Puppy Essentials: Crate Training

Introduction
Providing your puppy with a dog crate and training him to accept it is one of the most important (and rewarding) responsibilities of new dog ownership. Crate training provides multiple, mutual benefits to both puppy and owner. To the puppy, the crate represents a haven, a safe, comfortable and familiar place where he can sleep, eat, or go to escape when he feels tired or overwhelmed by family life. To the owner, it is a management tool that facilitates successful puppy raising in general and housebreaking in particular. It prevents the sorts of accidents and destruction that would otherwise have many a new puppy owner questioning his decision to get a puppy in the first place. To a person, a crate may look like a cage, and people often have negative associations with cages. Rest assured that with proper training and use, your puppy will see his crate not as a cage, but as a trusted sanctuary.


The first thing to know about crate training a puppy is that the crate needs to fit the puppy. Puppies are naturally loathe to soil their sleeping quarters, and with a properly sized crate, we can take advantage of this inclination and use it as an aid in housebreaking. The crate should be large enough for the puppy to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. It should not be so large that he can make a bedroom of one end and a bathroom of the other! If you wish to avoid having to purchase more than one crate, Midwest makes a wire "life stages" crate that comes with a divider which can be removed as the puppy grows. Or, for a more rustic solution, purchase a crate that will be suitable when the puppy is full grown and put a couple of polar-fleece covered cinder-blocks in the back while he's still growing.

There are three primary types of crate that are commercially available from both online vendors and from livestock and pet supply stores. These are:


Wire Crates
Wire crates are produced by a variety of reputable companies such as Midwest, Precision, and Kennel-Aire. Wire crates are easy to clean (they typically have a metal or plastic tray that slides out from the bottom), and are collapsible for transportation and storage. They provide the most ventilation and visibility, which may or may not be an advantage, depending upon the dog, the season, and the location of the crate. Wire crates are easily covered, by either commercial covers or simply by a blanket, to create additional warmth and/or privacy, as needed. The disadvantages of wire crates are that they are the heaviest of the three types of crate, are not approved for airline travel, and many eventually become vulnerable to rust and to wire-to-wire bond breakage, which weakens the crate overall and leaves an exposed wire that, until repaired, is apt to snag coat, collars, and unwary fingers.

Plastic Crates
Plastic, or "airline" type crates come in two main pieces, a top and a bottom, with a gate, and are fastened along the side seam by one of several types of fasteners that range from dials that turn and click to lock, to specialty fasteners, to old fashioned nuts and bolts. Airlines typically reinforce these fastenings with heavy duty cable ties when shipping an animal. The best known plastic crate manufacturer is Pet Mate, who makes both the Vari-Kennel and Sky-Kennel lines. Remington is another recognized producer. Some models are sturdier than others and not all are airline approved, so if you're planning on flying with your dog, make sure in advance that the crate you purchase is approved for that purpose. Airline crates provide greater privacy for the dog (good for a dog that likes privacy, not so good for dogs that want to see everything that's going on), and are generally sturdy enough to last the lifetime of your dog. The drawbacks to a plastic crate is that it's bulkier to store, and to truly get one clean, it's necessary to a) crawl inside of it or b) take it apart.

Soft Crates
Soft crates are usually made of heavy duty canvas or nylon, mesh and zippers. They typically will have some sort of lightweight aluminum frame and can be collapsed quickly and take very little room to store. There are many manufacturers: General Cage, Pet Gear, Mr. Herzher, Midwest, Precision, etc. Each brand of crate is a little different from the next. Some are easier to set up than others, some are lighter, some more durable, some have coverings that roll down over the "windows," some have rods that must be inserted while others have the rods built in. Take the time to study the differences. Look for heavy duty seams and zippers. Soft crates are for dogs who are already crate trained and past the puppy chewing phase. They are not recommended for anxious dogs or for those prone to separation anxiety.

Crate Training
Crate training is a breeze when you follow a few simple rules. The vast bulk of crate training can be accomplished within one day.


