Do’s and don’ts when owning a dog
Many People don’t realize that some of the play or even certain improper corrections can have a negative effect. The effect is time related, in other words it won’t show up till months later.
We all love our pet and we never see ourselves doing anything wrong, but we do.
-First and foremost never hit your pet or stick their nose in their mess.
-Always have a leash on your pet when going outside.
-For any one that is a home maker always try to change your going out times, so your pet doesn’t fall on a schedule.
Example 1; If you always take your pet out for a walk at 10am day after day, they will be use to that. What happens if that day you can’t go out at 10am? Your pet will get frustrated and will act out. But when they don’t know when they are going out they won’t bother you. At times make sure that you go out without your dog, that way they get to learn to stay on their own.
Example 2; don’t come home during your lunch hour to let the dog out, or spend time with it. Although your intentions are good what happens one day when you can’t come home?
Don’t buy chew toys that your pet can’t distinguish their chew toys from house hold items.
Example: Don’t buy a knotted rope that has the frills on both ends, if you own a carpet with frills .The puppy doesn’t know the difference.
Example 2: Stuffed toys (teddy bears, etc…) pillows and many other items in your home have the same type of stuffing they will end up destroying it.
-Don’t waste your money on tennis balls, they will shred it, and break it. Buy a real dog ball, it last longer.
-Don’t expect your dog to know the rules of the house, you must teach and guide them to what is accepted and what isn’t. They will learn in due time.
-Don’t feel bad if you have to confine (cage or crate) the puppy, it’s for their safety and your home to stay intact. You can always use the bathroom if you have no crate, and never close the door always use a baby gate to block them. (If you do close the door they will bark, cry, whine and become destructive.)
If you really don’t want to cage your pet there are different ways to confine them. There are many ways best is to call us or get a hold of a professional trainer to help you.
Confining a puppy or dog will also help with speeding up the potty training.
-Don’t allow your pet to get on the couch or bed on their own accord; they should only be able to if given permission. Not by their choice, only on command when you want them to.
-Don’t ever play tug of war with your pet; this will cause undesirable behavior later on.
Tug of war games with your pet teaches them aggression, and most of the time it’s men that do that.
For some reason men get a kick out of their dog growling, please don’t do that.
That kind of game increases the dogs confidence as well as brings out their aggression, and one day you will be calling the trainer for aggression issues.
If you’re planning to train your dog for personal protection, with the guidance of a professional trainer that has experience in that type of training then it’s okay. The real term when starting a puppy at a young age is not called tug of war, it is known as puppy bite training.
-Socialize your pet as much as you can, once it has had all its vaccinations.
-Dog parks; any professional dog trainer will tell you never bring your dog to public dog parks, and I agree.
(Unless it’s a private controlled dog park)
Here are some bullet points reasons why; 1- Your pet has a greater chance of catching something. 2- When entering a dog park all the dogs rush to see your dog, if you’re dog happens to be dominant, the alpha in the pack of dogs that are already there will make sure your dog does not pull rank. A fight may start. 3- Dog parks although was intended for dogs to play, see for yourself it’s more the owners that are too busy socializing themselves and not paying attention to their dog. 4-Not all dog owners pick up the poop, some don’t see because they are too busy socializing. 5-Your pet can pick up bacteria or a virus if anyone of those dogs has not been vaccinated.
The list goes on… I have seen many owners with horrible stories and experiences at dog parks. You’re better off taking your dog for a good walk and always changing areas, so you enjoy it as well.
You might be wondering how you can exercise your dog, well the same amount of time you put at the dog park you should be walking them. Don’t think that your dog is really getting exercise at the dog park; yes he is tired when you go home. But you will notice with time they build up endurance, and your dog won’t be as tired as you think. Your dog will get use to it, and now you need to spend more time at the park.
-A puppy between the ages of 2-3 months is the bonding stage for pets and owners.
You can start obedience training as young as 3 months. Some trainers will tell you at the age of 6 months to start training. Well it’s not, here is why. A puppy of 3 months is like a blank sheet of paper or a brand new laptop. It’s clear and ready to be programmed. A puppy of 6 months has already established many bad behaviors, so those behaviors have to be erased and replaced with excepted behaviors.
The older the dog the more bad habits it will have, to train an older dog it will take more time. At a certain age certain behaviors cannot be altered, manipulated, modified or corrected.
Just like children the younger they are the quicker they learn, as they become much older they get more stubborn for change. Much older dog are settled in their ways.
I’m not saying it can’t be trained, I’m saying the younger the easier.
When training any puppy or dog, several things need to be taken in account 1-Age, 2-Breed, 3-Gender, 4-character, 5-Temperament and 6-Enviroment.
Always remember: Patience, Persistence, Consistency & Repetition will be your key to Success.
“Failure is Not an Option” If you are willing to put the time and effort during and after classes.
Have a woof woof of a month.
Harry Kalajian
All Aspect of training, Behaviorist, Ethologist & Psychologist
Executive Dog Training Inc.
941-447-8234
www.executivedogtraining.com
