Our 3 months old GR is in the process of geting off Hill Plan and onto JWB puppy performance (Lamb Rice). Started 8/7 and should be 100% on JWB around the 17/7. Had to cut her feeds down to 3 again as we had to keep waking her up to give her the last one at 10:30pm.

She eats 300g a day and is putting on 1.5kgs per week (now 9Kgs) and she poos 6-8 times a day (and always have from day 1).

My question: Is feeding time 8am, 12:15pm and 8:30pm ok? I worry that she will go hungry and eat grass (also did this from day 1 but not as often now - thank god she is finally off snails). It seems a long time to wait after lunch but then she is getting treats (cheese) toilet training and (dried liver) crate training and some other kind of treat that goes in a ball.

(You must be sick of the sight of my name :D )

Personally I'd try and space the meals out more - I note you say you're having to wake her for the fourth meal so perhaps if you feed along the lines below it will help:

8-00am / 12-30pm  /  4-30pm / 9-30pm

If you really have to drop to 3 meals a day, then again I'd try and space these out equally rather than have such a long gap between lunch and the final meal.  

I don't use much by way of treats for toilet training as it does unbalance the feeding regime/timing etc but you could use her normal kibble as a treat - just deduct the appropriate amount from her daily ration.

regards, Teri :)

No I am not sick of your name or any of the other poster's YET!
I just appreciate everybody's time because I know how long it takes to go through the posts (read/ask questions) etc..
So THANK YOU AGAIN TO YOU ALL!!

Hi - With mine, I give the last meal around 6.30pm, and then a little snack before bed time.  The snack could be a small handful of food, for eg.  This helps with toilet training because the last poo tends to happen before bed time and they can go to sleep relatively empty.  The snack helps them not to feel overly hungry, but is not so much they want to poo.

Snails (or slugs) are not a good idea, especially in the south of England, because they can contain a type of heartworm which is common in France and is gradually being found more in England now.  It has something to do with foxes. 

Sounds like you're doing well, with toilet training and crate training.

That would mean more than 12 hours without food for a very young pup. 

I have always given the last meal at about 9-10pm, and never had a problem with pooing indoors from about 8 weeks old.

I feed my adults any time between 5-11pm with no problems.

When on three meals a day I would be feeding 8am, 2-3pm, and then 9-10pm.

Hi - no, with a 7/8 wk old pup, on 4 meals a day, the last one would be at 9pm ish, as you say.

I was basing what I said on a 12 wk old pup - then I'd have no probs with giving dinner at 6/7pm and then a snack before bed time.  Breakfast at 8am. 

I personally try to space the meals out evenly. My adults get fed at 8am, a biscuit at 1pm, and their supper at about 6pm. They also have a small biscuit after their last wee at about 11pm. I find this the easiest way of dropping from 3 meals to two at 6 months (3 months is when, like you, I drop the fourth meal), by feeding some of the lunch ration at the other two meals, then finally replacing it with a token biscuit.

So I'd personally feed a three-month pup at 8am, 1pm and 6pm (but with the late biscuit in bed).

Tu va Bien!! :D
Your doing well (bet your getting good sleep!!! worn out!! ;) )
Dont worry about the Grass eating!allowing your dog to graze grass does no harm. dogs must derive some pleasure from this experience or they simply wouldn't bother.

Often, (but not always) the grass is then regurgitated, probably due to irritation of the gastric mucosa by the fibrous ball which remains after chewing.Dogs, (just like their ancestors), sre designed to vomit very easily. This process acts as a safety mechanism due to their scavenging nature allowing them to rid themselves of any decomposed material which could be hazardous.

Some people believe, that dogs eat grass as method of making themselves sick, when their stomaches are upset.

Natural and nothing to worry about :)

>Some people believe, that dogs eat grass as method of making themselves sick, when their stomaches are upset

I do    All but one of mine only ever eat it when feeling nauseas whereas the other was an accomplished grazer -  and never parted with a blade :D

Mine have always eaten grass - they have particular places in the field where they graze. They never have tummy upsets or the runs so the grass must either help this or, certainly not cause any upsets :D :D

Daisy

The small snack or biscuit sounds a good idea as Amber tends to get a little lazy/sleepy after her last feed (toilet has never been a priority). Is the snack/biscuit additional to her daily ration or do I need to deduct it? Need to know cause once on 100% JWB her ration will increase to 340g a day.

