Dog Behaviour & Puppy Behaviour In Puppies & Dogs
Creatures Of Habit... People And Dogs
By: Ron Masse, Certified Dog Trainer
Habits, good or bad, we all have them. Learning good habits is important for obvious reasons. They usually benefit us, as well as others. This holds true for people and dogs.
CONTROLLING
YOUR PUPPY’S/DOG’S BEHAVIOUR
Controlling your puppy’s/dog’s behaviour is your responsibility. You are the
teacher and your puppy/dog is the student. Prevention can save your puppy/dog
from learning bad habits such as; destructive chewing, garbage raiding, stealing
food from the table, messing in the house, digging holes in your yard, climbing
up onto your furniture when you're not there and jumping up at you when you
arrive home. Problems such as uncontrolled aggression, barking, biting, nipping,
chasing cars, bicycles, people and other animals can also be avoided. Many of
these problems are motivated by natural instincts. Some however, are
environmentally learned as a result of poor management. Nevertheless, poor
behaviour is just not acceptable if your puppy/dog is to live in your home as a
member of your family. Understanding your puppy’s/dog's natural instincts and
preventing them from being developed in a negative way is the first step.
Learning to direct these instincts into good habits and behaviour is the next.
If this sounds too good to be true, then it's time for you to discover a
positive method of controlling your puppy’s/dog’s behaviour.
KENNEL
TRAINING
Constant supervision is required until your puppy/dog has been trained and
can be trusted. This is easily accomplished with the help of a portable pet
kennel. Just as a mother relies on a crib or playpen for her child's safety and
her own peace of mind, you can rely on a portable pet kennel. Leaving an
untrained puppy/dog without supervision is just asking for trouble. In order to
achieve good results through training, your puppy/dog should feel confident and
not fear punishment, whether physical or verbal. Kennel training is neither
cruel nor unpleasant for your puppy/dog. In fact, it greatly improves the
relationships between people and puppies/dogs. Properly applied, you can enjoy
all the benefits of owning a well-behaved puppy/dog and virtually eliminate the
need for correction. So, beat the problems and not your puppy/dog.
KENNEL
TRAINING vs. PAPER TRAINING
Paper training teaches puppies/dogs to eliminate indoors on papers with the
idea of eventually moving the paper to the outdoors. If the theory fails, your
puppy/dog may continue to associate the location in the house where you
started-off rather than relating to the new location of the paper. Additionally,
paper training lacks control, allowing for too many mistakes, which in turn
exposes your puppy/dog to learning unwanted behaviour. During your attempt to
house-train your puppy/dog, you could fall-victim to hundreds or even thousands
of dollars in damages to your home and personal belongings. Kennel training is the most positive and effective method
of training puppies/dogs. It teaches your puppy/dog to go outside from the
beginning while preventing a multitude of common problems. Prevention eliminates
the need for correction.
HOW IT WORKS
Housebreaking is easily established by capitalizing on the fact that
puppies/dogs are den animals and most would rather die than to soil their den.
Confining your puppy/dog in a portable kennel for short periods of time prevents
your puppy/dog from eliminating in the house and provides your puppy/dog with
the comfort and security of a den. Knowing this, the rest is easy. Until your
puppy/dog is trained and can be trusted, never let it out of the kennel without
first visiting the area that you want to train your puppy/dog to use by habit.
Once your puppy/dog has taken care of business you can then safely afford it the
reward of supervised freedom in the house. However, if you leave your puppy/dog
unattended or allow it to remain out of the kennel for too long, you're only
asking for trouble. Every mistake you make is another chance for your puppy/dog
to learn unwanted behaviour. If your puppy/dog doesn't perform its duty when you
take it out, immediately return it to the kennel and wait a little longer. This
is not a form of punishment, simply a lack of reward.
SELECTING A
PROPER KENNEL
Bigger isn't better. If the kennel is too large, your puppy/dog
may choose to mess at one end and sleep at the other. The kennel should only be
large enough to allow your puppy/dog to stand, turn around and lie down
comfortably without being cramped for space. If you have a puppy that will
require a large kennel to grow into, you may rig up a temporary partition to
limit the space as needed.
