The Down Command

If you have already trained your chin puppy to sit you will be ready to teach the down command. First have your dog sit, then take a treat and show it to your puppy to bait his interest. Hold it in front of him and slowly lower your hand until you touch the floor. Your puppy will follow the treat with his nose and lay down in the process. After he lies down praise him and give him the treat. After a few times start saying "down" when you practice. Lengthen the time that he must stay down before you praise him and give him a treat. Practice three to five times every session so as not to bore your puppy. Japanese chins are very eager to please and enjoy these practices if they are not dragged out.

Another method is to use physical pressure to get your dog to lay down. Start by having your dog sit then lift and pull one of his forelegs forward. With your other hand gently push between the dog's shoulder blades toward the destablished side, and say "down" as you do this. Your puppy will have no choice but to sink into the down position.

Teaching Your Dog To Come When Called

One of the greatest joys of owning a dog is to be able to go for a walk in the park and let him run, knowing he will come when you call. Dogs that do not come when called are prisoners of the leash and, if loose, a danger to themselves and others. If your dog does not come when called, you don't have a trustworthy dog. Below are five tips to help you teach this command to your pet:

1. Exercise. Many dogs do not come when called because they are not exercised often enough and aren't ready to end their fun. Japanese Chins are not a very active breed but they do enjoy a daily walk. And remember, a walk is just as good for them as it is for you!

2. Do not punish your dog when he comes to you. Your dog does not want to come to you if it means being punished or something they don't like. Most dogs do not enjoy being given a bath. Go get him when you want to give him a bath, rather than calling him. Another example of unwittingly teaching your dog not to come is to go for a walk in the park and call him to you when it's time to go home. Do this several times and he'll soon decide that when you say "come" the fun is over!  You can prevent this kind of unintentional training by calling him to you several times during the outing, sometimes giving him a treat, sometimes just a pat on the head, and then letting him play again.

3. Start teaching your Japanese chin to come when he is still young. Ideally, you acquired your pet as a puppy, which is the best time to teach him to come when called. Start right away. But remember, sometime between the fourth and eighth months of age, your puppy will begin to realize that there is a big world out there.  While going through this stage, it is best to keep him on leash so that he does not get in the habit of ignoring you when you call.

4. When in doubt, don't. Learn to anticipate when he is likely not to come and keep him on a leash. Trying to call once he has spotted a cat, another dog or a jogger just doesn't work. Of course, there will be times when you make a mistake and let him go just as another dog appears out of nowhere. Resist the urge to say call him over and over again. The more often you holler "Come," the quicker he learns to ignore you when off leash. Instead, patiently go and put him on leash. Do not get angry once you have caught him or he will become afraid of you. He will then run away when you try to catch him the next time.

5. Make sure that your dog always comes to you and lets you touch the collar before you reward with a praise or a treat. Touching the collar prevents the dog from developing the annoying habit of playing "Catch" which means coming toward you and then dancing around you, just out of reach.

Potty Training

If you are working on housebreaking your puppy and he has made good progress with that, now is a good time to start toilet training him. If you want to avoid the nasty but necessary task of picking up after your pet in the street, it makes sense to train him to go before you leave home. This is not as difficult as it may seem but requires a fair amount of persistence in the early stages with chins.

If you have been successfully working at the housebreaking process, you will have a particular phrase that your puppy will associate with going to the toilet by the time he is old enough to go out.

You should also have a fairly regular routine and have some idea of when your puppy needs to go. Try to arrange so that you can go on a walk around this time. Go out to the yard as usual, repeating your chosen phrase until your puppy does what is required. Praise enthusiastically and then take him out for a walk. If he does not go to the toilet, take him back inside for a while and try again later.

If you take your dog out for a walk only after he has been to the toilet, he will eventually begin to realize that producing the required deposit results in a walk.

Stop Chewing And Nipping

New Japanese chin owners need to be ready to stop their young puppy from destructive chewing and nipping right from the start. In this post I will cover how to stop nipping and preventing and stopping destructive chewing.

A puppy will think nipping is acceptable if he is allowed to bit your hands when playing. To prevent this do not use your hands when playing unless you are petting him or tossing a toy for him to fetch. When your puppy nips you remove your hand and firmly say "No." If your puppy does not stop you may need to spray your hand with Bitter Spray or Bitter Apple Spray. He will soon learn that chewing hands is unpleasant. Another effective method is to keep a squirt bottle or a water gun handy. When your puppy bites you simply say "No", remove your hand, and squirt him in the face with water. Always say "No" before you use your preferred method of discipline. It will give your puppy a vocal cue that he has misbehaved and that his actions will have consequences.

Chewing is a normal and necessary chin behavior that becomes unacceptable when done in the wrong place. Puppies chew when they are bored, stressed, or to explore a new place. Or your puppy may be chewing because he is teething. If this is the case, give your puppy some type of freeze and chew toy. You can also make your own by tying a knot in an old rag, wetting it, and putting it in the freezer. Make the knot big enough so your puppy can't swallow the rag.

When you bring your new puppy home be sure to have plenty of chew toys for him. Get toys that are size appropriate. You will need to get small toys for your chin. Do not give your dog old shoes, clothes, socks, or any old household item. He will not be able to tell the difference between an old shirt and a new one. When you see your puppy chewing something he shouldn't, say "No" and remove the object. A reprimand must be sudden and consistent for it to be effective. Or if he is chewing on the legs of furniture spray the furniture with a taste repellent that will not stain. If you have to leave your house for a few hours put the puppy in a crate with several of his chewing toys.

Keep all hazardous materials out of puppy's reach. Chocolate, cleaning supplies, electrical cords, poisonous house plants, antifreeze, and toys small enough to swallow are a few.

Training Your Puppy To Heel

Heeling is not a nice leisure walk with your dog. Heeling is your dog following you closely and paying attention only to you and where you are going. When you take your dog on a walk the safest way to cross a street or walk through crowds is heeling. He needs to learn to focus solely on you so that in these situations he can ignore any usual or unusual distractions.

It is a very easy lesson to start because you can practice when you take your puppy outside to eliminate, after he is done, and when you go back inside.

This is not the same as learning heeling in obedience classes, but rather a sort of pre-course. You can also practice off lead wherever it's safe, inside or out. At this stage it is not important to use "heel" either.

Get your puppy's attention as he is walking next to you, to let him know what he is doing. Or if he is sitting or standing still, lean over and softly clap your hands in front of his face. Some may want to hear you talk; others just want to go wherever you go. As you go you can add an occasional "Watch me!"

Keep your puppy focused by walking quickly enough that he will want to keep up with you. When he gets distracted, stop and start over. Do not correct him, you are just taking one step in the right direction so add lots of praise. If your puppy's attention is totally elsewhere, take a break from your lesson. Sometimes a tasty treat will get him started, but if not let him play for a few minutes. Followed by a drink of water before you try again. Or wait until next time so he doesn't get tired of it.

Be realistic about what you expect from your chin puppy. A few steps on command earn a reward, then a few more earn a reward. When your puppy is heeling on command, praise him and quit practice. Practice again later.

If your puppy arrives in the winter practice in a long hallway or your basement. These places are perfect for indoor training, no distractions, limited space, and you are the most interesting thing around.

After a bit add some turns to keep it interesting and to make him focus his attention. As you turn right bend down and clap your hands so he keeps on following you. Left turns are a bit harder because you have more to do. Put your left foot in front of your puppy to guide him into the turn. Be careful not to step on the puppy, but if your foot bumps him or he plows into your foot, don't apologize. He needs to think it was his mistake, and he will pay closer attention next time.