Bringing a puppy into the household is an exciting adventure. When we set out to get a new puppy no matter if extracting the pup from a shelter or from a breeder, we start out with an image of what our new puppy will grow up to be. Generally those hopes and dreams involve the little tyke to be something close to perfect. But when Tyke comes home, we soon become frazzled and harried. Our future dream dog chews, bites hands & toes, barks or whines & goes to the bathroom everywhere except where we want him to. Welcome to the wonders of puppyhood.
In the real world, there are very few puppies who start out perfect and stay that way until their passing. I had a Collie who fit that description. Such dogs are rare and should be appreciated for what they are... a blessing. The rest of the mere mortal puppies rely on us to guide them through. As puppies their job is to explore the world with their noses, their mouths. Puppies use all their senses. That's why when they are puzzled they'll sniff it, look at it, cock their head to listen then paw at an item or taste it. Think of it this way, you are the teacher, puppy is your student. As teacher it is your duty & responsibility to not only guide & teach but to be there when the pup finds these new things.
As a professional trainer, one of the most frustrating things in the world is the client who calls me in an outrage because the pup shredded some socks. I listen making all the right noises in all the right places to let the person vent. My response doesn't always make me popular. My first questions will always be "what room was the pup in?" and "where were you/what were you doing at the time of the crime?" If you have a five month old pup who killed a basket of laundry, how is this possible if you were doing your job as a handler? Five month olds cannot be left alone while I run outside, talk on the phone, cook dinner or get groceries out of the car. I have two choices with puppies or young dogs in these situations: take the pup with me or crate the pup so s/he's safe while I get things done. If I'm in a hurry and cannot take the time to slow down & split my attention, then the pup goes in the crate otherwise I will slow down and take the time it takes to teach, guide & redirect my pup as needed through our chores.
If you don't want the puppy to use your fine furniture as a chew toy, then don't leave the pup unattended with your furniture. Puppies learn a lot of bad habits when an owner leaves them to go to the bathroom & returns to find the table leg gnawed to ruination. This is not the puppy's fault nor is he being malicious. He is being a puppy. You must teach him through consistency and with a great deal of patience; make a startling sound ("aaaaat" or "leave it" or use a shaker can) which will grow into a warning & then immediately give him a bone or human-approved chew item & praise him like he's just discovered gold! If you tell him 'leave it' - & he does- remember to praise him by saying, "GOOD leave it" so he understands what he's being praised for. Saying "good boy" has little direct meaning, it's generic. It is not condusive to actual training.
Yes, my friends, this means that while I'm cooking dinner, my pup or young dog is working. For the very young they will be wearing a training collar & doing obedience (sit/stay, down/stay, come, back up, stand/stay). I do not begin this work until the puppy has an understanding of the commands we'll be working on. So I know what I'm cooking. If I'm making gravy, which requires constant attention, then the pup will be at my feet at a down/stay while I stand on the tail of the leash so the pup self-corrects should she lose focus. If I'm just checking something in the oven, I'll have the pup sit/stay across the kitchen so the pup can't burn his nose & I do my check, then I move the pup to something else. Cooking/training takes a little finesse. For an older pup I'll train from the bathtub, the shower, while I vacuum, while I pull weeds in the garden. For young puppies train while you dust, while you're fluffing pillows on the couch. The younger or more feisty the puppy, the less focus you'll have on your chores. The older pups you can train while doing nearly anything. When you train in this way, the obedience becomes a part of life that has purpose, has meaning. Going out & doing a structured obedience class is fine but what good does it serve if it doesn't fit into your actual life?
ALWAYS focus on safety. Don't put a pup to down/stay & then open the oven door over the top of him. Too many things could go wrong. If you want to open the door over him to test him, see if he will hold his position, do it with the oven cold. I once had a casserole dish crack in my hand while taking the dish out of the oven. That's no time to have a dog crisis. Hot liquid/food, spills, the pan being dropped even the over door itself presents a potential hazard. Do not put a dog on a down/stay in your unfenced yard & start talking on your cell phone. Too much can go wrong. So think before you place that pup. S/he is relying on you to be the leader and to use your head wisely. That pup is trusting that you will protect him at the same time you train him. So always put safety first. It's when we don't think or are careless that the dog learns a different kind of lesson: that we can't be trusted.
