The Ultimate Guide to Puppy Care and Training. Tracy J. Libby
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they did when they were eight to twelve weeks old. Around this time, most puppies will begin testing to see if their owners are really going to enforce the rules. You may need to work extra hard to keep your puppy’s attention, but by continuing to reinforce the behavior of following you and staying close, you continue to build and reinforce a strong bond. Also, you establish in your puppy’s mind—in a fun and humane manner—that you are the boss. If your puppy thinks he can ignore you today, he will think he can ignore you when he is older, too. Then, when you encounter a critical situation, such as when you need him to come to you or lie down, he will ignore you because he has been allowed to ignore you in the past.
Walk Nicely on Leash
Once your puppy is used to dragging his leash around and being close to you, teaching the Walk Nicely on Leash exercise is pretty simple. While your puppy is dragging his leash and following you around, simply pick up the leash and start walking. Depending on your puppy, you may be able to walk two steps or ten steps or more. Only keep walking if your puppy is walking with you; if he refused to walk or starts to pull or walk off in another direction, stop in your tracks and try again.
Avoid pulling or jerking the leash to get him to follow, which is counterproductive. A puppy should never associate his leash and collar with a barrage of corrections or nagging. You want him to view walking on leash as something fun that the two of you do together. Remember that his reward for doing his job (i.e., following closely and staying by your side) is yummy treats or his favorite toy. Praise ) and reward only polite walking. Remember: the behavior you reward is the behavior you want. By rewarding your puppy while he is jumping, lunging, or bucking, he will think that those behaviors are what you expect. In his mind, he is thinking, “I get cookies when I jump and thrash around, so that’s what I’m supposed to do.”
Progress a few steps at a time, gradually increasing the distance that your puppy can walk nicely on leash by your side. Practice four or five times a day, first around the house and yard and then eventually on safe, quiet sidewalks in areas with few distractions .
Teaching this exercise is much easier if you keep the puppy on your left side until he understands the exercise. Once your puppy masters walking on leash, there will be times when you won’t care whether he is on your left or your right.
This exercise differs from the more formal Heel command, which is used by obedience competitors, who are looking for perfection. The goal of a formal Heel is to have the dog walking on the owner’s left side (traditional Heel position) with the dog’s head and body in specific positions. Chances are you will not be looking for precision while walking your dog but would nonetheless like control. Having your puppy constantly pull and lunge while on leash is no fun.
And away we go...
Handling Games
Handling your puppy at every opportunity is a great way to build a strong bond. Handling is a fun way for a puppy to learn that being picked up or held is safe. We know that not all puppies or adult dogs enjoy handling. Some puppies have trust issues. Teaching them to accept being touched and handled can take a long time and may require intervention by an experienced trainer or behaviorist. Some dogs dislike handling but learn to tolerate it without much of a fuss.
Teaching your puppy to accept handling is well worth it. Think of all of the times that safe handling is necessary—a trip to the veterinarian, grooming, putting on a collar, checking a paw for thorns, and so forth. Gently handle your puppy multiple times daily. Count his toes and teeth, check his ears, and rub his tummy. This type of handling increases the odds that your puppy will grow into an adult dog that enjoys human contact.
Umbilical Cord
Another technique that works with some puppies is to tether your puppy to you. This method is referred to as the umbilical cord method because the puppy is attached to you with his leash (or a 6-foot cord). You praise and reward your puppy when he is close to you, but not when he is straining at the end of the leash. When carried out properly, this method can produce excellent results. One drawback is that some toy-breed puppies may be in danger of getting trampled underfoot, and some particularly unruly puppies may pull you around.
Hand in the Collar
Think of how many times you might need to put your hand in your puppy’s collar: snatching him out of danger, during grooming, when attaching his leash, and, of course, for simply putting on or taking off his collar. Your puppy should learn that your hand in his collar means that good things will happen. A puppy should never think that a hand in his collar means he is bad or in trouble.
Again, depending on your puppy’s personality and temperament, teaching this game may take some time and patience. You may need to employ the help of a trainer or behaviorist to help your puppy if he seriously objects to handling and touching.
Ideally, you should start handling your puppy’s collar from day one. At every opportunity, nonchalantly slip your hand in your puppy’s buckle collar and then praise, reward with a tasty tidbit, and release. It is that simple! Think of all the times you can practice this behavior—when you are brushing him, placing down his feeding bowl, petting him, talking to him, and on and on.
If your puppy panics or objects, you will need to progress in small steps. Start with just touching the collar, followed by plenty of yummy tidbits and verbal praise. Gradually advance to putting your hand in the collar. Always praise and reward him for small increments of progress. Let your puppy come to you. Never grab your puppy or his collar because this will exacerbate the problem and make him hand-shy.
Kissing, Snuggling, and (Maybe) Hugging
Ahhh...the sweet smell of puppy breath! If your puppy is young, well socialized, and trustworthy, kiss him all over his face and body and encourage him to kiss you back. Kiss his tummy, feet, and ears, and tell him he's perfect. If your puppy is timid or shy—and small enough—lie on your back, which is a submissive and nonthreatening position, and let him crawl on you and smother you with a potpourri of kisses. Or try sitting on the floor and letting him crawl around in your lap as you encourage him to snuggle or kiss you back.
Interestingly, not all puppies or adult dogs like to be hugged. Hugging is a human action. It is a natural hard-wired behavior for many people, and it makes them feel good. Hugging puppies makes these people feel even better! Well-socialized puppies who are handled early on and every day by their breeders and who become accustomed to being hugged usually learn to tolerate our quirky human hugging behavior.
Hugging can be a positive experience for many puppies, and they then grow into adult dogs who don’t seem to mind quick hugs on occasion, such as when their owners arrive home. They wag their tails, wiggle their bodies, and lean into their owners—as if hugging their owners back.
Gently handle your puppy multiple times daily. Count his toes and teeth, check his ears, and rub his tummy. This type of handling increases the odds that your puppy will grow into an adult dog that enjoys human contact.
Puppies who are not well socialized or accustomed to handling (including some rescue dogs) may feel threatened by hugging, kissing, or snuggling. Also, some breeds may not be as huggable as others. A dog that does not like being hugged will display warning signals. Sadly, an owner’s lack of understanding of canine body language can get a dog into trouble through no fault of his own when he snaps or bites. Understanding canine body language will go a long way in helping you decode whether or not your puppy likes hugging. Some experts advise to never hug a dog. This is sound advice if you don't know the dog or if the dog has learning, temperament, or space issues. Hugging a strange dog is never a good idea. Hand in the Collar
Think of how many times you might need to put your hand in your puppy’s collar: snatching him out of danger, during grooming, when attaching his leash, and, of course, for simply putting on or taking off his collar. Your puppy should learn that your hand in his collar means that good things will happen. A puppy should never think that a hand in his collar means he is bad or in trouble.
Again, depending on your puppy’s personality and temperament, teaching this game may take some time and