So, you got that puppy anyway?
Another follow-up on the dog stuff that has been going on at SKB’s site here and here, and my tirade here. I really think one sign of a responsible pet owner and responsible breeder is that they attempt to talk you out of getting the dog. If you still want one after everyone has told you why you shouldn’t, then obviously that dictates you’d be more caring with respect to our four-legged friends. Following are some tips I have for socializing that new pup (In SKB’s comments section he started with some advice and I figure I’d take a queue from him since I am apparently out of other stuff to talk about). I should point out I used to train police dogs but the following advice is not of the attack, tracking or obedience kind. It’s just general stuff. If you want specifics on the latter, there are thousands of websites.
Crate train your pooch! Some folks say it’s cruel, they’re idiots. You train your dog in such a way that he likes his crate. You teach him that it is his little place for himself. You condition him to enjoy it. Don’t throw your pooch into a crate and lock him in because then he will hate it. When you first get your pup, always play with him near the crate. Play with his toys near the crate and occasionally toss the toy (or a tasty treat) into the crate and praise him lavishly each time he goes in there to get it. He will learn to go in there on his own. But don’t start shutting that crate door yet! Keep encouraging him to go in there. Eventually, he’ll get the idea and will enjoy it on his own. After he’s used to it, lock the door for short periods of time (10 minutes or so) then open the door and praise him. He’ll catch on quickly and will likely enjoy his own little condo. Once he realizes it’s his, he won’t mess in it. Be wary of crate size. Get a crate that gives your pooch enough space to sleep and turn around but not much more. If it’s too big, he’ll crap on one end and sleep on the other. If you get a pup that will grow and don’t want to buy two crates (one when he’s small and one when he’s big), buy a big one and put a card board box in to take up some space.
Potty training starts immediately! And is the result of crate training. Every time your puppy has an accident in your house, it’s your fault. Period. You either weren’t watching him or you left him too long without an outdoor potty break. The only time you should scold pupster for piddling on your rug is if you actually catch him in the act. Never rub his nose in it after the fact. You should just give a firm ‘No!’ when caught in the act and pick your pooch up and take him outside. When he piddles or poos outside, praise him lavishly. Pups little bladders are only good for a couple hours tops. Take your pup outside every couple hours (even at night, so you’ll have some sleepless nights) to ensure he gets the idea and praise him when he does his business outside. He will catch on. Again, don’t rub the dogs nose in it. True story: I knew this guy when I worked with police dogs. He just got into it and hadn’t really dealt with potty training. He’d rub his dog’s nose in it when he came home and found poop. The result: eventually, whenever the guy would get home the pup would run to his poop and stick his face in it. Then he’d come greet the owner. When pupster is unsupervised, put him in his crate. He won’t shit where he sleeps (if he does, he had to really bad because he was in there for too long). But when you return, immediately take him outside. When pupster is about 3 – 5 months old, he’ll be able to hold his bladder longer.
Biting, chewing and mouthing! That cute pup has big, gnarly fangs. Ok, they’re actually small, sharp teeth and they hurt. One school of thought is to discourage all pups’ attempts to touch their mouths to human flesh. It’s generally safer since you don’t want to encourage your dog to bite people. However, I realize that dogs experience so much of their lives with their mouths and it’s how they play. So, I teach my dogs bite control. They know they can nibble on me gently when playing. They learn the commands ‘Easy’ and ‘No bite.’ Teach them ‘Easy’ by giving them a treat while covering most of the treat in your hand so that they have to put their mouth on your hand to get it. If he bites hard, tell him ‘Easy’ and withdraw the treat. Try again. He’ll figure out that when he gently tries to take the treat that he gets the treat. Only do this with puppies. It’s dangerous to try to teach this to a full grown dog who has no bite control. Also, whenever pupster bites too hard, yell ‘ouch’ sharply enough to scare him and immediately stop playing with him. He learns that hard biting means no play time. For chewing, buy the apple bitter spray and spray it on any thing you don’t want eaten. This stuff really tastes bad (I know, I tried it . . I also shocked myself with a remote training collar, not gonna subject pupster to stuff I can’t verify is safe.)
At about two months, start teaching your pup the four basics of obedience (or go to obedience classes): Sit, Stay, Come, and Heal. These commands can save his life. Take obedience classes or check out websites on how to do it yourself.
Socialize your dog! Dogs will be naturally protective of their families so you don’t need to teach them to be mean. Take your dog to PetsMart, the park, and shopping center parking lots. If he makes a move toward someone, correct him. If people ask to pet him, let them. And praise him when he allows someone who is Ok to pet him. There is a danger in over-socializing pets. Some breeds are popular and people will steal your dog. If he’s too people friendly, he may hop in some stranger’s car. So don’t over do it. Socialize your dog at the park with other dogs and have play dates with friends’ dogs. You don’t want an animal that will attack other dogs on sight. They’re dangerous and will eventually get the police called on you. Praise pupster when he interacts with other dogs non-aggressively. However, allowing them to kill cats is perfectly acceptable (joking!).
Show the pup who is boss! Your dog thinks that your home is a pack. Every dog pack has a leader who is dominant. Your pup will eventually (unless you take steps) get to a point where he will try to assert his dominance over you. He’ll do this by humping your leg, nipping harder than usual to get you to say ‘ouch’, or just pouncing on you. There are two schools of thought on this, both of which (in my opinion) work. One is to display regular dominance over your dog by rolling him on his back, placing your hand on his chest, and staring him in the eyes until he looks away. Once he looks away, let him up and praise him silly. This seems cruel, but that’s what dogs do when they fight for dominance. One dog holds the other down and it submits. Also note, don’t do this violently. If you do this too harshly, your dog will let you know by pissing on you. Squirting urine during confrontations is a sign of submission, just like looking away. The other method (much more fun for you and your dog) is to start rubbing your pup’s belly. He’ll eventually roll over and willingly submit to you. The former method typically works better for older dogs who are unwilling to accept that they aren’t dominant. The latter works better with pups since you’re teaching them who is the boss from the start. Fixing your dog also curtails lots of these problems.
Get the dog used to you! When he’s a pup, start playing with his feet. This will get him prepared for when you’re gonna trim his nails. He’ll get used to you touching them and it won’t be difficult to do when he’s older. Try grabbing the feet of a 2 year old bulldog not conditioned to having folks touch his feet. You’re in for trouble. Also, as a pup, take things from his mouth. Praise him when you take it and then give it back. This way he’s used to the idea when he weighs 90 pounds. That way, when you’re trying to get the neighbor’s cat out of his mouth, he’ll let you.
A tired dog is a happy dog! Exercise your pooch. If you jog, take the dog along when he’s old enough. A dog in a crate all day has pent up energy. So, it’s your job to help him tire himself out. Play tug with him, take him for a walk, and play fetch. Having another dog helps him get his energy out too.
Well, I figure that’s a good start for now.
Adieu!
