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Free To A Good Home Training The New Dog Owner (part 2)
What makes a dog learn? Why does he do the things he does? Attempting to break the family dog of bad habits can be frustrating without the knowledge that it takes the average dog four days to learn the average thing.
Being unaware of this fact causes many dog owners to feel they've got the dumb mutt, when actually, they haven't given Buddy a few hours, let alone four days, of proper schooling. Trying to teach Buddy without the knowledge that dogs learn by associating their actions with a pleasant or unpleasant result, can be equally frustrating.
With this knowledge firmly entrenched in our minds, let's take Buddy, and transform him into a welcome addition to any family.
The most common complaint among most new dog owners is housebreaking. The old idea of rubbing the dog's nose in it and throwing him out the door just doesn't seem to meet with the desired success. Naturally not!
Dogs learn by associating their actions with pleasing or displeasing results. If a dog's action of having an accident on the living room carpet results in the displeasing experiences of having his nose rubbed in it and then flung out the door, Buddy will learn in short order that it's much more pleasing to have his accidents in locations where he can't be seen having them - the bedroom, the kitchen, the closet, and any other out-of-the-way place that you don't happen to be occupying at the time.
After all, every dog knows that he can't be punished unless he's caught in the act. The key here is that not only must the dog be chastised and shamed for eliminating indoors, but he must be rewarded with enthusiastic and genuine praise when he accomplishes the act outdoors. This means that you'll have to accompany him outdoors as often as you can during the necessary four days that it will take to get the point across.
The second most common complaint is destructive chewing. Most dog owners fail to realize that Buddy must be considered a puppy until he reaches maturity at 18 months. This fact may be hard to accept if Buddy happens to be a Saint Bernard. It's hard to label a 200 pound dog a puppy ... but if he's under 18 months, he is just that - a puppy!
Puppies need to chew. They require it just as a baby needs a teething ring. Unless the dog owner provides the chew toys, Buddy will provide his own. The first step in preventing destructive chewing is to provide adequate chews for the dog. Rawhide is fine, and if Buddy has trouble getting it started, run some hot water over it and soften it just a bit. Solid rubber play toys also work wonders.
An Easy Lesson That Works
If adequate chews have been provided, but Buddy still insists upon chewing your son's favorite baseball glove, go ahead and give Buddy the glove the whole glove! All at once!
That's right, stuff it as securely into his mouth as you can, then tie it there so Buddy can't eject it. Carrying around a mouth full of glove that he can neither swallow nor eject, can turn such destructive chewing into a mighty unpleasing result.
Thirty to forty minutes of having to wear the object in the mouth does more to accomplish your task than any amount of beating. Among other things, such action as beating would cause Buddy to sneak, and do all of his destructive chewing in places where you're not apt to catch him. The glove in the mouth method will actually give your dog an utter contempt for trying to chew other items.
BONUS : Free To A Good Home: Training The New Dog Owner (Part 3)
The most trouble that people have with new dogs that are kept out in the yard would be the transplant the shrubbery game. The cause here is one primarily of boredom. That's right... sheer boredom. Dogs need toys of their own, just as small children do.
As a small child, I recall vividly the boring hour that separated my arrival home from school from my dad's arrival home from work. The apartment was small, and I had no toys. I soon discovered that playing with dad's coin collection was more interesting than staring at four walls.
It just so happened that the ice cream truck came by during that hour, and it wasn't many such hours before the driver of the ice cream truck became the owner of my dad's coin collection!
Buddy's boredom will get him into trouble too. Buddy needs toys of his own, and these toys should be rotated periodically so that he doesn't tire of the same toys. You can buy a baby a new fancy rattle, and it'll keep baby occupied for a while. But he'll soon tire of it unless you rotate that plaything with other playthings.
If you are content that Buddy has ample and adequate toys, but he continues to get into mischief by digging up your favorite plants, this bad habit can be cured by a similar method used for destructive chewing - the entire plant should be tied to his mouth for about an hour or more for each occurrence, and will become an unpleasant and unpalatable object within the time-frame of four days.
Hole Digging
Hole digging is another matter. The hole should be filled with water and the following procedure carried out with the thought in mind that Buddy wanted to go swimming or would not otherwise have dug the hole.
Buddy should have his head immersed in each instance that he sees fit to dig a hole. This should not be done while you are emotionally upset or appear angry. Rather, your attitude should reflect fun... fun... fun...
After five seconds under water, Buddy is released and allowed to retreat five or ten yards away to shake off. Try to coax Buddy back to the water hole, exhibiting surprise that he doesn't want to continue the game.
When the next hole is dug, come upon the scene with elation that Buddy again wants to play the game. Fill the hole with water and find Buddy (who will be hiding if he saw you pour water into the hole.)
Repeat the dunking routine each time a fresh hole is dug. On the fourth day (remember that it takes an average dog four days to learn an average thing) call Buddy to your side, get on your hands and knees and YOU dig a hole!
Before you have a chance to fill your hole with water, Buddy will be gone in a flash, totally unimpressed with the game of hole digging you like so well. He will now go out of his way to make sure no further holes appear in the yard, and for good.
The most trouble that people have with new dogs that are kept out in the yard would be the transplant the shrubbery game. The cause here is one primarily of boredom. That's right... sheer boredom. Dogs need toys of their own, just as small children do.
As a small child, I recall vividly the boring hour that separated my arrival home from school from my dad's arrival home from work. The apartment was small, and I had no toys. I soon discovered that playing with dad's coin collection was more interesting than staring at four walls.
It just so happened that the ice cream truck came by during that hour, and it wasn't many such hours before the driver of the ice cream truck became the owner of my dad's coin collection!
Buddy's boredom will get him into trouble too. Buddy needs toys of his own, and these toys should be rotated periodically so that he doesn't tire of the same toys. You can buy a baby a new fancy rattle, and it'll keep baby occupied for a while. But he'll soon tire of it unless you rotate that plaything with other playthings.
If you are content that Buddy has ample and adequate toys, but he continues to get into mischief by digging up your favorite plants, this bad habit can be cured by a similar method used for destructive chewing - the entire plant should be tied to his mouth for about an hour or more for each occurrence, and will become an unpleasant and unpalatable object within the time-frame of four days.
Hole Digging
Hole digging is another matter. The hole should be filled with water and the following procedure carried out with the thought in mind that Buddy wanted to go swimming or would not otherwise have dug the hole.
Buddy should have his head immersed in each instance that he sees fit to dig a hole. This should not be done while you are emotionally upset or appear angry. Rather, your attitude should reflect fun... fun... fun...
After five seconds under water, Buddy is released and allowed to retreat five or ten yards away to shake off. Try to coax Buddy back to the water hole, exhibiting surprise that he doesn't want to continue the game.
When the next hole is dug, come upon the scene with elation that Buddy again wants to play the game. Fill the hole with water and find Buddy (who will be hiding if he saw you pour water into the hole.)
Repeat the dunking routine each time a fresh hole is dug. On the fourth day (remember that it takes an average dog four days to learn an average thing) call Buddy to your side, get on your hands and knees and YOU dig a hole!
Before you have a chance to fill your hole with water, Buddy will be gone in a flash, totally unimpressed with the game of hole digging you like so well. He will now go out of his way to make sure no further holes appear in the yard, and for good.
