got a puppy and his inner struggles he faces in his journey to raise the happiest, most well behaved dog possible.