Who can fathom the
mind of a puppy? Squirrels drive them crazy, garbage is their favorite
snack and immediately after chewing your one-of-a-kind, handmade leather
jacket into confetti, they can give you a look of such innocent love and
adoration that you forget all about it. This kind of behavior can baffle
and frustrate even the most conscientious of dog owners. When you bring
a puppy home, she becomes part of your family; you need to be able to
trust her with your home, your belongings and even your children.
Managing your puppy's behavior is the key to having a peaceful and
loving relationship with her.
To have a dog that makes a good, dependable companion, you're going to
have to spend time training them. There's no other way for your puppy to
know that chewing on an old knotted sock is acceptable, for example,
while chewing on the sofa is not. She needs to be taught appropriate
behavior calmly, gently, and--most important--consistently. As soon as
you get your pup, you can start teaching her how to listen to you, how
to act around people and other dogs, and generally to be the
best-behaved dog ever.The Alpha Owner:
Though we'll never know exactly what your pooch is thinking when she
chases her tail until she gets dizzy, we do have some insight into how
dogs think about relationships. Wild dogs live and hunt in packs. This
is an important model, because in every pack there are structured power
relationships between members. The alpha dog is the provider for the
pack. In a pack, nothing is given to a dog without performing a task. If
a dog learns that they can jump up on the couch when they want, drag you
down the street on the leash and get treats when they beg for them, they
may decide that they are running the show. Puppies who are given
everything for “free” will start to demand things and this can lead to
aggression issues. They may start ignoring commands, jumping up where
they're not supposed to jump, and protecting their food or their
"territory" with growls. In extreme cases, they can begin biting.
In order to have a peaceful, manageable relationship with your dog, it's
important that you establish the position that all humans are higher up
in the hierarchy than them in the beginning. Do not use physical
intimidation to establish human hierarchy. Physical intimidation can
leave a dog feeling threatened and defensive, and may even provoke an
attack. You don't need to raise your voice either; shouting can also
make dogs nervous and provoke aggression.
Aggressive displays of dominance aren't necessary. Most dogs are
perfectly happy submitting to a leader; they actually gain confidence
and a sense of security from having someone to follow. A good pack
leader projects a sense of strength by using a steady voice and reacts
calmly to situations that make the dog nervous. The successful pack
leader also provides food, shelter, and attention to the dog when she
behaves appropriately. Having her repeatedly follow your commands (sit,
stay and lie down) reinforces your position above her in the hierarchy.
If you're still having a hard time, ask your veterinarian about special
exercises designed to establish your position in the hierarchy.
One of the main ways to develop your position in the hierarchy is to
start the “nothing in life is free” training. This means that once a dog
has mastered a skill (like sitting or lying down) they must perform that
skill to get something she wants. For example if your dog wants to go
for a walk she must sit before you put her leash on. If your dog wants
to be fed she must sit and stay until the bowl is put down and you have
given her permission to go to the bowl is another example. Making your
dog work for all of the things that she wants will help teach her that
you are the leader and that listening to you will lead to rewards. It is
very important that the dog has mastered the skill and knows what you
want before you start the “nothing in life is free” training. |
The Social Life:
Socializing is one of the most important things you can do to train your
young dog. Puppies are like sponges--ready to absorb all kinds of
information about their world. In the first months of their lives, it's
your job as a pet owner to teach them to bond with people and with other
dogs and to be comfortable in unfamiliar situations. This is one of the
most important things you can do for your fuzzy friend. The less afraid
your puppy is of strange people and animals, the less likely she is to
act defensively and attack another dog or even a child.
The socialization of puppies begins between three and four weeks of age
(before most people bring their new pets home). This means that some of
the work is left up to the puppy’s mother. If your puppy has been raised
by a careless owner or breeder, you may have an uphill battle to fight
when you get her home. Luckily, your puppy will continue the
socialization process until she is about 12 weeks old, so you have
plenty of time to give her good experiences. First of all, make sure she
bonds with you and your family. Show her that she can depend on you for
affection, food and gentle leadership. Between the age of 8 and 12 weeks
is the perfect time to enroll your puppy into puppy classes. Puppy
preschool will help socialize your pup with other puppies in a safe
environment. Most puppy classes will require that your puppy has their
first set of vaccines.
Once your pup feels safe with you and she's had all her vaccinations,
you can introduce her to the big, wide world. Take her to lots of new
and exciting places--the park, a friend's house or dog-friendly stores.
Make sure she has plenty of chances to meet kind people and play with
well-socialized dogs. Try to make trips to the veterinarian fun, with
plenty of petting from you and the friendly veterinarian and
technicians. It may be wise to withhold food for a couple of hours prior
to a visit to the veterinarian so that they will be hungry and will want
to eat treats given by both you and the veterinary staff. Introduce her
to children, in a well-supervised environment. Show the kids how to
speak calmly to her and pet her gently.
If your puppy acting nervous in a new situation or starting to bristle
at a strange dog, try not to scold her. Raising your voice will only
make her tenser. Trying to comfort her will backfire too. If she gets a
lot of petting, cooing and attention every time she's scared or
aggressive, she'll learn that reacting this way is a good thing.
Instead, remain call and talk to her in a steady voice that is
reassuring but not coddling. Try to focus her attention on something
else. Toss a ball or a chew toy to her, or start playing her favorite
game. When she gets absorbed in the game and starts ignoring the people
or the dog that scared her, give her lots of praise. It is important to
take your time and don’t push your puppy into situations where they are
scared. Be patient, it may take several tries before she is fully ready
to take on the scary situation. Baby steps will move you slowly to your
goal. Soon she'll associate the scary situation with fun and playtime,
and she'll become a canine socialite.Think Positively:
When most dog owners think about training their dog, they think in
negatives. They want their puppy not to chew the furniture, not to
piddle on the carpet and not to jump up on guests. This can get a little
confusing from the puppy's point of view. Imagine you were a puppy home
alone and you spent most of your day chewing on some loafers and
spreading garbage around the kitchen. Then you nap for an hour and meet
your family at the door when they come home. Suddenly they greet you
with lots of yelling of "No!" What did you do wrong? Was it the chewing
or meeting the family at the door? What were you supposed to do instead?
The key to keeping your puppy from doing what you don't want her to do
is giving her a positive alternative--teaching her what you do want her
to do. It is much easier to teach everything she can do rather than try
to teach her everything she cannot do. For example, if you see your
puppy dancing anxiously around the living room like she needs to go out,
quickly let her outside. Stay near her the whole time she's out, and
reward her with praise and a treat as soon as she relieves herself. This
teaches her that going outside is a good thing. If you catch your puppy
having an accident on the rug it is important to get her attention and
take her outside immediately. Praise her when she goes potty outside. If
you catch your puppy chewing on something you don't want her to chew on,
distract her with one of her "good" chew toys. Whenever you catch her
chewing on one of her toys, reward her. The key to effective
training--try to catch your puppy doing something good, like sitting
still instead of jumping up or sleeping on the floor instead of the bed.
Make a point of noticing these behaviors and rewarding them with
attention, praise or treats.
Training is a gradual process and it can be a difficult road to walk
alone. It's vital that your entire family agrees and commits to a
training plan that you all respond the same way when your dog misbehaves
as well as when she behaves perfectly. Remember to be persistent and
above all, patient. Your puppy's going to make a lot of mistakes and may
destroy a few of your belongings. However, she is eager to please you.
She needs your love, attention and guidance to be the good dog you know
she can be. |