Dummies Guide to Raising a well behaved Puppy.
Firstly, congratulations on owning a new puppy. Like everything new, the excitement that you now feel will not last simply because, the puppy will grow up, it’s the law of the nature. Its cuteness will fade as it reaches adulthood and whether or not the puppy grows up to be a well behaved adult dog depends entirely on you, as its owner and nobody but YOU alone.
Don’t get carried away with movies involving dogs that are cute, obedient, etc. REMEMBER, these dogs in movies have a dedicated trainer that trains the dogs to behave according to the movie script. It is HARD WORK and discipline, but most importantly, there is a bond, respect and love between the trainer and the dogs. We might not see the trainer in the movie but they are on set ALL THE TIME and the dogs responds only to their respective trainers.
Secondly, I have 3 rules on dog ownership. I do hope/insist that you as a new owner will abide by these rules too.
1. Take responsibility when you own a dog & never abandon them. Like their owners they have feelings too. As a puppy, separated from its biological mother, YOU as their owner becomes their parents and although they may not be your world, but you are the world to them. Like you, they feel emotions like happiness, excitement, being loved, sadness etc. They will have good days and they will have bad days. A big part of their emotions also heavily depends on you. There are really no difference from us, humans. And every pet that is abandoned or gave up for adoption, is very likely to be abandoned again due to the fact that they do not adapt well and do not behave as expected as their new owners want them to. Majority of them goes to the pound. Going to the pound doesn’t mean that they get the chance to be adopted by a new owner. It is more likely to mean that the pound will be overcrowded with unwanted pets and have too many to handle and your surrendered pets will be put to sleep eventually and die a lonely and sad death. (Most will not be ethically put down, which is sad).
If you really love them, you will not give them up. You won’t give away your own flesh and blood because he/she doesn’t behave well, or because you are moving to a diff location, or because he sheds right ? or because he has a hip problem. Sadly the truth is this happens a lot.
2. Raise your dog correctly for non-behavior problems.
Dogs are like kids. They will not know what is right or wrong unless you correct them. And bear in mind, you must only correct your puppy while he is performing the act (you must have a lot of time and patience). They do not understand you if you correct them 5 minutes later. Their brain just doesn’t work that way. (Correction technique will be thought later part of this article).
3. Give them quality of life.
If you are going to buy a puppy, bring it home and keep it cage 23-24 hours a day for the rest of his life, DO NOT own a dog. Dogs are really no different from us. Live with them long enough, develop a bond, and you will learn to know them better and discover their character. They are more human than you think.
Please do your research accordingly. If you are going to get a snow type of dog and leave them in the backyard with no shade, they will die of heatstroke. I personally have encountered SO MANY husky owners who had their huskies died from overheat in their porch!
Picking a puppy.
Do a lot of research on the breed that you want to get, its suitability to your lifestyle, habits etc.
It’s advisable that you pick a puppy from a reputable breeder. Pet shop puppies normally comes from puppy mills living a life of HELL with unhygienic conditions and most likely will have respiratory, hip, skin, health problems. Do remember, genetics plays a huge part in your puppy. While that puppy you saw at the pet shop is so adorable its melting your heart and begging for you to take it home, that puppy might have a lot of underlying health problems that may not surface until it reaches your home a week later or adulthood.
Puppy mills are horrible because dogs get cramped into the cages, their hygiene & health horribly affected, wound will not be treated as they are easily replaceable if they die. All these problems will definitely pass on to their puppies. Hence you are most guaranteed that your puppy will not be a healthy puppy. This means a pup that will suffer all sorts of diseases, low immune system; they will get sick easily and possibly die easily as well. Not only are their health affected, but their character too. Take note that veterinary bills will cost a bomb, your puppy becomes your baby the minute you bought it. Needless to say, responsibility over its well- being comes with it.
CLICK HERE to see pet shop puppies REAL parents. Knowledge is power.
