| In this, our first of three articles that focus on Puppy Kindergarten
and how to turn your young dog into a well behaved member of the family. It should
be noted that professional dog behaviorialists suggest entering your puppy into
a formal obedience training session when it is between three to six months. However,
the following tips can be used whenever you deem fit. The word "puppy"
comes from the French "Poupee" - meaning toy. So many people think that
they are getting a fluffy toy - BUT the "toy" leaks, chews, cries, and
the owner feels cheated. Patience is lost in training the puppy. The patience
used in training a baby human is seldom used for the first short six months of
a dog's life. Yes, it is a dog, and in the wild, that dog would be trained by
it's dam, and trained strictly. If we wish respectful affection from our dog,
we must take over from the dam. The puppy's brain is beautifully empty into which
we can put knowledge and habits. This will not be done by brute force. The
dam is strict but fair. She doesn't babble twenty words at the pup, then slam
it a good one! She does not rub her pup's nose in its own urine. She does not
allow him to nest one night, then throw him out into the cold the next. She never
calls her pup in order to tan its hide. The puppy trusts the dam completely, but
also totally respects her. How do we try to achieve this complete trust
and respect? It is not easy these days. Dogs must stay within the limits of the
law - stay on the property, and be quiet, be clean, and never use their natural
instincts of hunting, mating, or living in packs. Housebreaking must be
done by the preventive method. In other words you think for the puppy. Pop him
outside after eating, after sleeping and after playing, then he is praised for
piddling and brought in again. This habit and his growing bladder will soon train
him. I feel a lot of young dogs that dribble urine every time someone pats them
or leans over them derives from being bellowed at or smacked in the act of puddling. The
way the pup acts when the door (phone) bell rings is up to you. If you leap up
and run to the door with great excitement in your voice, the pup will follow suit,
and become a yapper. If you are quiet and calm he will be the same. This can be
applied to many activities around home. To be continued in next week's
obedience article... Important: Gentle Paws Design
Studio shall not be held responsible for any behavioral anomalies that may arise
because of advice given in this article. It is suggested that before beginning
any training, a dog behavioralist is contacted in order to provide a unique solution
for your individual animal. -------------------------------------------------
// ------------------------------------------------ Gary Roe has been training
dogs in obedience and tracking since 1978. You may contact him through his web
site at http://www.gentlepaws.com/surreydogobedience/
for more information about his style of training. | 
