Puppy Rearing
Our family is about to embark on a small adventure by getting a puppy. Believe it or not the range of emotions that this impending change to our current family structure has evoked is very similar to pregnancy. I'm excited, yet extremely apprehensive of this new responsibility. Of course I have had dogs before while growing up, but not one that I was solely responsible for. I'm beginning to think I'm crazy, no wait, I've always thought that. Nonetheless, it's a big step and in preparation I have been doing the studious thing by reading like crazy. When I was pregnant I got all the important books and resources-What to Expect When You're Expecting, The Pregnancy Journal, a subscription to Parents magazine-to ensure that I wouldn't mess up terribly as a parent.
So, I've read two books on puppy training and have concluded though this limited research that puppy rearing is like child rearing-everyone has their own opinion and there is no "right" or "wrong" way of doing this.
For example, on the topic of doggie digging, the two books have differing opinions on how to handle this issue. One book says to give your doggie a part of the yard that it is acceptable to dig and to put doggie poop in the holes that you don't want him to dig in. The rationale is that dogs don't like excrement so they would avoid it. It also suggested putting doggie treats smeared with cheese in the holes in the area you allow the dog to dig in and he should dig there instead of in the poop filled holes. Contrastly, another book says to NEVER put doggie poop in holes, because dogs may eat their own poop which must be some hazard to doggie's health.
Other important tidbits I've learned:
-Never leave a puppy behind a closed door in an effort to control his surroundings. They are social animals and will bark, whine, and/or dig. They may even develop claustraphobia. So now instead of just worrying about the maladjustments I may be putting by child through I now will have to worry about what psychological damage I might be doing to my dog.
-Crating a puppy is a humane and perfectly acceptable practice endorsed by behaviorist, trainers and veterinarians. It is not synonomous with caging. You should make the crate like a den. Dogs are den animals and will sometimes go in their crate on their own if they want some alone time. Never use the crate as a punishment-that would be caging. I know I will still feel guilty though.
-Train the dog to understand that you're the leader of the pack. Again, the animal psychology here claims that dogs will respect their place in the pack, so you must train them to accept their submissive role. Children should be viewed by the dog as leaders too, not littermates. Now I'm wrestling with what kind of collar and leash we should get for training. There are choke collars and pinch collars which seem barbaric to me. However, one book highly recommends the use of the choke collar stating that the sound of the chains sliding along with the pressure on the neck will help the dog associate those stimuli with a behavior you want them to engage in. However, a co-worker who is well versed on doggie training doesn't believe in this practice. She says a regular double loop leash and collar work fine for correction. I remember my studies on classical conditioning, you know the Pavlov stuff where the sound of the bell caused the dog salivation demonstrating the sound/behavior association so this makes sense. Just like some parents still practice corporal punishment and other use time outs and still others use no discernible discipline technique, theories on puppy rearing hold conflicting philosophies too.
-Don't let your puppy sleep with you on your bed. Again the pack theory is that he will think he is your equal. Instead, you have to make them earn that place through careful and patient training.
-UGH! Housebreaking-I have a feeling this is going to be much harder that potty training my daughter because I was incredibly lucky with that task.
So, I pick up our little darling tomorrow afternoon at the county animal shelter. Fortunately, no lies were told on the application for this adoption and they still are going to adopt to us. What the hell are the thinking?
For that matter, what the hell was I thinking?
So, I've read two books on puppy training and have concluded though this limited research that puppy rearing is like child rearing-everyone has their own opinion and there is no "right" or "wrong" way of doing this.
For example, on the topic of doggie digging, the two books have differing opinions on how to handle this issue. One book says to give your doggie a part of the yard that it is acceptable to dig and to put doggie poop in the holes that you don't want him to dig in. The rationale is that dogs don't like excrement so they would avoid it. It also suggested putting doggie treats smeared with cheese in the holes in the area you allow the dog to dig in and he should dig there instead of in the poop filled holes. Contrastly, another book says to NEVER put doggie poop in holes, because dogs may eat their own poop which must be some hazard to doggie's health.
Other important tidbits I've learned:
-Never leave a puppy behind a closed door in an effort to control his surroundings. They are social animals and will bark, whine, and/or dig. They may even develop claustraphobia. So now instead of just worrying about the maladjustments I may be putting by child through I now will have to worry about what psychological damage I might be doing to my dog.
-Crating a puppy is a humane and perfectly acceptable practice endorsed by behaviorist, trainers and veterinarians. It is not synonomous with caging. You should make the crate like a den. Dogs are den animals and will sometimes go in their crate on their own if they want some alone time. Never use the crate as a punishment-that would be caging. I know I will still feel guilty though.
-Train the dog to understand that you're the leader of the pack. Again, the animal psychology here claims that dogs will respect their place in the pack, so you must train them to accept their submissive role. Children should be viewed by the dog as leaders too, not littermates. Now I'm wrestling with what kind of collar and leash we should get for training. There are choke collars and pinch collars which seem barbaric to me. However, one book highly recommends the use of the choke collar stating that the sound of the chains sliding along with the pressure on the neck will help the dog associate those stimuli with a behavior you want them to engage in. However, a co-worker who is well versed on doggie training doesn't believe in this practice. She says a regular double loop leash and collar work fine for correction. I remember my studies on classical conditioning, you know the Pavlov stuff where the sound of the bell caused the dog salivation demonstrating the sound/behavior association so this makes sense. Just like some parents still practice corporal punishment and other use time outs and still others use no discernible discipline technique, theories on puppy rearing hold conflicting philosophies too.
-Don't let your puppy sleep with you on your bed. Again the pack theory is that he will think he is your equal. Instead, you have to make them earn that place through careful and patient training.
-UGH! Housebreaking-I have a feeling this is going to be much harder that potty training my daughter because I was incredibly lucky with that task.
So, I pick up our little darling tomorrow afternoon at the county animal shelter. Fortunately, no lies were told on the application for this adoption and they still are going to adopt to us. What the hell are the thinking?
For that matter, what the hell was I thinking?
posted by amyd | 3:39 AM
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