Now that Tara's switch to raw has hopefully been successfully accomplished (huge thanks, everyone!), I can ask the other stupid novice questions. I've searched through the forum, but couldn't find direct answers to them, so I apologize in advance if they have been answered, and I just didn't find the right threads. So, here are the questions that my wife and I have come up with for now:

1a) Tara LOVES eating grass, leaves, wood chips and small sticks. Is it safe for her to graze on vegetable matter like that, or should we chase every leaf out of her mouth? I do NOT allow her to eat poisonous plants, but grass, etc?

1b) When we DO need her to spit the stuff out, i.e. if she got a piece of a rock or shingle, what is the appropriate command? It's not "Out", right? That one is for toy/bite work. So, it's "Yuck", "Leave it" or "Fooie" (btw, are those synonyms?)? Should we use a separate commands for general "No/Phooie" and another one for "Yuk/Leave it" (and what would be a German version of it?)? Meaning, are those different actions to be stopped, or is it the same "negative thing for the dog to stop doing"?
We don't want to confuse the pup by using a wrong command so that we'll have to re-learn things in the future.

1c) She's only 9 weeks old. I hate to correct her hard to stop her from eating the "bad things", but she's an amazingly hard dog: She can be yanked completely off her feet with a leash jerk while wearing a flat collar, and she wouldn't even yelp, but will go right back to trying to get the "bad things" into her mouth again. I don't want to keep yanking her off her feet, but I don't want her to eat the stuff that could hurt her, either. We were told by the breeder that she's a hard dog, and I like that even when corrected hard, she doesn't lose drive or willingness to play or take treats, but she's just a puppy, and those jerks can't be good for her. Not to mention that even if she herself doesn't seem to mind being corrected hard, we hate doing it to her. Any suggestions?

EDIT: I just hit upon Ed's article on teaching puppies the word "No". So, I've been doing it all wrong, and should have been shaking Tara by the nape of the neck instead of using the leash? My poor puppy!

2) This is a silly and least important one: She does her #1 and #2 in different spots in the yard. She likes low grass for #1 (or whatever grass there is left there after she flattened all of it), but she purposefully searches tall grass for her #2. So, it's not like it's a really serious issue, but are there methods of teaching her to do all her "business" in the same spot? Better yet, in the spot of my choosing?

P.S. I think I accidentally put this in the wrong subforum. I apologize. Can it be moved to something more appropriate, like the "puppy training" directory?

Hi Sam

I wouldnt ever yank a 9 wk old puppy of her feet, just gentle reminders for nw.

Shes a baby so treat her like one, be firm but kind.

I know, and I feel like crap, but how do I get her to keep her from eating something that could kill her? What kind of gentle reminders? She completely ignores everything but the junk in her mouth!
I just don't know what to do; that's why I'm asking the question.

Well, for now, police the area (yard for now if possible) and make sure there isn't anything for her to get in her mouth.

Keep little rags or toys for her in your hands or pockets and redirect to her if she gets too caught up in "prey".

You can't punish a puppy just as you can't punish a baby. They don't know better, so just make sure clean path.

In all this, do a phooey, or a yucky, or something, then give her good stuff and say good girl!

(But, I don't have puppies, so if I am wrong, someone will definitely let you know!!!)

NEVER yank a baby!!!! Hard or not, do NOT do this. It is unfair to the baby!

Pooping in tall grass...my boy does this...he will even (well, when he was young), stand on his front feet until his butt was where he wanted it, then would poop.

You could pick up the poop and put it in a potty area, but Lucy, my girl in the sig pic, will only poop so many times in one spot then she has to go somewhere else...she panics if she can't.
I spoil her and I do have a huge yard, so it is no big deal to me.

Thanks, guys.

The reason for the correction is that we saw Ed say in one of the videos that "yuck" and not coming are the only things he WILL correct puppies for, and we inferred from it that they SHOULD be corrected for it. That's obviously a wrong interpretation, and believe me, I won't be doing it again. It's actually easier on my nerves not to have to do it, as well.

She doesn't care for toys or food or even our pants/shoe laces when she's trying to stuff something like that into her mouth. She just tries to gulp it down as fast as she can, before I can get to her to try to make her spit it out. She looks at me with this determined look and continues to chew and swallow.

I know she's a baby, and believe me, I DON'T WANT to correct her. It's not like I'm on a power trip or something. I don't really care at this point if she's being stubborn or just silly. I just don't want her hurt by something I can prevent, and I obviously don't know enough to do it the right way.

