August 4th, 2008
by David the Dogman
I think the message I have is that we cannot ever expect a puppy to think human…therefore it is quite reasonable for us to think like a dog. A very good book on the market is called Think Dog…by the late John Fisher, well worth getting.
When puppies annoy the bitch she will use eye contact and facial expression first. The youngster will carry on the unwanted behaviour then the mother will give out a low growl which will increase in volume with a show of teeth. If this is not enough to produce the desired result the bitch will to all intense and purposes fly in at the youngster. This is not a full blown attack, far from it, it is dress rehearsal for the pup, conditioning him for life later on. No contact is made although from the resulting noise mainly from the puppy, one could be excused for thinking that the litter had been reduced to one pup.
It is interesting to note that the bitch will immediately console the puppy and start to lick it all over…and this behaviour is observed every time the youngster steps out of line.
From this we can learn that the puppy has been taught by the bitch the correction and reward. Correction…Growl (our voice NO)…the moment the behaviour stops the lick (we simply stroke the pups head). Now what we are doing is copying the mother. This way the puppy is never fearful of us.
In my humble it is cruel to punish a dog for anything after the act. In other words if you come home and find a mess, destruction etc. then ignore this. The puppy or indeed the dog will never understand he has done wrong. To come home and shout will make any dog put his tail between his legs and cower or shy away. Many owners will say “You see…he knows he has done wrong”. He does not know anything other than the human has arrived back at the den and is aggressive.
Commitment, Firmness, but kindness.
Brought to you by: World Wide Information Outlet - http://www.certificate.net/wwio/, your source of FREE Content online.
Do you have any problems with your pet? Then why not send your problem to DAVID THE DOGMAN. David is a Canine Behaviourist who works and lives in Marbella, Spain. Tel/Fax (00345) 2883388. His web site is located at: http://www.thedogman.net. David has his own radio and TV shows, and writes for many newspapers and magazines. David has been working with dogs for many years and started his career in Israel, working on the Border Police. He has been involved in all forms of training, including air sea rescue, air scent work, and has trained dogs for finding drugs. David has devoted the past 10 years to studying behaviour and the very passive approach. He does not use choke chains, check chains, or any form of aggression.
David The Dogman is available for private consultations in your home, for further details telephone; Tel; (95) 2883388
Posted in General | No Comments »
October 11th, 2007
By: Jane Saeman
Puppies are like children in many ways. They need constant care, supervision, and a lot of affection. Having both together, your kids and your dog, especially during playtime, require extra supervision and patience. The key is to teach your child how to play with the puppy and for the puppy to understand that he needs to listen to the child the same way he listens to you and the other adults in the family.
Always Use The Same Commands: It is important for your child to use the same commands that you and the rest of the family use. Doing so teaches your child to use the commands with respect toward the dog. At the same time, your puppy will realize that he needs to obey the child’s commands, thus teaches both to respect one another.
It sounds like it can be quite a handful, but it is also a lot of fun. Combining training and playtime helps to create a closer bond between your child and puppy. Let them run together and then see how fast your child can command the puppy to stop and sit. The puppy needs to learn to sit and wait while your child to throw a toy for your puppy to retrieve. Your child can also train the dog how to roll over by rolling in the grass while having the puppy mimic him.
There are many other ways you can incorporate training and fun between your child and puppy.
Below are some helpful rules to keep in mind:
1. Your dog should understand who the leader is. If he has an instinct to herd, don’t let him herd your child. Doing so will make the dog think that he is in charge and will not obey your child’s commands.
2. No roughhousing whatsoever. Discourage aggressive play at all times. Do not let your child drag, pull, wrestle, hit, or poke the puppy, even in a playful way. Your puppy may react differently and may jump and bite. At the same time, do not let your puppy jump on your child. A four year old German Shepherd can easily knock down a 6 year old child.
3. Teach your child to respect the puppy, and vice versa. Your child should learn how to properly treat the dog, which will then earn him the respect and leadership from your puppy.
4. Establish consistency. Puppies learn through repetition. Your child needs to understand that commands that we teach him are firm and absolute. If the puppy doesn’t obey the command, the child should repeat the command until the puppy does what he is told to do.
5. No squeezing. Hugging the puppy too tight can result in injury.
6. Always be there to supervise playtime, especially if you have a young child and/or you have a new puppy. This way, you can easily intervene if things get out of hand.
Article Source: ABC Article Directory
Jane Saeman loves dogs and strives to keep other dog lovers informed. A whole world awaits other dog lovers. Find out how cute the dog in your life is at my website which is at www.PicturesOfMyDogs.com
Posted in Pets and Family | No Comments »