Oh no!! I was just browsing the Internet and saw that there is a JWB "LARGE BREED" puppy performance out there!! The shop we went to didn't have it on the shelf/didn't say anything about its existance either. I read something about the calcium being harmful if the wrong puppy food is used for large breed (even if our one is a "petite" one).

Do I need to change her food gradually again or can I go straight to the new JWB Large breed puppy performance food staight away? They don't seem to have Lamb Rice but only Turkey is that ok? Is it ok to finish the half a bag we still have left at home?

Large breed foods have only been 'invented' within the last couple of years and there's been thousands of puppies raised very well on bog standard puppy food so I wouldn't worry.

I'd not be worrying about adding or subtracting a last minute biscuit from the daily food ration, LINE. Almost all "recommended" feeding quantities are on the over generous side - in some cases, ludicrously over generous! - and it's best to feed according to appetite rather than weighing everything out meticulously unless you have a dog with some sort of diagnosed digestive problem. I tended to find that pups were less hungry in the morning than towards the end of the day when they've used up more energy on activities and if anything, leave a longer gap between breakfast and lunch. However, be aware that all dogs are individuals and have an annoying habit of refusing to eat according to the rule book - I cut out lunch at 5 months after the pup's nose was routinely turned up at it!

Also I second Christine's comment about so-called "large breed" puppy food. Most of these inventions strike me as mainly a way to confuse new owners and get them to buy more products rather than a nutrional necessity!

Is any puppy food necessary ?? I 'weaned' my pup off puppy food and put her on exactly the same raw food that my older dog got by the time she was about 14 weeks. She's a lovely healthy specimen of her breed (albeit not a big breed) :D

Daisy

My dog eats grass just because he likes it. A bit of grazing seems like something to do, like munching on his bone.

My two graze like cattle. They only do it in certain areas as the grass must taste better in some places. They rarely vomit it up again but I often see it reappear out the other end Bleurgh!!

Mine love to graze the herbage along the river bank and d not bring it back up.  On the other hand if they have indigestion they will rush out and gulp down mouthfuls of long grass and bring it up within minutes.

Goldens really don't need the large breed biscuit.  All mine are on the regular and never had any problems. Don't worry about which variety you give her, and as the food is basically the same you can change from Lamb & rice and Turkey and rice with no problems.  Also they do a duck and rice and a fish and rice, however, mine are not that keen on the fish and rice.

Personally i wouldnt feed a stock standard puppy food to a large breed puppy as the calcium/phos ratio's are usually far too high,which means too quick a growth and probable bone/joint problems in the future.Large breeds are classed as 50lbs or over when fully grown(i'm assuming  labs fit into that category?). I would perhaps go with the large breed puppy food or straight onto the adult formula,but to be safe than sorry i would skip the puppy formula.

I can't agree with that.  I have raised 2 pups I bred on specific puppy completes and both have grown so slowly, infact with my male we wondered if he would reach minimum height by 6 months old (He did but still carried growing slowly until he was 18 months old).   My bitch is also on the smaller end of the height standard for the breed and she just had a nice steady growth rate too.

Line, I don't know if I'll explain this very well but here goes...

I think you should forget about how many grams of whatever food you're feeding.   If you asked me how many grams of anything mine get, I couldn't tell you in a million years.  The info on the pack is just guidelines, not something to adhere to, very closely.

It is far better just to go by what your pup looks like.  Sure, give her treats and snacks in addition to what you feed her and watch her weight - visibly - not by scale-watching.  If you think she's looking a bit plump, then reduce her meals or snack allowance. 

Don't stress too much over the food issue.  As long as you're feeding a good food (and JWB is a good food), then you'll be ok.  I wouldn't worry about the Large Breed JWB either.  If you want to switch to it, then fine - but I'd finish the bag you've started of the usual one first.

12/7 - 13/7: Tried the 3 meals a day (last at 6:30-7pm) and a snack at 10:30pm (2 small hands full).

She still goes to bed around 11pm-11:30pm but for the last two days she has been waking up at 4:30am instead of 5:30-6am (just for a wee - and doesn't have time to wait to reach the dedicated area so my leg usually gets it! - than she goes back to sleep till 6:60am).

What does that mean in dog world? (is it too early to say?) We love our puppy but we do need our sleep...

