Aug 1, 2011

RAISING/TRAINING PUPPIES
The belief that pups should not be trained until they are at least six months to
one year of age is not true. All dogs can benefit from obedience training as
early as seven weeks and also when the puppy enters its new home. By six
months of age, almost all behavior problems are already in place. This means
that early training can be used to avoid problems before they become more
difficult and frustrating. Bad habits are hard to correct, therefore owners should
never allow nipping, chewing, digging, barking, mounting, etc. which are all
normal behaviors but, if left uncorrected, can lead to behavior problems. Dogs
learn each day what behavior will or will not be allowed. Remember that bad
habits are hard to change. To learn more about the first year of life and the
three periods of development (Primary, Socialization, Enrichment). See the list
of articles posted at: www.breedingbetterdogs.com.

SOME GENERAL RULES:

1. Remember that preventing problems is easier than solving them.
2. Do not leave children alone with a new pup. Inevitably, the pup will view
small children as a littermate. They will nip, jump and begin to seek
dominance and a pecking order.
3. Do not allow the pup to join in running games with children. The pup will
begin to think of children as "prey" and might begin to nip.
4. Never allow aggressive play and avoid tug-of-war with a puppy. This can
lead to aggressive behavior and biting. Instead, throw a ball for the pup to
chase. Tug- of war before four months of age also stresses the elbow joints
and is not recommended.
5. Remind children to leave a sleeping puppy alone. Enforce the idea that
pups need their rest. Do not surprise pups or adult dogs. A serious incident
could occur.
6. Encourage everyone in the home, including the children, to think of the
puppy as a sensitive, living thing, with needs and desires and not a toy.
TRAINING PUPS, CHILDREN AND THE FAMILY
Parents have an obligation and should not assume that the mix of children,
dogs and pups does not need supervision. Children lack adult judgment,
therefore all child-dog interactions should be monitored and yes, there will be
times when you will have to protect the pup from children and vice-versa.
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OVER INDULEGENCE
The term good owner is used to mean that rules are always enforced and
that the good behavior is always rewarded. Dogs look for leadership from their
owner. Indulging in bad behavior such as nipping, begging, stealing from the
table, barking, etc. are all bad habits. Do not make excuses for these
behaviors and do not allow a pup to develop unpleasant behaviors. A trained
pup will become a trained dog and those who come in contact with your
pup/dog expect good behavior. Do not tolerate jumping, growling, snapping or
nipping. This behavior must always be corrected so it is always seen as
unacceptable to the pup/dog.
Do not allow a pup or dog to steal food or garbage. Always correct this
behavior and do not let it become a bad habit.
Remember that a dog that is indifferent to his owners commands has learned
not to respect his owner. This means the owner has lost control. Turn this
around. Be consistent with your commands and always reward good behavior.
Dogs that constantly demand attention are over-indulged. When this occurs
ask yourself if you are buying the pup's love with permissiveness, with over
petting and coddling. Each pup will naturally find its place in the family pack.
Owners must always assume the "leader" position to provide the security the
pup needs.
LEADERSHIP
Dogs require leadership, structure and security. Pups already know and
understand these things because their mothers corrected them with firm, swift,
and instant corrections. She would shake them by the neck, clout them with
her paw, or pin them to the ground until they would submit. She made sure
they knew she was the "boss".
In a new home a pup will look for the same structure and leadership. If none is
provided they will begin to assert themselves. This is usually seen in the form
of growls, nips and other kinds of dominant behavior.
All members of the family must agree to behave consistently toward the pup.
There can be no exceptions, Oh, just this once is the beginning of
confusion for the pup. The pup does not understand inconsistency. For
example, if your house rule is that the pup will not to be allowed on the
furniture, it must be all the furniture all of the time. Do not allow the pup on the
couch one day and scold him the next. This is very confusing. Once they learn
they are allowed on furniture, it is very hard to stop. The owners body odor is
the attraction and it is on all of the furniture even your favorite chair or your
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bed. To the dog it is all the same. Your body odor represents you and that is
the attraction. Therefore, you must have one rule for the furniture with no
exceptions.
SOCIALIZATION
Socialization is a necessary and important part of good development.
Exposing a pup to new and different places teaches them to be comfortable
around strangers and changing situations. By eight weeks of age a new puppy
should be accustomed to normal household sounds: the vacuum cleaner,
dishwasher, TV, radio, toilet, etc. Ideally, this was begun by the breeder. Take
the pup on short car rides to get him/her over motion sickness. New and
different environments such as a walk in the park, school ground, construction
site, busy sidewalk, and shopping mall all provide interesting smells, sounds
and opportunities to explore. Much more has been written about socializing
your pup. For more information go to www.breedingbetterdogs.com and look
under Articles for Early Neurological Stimulation. An extensive discussion
can be found in the book written by the Monks of New Skete titled The Art of
Raising A Puppy.
PRAISE AND DISCIPLINE
As leader, use a happy, enthusiastic tone when praising your pup for good
behavior. Generous amounts of praise for good behavior will pay off. From the
dogs point of view a reward means you like the behavior and want more of it.
Never reward fearful behavior by "soothing" it with a soft voice or stroking. This
only reinforces the bad behavior. Praise and discipline should not be
confusing. Use a stern and loud tone when correcting bad behavior. Your tone
becomes the signal and provides the feedback pups understand.