Believe it or not, we can have that dream dog we always wanted. Just as parents must adapt the dream to match their children, so must we adapt our dream to match our dog. Not all dogs can be war dogs or show ring champions. Not all dogs are going to be champion herding dogs or ace retrieving dogs. But we can work very hard to bring out the very best in our pup, our young dog, our adult dogs so that we have a dream dog that just might be better than the one we conjured up so long ago when we simply wanted to bring home that little wiggly bundle of puppy.
In the real world, there are very few puppies who start out perfect and stay that way until their passing. I had a Collie who fit that description. Such dogs are rare and should be appreciated for what they are... a blessing. The rest of the mere mortal puppies rely on us to guide them through. As puppies their job is to explore the world with their noses, their mouths. Puppies use all their senses. That's why when they are puzzled they'll sniff it, look at it, cock their head to listen then paw at an item or taste it. Think of it this way, you are the teacher, puppy is your student. As teacher it is your duty & responsibility to not only guide & teach but to be there when the pup finds these new things.
As a professional trainer, one of the most frustrating things in the world is the client who calls me in an outrage because the pup shredded some socks. I listen making all the right noises in all the right places to let the person vent. My response doesn't always make me popular. My first questions will always be "what room was the pup in?" and "where were you/what were you doing at the time of the crime?" If you have a five month old pup who killed a basket of laundry, how is this possible if you were doing your job as a handler? Five month olds cannot be left alone while I run outside, talk on the phone, cook dinner or get groceries out of the car. I have two choices with puppies or young dogs in these situations: take the pup with me or crate the pup so s/he's safe while I get things done. If I'm in a hurry and cannot take the time to slow down & split my attention, then the pup goes in the crate otherwise I will slow down and take the time it takes to teach, guide & redirect my pup as needed through our chores.
If you don't want the puppy to use your fine furniture as a chew toy, then don't leave the pup unattended with your furniture. Puppies learn a lot of bad habits when an owner leaves them to go to the bathroom & returns to find the table leg gnawed to ruination. This is not the puppy's fault nor is he being malicious. He is being a puppy. You must teach him through consistency and with a great deal of patience; make a startling sound ("aaaaat" or "leave it" or use a shaker can) which will grow into a warning & then immediately give him a bone or human-approved chew item & praise him like he's just discovered gold! If you tell him 'leave it' - & he does- remember to praise him by saying, "GOOD leave it" so he understands what he's being praised for. Saying "good boy" has little direct meaning, it's generic. It is not condusive to actual training.
Yes, my friends, this means that while I'm cooking dinner, my pup or young dog is working. For the very young they will be wearing a training collar & doing obedience (sit/stay, down/stay, come, back up, stand/stay). I do not begin this work until the puppy has an understanding of the commands we'll be working on. So I know what I'm cooking. If I'm making gravy, which requires constant attention, then the pup will be at my feet at a down/stay while I stand on the tail of the leash so the pup self-corrects should she lose focus. If I'm just checking something in the oven, I'll have the pup sit/stay across the kitchen so the pup can't burn his nose & I do my check, then I move the pup to something else. Cooking/training takes a little finesse. For an older pup I'll train from the bathtub, the shower, while I vacuum, while I pull weeds in the garden. For young puppies train while you dust, while you're fluffing pillows on the couch. The younger or more feisty the puppy, the less focus you'll have on your chores. The older pups you can train while doing nearly anything. When you train in this way, the obedience becomes a part of life that has purpose, has meaning. Going out & doing a structured obedience class is fine but what good does it serve if it doesn't fit into your actual life?
ALWAYS focus on safety. Don't put a pup to down/stay & then open the oven door over the top of him. Too many things could go wrong. If you want to open the door over him to test him, see if he will hold his position, do it with the oven cold. I once had a casserole dish crack in my hand while taking the dish out of the oven. That's no time to have a dog crisis. Hot liquid/food, spills, the pan being dropped even the over door itself presents a potential hazard. Do not put a dog on a down/stay in your unfenced yard & start talking on your cell phone. Too much can go wrong. So think before you place that pup. S/he is relying on you to be the leader and to use your head wisely. That pup is trusting that you will protect him at the same time you train him. So always put safety first. It's when we don't think or are careless that the dog learns a different kind of lesson: that we can't be trusted.
Believe it or not, we can have that dream dog we always wanted. Just as parents must adapt the dream to match their children, so must we adapt our dream to match our dog. Not all dogs can be war dogs or show ring champions. Not all dogs are going to be champion herding dogs or ace retrieving dogs. But we can work very hard to bring out the very best in our pup, our young dog, our adult dogs so that we have a dream dog that just might be better than the one we conjured up so long ago when we simply wanted to bring home that little wiggly bundle of puppy.