Hi Shirley :)

Don't worry too much!  Your puppy doesn't have enough bladder control to see her through the night - they all develop at different rates and you're probably getting fairly close to the time she'll be able to go right through the night - just not quite there yet ;)

If it were me I'd set my alarm for say 4-00 am, let her out for a widdle, make no fuss or anything so she doesn't think it's play time and then head back to bed for (hopefully) another couple of hours or so of much needed sleep.

As to your feeding regime, I personally think she should be fed a proper meal at around 10-00pm as it's a long time in between for such a young puppy to go through to breakfast time  - particularly on 3 feeds a day.  Their tummies are too small to cram too much extra into individual meals to make up for the long gap ;)

regards Teri

Who is Shirley? (LOL!!!) - Will put the clock on at 4am and wait for her to wake up, at least I will be downstairs and not upstairs. I don't want to wake her up in case she doesn't need a wee. I don't want to impose a routine on her specially not at this time.

I would like to give the 3 meal a day a longer trial (as this is what she was use to from day one - slept well and never had bladder problem) - We changed to 4 meals a day on a trial basis but as stated earlier on: "...Amber tends to get a little lazy/sleepy after her last feed (toilet has never been a priority)" I would be far more worried about her health if she didn't poo before bedtime.

I am not overly concern about the individual amount of food she is having at present (100-120g). 3 or 4 meals, it goes within 2 minutes and poos are looking good. I need to give this a little longer before changing her routine again.

Thanks! :-)

>Who is Shirley? (LOL!!!)

From your profile it should be you

Ouuppsss!!! Thanks for letting me know Teri :-)

Snack Two small handfuls would be half my girls daily ration :D

Relax and play it by ear.

:rolleyes: Well I might have been a bit over generous that particular night but two small hand full is about 25-30g of JWB (I am still using the Hills Science plan measuring cup I hope this is giving me the correct reading).

As she is 15wks, Amber will shortly be on 340g daily ration of JWB (I am assuming that she will be 24Kg+ as an adult) please let me know if that is correct.

>As she is 15wks, Amber will shortly be on 340g daily ration of JWB (I am assuming that she will be 24Kg+ as an adult) please let me know if that is correct.

I don't think there's any one "correct" amount since all dogs are different and certainly, if you are following the manufacturers' guidelines to try and determine correct quantities you need to know that they will almost always be over-generous. With respect, because I know you want to do the best by Amber, I also think you are in danger of confusing and worrying yourself quite unecessarily by attempting to feed by a non-existent rule book. It's not exact quantities that are important, it is the general appearance and behaviour of your dog that is the best indication so if she is eating her food with enthusiasm is gaining an appropriate amount for her age and breed and has a settled digestive system you will be on the right track.

As for waking her up at 4.00am she will, given her age, definitely want a wee since her bladder isn't yet big enough for her to last all night. But waking her now won't mean that she gets into the habit of having a wee at silly o'clock when she's older and has adequate bladder control.

:rolleyes:  Yes, you are quite right I will play it by ear!

I know I do ask a lot about "quantities" but it does help to have a rough idea and I understand that it is only a guideline. We know she looks great, poos great but I must say I can't wait to see if she has put on at least 1kg this week!

Yes, will we get use to the 4am drill (not so different to the 6am one if you remember to put the alarm clock on and then, while sleep walking, remember to reset it up again for work) :-)

Thanks!!

In my own expereince some pups will eat only half the suggested amount and grow and thrive. 

Most if fed the amount suggested will get very wery fat. 

I tend to advise owners to feed about 2/3rds the amount suggested and then judge by the pups condition if it needs to be reduced or increased (less likely).

Barbara,out of curiosity,how much does the bag say your dogs should get compared to how much you give them? I reckon my dogs would get around 2/3 or more less than the bag recommends too(not sure hopeless at maths :o ),however they do get fresh foods with their dry and a rmb afterward.Just wanted to know the measurements in cups or whatever you give your dogs :)
A friend of mines little dog will only eat 3tbs of his dry food per meal

Mine get 200g or less (if I am cutting them back a bit, which happens quite frequently in the summer) where as it advises over 300g for a 20kg dog.

If they get any extras then I cut their meals back to take that into account.  (The dogs get all the edible scraps).

Feeding guidelines from JWB
340-470g if feeding Large Puppy performance (not recommended for GR) - Advised 395g for Amber
395-600g if feeding Puppy performance  - Advised 410g for Amber
:-D We are currently feeding her 300g/day plus evening snack (25-30g)

Our cartoon puppy is obviously a character!! Some of you might not agree with my decision but I would be happy to hear your concern.