(If you have already purchased your puppy from a pet shop, there is no turning back. Prepare yourself for possible health problems. Be extra alert should your dog behave differently or have unusual symptoms. And do extra research on the common health issues your dog breed is prone to. Do your best to provide the best for your pup and DO NOT abandon them the minute they have any health problems. Do your part, get educated and educate others about “puppy mills”)
A puppy is leave their mother at 8-9 weeks (I strongly advice against getting a pup before they are 8 weeks old). Before the 8th or 9th week, they learn how to socialize with their siblings, and they get to learn manners and correction from their mother. This means less socializing and aggressive issues you will have when they grow up.
It is strongly recommended that you purchase a puppy from a breeder. But anyone can claim to be a breeder. That’s when REPUTABLE breeder comes in. A reputable breeder is a breeder that has compassion and cared a lot for the wellbeing of the dog and its puppies even AFTER a puppy is sold. Reputable breeders are mostly the person you will refer to if you have any questions at all about the puppy you purchased after you bring it home. A reputable breeder will be able to accommodate all your doubts and questions when you. Do a check on the puppy’s lineage; it’s parents to see if they are healthy or are prone to any sorts of hereditary diseases. It’s also good to learn about the breed that you are going to purchase. Do research as it is super easy with the internet these days.
For example, before I got my Alaskan malamute, I googled and found out that they are prone to hip dysplasia (dislocation of the hip, which causes pain and lameness). I checked out the parents and made sure they both do not have hip dysplasia such as, flood the breeder with questions that I have, did some research in to the dog’s lineage and making sure that there are no signs of hip dysplasia on the parent dogs) However, you must also know that this is a common genetic disease for this particular breed and that it may have passed down from the grandparents, so the possibility might still be there, but at least you did your part to check on the parents.
Do your part to prevent prone diseases related to your puppy breed. Sad to say but pure breed these days have serious amount of health issues due to bad breeding (most commonly inbreeding where copulation between mother / father with their immediate off springs. Imagine inbreeding in human, the baby will be abnormal due to many genetic similarities. It is the same with other species.). A dog with hip dysplasia should never be bred because its’ puppies will directly or indirectly inherit it. Sadly I see many breeders ignoring that fact because they only care about the money and not the dog. To them, selling puppy is a lucrative business and once the puppy leaves their place, its problem passes to new owners which more often than not, leads to abandonment before the puppy reach adulthood.
Schnauzers, cocker spaniels, and beagles to name a few are prone to weight problems, so you need to be careful not to feed too much treats & control their food intake. You need daily exercise. As for active dogs, they need daily exercise to spend their pent up energy, or they will be destructive.
Picking a puppy breed also tells you what type of lifestyle it is expecting. An active breed means you will surely need to allocate walk times for it on a daily basis. If you do not do the daily walk, you can expect your puppy/dog to be destructive as they have pent up energy inside and they have nowhere to release it. An intelligent dog will need to be entertained and kept busy (IQ games, hide and seek, etc). A hunting dog will have instincts to hunt and chase smaller animals, so you will need to train them from young, to teach them what can or cannot be done (if you have rabbits or cats, or plan to have them in future, expose them when young and correct them if they show any signs or wanting to chase or attack).
Bringing home your puppy.
Your puppy is going to be sad obviously, so make sure you be patient with him especially for the first few weeks. He may not have appetite and will cry a lot missing its mother and siblings. So please don’t shout at him for crying for displaying these emotions.
During the first few nights, take him to your room and put him on a blanket. Any cries can be quite down by a light pat or quiet word Remember, you’re the puppy’s new parents now. So console your puppy, let it know that your home is its new home now and do not make a big fuss. (I read that it’s good to put a ticking clock wrapped in a blanket near the pup as it imitates its mother’s heartbeat and comforts the pup at least for the first 2 weeks.)
Set the routine & rules
Dogs like routines & rules. Really. Because they are lost without it. They adjust to life easier with some sort of order in his life. Dogs lives in a pack, and in every pack there is a pack leader, an alpha male who leads the pack. In your relationship with your dog, you will need to establish that between both of you, you are the pack leader and they have to submit to you. In the world of dogs, the alpha is the one they look up to and who commands respect. And it you are not respected, you are going to have a hard time controlling your pet, and without respect, they will not trust you as well. So first things first, you must EARN that respect. Dogs fight among themselves to gain the alpha status. But as a human, we do not resort to fighting with dogs. Learn to train and establish rules for your pup to earn its respect. Meaning, you have to be dependable, reliable and stern. Otherwise, your puppy will grow up establishing itself as the alpha of the pack and you, its owner and/or other humans will become a member of its pack.
