How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend

by Monks of New Skete

  At times some pups can be stubborn about the crate. If your puppy barks in the crate (and you are sure he doesn't have to go out), go to the crate, clap your hands, and tell the pup, "No, no barking." If the pup continues, use a squirt of water from a spray bottle or a shaker can filled with pennies, which many pups dislike the sound of. If all else fails, rapping the top of the crate sharply with your hand, coupled with a "no bark!" has often been effective.

  You can use the crate at night or when you will be gone for a few hours. Since most dogs are fastidious about their immediate area, you can use the crate to help the pup spend time alone without relieving himself. The crate is also a temporary solution until he is housebroken and can be trusted alone in the house while you are busy, sleeping, or gone.

  Later, you will find further uses for the crate. Many dogs prefer to ride in a crate in the car. When you are moving or carrying a large amount of baggage, a crate can save valuable space. It is the safest place for a dog in a car accident. If you plan to travel with your dog, it is wise to crate-condition the dog in advance. When we raise litters, we let the pups use an open crate as a playhouse, so that they are ready to use a crate in their new homes. Never ship a dog in a shipping crate on a train or plane unless you have first conditioned the dog to the crate. If you do need to ship, use the smallest crate possible. If the crate is too large, the dog gets bounced around in transit. With a small crate, the animal can brace himself against the walls.

  Asking to Go Out

  Our procedures for house-training puppies can be found in chapter 39 on house training and in chapter 11 of The Art of Raising a Puppy. Asking to go out is best taught in puppyhood and is a service any canine owner appreciates. If you want a puppy who asks to go out, begin early by recognizing the signs the puppy gives indicating she wants to go out to eliminate. First, anticipate the pup needing to go out between five and fifteen minutes after eating. Some pups clarify this by barking or whining. Be sure to respond by opening the door.

  With a pup who does not vocally indicate a desire to go out, look for other signs that elimination is forthcoming. Some pups pace, noses to the ground. Others may go to the door and scratch it. Still others may come to you and jump up. Whatever the sign, read it quickly and take the pup to the door, asking in an excited tone of voice, "Do you want to go out?" Make sure you use the same phrase and the same door each time you let the pup out. If the pup lives in a family, everyone should be consistent about what phrase is used when inviting the pup out for elimination. But don't let the pup out each time she nears a door. Pups do not need to go out every hour on the hour, and you should be careful to avoid the extreme of becoming a doorman for the pup. Though asking to go out is certainly a convenience, don't let the pup overdo it.

  Pups become conditioned to regular routines quickly. If you feed her at the same time every day and let her out on a frequent schedule, her elimination needs become fairly predictable. For an older pup, when you are in the middle of preparing a meal or in some other situation when you cannot immediately let the dog out, say, "No, wait!" and let the pup out as soon as you can. At night, follow the instructions for silencing whiners mentioned earlier. If your pup does have an accident, follow the procedures outlined in the house-training section. Clean up the area with disinfectant but apply a final solution of white vinegar and water, which cancels out the odor from the dog's point of view.

  Submissive Urination*

  Submissive urination is different from house soiling because it is involuntary and usually takes place when the puppy is in a subordinate position and releases a puddle, or possibly a flood, of urine. The puppy does not mean to urinate but rather to show submission. This behavior has its roots early in puppyhood, when pups were initially stimulated to urinate and defecate by their mothers. Gradually this behavior came to be expressed as a sign of submission to the mother or other older dog or person. Though the behavior invariably stops with time, here are some techniques to help you through the problem.

  Above all, don't punish the puppy. Try not to tower over the pup in a threatening manner. In general, crouch down to the side when you call the pup, and praise him by stroking him under the chin and on the shoulder or chest region. Experience will teach you on what occasions your puppy tends to urinate involuntarily. Greetings and departures, visits of company and relatives, or wild activity by children often trigger submissive urination. Don't isolate the pup from these situations, but first try to delay the submissive response by simply ignoring the pup and avoiding eye contact. As the excitement of your arrival dies down, let the pup approach you and offer him the palm of your hand, still avoiding eye contact. Gently pet him under the chin and go about your business. Keep your greetings low-key. Keep active children away from the pup, but invite gentler children to play with him. Puppies who wet submissively for adults often do not for children, so it may be helpful to find a placid child willing to take the pup for walks and socialize him.

  Gradually build the pup's confidence by taking him for walks on busy sidewalks and in crowded areas. Avoid any sort of correction for submissive urination.

  Discipline for Puppies*

  Puppies rarely need strong physical corrections. Some situations merit discipline, and we suggest that you use the puppy shakedown method, which is described in chapter 10. Kindergarten puppy training is designed to eliminate the necessity of giving serious physical corrections later on in life. But every dog occasionally gets out of line, and you should not hesitate to use an appropriate physical correction for big offenses, such as biting and nipping or house soiling (assuming you catch the older pup in the act and she has been conditioned properly to house-training etiquette). Different breeds need different approaches. German shepherds, Dobermans, and rottweilers can often get themselves into situations in which physical discipline is necessary. Terriers can be highly kinetic and often need sustained eye contact and only occasional physical discipline. You must "read" your own dog.

