How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend

by Monks of New Skete

  As the primary caregiver, of course, training is your responsibility. However, kids can be included in the training process, learning elementary commands that the dog can be trained to respond to. If you are planning to take your dog to an obedience class, find out if your children can participate along with you, or at least watch from the sidelines. Carefully including the kids in your dog's training is an ideal way to keep their interest up and to establish a context wherein both people and dogs behave in acceptable ways.

  Why is this healthy context important? Dogs are not robots. They do not automatically respond to commands that people (especially children) give them, nor should they be expected to. Untutored children often bark out commands, expect the dog to comply, and then become angry and frustrated when the dog does not respond. A context of obedience needs to be established first. This means a relationship based on understanding and constant practice. Be sure to practice with your child daily, teaching him how to work with the dog properly and how to give commands the dog will respond to. Never allow the child to punish the dog. If there is ever a behavioral problem, tell your child to alert you to it first. If the child attempts to correct the dog, it is too easy for her to respond dominantly in a manner the child will be unable to control.

  This advice touches on several other points. It is important that you explain your own role in disciplining the dog, what it means and why it is being done, in a manner the child understands. Children who have not been taught this often become hysterical when a dog must be restrained or disciplined, creating more havoc than the original incident. When children already understand the role of discipline, chaotic scenes can be avoided.

  It is also important to explain how the children themselves should behave around the dog. Parents need to emphasize from an early age that dogs are not children and to enforce proper safe behavior around a dog. Children should not be allowed to scream or race around the pet, which can result in aggressive incidents. Tug-of-war games, sexual stimulation of the dog, or "siccing" the dog on others should be taboo. With very young children some tail yanking, ear pulling, and rough handling is inevitable, but you can minimize it if you monitor your child carefully.

  These points underscore once again why it is useful to ask whether the puppies have been exposed to children when you go to buy one. Remember that the outgoing, firebrand type of pup is not necessarily the best for an active family.

  Newborn Socialization*

  Over the years a common question we have been asked is what preparations expectant parents can make with their dog before the arrival of their new child, to ensure a safe adjustment by the dog and his acceptance of the child. It is always disconcerting to parents to witness their dog growling at their crying infant. Fortunately, parents can take a number of steps to minimize the risk of a tragic incident.

  1. Prepare the dog. If your dog has had obedience training, make sure to sharpen up his exercises beforehand. You will be relying on them to demand a certain type of behavior of the dog in the presence of the infant. If there has been no formal training, get it. Don't procrastinate.

  2. Well before the birth, have your dog on a down-stay as you practice cradling a doll and giving it attention while a tape of a baby crying is playing. This helps condition the dog to the sound of an infant. You can also practice walking your dog with a stroller — again, well before the actual birth. After the baby is born, have the father bring home a piece of clothing the baby has worn (not a dirty diaper) from the hospital in advance of the infant's arrival. This lets the dog become accustomed to the baby's scent before the actual arrival of the mother and infant.

  3. When the mother and infant return home from the hospital, have the mother enter the house first to greet the dog while the father waits outside with the infant. The mother should spend some time simply being with the dog, as they will have been separated for a couple of days at least. Then the father can enter the house with the baby. Make sure the dog is on leash. Presuming that the dog is reasonably calm, the parents can gradually allow the dog to investigate the baby, perhaps with the mother sitting on the couch cradling him.

  4. Be careful not to marginalize the dog. If all the parents' attention is suddenly focused entirely on the infant, the dog is likely to feel jealous and view the baby as a competitor. Work on including the dog in the new schedule with the baby. Talk to the dog when changing diapers, put him on a down-stay while nursing, or have one adult play with the dog while the other amuses the infant. In short, spend as much time as possible with both the dog and infant so that any sort of competitiveness is minimized.

  5. If, in following these guidelines, you still find your dog's response untrustworthy and disconcerting, contact an animal behaviorist quickly to determine the seriousness of the situation and the best means of addressing the problem.

  Starting Off Right

  29

  Puppy Training

  Our experience in breeding and raising German shepherds for more than thirty years, helping their new owners manage the beginning stages of their relationship, and working with older dogs of all breeds and their owners has made us profoundly conscious of the possibilities in a dog-human relationship. The single most important lesson we have learned is the crucial impact of the first six months of a pup's life on his development. To put it bluntly, they are so critical that if certain social experiences are missed at precise times during this period, the negative effects on the puppy can be permanent.

  For example, pups who are not socialized actively with human beings between five and twelve weeks of age are almost certain to be fearful and skittish as adults. No amount of remedial training will ever be able to overcome completely the effects of such neglect. On the other hand, puppies who are constantly exposed to a variety of social experiences (people, kids, other dogs, different surfaces, sights and sounds) during the same time frame almost always develop into happy, balanced pets. They grow to be companions capable of a wonderful relationship with a human being that ordinarily lasts the next ten to fifteen years.