First, set the puppy up to succeed. Allow him to "discover" the crate. Place it in a room where people typically gather, and where you tend to spend the most time. Tie open the door to the crate to prevent accidental closing, bumping and banging. Outfit the crate with a cozy crate mat, a stuffed toy or two, and a chew toy. Drop in two or three small treats that you know the puppy enjoys, such as small cubes of cheese. Be sure to put one close to the entrance. Then, watch and wait for the puppy to find the treats on his own, and when he does, praise him profusely, especially if he ventures into the crate. When he's eaten all of the treats, show him another one and toss it inside the crate, praising him if he goes inside to get it. Periodically throughout the day, randomly drop another treat or two into the crate for the puppy to find. The idea is for all of his associations with the crate to be positive. If you are using a clicker or marker word to train him, use it any time the puppy ventures into the crate. At meal time, feed him in the crate. Hopefully, when he gets tired, he'll choose the crate as his napping place, but if he doesn't, move him to it while he's asleep.

Next, when the puppy is comfortable eating and sleeping in the crate, untie the door. Show him how it moves. The next time he goes into the crate, shut the door for a few seconds, then open it and praise and treat him as if he did something wonderful. When you feed him, quietly close the door, and open it when he's through eating before he asks to be let out. Close it when he's napping, and when he awakes, open the door, again, anticipating his need and acting before he whines. Pick him up and take him immediately to go potty. Be vigilant about paying attention to when he's ready to come out. The goal is to condition him from the beginning to be quiet and content in the crate, and this is accomplished by anticipating his needs.

Finally, graduate to crating him for short periods of time (5-10 minutes), when he is awake but pleasantly tired. Over the next few days, slowly increase the amount of time he spends in the crate each session, and as his comfort level increases, begin to leave the room for a few minutes at the time. Always put in into the crate with a treat, but do not treat him upon your return if you leave the room. The idea is for him to develop the confidence and independence to stay alone, NOT to be eagerly anticipating your return and/or a treat. At night, bring the crate into the bedroom with you so that you can hear him if he needs to go potty during the night. Once he's old enough to sleep through the night, you should have little trouble leaving him in his crate in whatever area of the house you prefer.

Dos and Don'ts
Do teach children that the puppy's crate is off limits to them when the puppy is in it. Teach them to respect the puppy's unspoken request for "space". Explain that he can't tell them when he's tired, but that when he goes into his crate, it is to have some time to himself. Do not let them poke or throw things into the crate, especially their fingers ... as it can be particularly dangerous habit for children to poke their fingers into a strange dog's crate.


Do always put the puppy into the crate with a treat.

If you have to be away for a lengthier period of time, do give him a chew toy or Kong to entertain himself with while you are away.

Do carry the puppy to go potty when taking him out of the crate first thing in the morning. If you expect him to walk, he is likely to have an accident along the way, at least while he's still a baby.

Do make every effort to "catch him doing something right" and to do all that is in your power to make him successful.

Do attach a cue word to the crate, such as "Go crate" or "Go to bed" that he will come to recognize.

Don't scold the puppy for any occasional accidents that might occur. Simply clean them up with an enzymatic cleanser such as Simple Solution or Nature's Miracle, and make a mental note to take him out sooner the next time. Dogs are clean by nature, and when you accustom them to clean quarters, they will eventually make the effort to keep them that way.

Don't force your puppy into the crate. Ever. You want all of his associations with the crate to be positive.

Don't use the crate as punishment.

Don't open the door when the puppy is whining to be let out. You must use your judgment here ... if he genuinely needs to go potty (say, the middle of the night) wait until he's quiet for at least a second or two. If you KNOW he does not need to go potty, but is whining simply because he wants out, it's permissible to lightly slap the side of the crate and say, "Eh-Eh! or "Wrong" or "No!" ... whatever your word is to let him know his behavior is not that which you desire.

Don't crate the puppy longer than he can reasonably hold his bladder. A general rule of thumb is to expect him to be able to hold his urine for one hour for every month of age he has obtained. Some dog's bladders are smaller than others, though, and this can vary.

Don't, as a general rule, give him water in his crate, except in circumstances where he must be crated for a long period of time, such as during the day while you work. Dogs do not need water in their crates at night, but be sure they have access to fresh water first thing in the morning. If you must leave water with the puppy in is crate, consider leaving it for him in a no spill bowl, or in the form or ice cubes. The more he drinks, the sooner he will need to go potty.

In Conclusion
Crate training encourages and creates the establishment of good habits, and good canine/human relationships are based on good habits. Crate training ensures the safety of both your puppy AND home, as it gives him a safe place to relax when you cannot be with him. It protects your lamp cords, furniture, carpets, and protects him from electrical burns, poisons, and falling objects. Most important of all, it both protects AND enhances your relationship, and that alone, is worth all the time and effort and time crate training takes, which actually, is quite minimal. Consider it a "relationship enhancement tool" and use it to better enjoy your new puppy!

