Robert asked:


training. It is one of those areas that there are a lot of sideline professionals. What I would like to outline for you here are some of the basics behind training you dog for a few of the more common problems that you could face 1)Biting If there is one area that you should concentrate on the most I would recommend you deter your dog from biting. If you think about it for a minute your dog’s mouth is his primary medium for interacting with the world. Therefore he will want to use it as a means to get your attention. Weather your dog is engaging in play or not, it is a good idea to persuade them to use another medium like pulling on a rope or getting their ball as a way for them to get what they want. The problem with him using his mouth for play (especially at a young age) is that you are inadvertently telling your dog that it is an acceptable behavior. As a puppy this may not be a big deal, but as an adult they may misconstrue this lesson and think it is not only acceptable for play but also for fear and/or territorial issues. There is one more point that I would like to make that will make a huge difference in not only the dog you buy but also the training methodology you use. Biting can come from multiple sources. They are play, fear, aggression, and learned behavior. The point I am trying to make is that you need to research the dog you wish to buy to know the level of training you will need to do. Some suggestions I have for biting would be to give a small pinch at the scruff of the dog’s neck each time he gives a small nibble on your person. I am not talking about pinching until the dog yelps but enough that you get his/her attention at the moment your dog bites. This will simulate the interaction your dog would have had in the wild with its mother. She would give him a nip to let him know the behavior that he/ she was doing was not appropriate. Also the pinch should be accompanied by a firm “NO” in an authoritative voice. I do not suggest the dog understands the word “NO” the way you do but it is a tool for you to use (with consistency) that will help them understand what it is that you want or don’t want them to do. 2)House breaking House breaking is another area wrought with misconception. Some misconceptions are as follows, 1 Rubbing their nose in it 2 Smacking you dog 3 Yelling at your dog The methods I just mentioned may eventually get your dog to use the appropriate place to go to the bathroom but they will go there more out of fear of you than wanting to do the right thing for you. Lets not forget that everything your dog does he does to make you happy, all you have to do is show them how. When house training your dog you should try to spend as much time as you can at home with your dog. It will help you in providing consistent guidance to your dog. The first thing to do is make sure your new puppy does not have worms. Worms will lead to diarrhea and will make the task of house training all that much harder. With a consistent diet and meal times your puppy will get to know the schedule and slowly adopt his own schedule for needing the bathroom. Nighttime accidents could be limited by keeping your puppy’s bedroom close to yours so you can hear when he needs out. While you are out you should keep your puppy in one or two rooms that don’t have carpet. Spread layers of newspaper over the entire floor. Once you get home you should pick the paper up and only return it once you are ready to go out again. In the meantime, continue to train him outdoors. If you gradually reduce the amount of paper you lay down over time you will be down to just a small area. Once he is old enough to “hold it” while you are gone, try permitting him in a larger area of your home. Use patience in this training because negative reinforcement when he/she has an accident will only stifle your puppy’s development. The only scolding you should use would be the aforementioned “NO”. 3)Barking Barking is a topic that is a little more difficult to deal with do to the fact that this is one of just a few ways for a dog to verbally communicate. Some times dogs will bark at strangers and some dogs will bark at any car that drives by your home. The simplest explanation I can give for this is that your home is the den. When something or someone approaches the dog lets out his early warning system (i.e. barking) to let you know that there is an intruder inside your territory. This is the same reason dogs mark their territory when they are outside. It is their way of letting approaching animals know that they are coming into a territory that has been claimed by your family. Stopping a dog from barking is not as hard as it sounds. With the command I taught you earlier “NO”, and consistency in your use of the word will help let him know that his behavior is not appropriate. A couple things to remember is that… 1) only use the word “NO” to let them know they are doing wrong. That goes for anything you are trying to teach them. They do not understand complex sentences or even simple ones so to tell them to get off the couch or stop barking will only lead them to confusion. 2) Dogs are dogs, they will never stop barking altogether but with patience and consistency on your part you should be able to limit the amount this happens. Too sum this up, weather you do trick training, basic obedience, or behavior modification with your dog just remember that it takes care, patience and consistency on your part to make this happen. Your dog wants to learn to make you happy, they just need to be shown how.

CLAUDE