  Puppy Chewing**

  Almost every puppy, at some point, chews something she is not supposed to. It might be an old shoe or it might be a precious family heirloom, if you are naive enough to leave one within reach. Before you bring your puppy home for the first time, "chew-proof" your home as much as possible. Make careful arrangements for shoes and socks to be up off the floor, throw rugs stapled down or removed, and valuable objects put away, at least until the puppy is past her chewing stage. Use a crate when you are not home or are unable to monitor your pup. At other times, provide your pup with a blanket or dog bed where she can go when tired, preferably in two locations, one in your living room (or den or kitchen) and the other in the bedroom. In these areas, provide the pup with a rawhide or nylon bone. Meat-scented and rope bones are excellent, too. Do not use real bones. Stay away from cute toys sold at pet stores, or contraptions that can be broken or chewed apart. Make this bone the center of attention for the pup by playing fetch with it, wiggling it on the floor and letting the pup chase it, and giving it to the pup whenever she begins to nibble on a forbidden object. This is the Toy. Get a few different sizes of play bones so that you can graduate to the size as the pup grows older. Before leaving the pup — whether confined to a crate or a small area such as a kitchen, or left outside — roll this bone between your palms for a couple of minutes to leave your scent on it, and dramatically present it to the pup as you leave home. Another method of orienting the pup to the bone is to rub your saliva on it. If you plan to take your pup for a ride in the car and leave her there, take the special bone along, too, and present it to the pup as you leave the car.

  Whenever you catch the pup chewing on something forbidden, say a deep and strong "nah!" and immediately take the object out of the pup's mouth or remove the pup from the scene. Immediately get the play bone and present it to her, saying, "Here, this is for you, this is your toy." Avoid punishing the pup or trying to tear forbidden chewables out of her mouth. Avoid playing tug-of-war with the pup to remove an object from her mouth, which c
an lead to possessiveness later on. To get an object out of a pup's mouth, open the jaws by placing your hand across the top of the muzzle behind the teeth, thumb on one side and fingers on the other, and with the other hand pull down the bottom jaw. As the pup drops the object, say, "Good!"

  One common response to a chewing problem is to provide the pup with myriad chew toys, in the hope that the pup will find this vast array satisfying and stay clear of taboo objects. Though somewhat logical from a human point of view, this technique usually backfires because it conditions the pup to perceive practically everything as a potential chew toy. Provide one or two toys and stop there. If you must have several toys for several locations (car, bedroom, basement), make them all the same kind of toy.

  The pup needs to chew. Never completely forbid your pup to chew, but rather focus her attention on the proper chew articles. Not to allow chewing is unnatural and ill advised. The pup's proper oral development will be stunted, and since the pup was never allowed to chew on anything while going through the normal teething stage, she may decide to postpone oral activity until later on. The renewed activity could include destructive chewing of objects and possibly humans. As a stage, chewing can last as long as eight months, or as short as four months, depending on the individual dog.

  Praising Your Puppy

  Physical and verbal praise are important for puppies. They are the cornerstone of a good relationship and must be deliberately cultivated. Aside from ordinary play with your pup, such as fetch and the like, include a play session with both of you on all fours at least twice a week. This keeps your relationship relaxed and playful. Keep the pup animated and happy during formal obedience work, too.

  At the same time, avoid any tendency to coddle the pup. An overindulged pup is soon spoiled and takes advantage of the rest of the family pack by assuming a leadership role. We have seen puppies who are dictators. When they whine, they are picked up. If they scratch a door, they are immediately let out. If they bark at someone, the owner pets them and thanks them. If they bite someone, they may or may not be scolded, depending on what the owner thinks of the victim. If the puppy wants praise, he need only nudge or jump up on the owner to be given attention immediately. The owner who responds to such behavior by coddling and cuddling teaches the puppy that such behavior elicits affection. The puppy learns to turn on this behavior whenever he wants attention, which may be every other minute.

  A more sensible approach to praising your puppy includes praising the pup for good behavior and avoiding the temptation to praise the pup simply because he is there. While affectionate petting and squeezing are a part of any initial puppy-owner relationship, decrease this behavior as the puppy matures and begins training. Praise the pup when he fulfills a command, like sit or come. It takes only a second to ask the pup to sit before praising him, and it will be well worth your while, for it orients the pup to obedience early in life. You can do so easily without compromising the overall attitude of playfulness and fun. The last thing puppies need is a martial regimen, but you can still keep praise meaningful.

  Lonely Puppies

  Patience and a sincere desire for constant companionship are the two most important traits necessary to raise a healthy, happy puppy. If you are the kind of person who needs long periods of time completely alone or who feels occasionally claustrophobic if even a dog is around, don't get a dog. A dog will always be there, asking for attention and directions, asking to serve. If this gets on your nerves, reconsider whether you want a puppy. There is nothing wrong with admitting that cats are your type of pet or that a bowl of goldfish would adapt better to your lifestyle. Respect for living things requires an appreciation for their innate needs and desires and your own ability to fulfill these, at least to some degree.

