Connect The Dots
When I was a kid, I loved connect the dots games where you draw a picture or you connect clues to find the answer to a puzzle. I especially liked anything that was a mystery or word puzzle to solve. I've been handling dogs since childhood and throughout my adulthood. So it was a pleasant surprise when I discovered a 'connect the dots' puzzle in my dog. First I will point out that dogs are always learning. The dog goes to the door, wanting to go out. If the human doesn't notice so the dog either a) barks/scratches for attention or b) pees in the floor. The human can use positive reinforcement. You mark the dog's actions by asking, "Wanna go outside?" & of course the dog dances or woof's or scratches the door. Then you praise, "GOOD outside" & let the dog go. If you aren't paying attention the dog learns his indication & request to go outside means nothing to the human. The dog has little other choice than to soil the floor. This is why during housebreaking the dog should be in your sight, outside or in the crate. The dog also learns that humans go mental when they step in or find a puzzle on the floor. I've heard how the dog 'knows what he's done" from the masses. It's not accurate. The dog does his business & moves on. He does however respond to the human's tone of voice. So yes, the dog reacts. Allow me to have you sit on the floor near a puddle & reenact some of the most commons human responses & see if you don't want to get the heck outta there! Every dot is connected, some of us just don't follow the rules that dogs understand. The first thing I recommend when people get a new puppy is to put the time & effort into laying a solid foundation. Teach the puppy life skills. All dogs should understand that humans can be around them, near them when their food is around without aggression. All humans should understand it is not acceptable to tease a dog about food or to mess with him during meal time. But something as simple as feeding the pup in his crate. Teaching him that he must be released to go into the crate. He must accept a gentle stroke after the food is set down & allow the human to do their work without snap, growl or tenseness. This is business. It's nothing personal. This is also about trust. Teaching the puppy that you will never tease or withhold food, that if the human removes or takes the food there is a reason. Breakfast/dinner will make a return & you will be allowed to eat. It's never a game. It's business. Teaching a pup not to bolt through doors. This can be life saving. A lot of dogs are killed every year because they bolt through an open door, go out in the street or play keep-away with their humans do their own demise. So a little exercise where every single time the puppy starts through the door he is to sit (praise: good sit), the door is open, you give him a release to go out the door (praise: good go outside). If you do this from the beginning, this becomes an ingrained habit pattern which leads to polite manners, as an adult this leads to calm & controlled at the door. You are connecting the dogs for future behavior. Recently I started brushing my Giant Schnauzer's teeth. I noticed a little discoloration on the teeth so I bought a tooth brush & canine toothpaste (NEVER use human tooth paste it's not safe for dog use). I began working with my dog to brush the teeth. Because of her training & handling, she knows I'm going to get those teeth brushed however it must be odd for her to have that brush & weird gunk fooling around in her mouth. Everything I've built with this dog: communication, training, & trust is called upon. So over the following weeks, I develop a pattern. I brush my teeth. I get her lead, toothpaste loaded brush, bag of treats. I sit in the floor. Have my dog down in front of me. I put her faux halter on (make a loop with the leather lead placing it around the muzzle just below the eyes, the tail of the leash is flipped over her neck). The faux halter has nothing to do with muzzling her or head control. I did it one day because I wanted something to hold her face without my hands having to hold her face. She instantly behaved with minimal head shaking or evading. Since then the faux halter goes on & she's in teeth brushing mode. I then brush her teeth: front canines, back uppers, back lowers, left outside, right outside, lower insides, then the canines again & the little front teeth. So long as she behaves, there is a treat when finished. Just yesterday we connected more dots. From the training to the brushing of the teeth connected to a small emergency. My dog had a bone sliver caught in her mouth. I snapped my fingers & she reported in (sitting in front of me). I lifted her lips & she let me open her mouth & peer inside. I spotted the problem & -because of the training & the tooth brushing- she was calm & patient while I dug the thing out. No cuts despite where & how hard it was lodged in there. When it was finished she trotted off to the bathroom where I keep the special treat bag. For my dogs, every time one of these dots is connected, it makes a better clearer picture. Each skill taught, each lesson learned should be a building block that can be used in the future for connecting more dots, for making an even sharper picture. Sometimes we all have detours, mistakes or miscommunications. That's part of being human. It's all a part of teamwork. Some dots require some detours before you can connect them.
It's the little things that add up into the very big important moments. For those with little puppies, read this article & seriously consider the picture you want when this pup is seven years old. For those with adult dogs, there is always time to connect the dots.
It's the little things that add up into the very big important moments. For those with little puppies, read this article & seriously consider the picture you want when this pup is seven years old. For those with adult dogs, there is always time to connect the dots.