Training Tip: Tethering

Ever wonder where you'd end up if you took your dog for a walk and never once pulled back on the leash?  ~Robert Brault

I begin with a digression. I bet five dollars that you have never heard of Mille-Christine McCoy.

Millie and Christine were conjoined twin girls, born into slavery in 1851 near my hometown in North Carolina. Their story is a fascinating one, and if you're interested, you can read more about them here. The reason I mention them is this: just imagine how "connected" (no pun intended) you must be if you're one of conjoined twins! Imagine the communication, the ability to finish one another's sentences, the ability one has developed to "read" the other.

This is the end goal of tethering.

By tethering, I mean attaching your puppy or dog to yourself, for a given period of time ... say, for an hour or two, while you go about your daily household affairs. Choose a time when you will at least be semi-active (there's only so much benefit that can be derived from tethering while you're surfing the web or watching TV). Whether your goal is simply a well behaved house pet or an agility champion who read your mind, tethering is a primary tool that can help you accomplish both.

Tether your puppy or dog to yourself with a six foot leash wrapped around your waist, a three to four foot lead attached to your belt, or use a "Buddy System" such as the one sold at SitStay.com.

Tethering:

• Establishes a strong initial bond with a new puppy or dog and reinforces existing bonds.
• Puts the "have to" on the dog to pay attention to you. You, for the most part, are simply going about your daily business ... loading the dishwasher, checking the mail, filling the bird feeders, paying bills. The dog to learn to read your body language and to anticipate your next move.
• Puts your attention on the dog. You will have greater training opportunities with your dog tethered to you than you'd otherwise have. You are consistently able to reinforce behaviors you desire.
• Bad behavior is prevented. You're aware of when it's time to take a potty break, are right there to immediately reinforce, you're right there to correct counter surfing, barking at visitors, running away, etc. The dog never gets the opportunity to learn or practice bad behaviors, and is consistently rewarded for behaviors you desire.
• The dog learns to relax when you're quiet, and to rev up when you're on the go.
• In a multi-dog household, dogs seem to view one on one time when tethered as "special time" with you.
• Puppies that are tethered seem to mentally mature more rapidly.
• Tethering relieves handler guilt feelings about not training. You are training. By default.

Tethering is an underused but most effective technique. It's one of the first things I do with a new puppy and is a tool I revisit periodically throughout the dog's life.

My beloved and departed father-in-law, who never attended a dog show or owned a registered dog, was nonetheless never without a canine companion, usually a Lab. He grew vegetables, and sunny summer mornings would find him driving about in his old, beat up car with old Leroy in the back seat, distributing his excess harvest to friends and neighbors, and stopping a few minutes each place to "visit". They don't make folks like that much anymore. He was a wise old man, and one day, after having watched me and my dog endeavors for years, he offered me this advice, "If you want to have a really good dog, then take him with you everywhere you go."

And you know what? He always did have really good dogs.

Canine Good Citizen: Puppy's First Title

The first title many performance dogs to-be earn is the Canine Good Citizen's title, or CGC. This title makes it official that the dog is well cared for and well mannered. Occasionally, this title gains him admittance to places from which he would otherwise be excluded! Some business allow dogs with a CGC title, and some dog training establishments will accept it in lieu of lower level classes when you wish to take something more advanced.

The Canine Good Citizen Program was established by the American Kennel Club in 1989 as part of an effort to encourage owners to train their dogs. The program promotes responsible dog ownership; the owner pledges to provide the dog routine veterinary care, vaccinations, etc., as well as to be responsible for its safety, quality of life, and to prevent the dog from infringing upon the rights of others. Dogs may compete for the title as soon as they are old enough to have completed their vaccination schedule and receive a rabies vaccination (usually around four months). Once a dog has passed the test, he is eligible to have the initials, CGC placed after his name. Mixed breed dogs as well as purebreds are eligible to compete for the title. 

The United States Senate along with 40 of the 50 states have issued Canine Good Citizen resolutions, which recognize the roles that responsible dog ownership and training have in creating healthy, polite dogs that are accepted, even valuable members of society. In this day of breed specific legislation, it is important for the public to recognize that most dog related problems have more to do with irresponsible ownership than with the  breeds of dogs themselves. "Punish the Deed, not the Breed" is a mantra well worth repeating.

