| At any time, the puppy, especially in training, may try to get the
upper hand by growling, snapping or mouthing your hand. The very first time he
tries it, stop this idea right there, give him a good shake by the scruff and
insist he does whatever you have commanded, then lots of praise to show all is
well again. Remember you are the boss, or in his eyes, leader of his pack; he
may try to unseat you if he feels a weakness. Here you see you have a dog, not
a toy or robot. Mind you, some dogs are sneaky enough not to bite, but feign illness,
hysterics, or total collapse on being told to obey, but same thing, the crafty
puppy knows you too well, so surprise him and insist. Feed your puppy well,
then he will have a long life. Not bulky foods, but nutritious with extra calcium
and vitamins. Expensive? Not as expensive as vet bills. Feed just moistened food,
not sloppy. Use powdered milk in the meal; this will cut down on puddles. Always
have fresh water available to the puppy, then he will drink when thirsty. Do check
for worms regularly, but don't worm a dog on spec, remember, worm medicines have
a poison in them, so why pass this through a dog's system unnecessarily. Keep
him free of fleas. Those of you who have recently lost a dear old dog,
and now have his heir (the puppy), remember the puppy will grow in steadiness
with age. And like my mother, unless pressed, you only remember the good and cute
things the "old dog" did as a youngster, not the harrowing times you
had with him now and then. If you can use patience, praise and persistence now,
you can have a delightful dog for the next 10-15 years. But if you expect overnight
obedience and unearned respect from your puppy, you will be a very disappointed
dog owner. Important: Super K9 Internet Directory
Ltd. or its site 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. Browse our dog
trainers directory to find one near you. -------------------------------------------------
// ------------------------------------------------ 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. |
