Training Tips for a Happy and Healthy Relationship with Your Canine Companion
When I first saw my little ball of black fluff at an adoption fair, I knew there was no going back. My husband and I had been looking for the right dog for months, and all the research and networking finally paid off. I had no doubt that we had found the most perfect and precious member of the four-legged family in the world.
Luckily, the adoption fair was just around the corner from our house, which provided us with a great opportunity for a home visit at the end of the event. I ran home, scrubbed and cleaned and did everything I could to make sure our home was ‘puppy fit’. As soon as she arrived with her adoptive mother, the pup made sure to let us know that she was in the right place…but more on that later.
Since we had both lived with dogs before, I was sure we knew everything we needed to start off on the right foot and have a healthy, loving relationship with our dog. He was only partially right. Through a lot of hands-on experience and a lot of patience and training, I have learned several ways to maintain that original feeling of love at first sight.
Training and Behavior
* Train your dog. If you’re the ‘dogs should always walk properly on a leash’ type of person or one who lets your canine companion snuggle up in bed with you, you’ll benefit from proper training. Not only do you want to potty train your pup so he understands the proper place to relieve himself (not on the new carpet!), but you also want to establish and maintain a set of expectations from the start. Good training is based on positive reinforcement and takes into account the age and breed of your dog. You can find a trainer through referrals from friends and family, through your veterinarian or pet specialty store. You can also read several excellent books on dog training. Some great books are “How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend” and “The Art of Raising a Puppy” by Monks of New Skete, “The Power of Positive Dog Training” by Pat Miller, and “The Other End of the Leash” by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D. (Any book by these authors is a great place to start your self-education.) A good place to look for more information on training your dog is the Association of Dog Trainers.
* Be consistent. According to Training through Positive Reinforcement, “Learning is about trying new behaviors and seeing what happens as a result of those behaviors.” If your dog has been taught to avoid jumping on people, allowing him to jump only this time on his favorite person will confuse him: he will think the behavior is okay. However, by denying him attention or treats until he learns to sit and wait for a stranger or his favorite person, he is maintaining consistency in his training regimen. As long as your pet understands what you expect and you behave consistently throughout your relationship, you will have a happy relationship.
* Learn a new trick. Just because you and your dog have kept up your previous training and stuck to the basics, doesn’t mean you can’t find something new to do together. Clicker training and agility training are quite popular and are great fun for you and your dog. You can find local classes through your Department of Parks and Recreation or visit the dog agility page on the Internet.
* Introduce your dog to strangers. Eventually the time will come when you and your pet will need to be apart, at least for a short time. If you ever plan to go on vacation, travel for business, or even attend to a family emergency, your dog will be in the care of someone other than you. Prepare for this by introducing yourself to many new people throughout your life. Simply letting your pet meet and greet new people will help them socialize in case you need to leave. Also, if you live in an adult-only home, you may want to take the time to introduce your dog to children. The more positive experiences you have with children, the better it will be for you when your sister’s children come to visit you. But remember: never leave children alone with dogs.
*Go for a walk. Teach your dog early on that riding in the car is a fun way to go places. Take them on short trips in your car and always make the destination a fun or interesting place for them. Make sure you have appropriate pet carriers for smaller dogs and appropriate seat belts or harnesses for larger breeds. You want your car trips to be safe and fun for both of you. If the only time your dog gets in a car, he ends up at a vet, it won’t take him long to decide that cars are bad, making it difficult to crate or load them into the car when you need them to come. with you.
* Establish your hierarchical order. Your dog needs you to let him know where he stands in the family order. It may sound cruel to say that you are the Alpha or the Leader of the Pack. But the truth is, if you don’t set up a plan to show your dog who’s boss, he’ll walk all over you. It may seem cute when your 8-pound pup demands your attention by kicking you while you work, but when your pup is an 80-pound dog who demands you drop everything to play with him, it can be distracting at best and dangerous if you it’s bringing a hot pot to the table or healing from a medical procedure of your own.
© 2004-2005 by Peggie Arvidson-Dailey