The Canine Good Citizen's Test requires that a dog perform appropriately (to the satisfaction of the tester) in ten different areas. These are:

1. Accepting a friendly stranger. The tester will walk up to you, shake your hand and speak to you but will not touch or speak to your dog.
2. Sitting politely for petting. The tester will pet your dog, who must have enough self control to sit politely for petting without showing any shyness or resentment.
3. Appearance and grooming. The tester will inspect your dog's appearance (the dog should appear to be healthy and well groomed,) will lightly brush him (you may provide the brush) and will look at his ears and lightly pick up a foot.
4. Out for a walk. You take your dog for a short walk as directed by the tester. The walk will include a right turn, left turn, about turn and stop. Your dog does not have to have precision heeling and you may talk to him, but the leash should be loose and he should willingly follow you. 
5. Walking through a crowd. You and your dog walk through a "crowd" of several people, weaving in and out. Your dog may show casual interest in the other people but should stay with you and not jump up on any of them! You are permitted to talk to and encourage your dog to stay with you. 
6. Sit and down on command/Staying in place. You demonstrate that your dog will both sit and lie down on command. Then you choose a position and leave the dog on a stay, walk to the end of a twenty foot line and immediately return.
7. Coming when called. While the dog is still on the long line from the previous test, you walk ten feet away and call your dog, and he comes to you.
8. Reaction to another dog. Here, you and your dog meet another handler and their dog for a friendly greeting. The dogs sit, the handlers shake hands and exchange pleasantries, and move on. Dogs are permitted to show a casual interest in one another but should remain sitting, and follow you willingly when you leave.
9. Reaction to distractions. Distractions such as someone dropping a cane, rolling a wagon past, etc. will be presented. Your dog should show no more than a casual interest in the distraction and may not panic or show aggression. You may talk to and encourage your dog.
10. Supervised separation. You leave your dog on leash with the tester, and go out of sight for three minutes. Your dog is not required to stay in a particular position, but he should not bark, or whine continually, or show anything more than mild concern.

Even though I have achieved far more advanced titles, I get CGC titles on all of my dogs. There is a certain thrill that comes with this accomplishment that is every bit as rewarding as a more advanced title! I encourage you to go for it ... you will be glad you did!

Dog Obedience: Teaching a Puppy to Come

Understanding your dog and knowing how to control him, develop his potentials, and resolve behavior problems, emotional conflicts and frustrations are no less essential than love and respect. 

- Michael W. Fox

One of the most difficult dog problems to solve is that of the dog who refuses to come when called, or worse, who runs away. This is a fixable problem, but it is far easier to prevent than to cure. This behavior can be anticipated. Most eight week old puppies will come when called, responding to the high pitched "puppy talk" tone of voice that humans tend to adopt with puppies and babies. The puppy will have learned to associate it with cuddles and toys and treats and you will be by far the most interesting being in his life, to date.

A four to six month old puppy is a different story. By now he's more confident, and he already knows what you have to offer, and he's realizing that the rest of the world is an increasingly interesting place! He is eager to experience all of its enticing offerings ... whizzing cars, bicycles, other dogs, pets, people, and places, and is completely oblivious to danger. Unless you anticipated this independence and previously trained a solid recall, the day will come when you'll call his name and he'll flick you an ear and flip you his dewclaw, making the decision to continue with his own pursuits over your commands. Basically he's saying, "Not now, I'm busy," and this response is both annoying and dangerous.

Here's how to avoid that scenario:

First, accustom your  puppy to wearing an appropriate collar from the time you acquire him. It should be tight enough that you can slide a couple of fingers beneath it but you should not be able to pull if off over the top of his head. If you have a dog that likes to back up and duck his head in an attempt to escape, you need a "martingale" style collar, which rests loosely on the neck but tightens when the leash ring is pulled, preventing the dog from slipping out. Some people prefer their dogs to go collarless in the house, and this is fine for a trained dog, but before a puppy can learn leash lessons, he must first be accustomed to a collar.

