Avoiding Bad Habits in Your Puppy: Tips & Tricks
This article was written in the hope that someone might benefit from my experience. Dog education is profoundly different from dog training. Many people misunderstand the terms by using the term education to anthropomorphise their animal. Education and training are two different things and exist for both people and animals. One thinks of the training of firemen for example.
Having said that, let us now proceed to indicate what you should never do with your puppy if you want to reduce the likelihood of it misbehaving in the future. It will help you live much more serenely with your dog who, being an animal of habit, will not suffer from the rules you impose on him.
Rule No. 1. Go easy on the rules
It is true that the dog is an animal of habit, but you cannot expect it to behave like a diplomat. Stressing the dog too much means generating frustration in him and in you and thus suffering that is then released with a destructive compensation mechanism.
Few but firm rules are best. Avoid demanding too much of your dog, be patient and never let him win when he tends to defy you by breaking them. Do not be afraid to scold him, but avoid doing so all the time.
Always remember that the dog suffers greatly when he is scolded and appreciates signs of approval. However, if you overdo one or the other, he will get used to it and will have less and less impact immediately. Many psychologists and psychiatrists recommend an animal to people with psychological problems. I do not agree.
Certainly having a well-behaved animal can benefit the patient (pet therapy) but this is a completely different case because it is you who have to educate the dog now. Do not make your dog neurotic. If you have any problems of a psychological nature and are unbalanced, refrain from getting one altogether.
Rule no. 2. Don't be fooled by the googly eyes
The dog is a very intelligent animal, if it sees that with certain attitudes it will be able to do anything, it will tend to perform in a theatre designed to manipulate you into letting it do what it wants. Rules are fundamental to the upbringing of a dog; you must apply them firmly, with balance and a sense of proportion.
The more experienced will certainly have noticed certain attitudes among some improperly educated specimens. An example is surely the dog that starts shaking as if it were cold or afraid. The dog that is afraid of thunder and takes refuge with you. The dog that starts limping to attract its owner's attention and so on.
A classic example is the dog that demands food on the table while you are eating. A point must be made about this. From a natural and pack point of view, it is a perfectly understandable attitude. Unfortunately, in the society in which we live, many natural tendencies, including our own, have to be restricted.
It is not socially acceptable for the dog to become accustomed to demanding food from your plate whether you are alone in the house for hygienic reasons or if there are guests. The dog is able to know at any time whether there is someone inside the house who is eating. Make sure you always eat before him in different rooms and at different times.
Rule number 3. You are not the same species
You cannot think you can raise a tiger as you would a horse. The ignorant goodism rampant in recent times has introduced the view that the dog is a kind of human being with a different form. This is something that simply does not exist and it is important that it is understood without ifs and buts.
To give an example, in some book it is written that in order to educate one's dog to do its business outside, one should follow a course in which, by placing a sleeper on it, one moves it slowly until it gets outside. At the same time, one should sanitise the place where the dog has previously been with special products and attract it with others.
The basic concept would also be correct if our house was a desert without walls, but since our dog, like us, has a kinaesthetic perception of where he is, this is simply not the best way to get him used to being outside. Stagnation in the droppings trap increases the proliferation of harmful micro organisms. Paws will certainly get on them and the whole thing will be carefully spread all over the house.
Moreover, immediately sanitising everything, changing the sleeper and so on, reinforces in the dog the conviction that you are happy that he has made it there, that you were only waiting for this and so, to make you even happier, he will continue to make it there forever.
In order to get the dog used to going outside, simply at the precise moment he goes (not a second before, not a second later) scold the dog firmly, lock him outside and quietly clean everything with non-ammonia-based products, taking care not to be seen by him. Naturally the dog needs to relieve himself frequently, so you must set inflexible times to take him outside (no matter what).
Taking the dog out frequently and letting him go outside after yelling at him serves to prevent the dog from believing that the best way to prevent you from getting angry at him is to eat his own faeces and make them disappear.
