Not going to lie, being a dog mom is HARD. You have to really commit to your pet and their training or else you will never see progress. You can’t have off days when it comes to training your pet, or they could lose all they knowledge they worked hard for. This past week was rough to say the least.

It started off strong, but one day was all it took for it to go back downhill. I had worked a long day at my job, and my boyfriend and roommate were not home. So that means Zola was locked up all day in the cage. Which we do hate doing and try to avoid it at all cost, but hey we’re young adults who have commitments like work and school, so we can’t always be home. Anyways, when Zola is left alone after a few hours her anxiety and separation issues start to flare up, causing her to whine. Here’s an article for crate training tips!

When we first got her we couldn’t even leave her alone or she would cry, because we had got her at 6 weeks so she missed her family so much. But since then she has gotten better but the trick to making her feel safe in her crate and why crate training has been so successful is by us leaving items in her cage. These can vary from her favorite redskins blanket, to her favorite pink toy that she has basically tore apart. Also leaving her favorite slipper of mine helps to distract her from the empty house.

Now to the hard stuff, calming down this rowdy girl. It is very normal of her to get excited whenever she sees someone she loves, or just new guests. She gets so hyper and just wants to embrace you at that very moment. This week I have been trying to say calming words to tell her to relax when meeting new people. The most successful words have been “No Zola be nice” “Calm down” and ” Sit please”.  Now I do understand she is just a puppy and is naturally a big ball of energy but I want her to know when its playtime and when its not. So that is definitely a work in progress but if I had to rate her progress in this area, maybe a 6/10…We have a long way to go.

When it comes to potty training, my girl has really progressed! I’m so proud of her and how well she is cooperating. She has a better schedule and has a sense of when it’s time to go out. We actually have had only one incident the whole week! I give her her favorite bacon treats when she notifies me she has to go out or when she uses the bathroom outside. The award system has definitely worked in my favor and I think she will be fully potty trained by the end of the 7 weeks. We haven’t even had to use potty pads because she has moved to only using the bathroom outside.

So to my new dog parents, it’s okay to be frustrated and confused on how to train your pet. But I will say its worth it and it doesn’t happen overnight, so if you’re up for the task of training your pet at home, go for it!

Here’s my favorite videos that have helped immensely with training.