For the puppy's first lesson, attach a light weight six to eight foot leash to his collar and have him drag it around the house until he's lost interest in it. Teach this lesson at a time when Puppy is likely to be interested in food, and have a ready supply of "high value" treats ... cubed chicken, cheese, something he REALLY likes. When Puppy's attention is elsewhere, unobtrusively pick up the leash and call his name. Wait one second, and  then lightly "pop" the leash towards you, encouraging him with a bright, happy tone and backward movement, hand clapping ... whatever it takes ... to come your way. As soon as he comes, praise and pet him profusely, and give him a couple of the high value treats. Then drop the leash, walk away, wait for him to forget you and the leash again, and repeat. And repeat.

Give thought to the exact command you will use to get your puppy to come to you. This is NOT your formal obedience "front" command, or anything of the sort. This is your "emergency" command, the one you want Puppy to instantly respond to, spinning on a dime, running back to you as fast as he can. I use my dog's name, spoken in a loud, enthusiastic, specific tone, with numerous exclamation points built in. "Max!! Max!! Max!!" The delivery is unmistakable, and it always means good things for the puppy. (Note: never call your dog to you for a reprimand. Should you need to correct the dog, you should go to the dog. Coming to you should always be a rewarding experience for the dog.)

Once the dog comes reliably inside the house, get a light weight, thirty to forty foot "long line" ... the lighter the better. You can purchase these online or from dog catalogs in very light nylon, or you can make your own by attaching a light snap to an appropriate length of light cord or nylon rope purchased from your local hardware store.  Take him outside, and encourage him to explore the new surroundings. When he's fully engrossed, pick up the line, call his name, wait a second and "pop" the leash.

This "game" is known by various names, but I've most frequently heard it referred to as "Beat the Pop." The goal is for the dog to turn immediately upon hearing his name and run to you. If he's half way to you before the pop occurs, he's won the game! (And so have you!) It's the perfect dog training game, because it has both rewards and consequences, and permits the dog to choose the reward and avoid the consequence. Once the dog understands the game, decrease the amount of time you wait before popping to half a second or less. You don't want to give the dog time to think about his response; you want it to be instant and automatic.

When Puppy is performing reliably every time you call him, the next step is to add distractions. He must learn that he is to come no matter what ... so you add in distractions ... things he is even more likely to want to explore ... children playing, squirrels frolicking in the park ... until you know he will always return.

Finally ... practice this game often. Keep the behavior fresh in his mind and the memory of the reward bright ... one day, it could save his life.

The Trick's in the Training

Dogs like to obey. It gives them security. - James Herriot

Dog tricks should be in every dog obedience trainer's arsenal of (dare I say it?) ... tricks.

Here's why. Tricks are fun to teach, fun to learn, and fun to perform for family and friends. Because there isn't an AKC rule book that stipulates what tricks must be learned or the order in which they are to be performed,  the pressure is off both trainer and dog. Many dogs perform tricks with greater enthusiasm than they do obedience routines. This is because, in teaching an obedience exercise, the trainer sometimes focuses so intently when teaching his dog a particular behavior that he unintentionally intimidates the dog. Dogs are sensitive to our body language, gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, even our breathing. They smell and hear our stress, know when we are frustrated, and they also know when we are relaxed, chilled out and having a good time. We tend to be more the latter when teaching tricks because we perceive them as less important, and we are not as hard on either ourselves or our dogs when teaching them.

When I begin training a new dog, I always begin by teaching tricks. Easy tricks all dogs can learn are "spin" (in a circle to the right), "turn" (in a circle to the left), "sit" (technically an exercise, but I teach a rudimentary sit command prior to the next two tricks in order to avoid having to extinguish a lot of pawing behavior later on when I would normally would teach "sit"), "shake hands," "high five," and "touch". Touch is a particularly useful trick with many ramifications for future training. From here, it's easy to to begin weaving in exercise commands while maintaining the light, happy, upbeat learning atmosphere that generally accompanies the teaching of tricks.

I use a lot of food rewards when teaching tricks, and sometimes I use a clicker and sometimes just my marker word, "YES!". Occasionally I use both. I like to teach tricks to my dogs individually, but have found that one of the best ways to add speed to a dog's performance is to ask for his trick behaviors within a group of dogs, all of whom understand the commands. I reward the first or the fastest dog to perform, occasionally speaking one dog's name and asking for a behavior, helping them if necessary. Don't  ever let anyone tell you dogs don't learn from one another, for they do, and this is a great way to prove it. I once had an Aussie in agility training who thought agility was totally ho-hum until the day the instructor brought her ninety-mile-an-hour Border Collies to class and the minute they began whimpering to begin their runs, my dog perked up his ears and totally tuned IN ... and never tuned out again. He learned as surely as if they'd given him a lecture, how fun it could be to put together all of the behaviors he'd been learning. So if you have a trained dog, don't hesitate to use that dog's performance to spur your trainee on to greater efforts!

