These tips are intended
to help you to welcome your doggy in the best possible way. They
can also be useful to anyone who might one day have a little
problem with their dog or their puppy.
The first advice to give you is above all be
attentive. There can be several causes of a nuisance behaviour and
only attentive observation of your doggy will make it possible to
solve the problem. For example, a problem of cleanliness might
appear in a dominant dog, but also in an anxious and fearful dog.
In the first case, it will be necessary firmly to take matters in
hand; but in the second, you'll be able to solve the problem by
gentleness.
Don't worry, most dogs don't pose problems and
you will most likely never need these tips!
Leaving
the refuge, travelling, and arriving at a strange house are major
causes of stress for a doggy. Taking the following precautions
will make it possible to avoid problems.
The trip
Long trips by car generally have a sporofic
effect on dogs. However, rest stops can worry your little pet,
especially if it's in a noisy place like a parking area by the
motorway. He might well panic and try to escape by backing up to
get out of his collar. To avoid this sort of scare, be very
careful when opening the car doors (you can attach the dog to the
inside of the car before opening up), tighten the collar as much
as possible, or use a harness that fits well. Choke collars in
nylon or metal have the advantage of being impossible for a dog to
get out of by backing up.
However, some dogs get over-excited in the car (often animals who
aren't used to cars). In that case, use your voice to comfort the
dog and, for your security, attach him in the car. Better yet, use
a carrying cage, a grill or a net. If you've adopted a puppy,
don't forget that babies often relieve themselves and can be
carsick: have ready a cloth, wipes and plastic bags!
Getting
home
Your house will quickly become a pleasant
and reassuring place for your dog, but for the moment, it's a
complete unknown for him. Some things can astonish or worry him
(noises, other animals, etc), but above all he might well get
lost. If your garden is not competely enclosed by a fence that's
high enough, don't let the dog out off the lead and make sure that
doors and gates are closed.
The stress of the trip and the change of living quarters might
give rise to diarrhoea: be prepared - take up rugs and confine
your doggy to a tiled room with his basket, cushion or blanket for
his first night!
A dog
doesn't react like a human, and to train him more easily, it's
important to understand his psychology. Without going into detail,
here are some basic ideas to apply:
Prevention
is better than cure!
Always put the dog in situations that you control. Not only will
he quickly get the impression that you are the boss, but this will
avoid your getting annoyed.
In
practice: Prepare an appropriate place
for the dog - young dogs, and more particularly puppies, can
chew furniture, relieve themselves, etc & In the car, have
ready a cage, a net or a grill, and a cover on the seats.
Outside, use a long lead in the early days. You will find 4 or
5-metre leads in animal or riding equipment shops, or you could
make one yourself.
Your dog will learn much better if you motivate him by play and
cheerfulness than if you scold him! Don't forget either that's
it's impossible for a dog to learn the first time. You will have
to repeat the exercise dozens of times before he really
understands. Finally, it is very important for you to be
consistent in training your dog; if not he will quickly be lost.
If something is forbidden, it ought to be forbidden every time, at
least for several months (for example, climbing onto beds), and
not vary with your mood.
In
practice: Don't stop with a failure. If your dog doesn't
succeed in doing an exercise - for example, a simple recall -
try to simplify the exercise so that he will master it easily.
For example, if you attach a long lead to your doggy and try
again with the recall, you will certainly succeed. Don't forget
to praise him and don't insist; you'll be able to work on the
exercise again later.
Use simple terms: an adult dog can understand several dozen
words, providing that he has been taught them! So make his task
easier: always use the same words, preferably short words. For
example, "sit" is much better than "would you like
to sit down please". Be aware that the dog is more sensitive
to your tone of voice and gestures than to the words that you
speak. To say no, use a decisive tone, an unhappy expression, and
remain standing. To praise you doggy, show your enthusiasm with
lots of fuss, smiles and crouching to cuddle him. When it's
important, don't confuse your dog by long uninterrupted
statements. Speak quietly, with a firm and serious voice.
In the beginning, the dog was an animal who lived in a very
hierarchical social group, the pack. Although domesticated for
millennia, many dogs need to find a family structure that recalls
their origins. In a pack, the dominant individuals have many
prerogatives (eating first, having the best sleeping places, going
through doors first, etc.) and the dominated ones submit to their
authority. Your dog should be absolutely convinced that the
dominant members of the pack are the humans, and not him. If you
adopt a puppy or a young dog, you should pay particular attention
during the animal's adolescence. It is then that the dog will try
to test you and to rise in the family hierarchy.