2 days ago I stopped the a.m. feed as Amber started leaving more than half of it in her plate and started pooing all over the garden (little bits everywhere 8+ poos a day).

She is now on 2 feeds a day (12:15pm 150g - and 7:30pm 125g + 2 Frankfurters/green beens) and she seem quite happy.
Cheese treats have been reduced to a pea size (wee) and one Bakers Choice chops (poos - but no more than 3 a day).
She has two good firm poos before 9am (1 treat only) and then one after lunch and 1-2 after dinner.

She goes through the night nicely 12am - 5am. I don't think she has a problem waiting for her first feed at 12:15pm (I know it is a long time) but she sleeps a lot during that time and we all agree that she is happier with this routine. How can we be sure though? What do dog do if they are starving? Amber is happy all the time even when she is collapse sleeping on the kitchen floor (will add a new post shortly re: sleeping pattern).

My only concerns are the frankfurters and bakers treats,both unhealthy and un- natural treats,and wouldnt be doing your dog any good. Correct me if i'm wrong but your including the frankfurters in her meal,not small pieces as treats,right?
Treats dont have to be organically pure and healthy as they are an occasional thing,but you can do much better than bakers and franks that have zip nutritional value.You're already giving cheese,you could bake up some liver or liver cake and use that,i think Burns still do the fish treats,you can buy fish skins,cant remember the name :rolleyes: raw carrots.Just about anything that is good for us is good for them,except for the obvious stuff which you already know about anyway.

> How can we be sure though? What do dog do if they are starving?<

Lose weight and condition pretty quickly,scavenge around for food more than usual,just acting overly starved in general.Make sure and weigh her each week to make sure she's putting on the required/correct amount,and keep an eye on her body condition.

.

Thank you Katy for letting me know that frankfurters and Bakers Choice chops are unhealthy and un-natural.
Will look into your alternatives (which I presume are ok to mix with JWB puppy performance dry food).
We, as a family, love Frankfurters - quick when hubby is on lates - hence our mistake.

Amber is putting on 1.2Kgs every week (we only weigh her every two weeks at the vet), her body condition is perfect and she most definitely doesn't scavenge for food. Like I said she looks happy, bubbly and cute when she is having a nap.

Isn't liver expensive?

No liver is really cheap. I sometimes use it raw as a treat but it's pretty horrid to handle this way. You can bake it in the oven and cut into tiny pieces or if you do a search on this site you can find a recipe for liver cake which is much easier to have in your pocket for training.

Tesco etc sell a tray for round about 80p and this makes enough for a whole weeks training if used raw or a fortnight or more if made into liver cake and frozen until needed.

Also treats are just that something special, so don't add them to her meals (though I do add the human nutritious left overs). 

Also Frankfurters will be quite high in salt, but fine for training treats where you are giving tiny pieces.

Can't remember how old your pup is, but if under 6 months 3 meals are more appropriate, but in this heat it is not surprising if she isn't eating as often.

My youngest was on two meals a day very early, but that was because when I had her daily ration split in three she was looking for more after her meals, and she was plump enough so I simply gave her two larger meals which satisfied her more,a and she did not scrounge in between. 

Her picky grandmother stayed on more meals much longer as she ate so little at one sitting.  So sometimes you do have to adapt to an individuals needs, as long as it is suiting them and they are developing properly.

I use frankfurters with all mine, Shirley, and have never had a problem.  I believe that, as long as you use a good quality food at the regular meals, you can use small amounts of things like frankfurters without a problem.  When you are training every day, it's hard to keep cooking up liver treats.  I agree, don't give her treats for free though, that defeats the point.  Make her work for them.

I agree that the Bakers treats are best missed out though.

"Cheese treats have been reduced to a pea size (wee) and Bakers Choice chops (poo)"
We'll stop buying Bakers treats (only bought 1 pack - I fell for the packaging ; they look so delicious and also smell wonderful!!)
We don't use too many treats (she is usually quite happy with the above for potty training) when she does something great (give hand, sit, lie down, stay, come, go out etc... She is usually quite happy with an ice cube or her 100% dried liver treats or JWB mini snacks or Pedigree Markies Puppy Treats (which we won't buy anymore, came with Amber). We don't use all of these everyday we just like alternating we buy a pack of each and they last for at least a month sometimes more.