Other behaviors that many people find useful to to teach for "fun" which have applied usefulness to future training  are "tug" (this is always somewhat controversial in dog circles, so be certain you teach a good "off" behavior to go along with the tug), tennis ball mania ... (all that's really necessary to teach a ball crazy dog how to track is to convince him that the ball will be with the glove at the end of the track and he will figure out the rest), and speed vs. self control, which I'll make the subject of a different article at another time.

Once you have an arsenal of tricks up your sleeve, use them to warm a dog up and get him in the right frame of mind for working, use them in the midst of periods of intense learning, to relieve stress and reduce pressure, and to remind the dog (and yourself!) that dog training is FUN ... and remember that tricks can provide the dog a great deal of stress relief when used properly in a stressful situation, such as a trial.

One other great thing about tricks is that, when you find yourself in a situation with non-dog people, who could care less about your dog's ability to do a running contact or to perform the moving stand just right, they will always be charmed and delighted by his tricks ... which is the reason all circus dogs perform tricks!

How to Prevent Your Puppy From Jumping Up on People

"A dog has friends because he wags his tail and not his tongue." - Anonymous

A puppy jumps up on his owner, family, and visitors because he is excited, hasn't yet been taught self-control, and desires attention, affection, and interaction. This problem is easily fixed if the owner will take the time to understand why his puppy behaves as he does and sequentially teach him lessons described below.

The best way to deal with a puppy that jumps up is to anticipate his doing so from day one and prevent the unwanted behavior by teaching one that is appropriate.


Day One: Teach Puppy to sit. Attach a light leash to his buckle collar. Have a plentiful supply of small, soft treats (cubes of mild cheddar cheese from the grocery are great because one cube can be diced into nine smaller cubes) that are in a small bowl within your reach but not within reach of the puppy. Hold the leash in one hand and the treat in the other, between your thumb and forefinger. Let him smell it, and even lick it but don't let him take it from your fingers. Keep the cheese as close as possible to the tip of his nose without touching it, and move it in tiny increments backwards over the top of his nose, causing him to tip his head back in order to stay with the cheese. Prevent backward movement with the leash, only giving him a few inches in which to move around. If he moves from side to side, adjust the position of the cheese so it is continuously directly over his nose, moving back slightly towards his eyes. Almost all dogs will sit at this point in order to better keep the cheese in view, and the INSTANT he sits, give give him the cheese and mark the behavior. An example of a marker would be a click from a clicker (assuming you've already built an association to food with the clicker) or the word, quickly spoken, "Yes!!". Then repeat. And repeat. And repeat. When you are certain he understands that he gets the cheese every time he sits, and is sitting in order to make you give him the cheese, then you begin to precede showing the puppy the cheese with the command, "Sit".  (There is no point using the word any sooner, as he doesn't understand what it means and it will actually be a distraction and cause the learning to occur more slowly.) Later in the day, repeat the exercise, only in a different place in your house. And again, later, only somewhere in the yard, or on the porch ... dogs are "situational" learners. If you don't "take your show on the road" so to speak, Puppy is quite likely to assume that he is only required to perform the behavior in the place where you first taught it. Each subsequent lesson should go more quickly than the ones that preceded it.


Day Two: Now that Puppy knows how to sit, teach him to sit for what I call "polite petting". It is not necessary to have formally taught the pup to "stay" yet ... he just needs to be on a leash with the person who trained him holding the leash near the collar.  Have a person familiar to the puppy, another family member or adult (preferably not a small child while Puppy is still in the beginning stages of learning) quietly approach the puppy, kneel down to his level (thus greatly discourages any inclination to jump up before it occurs) and quietly pet the puppy and feed it a treat. The handler is the one responsible for making the dog sit there at this point. The second person is merely playing the role of the person the puppy would otherwise be tempted to run to and jump on. Person two gently and calmly strokes the dog on the chest, side of the neck, and sides. They can pet with one hand while feeding a treat with the other, and both handler and visitor can both tell Puppy, "Good sit! Good sit! in an enthusiastic but calm tone of voice. This lesson should only take a minute  or so, then Person two stands and walks away while the handler praises the puppy. Repeat this lesson several times throughout the day, in different places, and with different people. 