VOCABULARY
One syllable words work best. Pups and dogs respond easily to one syllable
words. Remember they do not understand the meaning of words or sentences.
However they do recognize sounds and associate them with specific
behaviors. We suggest the following words as your basic commands: NO,
come, down, sit, stay and OK. Tone is important. NO is for bad behavior or to
stop something and it should be said in a voice tone that is loud and angry.
COME should be a happy upbeat sound.
Dogs can learn a lot if the commands are simple and consistent. Remember
this rule. Learning is not portable. If a command is learned in the house, take
the pup outside, to the park and shopping center and repeat the same
command. It will not be long before the pup/dog learns what the command
means regardless of the location.
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HOUSE TRAINING
Dogs are den animals. A crate provides a secure place to prevent the pup
from undesirable behavior. Since no dog likes to soil his den, house training
will be simplified by using a crate. It can be located in your bedroom or some
quite place.
As a rule, all pups will have to "go" upon waking, after eating and after
drinking. Watch for behavior that looks like busy circling and sniffing. It is a
signal that forecasts elimination.
Food remains in the intestinal tract for up to 10 hours. Therefore, a regular
feeding schedule will equate to a regular washroom schedule. Dogs allowed to
free feed tend to munch all day. What goes in all day comes out all day. For
example, a feeding at 6:00 a.m. will produce elimination by noon and a 6:00
p.m. feeding will produce elimination before midnight. Adjust your feeding
schedule to the time you can exercise the dog.
Those who work part-time can simply crate train the pup while the owner is
away. Those who stay at home all day can carefully observe the pup behavior
as they go about their chores, monitoring to see when the pups indicates he
needs to "go". People who work full-time should not expect a young pup to be
in his crate for 6-8 hours at a stretch.
After elimination reward the pup with a brief play-time. Tossing a ball works
well. Here are some dos and donts that are useful with a new pup.
Remember, very young puppys need a lot of rest, crate training takes
advantage of this need. As soon as the pup awakens take it outside. Walk him
on leash until he goes, then praise him happily. Encourage him with an
expression, "Do your business," "Go pee,. Both are popular commands. Be
consistent with your reward.
Do:

Expect a few noisy nights when the pup first comes home.
Adhere to a rigid walk-play-feed-walk schedule.
Feed on a regular schedule.
Allow quite time in the crate.
Do Not:

Expect the pup to spend more than four hours in the crate.
Allow children to tease the pup at any time.
Take the pup out of his crate if he is barking or crying.
Place rugs, pillows, etc. in the crate. Use newspapers.