In
practice: To lower the rank of your dog in the hierarchy:
- Don't let him sleep in your bedroom, especially not on the
bed, or on the couches
- Give him his meal after yours and don't give him anything
while you are at table, especially if he asks for something
- When you go through a door, make him come behind you
- Practice obedience exercises (walking on the lead, sit, down,
recall, etc.), preferably in a training club
If you adopt an adult whose character is already formed, and if
the dog appears quite submissive, no need to bother him with all
these rules!
A reward is always preferable to a punishment: when your dog
adopts a behaviour that you favour, or when he stops doing
something silly when you ask him to, praise him in an exaggerated
fashion, repeat "good boy" several times, play with him,
give him a treat, etc. - don't worry about making too much of a
fuss! Many people are much quicker to scold their dog than to
praise him. But rewards make training go much more quickly than
punishments. If your dog really goes too far, you can take him by
the skin of his neck and shake him a bit, or give him a flick with
a tea towel. It's pointless to hurt him. The important thing is to
make him understand your annoyance. Ignore him entirely for a
while afterwards; that will no doubt make him unhappier than the
initial punishment. Don't forget that these punishments should be
exceptional.
In
practice: Masters rarely think to reward their dog when
he ends up obeying. However, even if your dog has taken time to
obey the command, the important thing is that he did it!
If you find that your dog doesn't obey quickly enough, reward
him anyhow (food treat, toy) and give him the same command
followed again by a reward and so on. The speed of carrying out
the order ought to increase rapidly!
It's absolutely pointless to punish or scold your dog if you
don't do it immediately. All trainers agree on this point: a dog
doesn't make the connection between the punishment and the stupid
prank unless they're very close in time (a few seconds). Scolding
a dog several hours after the problem can only disturb and confuse
him.
In
practice: On a walk, your dog refuses to come back when
you call him. After a (long) time, he ends up obeying and, furious,
you get ready to give him a ticking off. Big mistake: the dog
will associate this punishment with his return, and not relate
it to his disobedience - and he might well take longer and longer
to come back for fear of the punishment. A good solution would
be to have the dog under control by using a long lead to stop
him in his tracks or to get him to come back happily thanks
to a toy or a treat that must obviously be given him when he
comes to you. If he really doesn't come back and you have to
go find him, then it's legitimate to scold him.
The use of a plant spritzer or even a water pistol can be very
effective as it enables you to intervene at the exact moment the
dog carries out the mischief. For example, if your puppy decides
to mouth a table leg, you can give him a little spray on the
muzzle while saying "no" in a lively voice.
Most
adult dogs have already been trained to be clean. However puppies
have everything to learn, and certain adults may have forgotten
some of their good manners. The methods described below can give
rapid results, but you should be aware that a puppy is unable to
be continent for several hours before the age of 3 or 4 months and
sometimes even much later.
In
practice: Don't give your dog access to the whole house.
Give him the rooms that are easy to clean (take up the rugs in
the beginning); that way you won't be annoyed. You will be able
gradually to give him access to other rooms. It will be a reward
that he'll greatly appreciate!
Training a dog to be clean is simple. It's a matter of encouraging
your dog to relieve himself in the place that you've chosen for
the purpose: in general the garden, the street, or possibly on
newspapers in a corner of the house for puppies living in an
apartment. As indicated in the general principles of training, a
dog is more receptive to rewards than to
punishment. So wait until the dog relieves himself in the
place you've selected and reward him generously (hugs, treats,
encouraging words).
In
practice:
Take your dog out very often - it's one of the keys to
success. After meals of course, but also after naps, play
sessions, etc. The longer you observe your dog and the more
often you take him out, the quicker he'll learn.
Obviously, your dog will have a few accidents in
the beginning - it's almost inevitable with puppies. If the
accident happens while you're there, say "no" and try to
take him quickly to the right place. But if you're not there at
the time of the accident, don't scold him: the dog won't make the
connection (see general principles). In
practice, most of us can't spend our lives looking after our dogs,
and accidents happen when we are least vigilant. To avoid them,
people in the UK and USA often use a cage of the "vari
kennel" type or a transport crate, as the dog's indoor den or
kennel. Put your dog's bedding with his toys in the kennel. When
you can't keep an eye on him, confine him in his kennel/den. Most
puppies refrain from peeing in their sleeping quarters. Take him
out of the kennel as often as possible, and immediately take him
to relieve himself, praising him when he does it.
