This post is part of our weekly series on raising our Vizsla puppy, Zooka.  You can use our posts as a guide to help raise your own puppy, regardless of breed. Keep in mind that different breeds might develop at different rates, so while you can do these things with any breed, your breed might need certain things at slightly different stages or ages.  Click here to see our list of all updates.

Notes from Week 22:

• Housetraining
  • part of complete housetraining is ensuring there is a clear signal to go out
    • we can teach a signal – such as sitting at the door or ringing a bell
    • Zooka created his own signal – pawing at the door, which we are ok with
  • staying in a cabin for a few nights gives us a chance to test if housetraining is translating to places away from home
    • seems to be doing well away from home this week!
    • never assume a pup who is housetrained at home will automatically transfer the skill to new places!
  • access in the house has been managed and limited
    • starting to allow access to more parts of the house now
    • again, don't assume housetraining translates to new parts of the house without some guidance!
• Teething
  • continues to lose his baby teeth
  • continues to need things to chew on to soothe his gums
  • frozen stuffed Kongs and bully sticks are our two main choices
• Continue training for meals
  • and short sessions between meal times
  • continue with everything we've been doing so far
  • continue building duration and raising expectations
  • continuing to watch for new behaviors and encourage previous behaviors we like during shaping/capturing sessions
  • working toward a retrieve
    • shaping each step of the process
    • one of the behaviors we are shaping is putting MOUTH on objects
    • then gripping the object – getting better with this!
    • we have not worked to a hold or any duration yet
• Continue with group training classes
  • finished his Puppy Class
  • continuing to join my Polite Pooches Class
    • normally I don't allow puppies in this class, but he gets special privileges!
    • expectations are lower for him (for now) than the others in class
• Nail trims and muzzle training, continued
• Continue walks on property trails
  • primarily using 20 foot line
  • always working on loose leash walking!
  • always working on checking in on walks
• Field trips
  • cabin in the mountains
    • headed up to the mountains for a few nights toward the end of the past week
    • settled in nicely and was very well-behaved in the cabin
    • hiking in the mountains
      • keeping hikes fairly easy, nothing too steep, fast or strenuous
    • good chance to continue his training away from home
      • in the cabin
      • on the deck of the cabin
      • on hikes
  • local outdoor shopping center
    • dog friendly, many of the stores allow dogs inside
    • with our Polite Pooches Class
      • went in several stores, including the Halloween store with masks, fake spiders, etc.
        • none of it phased him!
  • local park, one we've been to previously
    • continue working on NOT greeting other dogs he sees (this is hard for him!)
    • continue with leash manners with new and varying distractions
    • continue greeting politely when people want to say hello
• Play Dates
  • play at the end of Puppy Class
  • Border Collie/Aussie mix and Aussie
    • from same household, boarding with us for a few days
    • has played with the BC/Aussie before
    • has not played with the Aussie before
    • Zooka is practicing the fine art of groveling when someone is not sure if they really want to play with you
    • learning more about other dogs growling at you and how to determine just how serious they are
    • learning just how far you can push a dog who is not yet sure if they want to play or not