Rules
Rules will only work when everyone obeys it. If you do not allow your dog on the sofa, but your mother does, then he will never learn or understand that he is not allowed on the sofa. And the problem will never be solved unless everyone follows accordingly.
Consistency is the key. Do not give up. (Tip – always correct your dog calmly. Shouting instructions loudly will agitate the dog and also passing them the negative vibe or excite them even more. When they are excited, their mind will be on high level and will not absorb anything you say.)
If you never want your dog to beg food from you at the dinner table, then never feed him when he begs. Never give, they will never expect food, hence they will be well behave. If your dog jumps on the table, say OFF sternly, push him down, ignore. Do it calmly.
If you do not want your dog to be jumping on guest or visitors, you cannot allow them to be jumping on you. If your dog jumps on you, just say NO firmly, turn your back on him and ignore.
If you do not want your dog on the sofa, never allow him on the sofa, not even once. They will not understand why you allow them one minute and not the next minute. (Tip – what I did for my dog, he jumped on the sofa, I immediately lock him outside of the house for 15 minutes. That will seem like an eternity for them. He learned quickly that we were not happy with what he did and NEVER does it again.)
If you do not want your dog running out from the gate, it’s good to train him when he’s a pup (Easier to catch even if he wants to run away). Set a boundary (invisible line) for him, tell him NO firmly. He will learn the rules, never to run out with an open gate.
If you do not want your dog to chew on your shoes, correct him accordingly when he bites on a shoe. (Correction tip on “Other Tips in point 13” below.)
Basically, the rules must be set, and easier done earlier. You get the idea right ? what you don’t want them to do in the future, never allow them to do it even once.
Potty Training
This is going to be a tough one for a new pup. Tough, but not impossible.
You need to be very quick in catching your pup. You will fail 90% of the time because they will pee or poop within 2 seconds!
You need to catch them in the act, and quickly transport them to your grass (or desired business area like garden, outside pavement, balcony, toilet, etc), and as they continue to pee/poop on your grass, give LOADS of praise, pat on the head, and even a treat should really encourage them. Do this 10-20 times, they will soon understand it.
(Tip – say “toilet” while they pee or poop. It is good to associate certain acts with words so that it is easy to command them in future. Always repeat your simple word and they will pick it up and understand it. You may use simple words like peepee, poopoo etc, easier with 2 syllables. This command is useful especially if they are indoor dogs, before you go to bed or before you go out and if you wish to keep them indoor, it is good to command them to release themselves first.)
As I said, dog loves routine, you may train them as you like.
If you wish for them to ring the bell (some owners hang the bell on the door) when the want to do their business, then ring the bell each time they pee and at the same time praise ‘toilet, GOOD BOY!’
If they pee and poop inside the house, say NO sternly, and grumble loads as you clean up their mess. They will pick it up that you are unhappy about it.
Generally, a puppy poops within 20-30 minutes after they eat. Bring them to the desired toilet spot (etc garden) and wait for them to poop. (Signs of pooping include walking around in circles, getting ready to squat).
Praise them generously while they poop on the desired spot while saying the command “toilet” / “poo poo”
If you live in an apartment and your dog often stays in his safe place the crate (see point 7 below for crate), some suggestions are stuffing cushions inside the crate so that they have limited space to poop or pee inside, but just enough for him to sleep and move a little bit. A puppy would normally not want to dirty the place where they sleep, hence he will definitely poop/pee outside the crate.
As he grows bigger, slowly remove the cushions.
Tips & Advice
Discourage possessiveness & aggressiveness
While feeding your pup from young, practice putting your hands into his food, touch/disturb his food. Touch him. Take his bowl away for a second and then returning it back to him. (This discourages him from being possessive and aggressive with his food. Training him from young is good, and that he accepts it. This will also be good especially if you have children or kids in your house. Get your dog to be used to other pets or people beside him while he eats.) This is a good practice, not only during the puppy stage, but thru out his life, as dogs may have some behavior changes later in life too due to maturity. Get a friend/outsider to practice this with him too.
