Hello, this is Okuyama from the sales department.
I love dogs and live with my 7-year-old toy poodle, Kurumi. In my busy life, living with a dog not only heals my soul but also gives me the energy to work energetically every day. Also, since I got Kurumi, I have been able to talk to my family more and go out together more often.
Every morning I feel like I get energy from Kurumi's energetic and friendly personality, just from her good morning greetings.
This time I would like to tell you about what led me to start living with a dog and my own method of training dogs.
walnut
The joy of living with dogs begins from childhood
I have lived with dogs since I was little, so much so that I can say I grew up with them. I kept large dogs, such as mongrels and Akitas, that were bigger than me as guard dogs, and sometimes stayed with them in the doghouse. I think I treated my dogs like friends. Before I got Kurumi, I lived with a Labrador retriever at my parents' house, and even after I left my parents' house, I always wanted to get a dog again someday. My husband and I (Oku) live together, but Oku has never had a dog before. We also discussed getting a dog that sheds as little as possible because Oku is allergic to cats.
We summarized their opinions on choosing a dog breed.
First, we picked out the conditions that we both couldn't compromise on in order to get a dog that would best suit our lifestyle.
- A small dog that can be kept in an apartment
- Less shedding and less odor
- A short walk is fine
- I want to go on a trip with you
- Being a female dog
The breed of dog we wanted to keep was a toy poodle. That's when we started looking for a breeder. There are many benefits to getting a puppy from a breeder instead of a pet shop. The most important of these is that it fosters communication. After being born at the breeder's house, the puppy lives with its parents and siblings for two months, and naturally learns how to communicate with them through play.
From then on, I started checking out a portal site called Toy Poodle Breeders every day, and I also read blogs written by people who own toy poodles almost every day.
As we looked at many poodles, we began to see our own preferences. Toy poodles come in a variety of colors, but brown, which is said to be rare among them, is said to be mature and calm, so we concluded that it would be perfect for us.
Then, one day, I found a breeder who was breeding brown poodles and I thought, "This is the one!" Then, about two years after I started looking for a dog, information about a brown poodle's birth was finally posted!
This is the photo from that time. The brown fluffy one is still the size of a smartphone.
My encounter with walnuts
I immediately contacted the breeder to ask if I could come and meet the animals.
The breeder's kennel was a very nice home with all the amenities, including tiles made specially for dogs that are gentle on poodles' joints, and floor heating in all rooms. Of course, I was also able to meet the mother dog. Brown is a color that tends to fade over time, so seeing the mother's color at this time helped me imagine what the beautiful color the dog will be when it becomes an adult. I named Kurumi after the mother's beige color at the time.
Kurumi was born from Tiny Size, a breed slightly smaller than brown Toy dogs, both father and mother. There was a sister dog in the same enclosure, and both were really cute puppies. When I was wondering which one to get, the breeder introduced Kurumi, saying, "She has a gentle personality and is obedient. She doesn't bark unnecessarily and is easy to train." Just as he said, Kurumi fell asleep on my lap at her own pace. I decided then and there, "I'll get this one."
At that time, Kurumi was 2 months old, but we decided to prepare properly and go back to pick up the puppy in two weeks. After that, we bought a cage with a roof, a toilet tray, a bed, a carrier bag, toys and stuffed animals, care products such as slickers and combs, etc. We carpeted the flooring that was slippery for dogs, and transformed our house into a dog-friendly place.
Finally, the day to pick her up arrived. When I went to the breeder's house with an empty carrier bag, the older dog had already left her owner and Kurumi was playing by herself. The breeder again gave me some immediate warnings and confirmed any questions I had, and we exchanged emails for a while after that about things we didn't understand. Kurumi was really well behaved, even on the train for the first time, and urinated on the pet sheet as soon as we got home.
Kurumi 20 days after coming to our home. She's still shaggy because she hasn't had a grooming session yet.