"We, as a family, love Frankfurters - quick when hubby is on lates"
Treats are not my concern. Frankfurters are not used for treats but something that we add to her dinner to make it a bit special (JWB looks so dry on its own). Thanks for telling me about the salt content Brainless ;-). Amber only has 2 (70g) added to her 125g JWB meal - Salt for 100g is 1.8g (of which 0.7g sodium) but I do also add 2 hands full of lovely defrosted "green beans" which are healthy and hopefully compensate for the salt content.

As I do not train all day long everyday, as most professional breeders, I don't mind looking into the liver cooking option (poor Amber, I am not the greatest cook!!) once I find out if we can get them from our butcher. Can liver be cooked then stored in the fridge or freezer for 2-3 dinners?
PS: Worse come to worse I can combine the two or indeed give all the Franks to the hubby! :-D

Is there anything else I can look into apart from liver once I'm at the butcher? As she no longer eats breakfast can I get something nutritional that she can bite on for 10mns each morning, like a bone (which will not make her poo lots and that I can re-use the next day)? Sorry I no absolutely nothing about bones, pig's ears prices

Amber's age and weight is regularly updated in the signature area of the "options". You should see her details below each post/reply :-)

Amber sounds (and looks ;) ) to be doing really well :)

Re treats, liver is readily available in most supermarkets on the raw meat counter as are kidneys and they are exceptionally cheap :)  I use lamb or pig rather than ox.  You could dry fry them or slow bake them in quantities and then freeze in smaller portions ready sliced so will quickly defrost for treats or mini-snacks :)  Lamb hearts are good for this too.  Also check the deli counter as they may have off cuts of various cooked meats which you can give as training treats too.

If you want to give her a bone for gnawing on, ask your butcher for a marrow bone - these are more for recreational use than anything else (but watch the fly population at this time of year :rolleyes: ).   Never use cooked bones or the type from pet shops which are mainly roasted.

For an alternative breakfast you could give her a RAW chicken wing in the morning - if unsure how she'll be with it you could break it under a rolling pin (pot base, hammer - I don't use much by way of utensils :D ) and hold the end while she's chewing the first few times.

HTH, Teri :)

Giving green beans will not reduce the high level of salt in the frankfurters :)  Like 123 says they should really be given in tiny quantities for a puppy, for training only, they really aren't suitable as part of a daily diet for dogs.  Mind you, that applies to all treats as they are all designed to be given in limited quantities so can't see why the same principle cannot be applied to the other treats you have been using :)

IMO - a dog's food shouldn't need anything adding to it to make it more palatable :) If the dog won't eat the food then either the food should be changed for a food that the dog will eat or (as is often the case) the dog is overfed and isn't hungry or it has learnt to be fussy :) Just my opinion :)

Daisy

I agree with what others say about adding stuff to her food.

If you are concerned about the palatability of her food and whether it is "tasty" enough for her, then the first thing you should consider doing is moving to a wet food, like Nature Diet, Natures Menu or Forthglade. 

If you decide to stick to a dry food, then just feed that and don't add anything to it.  You're making a rod for your own back - unless you always, for the rest of her life, want to be adding 2 frankfurters to her food, then don't add them now.  You'll find, pretty soon, that she will turn her nose up at it unless the frankfurters are there, or, even if you continue to feed her frankfurters forever, she will begin to pick out only the frankfurters and not eat the dry food (no matter how well you mix it in, dogs are capable of this!).  It's the way towards creating a fussy dog.

Dry foods have been manufacturered to be complete in terms of nutrients, vitamins and minerals and don't need anything to be added to them. 

I don't train every day all day with my dogs, only for 1 hour a day.  You're missing the point here and you seem to be just not hearing what people are saying to you, so I'll try again:  It doesn't have anything to do with how much you train.  Anything which is given for FREE to a dog is devalued because the dog gets it for free.  Should you, in future, want to use hotdog sausages or anything equivalently tasty as a training treat, your dog will work less hard for it and possibly not even be interested in it at all.  If your dog only gets dry food for free, hotdog sausages will seem comparably amazing-tasting, and your dog will bend over backwards for them.

Example 1: A woman with a lab, whose dog gets, for dinner: Hot gravy poured over left over chicken, regularly.  This woman goes to training class armed with cheese as a treat.  Her dog is completely disinterested in the woman's cheese, won't do anything for it, is much more interested in the other dogs than in doing anything for cheese.

