Pet Care
Training Rules to Live By
Sometimes the term
"Man's Best Friend" doesn’t' accurately reflect reality. Don't get me wrong,
I understand, acknowledge and appreciate the well-documented history of the
dog's contribution to mankind. Dogs lead the blind, support the physically
challenged, and protect our military and police forces, not to mention you
and me. Dogs comfort us when we grieve and rejoice in our celebrations. Many
of my very friends are dogs.
But...
Whoever coined that phrase was really looking at the big picture and there
is our problem. We are bombarded with media canine stereotypes. We begin to
see dogs as what we perceive they should be, instead of communicating in a
way and appreciating what they really are: Dogs. Many dog owners are not
prepared to take the necessary steps to avoid frustrating problem behavior
from the moment a new puppy arrives home. Problems that otherwise were
easily preventable.
Your veterinarian cares very much, not only for the physical well being of
your companion, but his mental well being also. Use the behavior help and
expertise that your veterinarian and staff can provide for you and look
forward to a long and loving relationship that your companion is ready to
give.
1. Remember, training is not a time that you set aside. The key to problem
avoidance is effective, consistent, communication. Just because you are not
in a training session doesn't mean your puppy is not looking, listening and
learning. You are always training a dog.
2. Never try to teach your dog anything if you are angry or frustrated. Dogs
know when you're excited and proud of t hem: Mean it.
3. Set obtainable goals for both you and your dog. Just spending time is not
a substitute for goal oriented training. Start simple, then get more
difficult. If you don't know what you want to achieve, how in the world is
your dog supposed to know?
4. Make sure your dog is both mentally able to comprehend what you want, and
physically able to perform as you wish.
5. Keep all lessons short and very upbeat. Many dogs, particularly puppies,
have extremely short attention spans. Never get to the point of
disappointment.
6. Be firm, fair and consistent. Read any behavior or training book you
want, canine, human or otherwise and they all have one thing in common. This
is it.
7. Combine enjoyable activities as you do everyday such as playing, talking,
walks, and petting with the commands you would like your dog to know. If you
impress on your dog at an early age that obeying is fun; he will rarely
disappoint you.
8. Don't give up! As little headway as you may think you are making, your
persistence will pay off. No one said this was going to be totally painless.
9. Ask for help. Many people consider themselves failures for not being able
to master the fine art of problem avoidance. Many professionals have years
of experience dealing with animals of every size, shape and description.
Look for guidance and suggestions, and then only use the advice that you
feel is right for you and your companion. You really do know best. You’re
simply a little short on information.
If you are experiencing difficult behavior with your puppy or adult dog,
please contact us. Most problem behaviors can
be corrected. We want to help and encourage a happy and healthy
relationship for you and your dog for many years to come.
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