Mark, the groundwork mentioned in the DVD sounds very much like Ed's article on groundwork for adult dogs as a refresher or for adult dogs you might happen to take in. It's different for puppies. Read Ed's article on puppy groundwork: http://www.leerburg.com/puppygroundwork.htm

So yes, play with your puppy as much as you can - it's bonding for both of you. Your instincts are correct about that. I agree with Mike Arnold's post (great post) in its entirety, and for walking your puppy I would take his advice. Don't stress the walks, either for you or the puppy. Let him sniff around and explore. It's confidence building as well as natural. Keep him reminded of a position at your side with treats, but he doesn't need to be right at your side behaving perfectly at all times. He's too young for "perfect".

Hi Mark
You've had some great posts here already but I had a couple of things that we've done (we have a 6 month old puppy) and they might help with the pack structure while he is still a puppy. Of course, every home routine and personalities are different so adjust accordingly, but keep in mind that you are the leader, in everything. For instance:
1) when we take the puppy out to do business we tell him to "go pee" and then reward immediately when he goes with "good pee"
2) before he goes outside he has to sit (be patient) and wait until we go out FIRST, and then we call him to come (have you taught sit and come yet? sorry i forget) We do the same when he comes into the house. Sit, then we go in, then we call him to come.
3) His walking improved at about 4.5 months when I started to view his walk as less of a playtime, sniff around, but it is his Work. His mental exercise to keep focus, to stay with me. It is hard work for a 5 month old puppy but he got lots of encouragement, calm praise and treat rewards when he is doing a "good walk". It is our rule that when he is on leash he is working (mentally). When we get home I often tie him up to a long lead and play fetch and let him "let loose" in the yard with some toys and fun with me for a few minutes. If the weather is bad we'll do some playtime in the house.
4) Another pack structure issue is feeding. We always eat FIRST. Then I feed him in his crate. He is learning our routines and will now lie on his pillow in the kitchen while we eat. He sometimes whines (he's a puppy!) but we ignore him.
5) He is in the crate at night, always when we are away from the house, and sometimes (although not as much anymore) when we are home for a quiet afternoon. We have the kitchen area blocked with a baby gate so when I can't have eyes on him he is in there. You will want your dog to be a part of your family and routines, so he needs to see what is happening but he also needs to earn his way into the home a bit at a time. Don't be in a hurry for that because you want to set your puppy up to learn the right thing first, not get into trouble for chewing up socks and have to be corrected all the time.
6) Keep a loose leash on him when he's in the house even when you do have eyes on him. That way you can have control over what he is doing.
7) Continue with the marker training as said earlier. We use the word "good" and treat, and he is even doing this now with my 7 year old. When they are walking (just started this week) and he is trotting beside her and looks up at her she says "good" and gives him a treat. It is very nice to see.
8) Puppies are fun and need lots of bonding time (whether walking, playing, petting, feeding) but if you are establishing consistent boundaries and routines, then you are getting a good start.
9) Help him to learn what you want, and then later you can expect him to do it. Right now it's all about the learning phase.
10) Advice can be confusing, so hopefully I haven't made it worse for you. I'm sure there will be "corrections" if I haven't proof read this well enough or if I am way out to lunch

Mark, regarding your confusion about what Ed says on the "Establishing Pack Structure w/ the family Pet", there are many techniques that he suggests that are appropriate for adult dogs (like Sandy stated in her post), and Ed doesn't specifically say not to do them w/ puppies.
Some of the things you should be doing are:

Waiting until she's calm and in a sit before feeding (even if the sit is just for 2-3 seconds)(remember to mark it!)

Waiting until she's calm until letting her out of her crate...

Waiting until she's calm until letting her out the door and back inside...

Are you going out doors and down stairs before the puppy?

I know that you already know all those things; it's being consistent w/ them that's the tough part! (at least, that seems to be something that I constantly have to work on)

Remember too, she's probably teething now, and things should be getting much better in that department soon. Hang in there!

It's been a while since I posted anything. But i think things are slowly progressing with my pup. she is now 4 months old (german shorthair pointer) I have finished her kennel outside, so on days it isn't cold, she stays out there while I am at work. it's not much, but she can at least move around and play. I also keep a heated mat in there, so maybe that will help as well.

She will actually calm down for a few minutes each night now when she is out of the crate. but not for long. I am hoping it's just the 'puppy' in her and she will start to calm further.

Does anyone think it would help for me to constantly have her with me when I am at home from work? In the evenings i have her in the kitchen with baby gates. the routine goes like this:

I will play with her for about an hour solid, take her inside, get afternoon feeding. maybe play a little more, then i have work to do around house etc. Everytime i leave her sight for more than a few minutes, the whining starts. I ignore this, try to reward when she is quiet, but it continues. It get's irritating. I know she wants to be around me, but if I let her loose, even with a leash on, the first thing she will do will be to chew on anything she can get to.

