Nugget – 10 Week Journey

Training Begins: January 25th, 2025 | Training Ends: April 4th, 2025

Behaviors Nugget will learn or begin learning during his stay here:

BEHAVIOR	5 Weeks In Training
Sit	Nugget is very good at “sit” and will sit before being released from his playpen, before going through doors, for his food, for attention, etc. He listens to the verbal and visual cues for “sit” very well. The only time he struggles is if he is really wound up. A little patience, though, and he will do it once he has a moment to calm down.
Down	Nugget is doing great with the visual “down” cue (taking my finger at his nose level and pointing to the ground). He’s still learning the verbal cue but should get there in the next couple of weeks! This is one of those cues where they learn the visual really quickly, but are slower to learn the verbal cue.
Name Recognition	Nugget responds instantly to his name.
Touch	Nugget touches my hand and a target stick with enthusiasm.
Recalls	Nugget’s recalls are impeccable! Even in the middle of playing he responds 95% of the time the instant I call for him.
Go Into Crate	Nugget is doing a very good job with his crate training. He goes straight to his crate when it is nap time, lays down, eats his treat, and goes to sleep without making a fuss most of the time now. He is the only puppy here who does still fuss occasionally, but it never lasts for more than a few minutes (he just doesn’t want the fun to end!) He is also always the first one to wake up from naps or in the morning.
Leash Walking	Nugget is doing a really good job with his leash walking and heeling (on and off leash). On the leash he is still distracted by the leash sometimes (chews on it) but an interrupter stops it easily. As he matures throughout March I imagine this behavior will disappear completely. He also still will wander around, go to the end of the leash, etc. because he’s not perfect (no puppy is!) but he returns to my side/returns to loose leash walking easily with redirection or changing direction in walking.
Place	Nugget does a good job with Place! He still needs me to motion toward it/isn’t automatically going to it, but he’s getting there. He stays on his place very well.
Stay	Nugget is doing a really good job with “stay” and is staying while I step several steps away, step from side to side, and have him hold it for a decent duration (10-20 seconds). We will continue to make this more and more challenging during his remaining time here!
Drop It	Nugget doesn’t tug a lot, but when he does we practice this behavior. He’s doing well with dropping as soon as a treat is presented but hasn’t learned the verbal cue yet.
Leave It	Nugget is doing a good job with “leave it” with treats in an open hand and a few treats being dropped on the ground from a few inches. I will gradually make this harder and harder for him but he is progressing nicely.
Wait	Nugget is doing great with “wait”. He waits at the playpen gate to be let out and will not move until I say “ok”.
Potty Training	I cannot recall a single potty accident with Nugget. He has done phenomenally well on a schedule and holds it very well between potty breaks. He’s being let out about every hour now while awake and can hold it in his crate for 3 or so hours during the day. He is not showing any clear signals of needing to go potty yet, though one thing I do notice is he starts to run around in circles when he has to go, usually by the door or playpen gate.

Nugget’s Midway Update

Nugget is the voice of the puppies! He’s always got something to say – whether he is happy or upset, he’s telling the world about it. Although very vocal, it’s always for short amounts of time – such as woofing when he first sees me in the morning, or woofing when I arrive home, or woofing when his friend has something he wants, etc. He actually doesn’t do much “attention” vocalizing, it’s very much just his way of expressing his excitement. He is quiet in his crate now nearly every time he goes in it, though every once in a while will whine for a minute or two. He sleeps all night without a peep!

Nugget is very interested in training, but doesn’t like long training sessions so we scatter training throughout the day with shorter sessions. Once he’s done with a training session he just wanders off and does his own thing. He’s picking up on his cues relatively quickly, though, and has come a long way since he arrived at training. Good treats, of course, help hold his attention! He is definitely not a dog who is going to work just for affection, he needs a strong motivator.

Nugget is an absolute sweetheart and loves to cuddle, though can sometimes get carried away and a little too “in your face” especially with guests he’s excited to meet. I love sitting on the floor with the puppies and he’s often jumping up in your face if you are on the ground, but when you are sitting in a chair or standing up he’s doing very well with his manners. While he loves visitors and can get too excited around some people, Nugget is people selective and can also be wary of some strangers. Giving him time to warm up (it typically doesn’t take long) and allowing him to approach people when he wants to is the best way to help him through these more shy moments. It does not take him long to warm up, so just give him time to make the choice to say hi himself! If he’s ever getting to the point of being too rambunctious about guests, utilizing a baby gate or leash will help. Do not pet him or have guests pet him if he is jumping or nipping at people in excitement. Wait until he calms down and then he can get all the attention.

Nugget has a major witching hour at night where he suddenly gets nippy, jumpy, and will zoom around with no control. This usually happens after 6pm and is a clear sign he got a lot of stimulation that day and needs to wind down for the evening either in his crate, playpen, or on a tether with a good chew/snack to help him settle. Licking and chewing are calming behaviors so you can utilize a licky mat, frozen chew, or bone in the evenings to give him something relaxing to do. You can also help him settle with a good training session in the evenings if he can focus for it. Work on him settling on his “place” by tossing treats on it when he lays down. The rest of the day Nugget is a really good boy, he just hits overtired periods where he turns into a wild boy! This is something he will outgrow as he matures, for now, just try to laugh and redirect him to appropriate activities.

His leash and heelwork are going incredibly well. He does still want to wander off/will go to the end of the leash, but responds to leash pressure very well (comes back to me when he feels it instead of pulling). As soon as he is fully vaccinated he will get to go into stores and practice this skill in a new environment along with many of his other skills he’s learned/is learning during his time here!

Nugget has been such a joy to have around. He’s always happy, eager to learn, and such a gentle and sweet boy with all of the other puppies, including his tiny friend Linus. He’s the “gentle giant” of the puppies and I so appreciate that sweet nature with the little guys!

Nugget’s Favorite Toys

ZippyPaws SportsBallz – this is one he carries around a lot outside and loves to play fetch with. Affiliate link: ZippyPaws SportsBallz

Tug-E-Nuff – He absolutely loves this tug toy and carries it all over the place, and loves to play with it with his friends. I like using this to get him near me if he’s wandered off (though his recalls are near impeccable, this works as a great backup because he loves it so much). You can search “fur tug toys” and find other similar ones, but this is the exact one I have and this brand lasts forever. He will be going home with a fleece tug toy without the fur, but this one is always a favorite! Affiliate link: Tug-E-Nuff Braided Tug