Similar to the above point, do the same to the toys given to him. When you give your puppy a toy, time to time, take it from him, and give it back to him (maybe after 5-10 seconds). But do not abuse this trust, return it to him soon enough, give him enough play time. In future, if you feel the need to remove the toy for good, you may do so, but do not abuse this trust. (Again, this discourages him from being possessive and aggressive with his food. Training him from young is good, and that he accepts it. This will also be good especially if you have children or kids in your house. Get your dog to be used to other pets or people beside him while he eats. This also tells him from young that you are alpha and you can take the items as you wish, as it belongs to you and not the puppy. Again, do not abuse this trust.) Tip – it is good to say “give” when you take the item away from him Tip – say “drop” when he drops the toy from his mouth. Praise him whenever you say “drop” and he drops it.
2. Examining your dog / Health. - Upon bringing home your new puppy, bring them to a good vet for a check-up. Do some research on a recommended vet. A good vet will save you a lot of trouble and money in future.
- Examine your puppy from young (do it constantly) Touch him everywhere, turn him upside own (easy for future vet check-ups), pull up his gums to look at his teeth, inbetween paws you may need to search for tick or fleas in future, most dogs do not like it when you check their paws, it can be troublesome in future). Get him used to brushing/combing (especially if he is a furry guy), check his ears (rub them inside), check his privates etc.
- If your puppy is going to grow up to be a furry or long coat dog, do brush your puppy lightly to get him used to grooming in future.
Note : never shave your dog’s coat no matter how hot the weather is for a long coat dog / double coat dog (example Siberian Huskies or Alaskan Malamutes). Double coat dogs have 2 layers. The thicker layer protects the skin from sun’s harmful rays and bug bites. It actually insulates them from the heat. The light and softer layer is excellent at trapping air and insulating the dog. Essentially it keeps them warm in the winter, and cool in the summer. (The only reason you should shave your dog is when a vet advices you to do so, normally when there are skin problems.) Also remember that your dog’s coat may not grow back fully as before.
(Patchy fur that does not grow back evenly)
Make sure to bring your pup/dog for annual injections. Recently, some vets practice 3 years per jab, check with your local vet. Make sure your dog is on heart guard protection. This protects worms in heart which is a very common problem and easily obtain from mosquito bites. Tick and flea preventions can be used after your puppy is 6 months. Check with your vet. Some tick prevention includes Revolution, Advantage, Frontline, Advantic, etc. Do research, I find that my dog gets horrible itch from Advantage. Certain brand covers more and some covers less.
Brush his teeth with a dog tooth brush. This will be good in future to prevent plague/tartar which can cause bacteria / infection/ gingivitis / expensive treatments.
One very very important thing is NEVER overfeed your puppy. Never keep them overweight. Generally people have an idea that Fat puppies are cute. But overweight puppy encourages Hip Dysplasia (hip dislocation, which is painful for life). When your puppy is overweight and its hips are not able to carry the weight, it will cause hip problems. - Slippery floor also causes hip dysplasia for your pup, as their legs might slip and with each slip, it hurts the hips. They might also hurt their knee when they get up, normally sliding and hitting their knee on the floor every time. Padded carpet, textured tiles at home is best for them
- To avoid hurting the back leg, train them to sit or lie down side ways. Not Frog style. See video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYr1rm3QbxQ ) - Read up more on my write up of Hip Dysplasia here - https://www.facebook.com/notes/cheryl-leong/hip-dysplasia-in-dogs/10154568108332388
Continuation from the above point, beware when salesman tries to sell you ‘high protein food’ for your puppy, as most of them will encourage you to have your puppy growing faster and BIGGER as it is not true. Also do your research on healthy food for your pup. You may read more on topic of food below or refer here to my write up article here on dog food – ( https://www.facebook.com/notes/cheryl-leong/dog-food-are-you-feeding-your-beloved-furkids-garbage-/10154576978967388 )
Neuter your dog when he is grown up, after 1 year, after their sexual organs are fully develop. - This prevents female from uterine infections and breast tumors, which are malignant or cancerous in about 50 percent of dogs. - This prevents male dogs from testicular cancer and some prostate problems. - Neutering your dog also helps reduces dominance and aggression. - Neutering prevents accidental puppy litter / pet overpopulation. (Please think twice if you intend to breed your dog, about why you would you want to breed them ? Where will the puppies go ? Will the puppies go to a good home? How sure are you that they will end up in a good home and not in a puppy mill where they will be placed in a cage so small that they will not be able to move and their legs will go lame, have untreated wounds, stuck under the sun and rain just to be bred for profits of humans? High percentage of dogs gets abandoned, goes thru a painful/suffering life, reaches the pound and then put to their death beds. If they do not reach the pound, they die from hunger / car accidents / get picked up and go to puppy mills, etc). An abandoned dogs = death. The truth is that most people will abandon their dogs for ALL sorts of reasons. “I didn’t expect it to grow so big”, “I didn’t expect it to be so furry”, “it’s not trainable, it chews on the sofa”, ”I am moving away”, “my wife/ mother/grandmother /gf/bf is doesnt like dogs” ,“we are having a baby”, "i stay in an apartment and got warning from authorities" etc. However, there also a large number of believes on why neutering your dog isn’t good. Do your part to research and decide which is the best option for your dog.