Okay...how hungry is she? Is she ever full? Has she had a fecal done? Does she appear hungry at all very often?

How much food does she eat? How often does she eat?

I know she is hungry.
We've switched her from kibble to raw on Friday, and we've been feeding her smaller portions to stabilize her stomach. She's having good poops now, so we'll be gradually increasing portions, but I know she is hungry. It's a catch-22 right now. We can't increase her portions to normal too fast, or her stomach will get upset. And until we do, she'll be hungry.

The thing is, she kept doing this even before the switch, when she was getting her full fill of kibble.

To answer your question, right now she eats about 3oz of chicken backs plus a tablespoon of pumpkin three times a day. Plus a whole bunch of treats every time she's out exercising and marker training. We hope to increase the portions to normal within a day or two, if her poops stay good.

Hmmm...not ignoring you. but, I have to go right now and won't have access to a computer until tomorrow...I will think on this.

 Quote: sam fain

1a) Tara LOVES eating grass, leaves, wood chips and small sticks. Is it safe for her to graze on vegetable matter like that, or should we chase every leaf out of her mouth? I do NOT allow her to eat poisonous plants, but grass, etc?

IMO, no.

I use to go by the logic, "He knows what he's doing. He's either got an upset stomach, or simply likes the grass."

Dogs can't digest the grass. Whether they eat it out of frustration or pleasure, the end result is the same. A large undigestable fibrous mass further irritating their gut.

 Quote: sam fain

1b) When we DO need her to spit the stuff out, i.e. if she got a piece of a rock or shingle, what is the appropriate command? It's not "Out", right? That one is for toy/bite work. So, it's "Yuck", "Leave it" or "Fooie" (btw, are those synonyms?)? Should we use a separate commands for general "No/Phooie" and another one for "Yuk/Leave it" (and what would be a German version of it?)? Meaning, are those different actions to be stopped, or is it the same "negative thing for the dog to stop doing"?
We don't want to confuse the pup by using a wrong command so that we'll have to re-learn things in the future.

No. If you plan on using "Out" for something else later, then don't use it.

Are you going to be doing some kind of "real work" with her? Do you have the Raising a Working Pup DVD?

 Quote: sam fain

1c) She's only 9 weeks old. I hate to correct her hard to stop her from eating the "bad things", but she's an amazingly hard dog: She can be yanked completely off her feet with a leash jerk while wearing a flat collar, and she wouldn't even yelp, but will go right back to trying to get the "bad things" into her mouth again. I don't want to keep yanking her off her feet, but I don't want her to eat the stuff that could hurt her, either. We were told by the breeder that she's a hard dog, and I like that even when corrected hard, she doesn't lose drive or willingness to play or take treats, but she's just a puppy, and those jerks can't be good for her. Not to mention that even if she herself doesn't seem to mind being corrected hard, we hate doing it to her. Any suggestions?

EDIT: I just hit upon Ed's article on teaching puppies the word "No". So, I've been doing it all wrong, and should have been shaking Tara by the nape of the neck instead of using the leash? My poor puppy!

I have never raised a working dog. I don't feel comfortable giving advice on how to fix this or if anything even needs fixing.

I do feel comfortable saying to keep a long line on the pup. No need to yank on the leash, or pick the puppy up and shake her. Simply take the long line in your hand and lead her away from the problem for the time being. Watch her, and do your best to keep her out of stuff before she gets into it. If you cannot watch her, put her away in the crate.

If you see her heading to do something undesirable, get her attention and try to distract her from it. Don't wait for her to get something in her mouth. Be one step ahead. Beeeee 'da puppy.

All you have to do is stay within reach of the long line. 20 ft. away. Hell, make your own long line out of rope and make it even longer. You don't have to catch the puppy, just the massive expanse of rope

 Quote: sam fain

2) This is a silly and least important one: She does her #1 and #2 in different spots in the yard. She likes low grass for #1 (or whatever grass there is left there after she flattened all of it), but she purposefully searches tall grass for her #2. So, it's not like it's a really serious issue, but are there methods of teaching her to do all her "business" in the same spot? Better yet, in the spot of my choosing?

You've got a pretty good idea when your dog needs to go to the bathroom. When it is time, put her on leash and walk her straight to the area where you want her to go. Mill around 'til she does her deed, and then praise the ever lovin' $#!t outta' her. "GOOD PEE!!! GOOD POOP!!!". Have a treat or 2 in your pocket for such occasions.

Hopefully the working dog folk will chime in soon if she will have a job in the future, and be a real working dog.