BITING
All pups use their teeth. They nipped at their littermates as a way to establish
the pecking order. Their mother never permitted them to nip her and she
punished them swiftly when they attempted it. Her consistent behavior taught
them about corrections and bad behavior.
Nipping precedes biting and it often begins as a way to set limits. A nip that is
not corrected will escalate as the pup begins to think of himself as the leader
of the pack. Corrections must be done instantly.
Never pet or soothe a pup when he is aggressively threatening anyone. A fullblown case of dangerous aggression can result. Correct this behavior with a
stern NO and make it sound like you mean it.
Do not plead for obedience. Discipline does not have to be harsh physical
punishment.
Use NO for actions that are not appropriate. NO is an authoritative sound
that should result in an immediate reaction. Do not use the word "NO"
combined with your pup's name.
OK is a happy-sounding, positive word. It gives permission and your
approval.
If a normal correction does not work use a firm, upward open-handed tap
under the chin, followed by a firm NO. Use a 4-6 inch "grab" lead if
necessary so the pup cannot escape when you apply the correction. The
grab lead is also useful when training other new commands.
TREATS
Food as a treat to train is recommended by many trainers. But the treat should
be very small. A tiny piece of a treat, such as a small piece of hot dog or
chicken is sufficient. The smaller the better. A pup will work hard for a small
reward.
Eye contact is an important part of training. A new pup should be trained to
bring their eyes up to yours. Pups should be comfortable looking at you and
others eye to eye. The tendency is for the pup to glance and look away. Your
goal is to have them look you in the eye and be comfortable with it. Verbal
praise and petting should be part of this learning activity.
Get the pups attention then, take a small treat and slowly move it up to your
nose. This will cause the pup to follow the treat and be looking at you. When
the pup is looking you in the eye move the treat from your nose to the pups
mouth while saying GOOD.
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CHEWING - DIGGING
Pups that are not allowed to continue destructive chewing do not develop into
problem chewers. Pups left to their own devices, especially while the owners
are away, will vent their loneliness, boredom and frustration on whatever
object catches their fancy. A pup who is crated during his owners' absence
cannot indulge in destructive activities. Freedom to explore is important but it
should be supervised in your home. Remember, your pup will have to hear
the word "NO" many times before he learns that household objects are
forbidden. Clap your hands loud and stamp on the floor to attract his attention
followed with a loud NO. When he releases the object offer a substitute
"chewy" and lots of verbal praise when he takes it.
BEGGING
Begging usually begins with an indulgent owner offering food from his plate or
the kitchen counter. This easily leads to whining, barking, climbing on the
table, etc. Never offer the pup food from your plate, table or kitchen counter.
This is a bad habit and leads to begging problems.
GROWLING OVER FOOD
Pups should not be allowed to growl over food, especially if there are children
in the household.
Sit on the floor, hold the food dish, and call the pup to you. Verbally praise him
for coming. As the pup eats, talk to him and pet him. Have each member of the
family take turns at different meal times.
If the pup should growl or indicate any defensiveness, he must be told NO,
then grabbed by his middle, and pulled backward away from the dish. Roll the
pup onto his back and scold him. When he subsides, release him, and allow
him to resume eating. Repeat if he growls again. This works well with most
young pups.
For older pups the owner should stand near the dish with the pup on a grab
lead. Should the older pup growl, say NO firmly, and pull the pup/dog back
away from the dish by the lead as you correct him. In a day or two, you may
hold the dish on your lap while the dog is eating.
An older dog that has developed this behavior should not be treated as above
but should be referred to a professional trainer/behaviorist.
JUMPING ON PEOPLE

Start immediately to teach your pup to keep all four feet on the ground. Start
this immediately when the new pup comes home. With the young pup, do not
encourage him to stretch up to greet you, instead, crouch down to his level,
assist him in sitting, and then greet him. Most pups enjoy this annoying habit of
jumping on people to greet them. Whenever the pup jumps on you, simply
grasp both front paws securely, holding them up long enough for it to become
uncomfortable in the standing position Then put the pup down gently, When
the pup experiences this response consistently, he will avoid jumping up to
greet you.
GREETING
All pups should be taught to sit and to stay. When visitors arrive, your pup
should be on lead and told to sit-stay near the door. As each guest enters,
tell them to ignore the pup. When they have been seated the pup should be
brought on lead to meet them. The pup should sit in front of each guest so the
guest can pet the pup. It is important that the sit-stay be mastered before
trying this with strangers. Practice this exercise several times using family
members before doing this with your guests. Your practice sessions should
include distractions. A distraction could be a tennis ball that is dropped or
rolled on the floor a few feet from where the pup is sitting. The pup should
remain in the sit-stay position while it is petted.