Example 2: A woman with a lab, whose dog gets dry food for all meals.  This woman goes to the same training class with the same brand of cheese as a treat.  Her dog is totally interested in the cheese, will do anything for it, ignores the other dogs and is completely focussed on how to get the cheese and what the woman wants him to do.

Can't really explain it better than that.  But, even if you're not interested in doing any classes with your dog, if you want your dog to recall to you when older and adolescent, you'd better make sure you are completely in charge of the rewards and your dog understands that the only want to get rewards is to do what you ask.  Otherwise, she'll just wait till she gets them for free for her dinner anyway, and ignore you on walks when you call...

"When you are training every day, it's hard to keep cooking up liver treats."

"I don't train every day all day with my dogs, only for 1 hour a day."
This is why you can't cook liver? 

"I use frankfurters with all mine, Shirley, and have never had a problem.  I believe that, as long as you use a good quality food at the regular meals, you can use small amounts of things like frankfurters without a problem."
No, I just got confused. I literally took your comments ABOVE as ok to add frank to her last meal.

"You're missing the point here and you seem to be just not hearing what people are saying to you, so I'll try again"
Please kindly refrain from using that tone (surely you mean reading not hearing!!)

"Otherwise, she'll just wait till she gets them for free for her dinner anyway, and ignore you on walks when you call..."
Thanks to your last WISE/CLEAR/SHORT sentence, I now understand Brainless and Daisy's comment about how important it is not to add bits to meals. No one else spelt it out. I need posters to help/tell me straight what I am doing wrong in a polite manner.

For us, NEW and FIRST dog owner of only ONE dog, treats, snacks, lunch, breakfast and dinner are all separate things. I didn't realize that Amber would think of the franks added to her JWB as extra treats for doing nothing!! (Even though I knowingly initially introduced franks as treats).

Mid July, everyone advised me to keep Amber on JWB for at least 3+ weeks. So I did and will keep her on it until her 2x2Kgs is finished and stop adding bits to her meal immediately. That should give me enough time to see if she leaves anything - bearing in mind she is only on 2 feeds a day now - and decide whether we need to consider a wet food.

To be honest with you I've been on holiday for a week now and haven't had time to think about dog classes yet. Plus I was hoping that classes would only be necessary if Amber suddenly started showing some major behavior problems. Well she hasn't got any behavior problems and she's is doing very well training with us at home. We keep her on her lease during her walks - she is not ready to be let off yet. This week we are still focusing on the "stay" and "come".

>  I didn't realize that Amber would think of the franks added to her JWB as extra treats for doing nothing!!

I wasn't even thinking of the training aspect - I was just concerned with her not becoming a fussy eater :D

As for the training classes - do go to training classes if you can :) They are such fun and you will learn so much more than you can do by yourself at home. Training is really for the owner more than for the dog :D The idea is that you learn what you should be teaching your dog and then practise at home :) Also, it is surprising how many mistakes the novice owner makes training a dog and you need an experienced trainer to point these things out to you :) I should know - got the T-shirt :D :D Do make sure that you go to good classes though - try to get a recommendation - maybe ask on here :)

Daisy

Thanks, we already got a good link from Brainless at the begining of July. We'll look into it.
Nothing in our area (one in London South East - we are in South West).

Yes classes are a good thing for both socialisation and for training the owner :D

I made a big mistake when first teaching my dog to walk on a loose lead. Every time he pulled I told him to heel and it didn't dawn on me at the time that what I was actually teaching him to do was to associate pulling with the word "heel".

Having realised that I was making the situation worse I then had to change the word I used to "close" and only used it when he was not pulling so he associated the action with the word and realised this meant don't pull. Only when he had learnt the required action that went with the word "close" could I then start to use it as a command i.e. I had to make the connection between the word and the action first by using good timing and once he understood what that meant I could then use it to alter his behaviour.

Another mistake that some of the new owners at training class made was to add the word down at the end of a sit command - so in effect their dogs were getting confused as to whether they should be sitting or lying down. ( If our dog jumps up at us we use the command "off" rather than get down as this would confuse as well).

So a training class is great for setting you off on the right path and makes it easier by not having to "unlearn" something.

As you can see by some of my posts I am still on a steep learning curve myself and certainly not an experienced owner but hope this helps another newbie. :)