Puppy! Puppy! Puppy!

Dear Jubilee, How can I train my puppy?

Puppies have minds of their own and they are continually busy. It's a time for training manners and hosebreaking, but it is not necessary to work at making yourself the boss. Fun training will reward you with a puppy that is eager to do what you want her to do.

Many people feel they have to establish their alphaness with their puppy. I feel that too much emphasis is put on people being alpha with their dogs. Stop worrying. Think instead about bringing up a well-behaved companion who is a joy to be around.

Others worry about whether they are providing enough exercise for their puppies and they figure that long walks are necessary to provide that exercise. Your puppy can get all the exercise it needs in your yard: running and playing on the grass. Long walks on sidewalks and surfaced roads are not so good for puppy until she is at least a year old, and for larger breeds older than that. The repetitive motion of walking on concrete and other hard surfaces is not good for the puppy's long-term structural health. Puppies will exercise as much as you let them, but it should be playing on grass. Walks are important for training the puppy to walk politely with you on a leash. Puppies, however, learn quickly and there is no need for long walks during the first year or before your puppies growth plates close. Growth plates close for different breeds at different times. For our breed, Airedales, this happens sometime between 10 and 24 months. So talk to someone who can help you figure out when this happens.

This time in your puppies life, however, is a great time to train a well mannered dog. Do you know that puppies never forget what they learn between eight and 16 weeks? I recommend that you get a copy of Corally Burmaster's DVD, Puppy Kindergarten, and start training your puppy with a clicker and a bottle of baby food as soon as you bring puppy into your home. Short sessions: as short as five minutes at least once a day will lock in things like "come!", "sit!", "down", "stay" and much more. The DVD shows how much fun it is to work with young puppies. You can find it at www.clickertrain.com And remember, puppies never forget what they learn in this critical period of their life.