INTRODUCING
YOUR PUPPY/DOG TO ITS NEW HOME
Place the kennel in an area where you spend the
majority of your time during the day. Introduce your puppy/dog to the kennel by
throwing treats into the far end in order to get your puppy/dog accustomed to
going in without using any force. Once your puppy/dog seems content with the
idea, throw a favourite chewy inside and the next time your puppy/dog enters the
kennel close the door. Stay around at first to avoid upsetting your puppy/dog by
your absence. Try to always use positive reinforcement. Remember that you are
dealing with what will become your puppy’s/dog's castle, not his jail. First
impressions are lasting impressions and they are difficult to overcome. Some
puppies/dogs can become upset if they are isolated. You can avoid this by moving
the kennel to your bedroom at bedtime and still appreciate the same benefits and
peace of mind.
ESTABLISHING A
SCHEDULE
Routine feeding and exercising go hand in hand. What goes in must come
out and better outside than in. A puppy will require more attention to this area
than an adult dog. Knowing when your puppy/dog eats will give you a good
indication of when your puppy/dog will require exercising. Free feeding your
puppy/dog will only leave you guessing. The first feeding should be right after
your puppy’s/dog's first exercise session at the start of your day. It is best to
feed your puppy/dog inside the kennel using spill proof dishes. Provide a
limited amount of water to satisfy the thirst after eating. Keep a fresh supply
of water outside and allow ample access during the exercise periods. Initially,
puppies need to be fed three times per day. For example, (you can adjust this
schedule to suit yourself) you can feed your puppy at 8:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 4:00
PM with outings for exercise immediately after each meal and then every two
hours. There should be no access to food after 4:00 PM and water may be limited
after 6:00 PM if the puppy is urinating overnight. The concept is to complete
feeding in the early part of the day and allow additional outings before
bedtime. You and your puppy/dog will stand a much greater chance of making it
through the night without any problems.
TEACHING THE
COMMAND "GO OUTSIDE"
Before opening the kennel door always ask: "do you want to
go outside"? Immediately take your puppy/dog to the area that you want to
establish as habit. When your puppy/dog is in the act of eliminating, give it
praise by repeating good boy/girl "go outside". When the job is done,
immediately offer a treat. Your puppy/dog will quickly learn to respond
positively to the words "go outside" and you will be establishing the routine
that you want your puppy/dog to learn. After a successful trip outside you can
now allow your puppy/dog supervised-freedom in the house, knowing that it's safe
to do so. If you ever catch your puppy/dog in the act of eliminating in the
wrong place, say: "go outside" and then take your puppy/dog to the spot and let
it finish there. Don't forget to reinforce with praise as your puppy completes
the job. If you take your puppy/dog out and it does nothing, you can remind it
by repeating the words "go outside". If you don't get the response you are
looking for, make sure to return the puppy/dog to its kennel and wait a little
longer for another try. If you don't, you are surely asking for trouble. Your
puppy/dog will quickly learn what is expected by the reward of short-term
freedom and attention after a successful trip or confinement to the kennel if
not. You'll also learn when what went in, has to come out.
THE ABSENTEE
OWNER
When you have to be away, you will need an alternate plan that is
consistent with the training that you are establishing. With exception of
overnight, puppies should never be confined to a kennel for periods longer than
2-hours and adult dogs a maximum of 4-hours. Leaving puppies/dogs alone in a
backyard can be a disaster. There is no way to prevent digging, chewing or
barking. Barking can cause problem aggression. Puppies/dogs can escape, be
teased, abused, injured or stolen. Better options include having a
friend or pet sitter come by to pinch hit for you or arranging for day care with
a willing friend or good doggy daycare.
Please click here if you have any questions regarding your pet's behaviour.
|
For more information about our services, please contact: |
|
Ron & Carol Masse |
|
Vancouver: (604) 856-3647 |
|
Abbotsford: (604) 852-1125 |
|
Fax: (604) 856-5025 |
|
Address: |
|
Aldergrove Kennels @ 856-DOGS.com |
|
26306 56th Avenue, Aldergrove, B.C. V4W 1J7 |
|
Hours: |
|
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM - Daily |
|
After hours drop-off & pick-up available by appointment. |
|
We accept: |
|
Visa, MasterCard, American Express & Interac |
|
|
|
|
||
|
DOG BEHAVIOURS |
||