  This is why we have spent so much time and energy educating owners about puppy development and the vital role of socialization. If an owner gets it right at the start, so many good things are then in position to occur. Our puppy book, The Art of Raising a Puppy, and the second tape of our video series, Raising Your Dog with the Monks of New Skete (In the Beginning), describe this process in great depth, and we encourage any of our readers who are raising (or even contemplating raising) a pup to consult these two resources. Since they are devoted entirely to puppyhood, they are far more detailed and complete than what we are able to present here in a single chapter. In what follows, we discuss the essential concepts and techniques of the book and video and introduce several new techniques we've learned more recently that can help you become more successful in raising your pup.

  By bringing you into our world here at New Skete, we hope to give you a more complete picture of puppyhood. We can help you make sense out of puppy development and socialization by providing practical guidelines for establishing a healthy relationship with a pup and for becoming a benevolent leader. A reliable house-training procedure and preliminary training principles fill out the picture. The more you can understand about puppyhood, the better off you'll be in the long run.

  Boris the Chow Chow

  One of the more memorable training experiences we've had over the years involved a six-month-old chow chow named Boris. The owner was at his wit's end with the dog, confiding to us when he arrived, "I wasn't sure I was going to be able to last till his six-month birthday. Thank God something can finally be done!" When we asked what he meant, he showed us several puncture wounds on his hand and arm. "But actually, that's not the worst of it," he said with a sigh. "In general he's a nice enough fellow, except when I'm trying to groom him. The real problem is that he pulls both me and my wife down the street mercilessly. Since he hasn't learned any commands yet, there's no way either of us can control him." As the attending monk crouch
ed down to let Boris meet him, the dog backed up a few steps and started to growl. "Oh, and he doesn't like strangers," added the owner somewhat matter-of-factly. We asked him if he had taken Boris to puppy kindergarten, but he replied, "Nah, I don't think Boris would go in for that touchy-feely kind of stuff. Besides, I knew that the real training would be covered once he came here, after he was six months old. I mean, that's what you said in the letter you sent me, that he had to be six months old."

  The man was confused as to what training actually is as well as when puppy training should begin. It is true that we do not accept dogs into our training program until they are six months of age, but this is because it is more important to have a pup bond solidly with his new owner before any sort of extended separation, not because the pup is incapable of starting the training process any earlier. Our training program is three to four weeks long, a length of time that would invite too much stress on a younger pup. Had the man begun to work with Boris as soon as he bought him (in a manner appropriate for Boris's age), he could have begun to shape Boris's behavior by teaching him the elementary commands in a playful, fun-oriented way. He could have also begun to establish himself as a benevolent alpha leader, encouraging Boris to respect his touch and allow grooming without snapping.

  Regrettably, like so many other puppy owners, the man had acted on the myth that training cannot begin until the puppy is past the sixth month, thereby consigning owners to four months of desperate chaos before they can get their pups in for training. Fortunately, we were able to train Boris well, yet the process of formal training was much more challenging than it needed to be. The fact is, training can begin as soon as you get your pup, as long as you understand what we mean by "training" and use gentle, behaviorally sound methods to establish a foundation for obedience. Indeed, most puppies are intelligent and willing to learn, if taught correctly. As we have seen, the learning process for a puppy begins at birth, and training can begin as early as the third week. In this chapter we show how to teach your puppy standard exercises and to expose your pup to a broad range of experiences that will deepen your relationship while the puppy is still growing, before he's reached his six-month birthday.

  Kindergarten Puppy Training

  Kindergarten puppy training (or KPT, as it is called) began years ago when trainers like the Pearsalls recognized its worth and started holding KPT classes. We owe these early KPT trainers a great debt for helping educate the public to the possibilities of puppy training. Researchers like Dr. J. P. Scott and Dr. J. L. Fuller laid the groundwork for KPT by demonstrating in laboratory studies the full range of puppy learning ability. Their study, Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog, is still a classic in the field, illuminating the vital relationships between genetics, early experience, and adult behavior. They demonstrated conclusively that puppies pass through four clearly identifiable stages or "critical periods" on the road to becoming a mature adult and that it is essential for certain specific experiences to happen to puppies at these times. Puppies not so exposed were found to suffer serious impediments to their personality development.*Clarence Pfaffenberger and Dr. Michael Fox later amplified these findings and, along with William Campbell and Jack and Wendy Volhard, actually developed separate puppy personality tests to help breeders and prospective owners discern the basic personality of a pup at seven weeks of age so that they could place an individual pup in the optimal situation.**

  Many breeders socialize and train their own stock at a young age and encourage their clients to continue doing so, and the best literature on puppyhood and puppy training emphasizes its importance, yet the "you can't train a dog before six months" myth is still prevalent. It is true that regular leash training as described in many adult training books can be harmful to a young puppy. A pup's skeletal structure is not fully set until six months. The leash correction can be too sharp and possibly traumatic for the pup. But other, less manipulative, positively reinforced training techniques are highly effective. Formal obedience training after six months is much more difficult for a dog who has not had any prior training.

