World meet Blossom!
My miniature Australian Shepherd. She’s smart, energetic, lovable, and, did I mention smart?
My children surprised me with a puppy on Christmas day. They had devised a plan and off we went. Although I couldn’t quite connect the dots, I knew they were up to something. When I first realized what they had done, I was so shocked I didn’t, couldn’t, react.
Of all the adorable fur babies waiting for homes, my kids had preselected mine and she instantly became part of our family.
The next task was selecting a name… Cleo, or Wolfie. Queenie or Princess. The suggestions, or should I say preferences, came rolling in.
In the end, I played the “she is MY puppy card” and named her Blossom!
We’re not rookie dog owners but we were still impressed with Blossom‘s attention and listening skills from the start. We kennel trained her and almost immediately she understood to go to the back door when she wanted out. She knew her water bowl was in the laundry room; and with a few treats for motivation she quickly learned to come when we called.
Here’s what I learned (or should I say My Top Tips for New Doggie Owners):
- Do kennel train. Whenever you’re not actively engaging with your puppy, she should be in her kennel. As soon as you take her out, carry her straight out to potty. Offer her food (at meal time) and playtime, about 20 – 30 minutes in the beginning. Then back in the kennel she goes. As she grows, the amount of time out of her kennel gradually increases. This will profoundly reduce the opportunities puppy will have to be naughty. Give her what she’s allowed to chew on in the kennel which will also become her “safe space”. At 16 weeks the door generally stays open now and Blossom goes in willingly throughout the day to nap and drink water.
Blossom loves her kennel. - Do be consistent. Adhering to a regular routine will help keep puppy happy both physically and emotionally. Being consistent in the commands used will also teach her your expectations. We use the same commands “Go Potty”, “Come”, “Go to bed”, “Time to Eat”, “Fetch”, and “Drop” (Drop is a fantastic command because it works well when your pet returns the ball; and also, when she has something in her mouth that she shouldn’t have.) But she’s picking up on even more words. “Get your toy”; “Get your bone”; “Look for cars” are all phrases that Blossom now responds to. Initially, we were simply verbalizing our thoughts. However, her vocabulary is growing as we are consistent with the words we use to convey a message. Our next goal is to teach her to clean up her toys. She loves to spread them all over the living room, and we’re hoping she will have just as much fun putting them back in the designated bin.
- Do get a bell. My friend, Kristin, made this suggestion and I was intrigued. Could we really teach Blossom to ring a bell when she needed to go out. Numerous times we realized she had been sitting silently at the back door waiting for us to notice her until her tiny bladder just couldn’t wait any longer. As soon as I bought the bell and hung it on the wall next to the back door, I would ring it before she and I exited, instructing her to also ring the bell. It took a couple of days for her to ring it on her own but it is genius in reminding us to take note of her waiting. Blossom loves the bell so much that she now rings it when she’s bored and wants attention. There have been days when I didn’t want to get up; but, she’s so smart that I know just one time of not responding will teach her that I won’t necessarily open the door for her when she rings. So… I get up each and every time the bell tolls. On some days, that’s often!! (But worth it.)
Blossom loves to lounge in the grass when she’s not chasing a ball. - Do give lots of exercise. Like most pets, Aussie’s need to run. They’re busy-bodies especially as puppies. Our motto is “A tired puppy is a good puppy.” In the early stages, this will also help eliminate some of the guilt with keeping your pup in the crate throughout the day.
- Do designate where to potty. As a puppy, carry her out to the designated area in which you want her to potty each and every time you remove her from the kennel. She will quickly learn to go where you place her reducing the number of poop bombs your family encounters (or must clean up) all over the yard. We have done this every time we’ve moved; even our adult dogs quickly learned where to go.
- Do overly praise and reward good behavior. Verbal praise is just as effective as treats in training your puppy. In some ways it can be more effective and more healthy. Dogs are companions and they crave love and affection. Kind words, cuddles, and back rubs go a long way in building a lasting bond with your fur baby.
Blossom has brought so much fun into our home. It’s hard to believe she’s only been with us three months. She has her routine; and, just like a toddler, she keeps us on our toes.
What a wonderful Christmas surprise!
Whether you have an Aussie or other breed, try these tricks and see how your doggie’s behavior improves.
Post pics of your fur baby in the comments and let me know what tips you would add to my list.
Great! Thanks for sharing such a informative post
I’m glad you found it helpful, Victor!
She is so cute… We are looking for a mini, can you recommend a really good breeder?
Thank you.
Nicki,
Thank you! We are certainly enjoying her spunky personality. My kids picked her out from a litter in Waxahachie, TX. I’ll try to find the breeder’s info and send it in an email.
We are getting a mini in early December and I was wondering what size crate you started Blossom in?
Hello Christy!
Congratulations on your new addition. I’m so excited for you. Be sure to come back and post a pic here!
We bought Blossom a 20” crate with a divider. We used the divider to create a smaller space (to make her feel safe) and adjusted it as she grew. By the time she was too big for the 20” crate, she was so well-behaved we didn’t need to buy a larger one. We would put her in our laundry room or bedroom if we needed to separate her (usually only if we were having a lot of company or a party.)
HTH!! Blessings!