I would like for her to just be calm from time to time so i could let her enjoy more of the house, but this just doesn't happen very often, and if it does, it doesn't last for long. I guess what I am asking, if you were in my situation with a high strung dog, would you allow her to ever be outside of the kitchen even when on a leash?

I would love to get to the point where she would just come into the living room, lay down, and chill out for a while. but i am nowhere even close to being there. is it 'the puppy' in her, or something i am doing wrong? Should i allow her to be out of the kitchen....knowing that i will have a fight on my hands...i have my doubts i could get her calm. i am wondering if i should just forget about having a dog that can lay down and just chill out for a bit.....

oh...and one thing i forgot to mention...she it typically very calm in crate. she will lay down, play with a toy etc while she is in there (at least for a while). when i let her out, she just goes nuts and i can't get her to calm down until she is back in the crate. as soon as i am out of her sight, the whining starts.

when i am in my kitchen, she is into what ever i am doing. if i open a drawer, she jumps up and holds onto it trying to see whats in there. if i am cooking, she jumps up to see what it is. once again...is this just the puppy in her?

Mark,
Tethering her to you will help a lot. I tether Ember to me and have only lost two belt loops. When she is tethered to me and I go and sit on the couch I give her something to chew on and she will try to leave but I just ignore her and she finally lays down and chews.

When she lays down I quietly praise her with a "good quiet". If I try and make her be quiet it turns into a struggle, but that is my puppy so yours may be different.

She does get to be loose for about 15 minutes a day. Mainly while I get meals ready. She now sits patiently and stares at me while I make meals and then when I turn with her dish she jets off and gets in her crate.

I also play easy games of tug or fetch with her in the house due to the weather. This is not really a recommended thing, but with below zero temps and only short periods of working on focus, I have to do something else to help tire her out.

Carol: I just had to laugh when I read the part that you tether Ember to you and you have only lost a couple of belt loops! Ha!
I do the same with my dogs and I know what you mean!!

I have since learned to wear a belt lead with a 4ft lead or 6ft lead attached to the ring on the belt lead. Works great!!

But, seriously, tethering is a great tool and at first it may be cumbersome, but the pup soon learns to stay at your left and watch you for your next move.
Ember still has a long way to go since when I bend down to pick something up she likes to grab for my ponytail. But she is learning to be quiet when I sit to relax or even eat supper at the table. She lays and chews a soup bone or a kong with cream cheese while we eat.

Mark, my dog was the same as a pup. I do believe that had I tethered him to me during that age as Carol said, he would have learned quicker how to relax at my feet. He has only recently been able to do that and he's 19 mos! The main reason I didn't tether him was that I was afraid of falling since he was all over the place and always underfoot, literally. I figured if he was underfoot without a leash tied to my waist that at least I could maneuver better to prevent a fall.

I've actually gotten pretty good at maneuvering, since he's still underfoot. In fact, I haven't been able to walk a straight line from A to B for the last year and a half.

So yes, I would have endured the tethering cause I feel that it would have helped him be more aware of where I'm going and when I'm going there, which I believe is a learned skill.

Edited to add: in all fairness to Lear, my dog, he is learning how to get out of my way (somewhat).

Geez, Sandy...and I thought I was the only one walking like a drunken sailor.

I wish I had paid more attention to tethering. But the flip side is that my dog ended up learning all sorts of other things, like "Back" and "Move" and "Go over there" (said sweetly, of course)

 Quote: mark surgenor

I know she wants to be around me, but if I let her loose, even with a leash on, the first thing she will do will be to chew on anything she can get to.

Mark, have you tried to redirect her with a satisfying chew such as a bully stick, or a kong filled w/ cream cheese? I would think a 9" bully stick would keep her occupied for quite awhile...

 Quote:

when i am in my kitchen, she is into what ever i am doing. if i open a drawer, she jumps up and holds onto it trying to see whats in there. if i am cooking, she jumps up to see what it is. once again...is this just the puppy in her?

If you follow Carol's suggestion and have her tethered to you, you can calmly step on the leash before she jumps. Once she calms down, mark and reward.
It sounds like she is just a very exuberent, curious puppy. Try the tethering and see how it goes...
PS, if you try this in the kitchen with the express intent of getting her to calm down, you maight have better success. ie, tether her to you, have some treats ready on the counter, and set her up to jump (open a drawer). Practice this when you don't have anything pressing to accomplish (other than working w/ the puppy) Might cut down on the frustration factor.