puppy&dog TRAINING

Nothing stops undesirable puppy behaviour faster than preventing it or catching your puppy in the act. Keeping your puppy with you, on a lead, is an effective way to catch undesirable behaviours quickly.

Think of your leash as a message line that can give your puppy instant feedback on her behaviour. A quick "leave it" command while using the lead to stop your puppy from grabbing a shoe is much better training than running after her to try to take the shoe back.

Start lead bonding the first week you bring your puppy home. At first, use a soft, nylon, buckle-type collar until your puppy is comfortable with it. Then, attach a light lead and let your puppy drag it around. Next, you can either attach the lead to your belt to keep a close eye on your puppy, or you can let her drag the lead in the house for short periods of time (while you supervise).

When you use this method, you will notice your puppy learning good manners quickly. Train good behaviours by rewarding your puppy for sitting, lying down or watching. Stop your puppy from jumping into the dishwasher or on counters and from chewing on baseboards.

Everyday Behaviour Dilemma 1 - Jumping up on people

What's happening: Your puppy is over-excited and is jumping up on people.

How you respond: You yell "Get off!" several times and give your puppy a push. You're fed up with her jumping up, and you're wondering how many times you have to discipline her until she 'gets it.'

How your puppy sees it: She thinks: "Wow! What a great game - I jump and they push. Let's do this again!"

Diagnosis: Without meaning to, you are rewarding your puppy for jumping up, and you are keeping the excitement level high by pushing and repeating commands.

A trainer recommends: Teach your puppy how to greet. Put the puppy on a lead. Catch the jumping before it happens by restraining your puppy gently with the lead. Then, reward your puppy quickly when she settles down. Also, do 'set-up' training sessions at your front door to practice the ësití command for greetings. Keep some treats nearby so you can give your puppy quick rewards.

Everyday Behaviour Dilemma 2 - Nipping

What's happening: When you start to play with your puppy, she starts to bite. She always nips when you touch her.

How you respond: You hold her mouth, thinking (and hoping) this will teach her to stop. Instead, the behaviour gets worse. You try saying "stop it!" several times, but your puppy just gets more excited.

How your puppy sees it: She thinks: ìThey get me all excited to play, and then put their hands on me. I joined in the game and started nipping. Then, they started yelling, which seemed like a lot of fun, too!

Diagnosis: Nipping is natural behaviour for puppies, and touching an excited puppy will almost always increase nipping. You need to learn new ways to interact with your puppy when she is nipping.

A trainer recommends: Teach your puppy acceptable play behaviour. Keep your hands off your puppy when sheís excited. When lead bonding, practice saying ìouch!î in a stern way when your puppy nips you, and ignore her (or use the lead) until she settles. Encourage play that does not include nipping. Give your puppy appropriate things to chew, such as a kong or dental rope.

Everyday Behaviour Dilemma 3 - Getting over-excited

What's happening: Your puppy wonít settle down in the house.

How you feel about the situation: You feel that you canít cope with your puppyís energy level. Sheís always demanding attention, and it's frustrating.

How your puppy sees it: She thinks: "My owners pat me a lot and play ball when I demand it. When I bark at them, I get what I want. This is working well for me!"

Diagnosis: Your puppy has too much freedom. You are rewarding her undesirable behaviour by giving her attention whenever she demands it.

A trainer recommends: Reinforce calm, settled behaviour. Do not give attention or play with your puppy when she is pushy and excitable. Take away all attention until your puppy relaxes. Reward your puppy with a light touch and praise her when she shows calm, quiet behaviour. Make sure you schedule and initiate play and exercise often and regularly. (Some breeds need more physical exercise than others.) You should be the one to initiate play sessions, not your puppy. Stick with a program of strict lead control in the house until your puppy learns to calm down. - Donna Davidson, B.A.