  If there is a KPT class in your area, do enroll in it. The class probably meets on a weekly basis and includes between five and twenty puppies and owners. You can expect the course to cover a general introduction to puppy behavior, practice with correct procedures for socializing young puppies with other dogs and people, and an introduction to the basic exercises. KPT uses fun and play, positively reinforced techniques, and humane guidelines to help you overcome such common puppy problems as jumping up, mouthing, chewing, house-training difficulties, barking, and submissive urination. KPT may also use creative obstacle courses to help pups build confidence in a variety of situations, like climbing over different surfaces, going up and down stairs, and going through tunnels. In KPT the emphasis is on fun, but the pups are receiving important socialization at the same time. If you can't find a class, follow the instructions here until such time as you can enroll your dog in advanced training instruction.

  Socialize, Socialize, Socialize

  Before you jump into training your puppy, it is a good idea to understand what happens to puppies physically and psychologically as they grow. As indicated, puppies go through critical developmental stages. For the first seven weeks the puppy has special needs as he passes from the neonatal period through the transitional stage and into the socialization period (five to twelve weeks of age). Between one and five weeks he is focused primarily on his mother and littermates. Mother teaches her pups basic dog manners, and the pups learn to interact with one another appropriately. This contact is absolutely essential. It is vital that pups not be separated from their mother and littermates prematurely (say, at five weeks of age). If they do not have this chance to socialize properly with other dogs, such pups are more likely to develop problems involving dog aggression.

  As the pup moves into the middle of the socialization period (six to seven weeks), he begins to open up more to people. Contact with human beings is crucial now and needs to continue after you've brought your pup home from the breeder. It is the foundation for your pup's becoming a friendly adult dog. Therefore, if you are buying a puppy, plan on adopting him between seven and ten weeks old, but not earlier.*If the adoption is after ten weeks, make sure the puppy already has been thoroughly socialized at the kennel.

  You should also be aware that between approximately eight and ten weeks, a puppy passes through what specialists call "the fear period."**During this time, the puppy is especially vulnerable to stress, neglect, and poor handling, which can leave a lasting imprint. Each puppy experiences this phase differently. It is important to be aware of the fear period, but don't make the puppy live in a cocoon during this or any other period of his early life. Be sensitive to your pup, but don't pamper or coddle him — and don't shelter him. Social isolation destroys a puppy faster than any of the most inhumane training methods. Never pet and praise him when he's showing fear at a new experience. Doing so only reinforces the fear reaction. Simply be patient and encouraging. Always praise displays of curiosity and self-confidence.

  Socialization embraces the full gamut of a pup's interaction with his world. It goes beyond ordinary encounters with adults and children to include exposure to different environments, surfaces, sights, sounds, dogs — in short, whatever the dog needs to adjust to in his life. The more you introduce your pup to these sorts of experiences now, the easier the pup will be able to adapt later on. Without doubt, if trainers were to single out one behavioral issue owners should concentrate on during the first months of caring for a puppy, it would be socialization. This needs to be emphasized. Don't take any shortcuts in this regard. For the properly socialized pup, the sky is the limit as to what sort of a relationship with you is possible.

  At the same time, you can start with a gentle introduction to training procedures. Teaching the puppy to follow, walk on a leash, sit, lie down, and chew only on acceptable objects is perfectly fine during this period, but make sure only capable peo
ple work with the pup. For instance, if the pup is brought home during this time, don't allow children who are rough with the dog to handle him until he is ten weeks old, and then only while being monitored by an adult. Some children simply do not have the knack of puppy socializing and training and must wait until the puppy is more mature.

  Another facet of socialization involves grooming. Begin grooming sessions with your puppy right away. At this young age there probably won't be much hair to brush, but it is still important to get your pup used to frequent grooming and handling. Since this will become a frequent ritual throughout his life, it is best to condition your pup to enjoy these sessions. Hold your pup by his collar, pass the grooming rake lightly over him several times, and praise him warmly. Next, gently handle and massage his paws and ears, and hold his muzzle briefly as you look into his eyes. If the puppy struggles, lightly shake his muzzle briefly with a curt "nah," but keep the tone gentle. Don't let the pup "win" (i.e., get his way), which would only teach him that by struggling he can get its way. For more detailed guidelines, consult chapter 12 on grooming.