  A belated realization of the above sometimes leads to puppies with behavioral problems. Puppies can be bored, neglected — in a word, lonely. Puppies simply cannot endure long periods of isolation. They are pack animals, born and raised in a litter. They need social experience throughout puppyhood and later life. Lonely puppies are puppies who are left alone for nine to ten hours while their owners work. They are pups who are refused admission to the bedroom for sleeping and are banished to the kitchen, basement, or garage (often on the pretext that they must "protect" the house — something they will never feel compelled to do unless they are first endeared to the masters of the house). Lonely puppies often lack play experience with humans or other dogs. Instead, their isolation is compensated for by continual stroking and cuddling in the arms of a guilt-ridden owner. Such touching has little effect on the core reality of loneliness. The best food, trinkets, treats, and even professional training does not matter if the puppy lives a hermit's life.

  Lonely puppies vent their frustrations by chewing, digging, barking, whining, and scratching doors and walls. They crave human contact and seek to escape their isolation, even though they may appear shy or aggressive around humans at first. If you properly socialize your puppy from the beginning, he should not be lonely, by your standards or his. If, however, you decide to modify your pup's lifestyle after deciding that he can "take it," and isolate the pup for significant periods of time, you will most probably wind up with serious behavioral problems.

  What it all adds up to is this: don't get a pup unless you have plenty of time to spend with him. Don't expect a dog to be a cat or a hamster. Answer the following questions honestly if you are planning to get a puppy. If you already have a dog, these questions might serve as a helpful review of your responsibilities as a dog owner.*

  Will someone be home to provide meals for the animal according to a fixed schedule?

  Will someone be home during the day to look after the dog?

  Are you willing to exercise the puppy at least twice a day, according to a set schedule?

  Are you willing to secure proper obedience training for the dog?

  Are you willing to pay for all inoculations, periodic veterinary exams, and any emergency treatment the dog may need?

  Are you willing to pay the cost of spaying or neutering your pet to prevent the birth of more unwanted puppies in a nation already saturated with pets?

  Are you willing to obey the license and leash laws of your community?

  Are you willing to groom, bathe, and pick up after the dog?

  Are you committed to caring for the dog for its lifetime?

  Getting a puppy is a joyous event, but one filled with real responsibilities. We make no apologies for ending this chapter on a serious note: each year too many pups go into homes in which owners have not thought through the commitment entailed in caring for a pup. Get advice. Think carefully.

  Standard Obedience Exercises

  30

  Starting Out

  The following chapters will help you teach your dog how to heel, sit, sit and stay, stand, lie down, lie down and stay, and come when called. As the exercises are presented, we presume your dog to be at least six months of age, having received at least some exposure to elementary puppy training. In our experience, the most popular exercises are the last two. Most dog owners are happy if Fido simply lies down or comes when he is called. But in order to teach these two exercises effectively, your dog must know something about the others. How reasonable would it be to expect a child to tackle algebra before she's mastered addition and multiplication, division and subtraction? The former is built on the latter. As we show in the following chapters, heel, sit, stay, and stand are not strictly ornamental — they can be used to great advantage and are an essential part of your dog's foundation in training. We will try to explain fully what each exercise entails and demonstrate at least two methods of teaching it. We realize that each dog is an individual and that not every dog responds well to every method. Finally, we include examples in each chapter of how the exercise can be used practically in your day-to-day life with your pet.

  We emphasize the practical application of each exercise, and not "showing off" your dog to strangers with clever parlor tricks
like shaking hands, "praying," rolling over, and the like. These tricks may be entertaining, but the dog who can shake hands, roll over, and pray but cannot lie down and who runs away when called can be a problem to his owner.

  Nor is our emphasis on training for the professional obedience ring or for competition. Although what we say does not contradict training methods for the ring, this book is geared toward companionship, to help you read, teach, and manage your dog in everyday life, thereby deepening the relationship both from your perspective and from your dog's. If you are interested in showing your dog in the obedience ring, we suggest that you consult some of the many books that concentrate on that field (see Select Reading List). Nevertheless, even those who show their dogs professionally need to stop occasionally and reevaluate their relationship with their dogs. Regardless of how well a dog knows his exercises, the total relationship between dog and master remains the most important aspect of having a dog as a companion.

  Here's a story that illustrates what we mean. A famous dog, well known for his high scores in the obedience ring, arrived at the show grounds. As we watched, the owner carefully opened the dog's metal crate, warning the dog not to barge out. Instead, the dog nudged open the door of the crate, practically knocking over his owner as he barreled out of the station wagon. Luckily, the owner had left the dog's leash on and pinned it with his foot, thereby preventing the dog's escape. He immediately snapped the dog to a heel position and began drilling the dog in the obedience exercises. The dog responded like a robot. He racked up a high score in the ring. Immediately after the long down, which is taken in a group with other dogs, the owner leashed his dog and heeled him out of the ring. But once outside the ring rope, the dog lunged ahead, practically dragging his trainer across an empty field, back to the station wagon. The dog leaped into the crate in the car, and the trainer, exhausted after the "ride," slammed the crate door shut. Though the dog performed well, one wonders what the total dog-human relationship was like.