The adult dog needs to go outside at least every 6 hours; it is not necessary to stay outside very long. And remember to take tools with you to remove it.
Rule 4. Everyone is different but the same
Basically, we are all creatures made from the same elements and our bodies respond using identical basic biochemical mechanisms. This is one thing that makes us equal to our animals. Like them, our feelings and character are formed by a certain proportion of experience and genetic predisposition. Your strategies must be adapted precisely to each of your dogs, bearing in mind that the basic mechanisms are the same.
Cuddling and stroking a dog from morning to night while lying on the sofa may seem a pleasant and relaxing thing for both of you, but for the dog, the caress and the spoken word in a sweet or enthusiastic tone of voice should be regarded as tools for offering him gratification when he does something positive. Dogs that like each other play and run together, they do not cling to each other all the time and caress each other.
So-called positive reinforcement should be handled as follows. If mere stroking is not enough initially and paying attention to the total calories for the day, with the dog on an empty stomach start with something not too appetising. As the days go by you decrease the doses until you replace the food with expressions of joy and caresses that become less and less theatrical until you reach the simple word spoken in an affectionate and enthusiastic tone.
It is pointless to monologue to the dog, it is not a human being in a coma that you talk to in the hope that it will benefit and comfort from your words. Dogs understand tones, sound inflections and gestures. As I said, avoid anthropomorphising your dog. The dog is either loved and treated with due and proper respect and care or you should opt for something else.
PS. In case you opt for a child, avoid long monologues with him too.
Rule no. 5. The dog is not an ornament
Many dog owners who go to dog trainers express the wish for their dog to be calm and good as if it were some kind of ornament. Most of these people are elderly people who, for loneliness or other reasons, take a dog hoping that it will fit them.
Although there are breeds that are more prone to laziness than others, one should not take a dog if one cannot care for it properly. Dogs that tend towards laziness also tend towards atrophy and obesity, so if you need an ornament that wags its tail every now and then, opt for a robot.
The same applies to those who see dogs only and exclusively as playmates. Dogs need to play the way dogs do, not the way humans do. No dog should be forced into the humiliation of wearing human clothes or make-up, no dog should ever be used as a doll.
Avoid stimulating the predatory instinct and get the dog used to letting go on command at all times. A retrieving dog will certainly be happier playing with a ball or a Frisbee than an English bulldog. Every animal is unique, but the predisposition of the breed must always be taken into the highest consideration.
Rule No. 6. The dog belongs to your pack
In modern society, the need to socialise the dog with adults, children and even other dogs is becoming increasingly pressing. It is important to understand, however, that this does not mean teaching the dog that it must be handled by all strangers.
Any dog must be educated to indifference towards strangers and other dogs. Indifference means that you make it clear to the dog that it must not have reactions of any kind. I realise that this is a mission impossible in many cases. Most people do not understand that a dog and its owner are a so-called pair. A pair is a kind of pack in which a relationship of trust, respect, belonging and work is established.
Cases are not uncommon where there have been accidents because the dog has crossed the road trying to reach an old human friend who always cuddles him in the park. It is true that dogs in public places must always be kept on a leash, but in a moment of distraction the leash could slip out of our hands or it could act as an obstacle for someone passing by at that moment.
In the future I will write an article in which I will explain why I am firmly against handling other people's dogs because it is too long and complex a topic to describe in one paragraph.
Remember that you are the pack leader and are therefore expected to behave as such at all times. The more confident a leader is, the fewer arbitrary manifestations he will have.
In brief
As you will no doubt have noticed, this article follows a very different structure from others you can find on the net. It is not a decalogue of all the possible attitudes a dog might have and how they can be avoided taking into account the breed, character and past experience of the dog.
It would in fact be ridiculous to think of condensing all this information into a single article, and in any case there is an immense amount of books on the subject (some of them very good). I recommend reading the very old manuals because in my opinion they are much better done.
It is understood that anyone who wants a more in-depth look, just scroll down and leave a comment, I will be very happy to provide clarification or write an article on a specific topic.