Day Three: When the dog is happy to sit beside the handler and have a familiar person come up to him and pet him while he remains sitting, it is time to introduce a stranger. This lesson is best taught out in public somewhere, where the puppy has all the other new sensations of a new place to fill his mind so that his attention isn't ALL on the ONLY new thing around, which would be the new person. So find a safe place to take him, and either use a real stranger or a friend that is still a stranger to the dog, walk up to you and in a friendly voice tell you what a cute puppy you have, and ask to pet him. As the person approaches, you will shorten the leash and tell the puppy to sit, holding him, if necessary, in that position by the collar. You ask the person to kneel and instruct them, where to pet the puppy, giving them a treat from your pocket to feed the puppy with one hand while petting gently with the other. The more places you can repeat this scenario, and the more people you can coach to participate in it, the better. By now, Puppy should have a pretty good idea of what is expected of him.


(Note: when taking my dogs in public, particularly puppies, I always instruct those who wish to pet them, particularly children, to first pet his chest, them move to the shoulder, neck and side. If you don't do this, 9 out of 10 people will reach to pet the top of the dog's head, which in dog language, is a sign of establishing dominance. Some dogs are good sports about it, but no dog really wants a total stranger to walk up and announce "I'm the boss of you!" and asking people to pet the dog on the chest not only sends a more positive message, but allows the dog to smell the back of the person's hand at the same time, thus making the introduction not just the dog to the person, but the person to the dog as well.)


Day Four: We have now dealt with two of our three original reasons for Puppy wishing to jump up. We've taught him self control, and we've taught him an acceptable behavior through which he can get his need for attention, affection and interaction met. Now it's time we deal with the first reason, which is his excitement. For this lesson, we bring the puppy back home and then while  he is in his own environment (aka familiar) we bring in someone new (aka exciting). This will be a temptation to him and an opportunity to make a mistake,  which gives the handler the opportunity to correct the mistake (without mistakes no dog or human would ever learn anything; mistakes are good!) and this lesson should pretty much ice the cake of your nice and polite pup who knows he is to sit when he wants to be pet. Start off with Puppy on his leash, and have someone familiar (family member) knock on the door. Have someone other than the handler open the door, greet the "visitor" and invite the visitor inside. Then role play as before the visitor greeting the adult and asking to pet the puppy. Your goal is for the puppy to sit quietly at your side while you shake hands with the visitor and then coach the visitor how to properly pet the dog. Assuming this exercise goes well with the person familiar to the dog, repeat, only this time have the visitor be a stranger. 


It is important that once the puppy has learned to sit for polite petting, that all of the adult members and older children in the family take turns working with him to ensure that they use as much as possible, the same tone of voice and the same body language as the person who first taught the puppy these lessons. A good family pet should be responsive to all responsible members of the family. 


There you have it! A nice, polite puppy who has learned how to be polite to family and friends alike and at the same time, get his needs met. If the owner will take the time to work through these steps with the puppy, the behavior becomes a self rewarding cycle that will reinforce itself every time someone comes to your home and you will also have a dog that is a pleasure to take out in public.

The First Post: A Leap of Faith

"Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend."  --Corey Ford

Every year, millions of dogs are relinquished by their owners to animal shelters and rescue programs. The reasons are many: some can no longer afford to care for their pet in today's economy, while others failed to adequately research their breed and found themselves unprepared to handle the adult dog's needs in terms of size, energy, shedding, breed tendencies, and so forth.

Many dogs are surrendered because there is a communication  problem between the dog and owner. The owner might not understand how to set appropriate boundaries for the dog, and the dog may have exploited this to its own advantage, running roughshod over the household. The dog may have developed bad habits the owner was at a loss to correct. The number of problems that can occur are legion: barking, soiling, food aggression, pulling on the leash, jumping up on people, running away, chewing, digging ... this list could go on, and on.

My primary purpose in writing this blog is to provide dog owners with solutions to the problems they may encounter, to prevent future problems through education, and to generally shed light on the bond people share with their canine companions. I have a particular interest in competitive obedience, agility, tracking, etc. and occasionally may post something that might cause you to share my obsession aka joy!

If you have an issue with your dog that I have not yet addressed, please feel free to shoot me an email or to leave a suggestion in the comment section.