Truisms
and poor practice
- Don't put the dog's or puppy's nose in his excrement! It's not
particularly disgusting for him. Moreover, if it's done long
after he's relieved himself he won't make the connection.
- Never scold dogs who urinate in an emotional state (joy or
fear). It will only make the problem worse by stressing the dog.
Try instead to distract the dog by a game, a reward, etc.
It's important not to confuse problems in learning to be clean
with a dog's marking his territory. Urinating is actually a way
that dogs mark their territory and some - especially males -
overdo it, marking furniture, doorways, beds, etc. This sort of
behaviour can even begin suddenly in the adolescence of dogs who
had been clean.
This sort of situation often comes about among dominant dogs, in
which case it is important to lower the hierarchical rank of the
dog, using the methods explained in the section
on hierarchy and the group. In any case, the dog must
be caught in the act and scolded with lightning speed (see
immediate reaction). If you catch him in the act, you can take
him by the scruff of the neck and shake him a bit, or else spray
the muzzle with a plant spray to calm him down.
Destructive
behaviour generally takes place in your absence, when the dog
finds himself alone at home. It can sometimes be accompanied by
barking, or even by howling - very hard on the neighbours. This
kind of behaviour is actually an expression of your dog's anxiety,
who is finding being left alone hard to bear. It's quite common
among puppies and young dogs. Many people imagine that the dog is
taking revenge for being left alone by getting up to mischief.
This is quite wrong: the dog is just venting his anxiety at the
absence of his master, just as children often need to cry or howl
to let off steam. For behaviour of this type to cease, it is
necessary:
First, to put your furnishings in a safe
place to avoid having a crisis when you come home. You can use
a transport cage (see the advice on
cleanliness) or put your doggy with his bedding into a
"safe" room (e.g. a bathroom or a kitchen) before
going out. It is preferable for him to be used to sleeping in
this room, even when you are at home; if not he might be even
more stressed.
Secondly, to lessen his anxiety. You can use
a DAP plug-in (sold at veterinarians' surgeries) which
disseminates a smell that is relaxing for dogs. But the most
effective is without a doubt training in being alone. This
consists in getting your dog used, from the beginning - even
if you are on holiday - to being alone, at first for a few
minutes, then for longer and longer. Try to go out as
naturally as possible, without hiding (get your coat and your
keys ready beforehand) and ignore the dog for 10 minutes
before you go; you could also give him a good rawhide bone -
that might help him to be patient. Other tricks might also
work, such as leaving the radio or the TV on low.
To
do : Training a dog to be alone should be gradual and
repetitive. From the beginning, get your dog used to being alone
for a few minutes, then for longer and longer periods. Consider
using a carrying cage in the beginning. Not to do : If you scold the dog when you come back,
several hours after the destructive behaviour; that will only
increase his anxiety.
Adult dogs who continue to get up to mischief
are often over-attached to their masters. It's understandable that
the absence of their idol might panic them. It's thus important
not to have too intense emotional relations with a dog who tends
to be stressed in your absence: don't let him sleep in your room,
don't stroke him too often, etc.
Running
away can have several causes. First, sexual reasons: during their
heats for female dogs, and just about all the time for males. The
solution is obvious for owners of female dogs: sterilization,
which in addition has numerous advantages for the dog's health
(avoids infections of the uterus and lowers the risk of tumours of
the teats). Castration can also be useful for males.
The other motivations for dogs' going walkabout can be the hunting
instinct, curiosity, and most often boredom, which leads the doggy
to take a little turn to amuse himself.
The quickest solution to solve the problem of running away is to
enclose your garden, either with a fence or with an electric or
electronic dog fence.
In
practice : The key attraction of dog containment fences is
their simplicity: all you have to do is run a wire along the
ground and put a special collar on the dog. When he tries to go
beyond the limit, he will be "punished" (in the form
of a small electric shock) by the collar and he will quickly
give up running away. You can buy this type of fence from our
partner, "la
boutique de chiot France"," - the price is among
the lowest on the market.
Certain races, such as Huskies, are particularly prone to go
walkabout. For this type of dog, don't rely too much on training
and do realize that fences need to be particularly high and solid!
Running away problems can also often be solved by training with a
little perseverance. For that to work it is necessary to apply the
basic principles of immediate reaction, patience
and consistency.