Things to be aware of when getting a puppy and how we train them
As written in all dog care books, it is important to quietly watch over the puppy on the day it arrives at its new home and let it get used to the new environment, sounds, smells, and people. We held back our desire to play with the cute puppy and first put him in a cage to let him get used to it slowly. From that day on, we also began training him to live with us for a long time as a member of our family. In this article, I would like to share with you the five rules of training that we paid particular attention to and found to be very effective when training Kurumi.
Five rules for training walnuts
1. Toilet training
When I received Kurumi from the breeder, he had mastered about 80% of the potty training, but toilet training is very important when raising a dog. I trained him calmly, with the motto of praising him if he succeeds and not scolding him if he fails. When it's time to go to the toilet, I call out "chee, chee" together with him. If he pees properly in the toilet, I praise him excessively and give him a treat. By doing this repeatedly every time, I was able to master it 100%. Of course, there are times when he fails, but when that happens, I quietly clean it up with a deodorizing spray and that's it. It is also important to unify the way of praising and the owner's instructions (commands) such as "stay," "down," and "sit" among family members.
2. Crate training
A crate is a plastic case that you carry your dog in. A friend who lives in Sendai told me that it's important to crate train your dog in case of a disaster. I immediately researched crate training and put it into practice. Dogs are animals that originally lived in small caves, so they tend to prefer small, dark places. To teach my dog that it's a place where he can feel safe and relaxed, I started by having him enter the crate with toys and treats inside. At the same time, I kept repeating the word "house." When he entered the house on his own after I called out "house," I praised him and gave him a treat, and he was able to stay in the crate even after the door was closed.
When I'm away, I stick the cage entrance and the crate together.
3. House-sitting training
My husband and I work, so we have to leave him at home for at least 10 hours on weekdays. As he is a puppy, he goes to the toilet only frequently, so we connected his cage and crate to make a house-like structure with a garden. The crate is where he sleeps, and he can go to the toilet when he wakes up. The important thing when leaving him at home is not to say "I'm leaving" or "I'm home." I never say "Be a good boy and stay at home." This makes him feel anxious. When I get home, I try to resist the urge to run to him right away, and after I change his clothes and tidy up, I take him out to the living room and praise him if he is calm and well-behaved. I had him stay at home for about an hour from the first day so that he would understand that it was normal to stay at home. Now, when I go to work, he goes into the crate quietly without me having to say "house" and waits for treats.
4. Eating and tooth brushing training
When I had a dog in the past, I would have meals and walks at regular fixed times. Then, the dog would ask for food at those times. So, this time I'm deliberately making Kurumi's mealtimes random. And since the order of meals between the owner and the dog affects the master-subordinate relationship, it's important that we eat first and the dog eats after. It's important to always match the dog to the owner's pace.
I've tried to brush his teeth since he was little, but I gave up because he hated it and it didn't work very well. I would just brush his teeth with gauze and take him to a dog dentist that doesn't use anesthesia for cleaning. However, he developed periodontal disease a few years ago and we changed hospitals for treatment. Periodontal disease is a life-threatening disease, so since then I've been brushing his teeth before every meal. First, I praised him when he brushed one tooth and gave him a grain of rice. I also take him to the dentist once every six months for checkups and cleanings.
5. Socialization training
The period from birth to about 4 months is called the "socialization period" for puppies, and it is said to be the best time for socialization to help them acquire social skills. However, they cannot go for walks until they have had their vaccinations. For this reason, we held them and exposed them to the sounds and smells of the outside world. Kurumi is a dog that does not bark much, but she has been interacting with other dogs and people since she was small. Her love for people and friendly nature may also be due to socialization training.
I left him at a pet hotel in a grooming salon for training, and also had him stay with a trainer I know.
Looking back, I think I was quite strict when she was little. This may have been due to the brown toy poodle's personality, but when she was little, Kurumi was independent and didn't depend on us very much. From the age of three, she gradually started to depend on us, and it was around this time that she started sleeping on my lap. Having a dog is hard work, but not only does it make our days more relaxing, it also increases the amount of conversation we have as a family, making life more enjoyable. I'm sure Kurumi is also the reason I feel motivated to work hard.
I also hope to be able to introduce you to my daily life with Kurumi.
On a walk after monthly grooming
OKUYAMA Hideno