Kelley
Hello thank you for your post. I have a new mini, Roxie she is 10 weeks. Enjoying her new home. At times she will get so wound up while we are playing with toys and start barking, alot. Any tips? I try to ignore her when it happens. Turn my back? Wondering if that happens with your dog Blosson.
Hi Mary!
Congratulations on your new adoption. I love the name Roxie. She’s gonna be feisty and fun! Enjoy (and take lots of pics)!!
Thx for stopping by my site. My recommendation is to say “Sh-sh” or “hush” (or some such command) when she barks, then praise her when she’s quiet. She will pick up on the sound/command quickly. Consistency and praise are key.
Blossom is now 3 years old. I praise her when she barks at a stranger who gets too close and she fully understands the difference. She now puts herself in “time-out” when she barks out the window because she knows she’s not supposed to. It’s the funniest thing. When she starts to growl/bark from the window she walks under our table and lays down. We’ve never sent her under the table, we just shush her. She wants so badly to please us, she monitors her own behavior.
Give Roxie lots of cuddles and love (but be consistent and disciplined). I promise you, she will be happier, healthier, and better behaved as she ages! Blessings!!
Oh my….. I loved your post. My full sized, registered blue Merle Aussie lived to 14. I was not a ‘dog’ person, but after researching breeds for 2 full years, we got this breed for our 12 year old daughter to romp with on our 5 acre hobby sheep ‘farm’. There is just no better dog, IMHO. Actually, Spin was not so much a dog as a 3rd child. I miss her SO much!! Now, in our 70’s, we’d love to get a canine companion but would never get a pup. Wouldn’t be fair to the dog.
And I’d never get anything but an Aussie. I enjoyed reading your post even though we’re not current owners. I’m so envious. You’ll have a blast over the years to come. These are THE best dogs in the world!!! SO incredibly smart. Thanks fir putting a smile on my face today reliving good memories.
Ruth,
I agree with you totally. We’ve owned several labs and loved them all, but our Blossom takes the cake. Aussies are fantastic!
Spin sounds like a wonderful companion! What a blessing for your daughter to have such a friend.
It warms my heart to hear how you enjoyed the post. Blossom has grown so much and is truly part of our family. I’m gonna have to do an update. Thanks for stopping by! Blessings!! ~Kelley
I gifted my husband with an Aussie girl on Christmas Eve to replace his 16 year old Aussie that passed last spring. Her name is Ruby Rose and we love her!!!
Rebecca, what a wonderful gift for your husband! And Ruby Rose is a beautiful name! Come back and post a pic when you can!
Hello! We have a mini Aussie and she is 8 weeks old. Her name is Miss Morris (Swedish name). She gets really hyper and won’t pay attention when we train and I wanted to ask if you have any tipps?
Selma! I don’t know how I overlooked your comment. By now, your sweet fur baby must be double in size. The key to an Aussie’s training is P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E! They are so smart and focused on what they want, they don’t stop to listen. The key is to get their attention. That’s the hard part. We tried to use positive reinforcement instead of getting frustrated when Blossom was too distracted to obey or cooperate when we wanted to work on training. We included training as a part of our routine: crate-time, potty-time, eat, training, playtime, back in the crate. We always went in this order gradually leaving her out of the crate for longer periods as she got older. It’s natural for her to be hyper. Give plenty of neck and belly rubs. And treats when she obeys. She will eventually figure out that she WANTS to listen! Consistency and patience are key to a well-trained Aussie. One day, she’ll be much calmer (and mature) and you’ll forget all the work it took to raise her. 🙂 Enjoy every minute! And check back to give us a report of how she’s doing. Blessings! ~Kelley
Did you use puppy pee pads when you were first potty training her? My toy Aussie shepherd will be 8 weeks the end of March and coming home to us then! Excited and trying to figure out all the things for her! Thank you!
Michelle,
I’m really sorry to respond so late! We did not use puppy pee pads. At 8 weeks (and until we felt confident she was getting the hang of potty training), we picked her up and carried her to the location we wanted her to tinkle outside. That became her area and that’s where she pottied regularly. HTH! Check back in and tell us how it’s going. ~Kelley
Hello! I recently got an 8week old mini aussi just on Thursday last week! We spent all weekend trying to potty train! I live in Minnesota and it’s been so brutally cold the past few days so we have been using puppy pads. My partner and I both work days, any suggestions on what to do with our 8 week old puppy when we are away? Also when do you think it would be a good time to try and break the habit of puppy pads!
Congratulations on your new fur baby, Kelsey!
Kennel training will be key. Eight+ hours is a long time to leave your fur baby alone, but leaving her to her own devices could be disastrous!
As soon as you come home, take her straight out to potty and play. Puppy pads are tricky. She is learning to go where you take her. I never used them for that reason. You’ll need to be very consistent when you begin to transition from the pads to outside. Additionally, if there’s somewhere specific in your yard you want to become her potty, carry her there. I would even suggest you leash her to prevent her from wandering off to another spot. After a short time, she will go there to potty. (I love this because who likes to have to search for doggie doo all over the yard?)
She WILL go where you train her to go. The question is Will you be disciplined enought to discipline her?
Enjoy her!
~Kelley
We have a 12 week old Aussie. He is very smart but having trouble potty training him. He’s finally getting the hang of it but he does get very distracted outside I try to walk him I do crate him any suggestions would be great. Taking him for walks can be a struggle because he does get so distracted. Thank you for any suggestions