In
practice: the only way to catch a runaway dog in the act is
to hide in the place he uses to escape, armed with a watering
hose (very effective!) or with an object that frightens him
(bunch of keys, etc). At the moment your vagabond crosses the
boundary, spray him or throw your object near him while showing
your displeasure with lots of noise.
A single ambush will obviously not be enough,
and you will have to repeat the operation very often in the
beginning, with perhaps several sessions later. This is obviously
possible only if you don't live too close to roads with much
traffic.
To start with, it's
better to put your doggy on the lead for the introductions, and to
put the two animals in contact inside the house rather than
outside; the cat will be able to jump onto the furniture if
there's a problem. Caress your cat so that your new doggy will
understand that the cat is part of the family. It's normal for
your dog to try to sniff the cat but remain vigilant. If your cat
is not reassured, put him in a high place; that might be enough to
give him authority over the dog.
If your dog seems to want to jump on the cat, scold him
energetically and shake him up by giving big jerks backward with
the lead. Usually the cat quickly acquires the dominant position
in relation to the dog, especially inside the house.
In
practice: Never leave cat and dog alone in a room in your
absence before being absolutely certain that their relations are
good.
Moreover, even if they get on well inside, remain cautious
outside, especially if the cat starts to run.
Outside it's more tricky: the cat can start
running, which might well give rise to the dog's pursuit reaction.
So remain always very cautious and use a long lead on your dog so
that you can stop him more easily.
Everyone who has
had the happy experience of having had a dog in their childhood
knows what a wonderful experience, and a real asset it is in life.
If everything goes well in the vast majority of cases, it is still
necessary to be very attentive while the child is young (under 7
or 8 years old).
First, never leave a young child alone with the dog, even for a
little while. The baby's crying, or the smell of his diaper, can
disturb some dogs, who will try to lick the baby, or to take the
diaper off to clean it, which can go wrong. On the other hand,
there is no reason the dog can't stay close to the baby while you
look after it - it's even a very good way to get acquainted. Don't
push the dog away in these cases, let him even do a bit of
licking, but still make sure that he stays quiet and sitting.
Tips about training the dog in relation to children are actually
quite limited: broadly speaking, you must ensure that the dog
isn't too dominant by appying the general principles on hierarchy.
But note that the application of these principles is much more
difficult with children who spontaneously invite the dog onto
their bed or give the dog something to eat while at table. You'll
no doubt have to use more authority with the children than with
the dog!
The most important thing is without a doubt to teach children to
respect the dog: accidents are almost always linked to a child's
behaviour that does not respect the dog. Unfortunately one too
often sees children harassing puppies or little dogs by running
after them, waking them while they're asleep, cornering them
behind furniture, etc. We mustn't forget that even a light child
can hurt a little dog very badly by stepping on his paw! The child
is obviously not aware that he can frighten or hurt the dog or
puppy, who will finish one day by having enough. It's therefore up
to the parents to intervene in such a situation.
In
practice: Many parents don't think it necessary to train
their child to respect the family dog, especially if the dog is
very good. However, many little ones do not undestand that the
dogs they meet outside don't have the same reactions as their
fine doggy. It is thus indispensable for the safety of your
child to teach him to avoid certain risky behaviour with all
dogs, including theirs.
In particular, teach your children certain basic
rules.
Inside:
Don't disturb a dog who's eating or sleeping,
Don't hold him too tightly, climb on him or lie on him,
pull his tail or his ears, or pull him by his collar,
Don't touch a dog who has taken refuge under a piece of
furniture. The dog must be able to have access to a quiet
place where children are not allowed to bother him. But they
could try to get him to come out by calling him (without
shouting) or with a treat, without insisting if the dog
doesn't want to come.
Outside:
Do not approach or caress an animal who is not known to you
or who's tied up. Possibly ask his master if he can be
stroked.
Never run, shout or gesticulate if a dog approaches,
especially if the dog begins to get excited. A dog tends
naturally to run after someone who's running. Most often, it's
just a game - but the game can quickly become too violent for
a child.
Finally, it is indispensable to teach children to recognize
the dog's signs of fear: if he distances himself (in particular
if he hides under a piece of furniture) or if he growls, the
child must let the dog alone immediately.
The trip
In
practice: Prepare an appropriate place
for the dog - young dogs, and more particularly puppies, can
chew furniture, relieve themselves, etc & In the car, have
ready a cage, a net or a grill, and a cover on the seats.
Outside, use a long lead in the early days. You will find 4 or
5-metre leads in animal or riding equipment shops, or you could
make one yourself.