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Error-Free Puppy Raising™
arrives as short lessons by email,
customized to pets and people.
Each ELesson arrives
with a pet cartoon
and easy links
to
Positive Dog
Parenting™ and other Animal Behavior
Network online library topics,
videos and
presentations by Dr.
Rolan Tripp.
Day One - Wet Clay
A puppies brain is like wet clay in the first few months of life
and therefore, Puppy's future personality and social skills are
now the easiest to mold. As that clay hardens, shaping Puppy's
behavior becomes more difficult.
Day Two -
The First 24
Hours
The two
biggest mistakes people make in the first 24 hours with a new
puppy.
Day
Three - Haste Makes Waste
Here are common
mistakes that people make in the first week with new puppies.
Day Four - Say, "Please!"
Teach Puppy to “come” and “sit” before
EVERY meal and before getting attention,
toys, walks, etc.
Day Five
- Teach not Punish or Preach
One key to error-free puppy raising is
preventing bad habits AND teaching good
ones. Ask yourself, "If this is wrong (a
behavior I don't want), what is right (a
behavior I do want)?"
Day Six - Whose Toy Is It?
Here
are two common mistakes people make with
new puppies that create adult dog
problems such as destructive chewing,
digging, food bowl aggression, and
hyperactivity.
Day Seven - Trust is a Must!
Imagine an adult dog that is easy for
you or anyone else to groom or examine
and one who loves to cuddle. Here are
two common mistakes people make with
young puppies that prevent them for
enjoying handling and human affection.
Day Eight - Puppy Brain Development
Puppy brain development is critically
influenced by what the puppy learns and
experiences in the first few months of
life. You can make a significant
difference in your dog’s personality and
social skills if you learn how to make
EVERY day count!
Day
Nine - Canine NOT Human
You are more than half way through the
first 14 Days. Congratulations! Your relationship with
Puppy is a barometer of what you and Puppy are learning. Below
are facts to help prevent common misconceptions people have about dogs.
What we have here is a species-specific failure to
communicate.
Day Ten - Huh?
You can teach your dog an English
vocabulary if your are patient, and understand that dogs learn in
different ways than people, then adjust your teaching methods. See
our topic on the
Border Collie
that learned over 200 words!
Day Eleven - Breakfast of Champions
Canines are pack animals. It is natural
for them to want to be indoors with the
family and to be stressed by isolation.
Outdoor dogs are harder to train and
have more stress-related unwanted
behaviors. Teach your dog house rules
and keep the family together.
Day Twelve - Sweetest Sound on Earth
The best teaching methods
are “hands off” (no force) so the puppy
needs to use his or her brain to figure
out what behaviors you want. Hand
signals and sound signals help puppies
learn much faster than English
vocabulary alone. Hearing one's name is
often considered the sweetest sound on
earth. Use Puppy's name with praise and
once before giving a cue. Never use your
pup's name in anger.
Day Thirteen - Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Puppies and children can be a
great mix as long as you provide 100% supervision and ongoing
instruction to both. Do not allow mistakes to happen when you are
NOT there. Here are common mistakes people make with children and
dogs.
Day
Fourteen -
Protect
Your Investment
It's not fair... to give your
little puppy positive attention NOW for behaviors you don't want
LATER such as jumping up and licking your face. Your adult dog will
not realize that size matters!
Week Three - Whoa Nelly!
Insist that
Puppy wait and allow you to go through
doorways first. This helps communicate
that you expect respect. Canine's
consider going through a doorway first
as a privilege of rank.
Week Four - Timing is
Everything
The puppy
lunges at the cat, and you say, "Stop!"
or "No!" and the puppy stops and sits -
then you proceed to tell the puppy, "Bad
dog!"
Week Five
- Boo!
If you want to enjoy an adult dog companion that is not easily
scared or fearful, you must teach Puppy that most sights and
sounds are NOT scary - this includes going to the veterinarian,
to the groomer, and outside of the home.
Week
Six -
Time Out
Your puppy craves social interaction, therefore,
your attention. If you are playing a game, and the
puppy play bites your hands or clothing, simply stop
playing, turn your back and give the puppy a few
minutes of "time out" to calm down.
Week
Seven - Give Your Dog a Paycheck
The reason to train with food is to
set up your puppy for success and make both learning for Puppy
and teaching for you much easier. Pair the treat with a
clicker for faster learning!
Week
Eight - Mind and Body
Gentling exercises
are a great way to teach your dog to trust you. Once you have
earned your dog’s trust, you will be able to touch your dog
anywhere, anytime you want and your dog will respond like a
floppy, unconcerned rag doll. Introduce these exercises when
your puppy has been exercised and is relaxed or tired.
Week Nine -
Chew Training
Wrong Move:
Allow the pup to chew on old shoes and socks, leave squeaky or plush
toys in the kennel with the puppy.
Right Move: Only allow
access to approved chew toys like Kongs, Nylabones, Sterilized
Bones, or Dental Ropes. It is safe for the puppy to try to destroy these
while confined in a portable kennel, x-pen, bathroom, etc.
Week Ten - Food and
Praise Scales
Just as you may be more motivated by $100 than $10, you need to discover
what are low, medium and high value rewards for your puppy. For
example, kibble may be low, a cheerio - medium, and freeze-dried liver -
high value.
Week Eleven - On Your
Mat, Matey!
It is very useful to you and your puppy if there’s a place established
for your puppy to go to relax and settle. Canines understand “place” and
need to know they are in a safe, acceptable place.
Week Twelve - Canine
Stress Management
Unruly canine behaviors can often be prevented or solved simply by
reducing canine stress. Canines are intelligent, social creatures that
get cabin fever and are stressed by benign neglect that results from
many human lifestyles.
Week Thirteen - Reading
Canine
Your canine is very good at reading your body postures, movements and
facial expressions. How good are you at reading canine?
Improving the Relationships Between Pets and
People