3. Exposure – Socializing, Outings etc. Remember that it is important that you only start to socialize your puppy or bring them to public places AFTER they have been fully vaccinated (2nd or 3rd or 4th vaccination, depending on the size of your dog, seek advice from your vet). If they go out too early before full vaccination, they will easily catch diseases and many have known to die easily.
Socializing from young with both pets and humans is good. After his full vaccination, bring him out for walks at parks, dog gathering, pet cafes, meet people etc. While the puppy is young, new experience are approached without fear, and as they grow, they become increasingly fearful of new encounters. So expose him as much as you can. (Tip – dogs greet other dogs by sniffing butts as the glands secrete chemical which tells another dogs about everything such as character, where they have been, gender, reproductive status, health, diet, and even emotional state)
Correct your puppy instantly if he starts to show aggressive behavior. Snap him out of it. Say No sternly but calmly, lightly tap the back side, make him sit and stay calm. Do not stroke or pat or hold/touch him as it will encourage him to be aggressive. Stroking an aggressive dog / non calm dog encourages them to remain in that state of mind. Sit until he calms down no matter how long it takes. Only stroke and praise him after he is completely calm. (signs of being calm is your puppy starting to relax, non-tensed body, or lying down. Check on where his eyes are looking, if they are giving an intense stare etc.)
Car rides. So that they do not get car sick in future should u need to bring them out.
Expose your puppy to loud sounds such as vacuum cleaners or other electronic items at home that you may want to use in the future. Some dogs can get really fearful with these items and may have behavior problems such as nervousness, anxiety and so on which may also lead to aggressiveness and other problems. (TIP – on the first encounter of events that scares your puppy, example fireworks, thunder, vacuum cleaner, other loud sounds etc.. QUICKLY stroke him, praise him, make happy gestures, go “wowwww, yay !!!”, give treats, give toys. You want them to associate these events as happy events and not something to fear. Do not show negative respond such as “oh no, its ok,” * slow stroke* , *cuddles*, because they would understand it as something to be afraid about and you are comforting them)
4. Walking your dog.
Walking your dog can be tough to correct if not done from young stage. Walk your dog beside you, or your dog behind you and NEVER in front of you. The pack leader is always in front. This training will prevent him from pulling and dragging you when you go for walks in the future. It can be a problem if your dog is going to be huge in future as it will be hard to handle. It also shows that he has to respect his alpha being in front leading him.
Before I go for walks, I tell my dog that we are going for a “walk”. He used to get so excited and he would be jumping and pulling his leash. The solution to this is to tell him “walk”, then wait for him to calm down before actually bringing him for a walk. Dogs learns quickly. He learns that he will only get his walk when he is calm.
Get your puppy used to a collar and a leash at young age. (Tip – use a short leash for better control over your puppy/dog)
Tip – wait till your pup is calm before taking it for a walk to avoid over excitement, jumping and other future bad behavior.
(Image credit here)
Walk infront of your puppy/dog as you are the leader.
A dog will only listen and respect he’s leader/alpha.
(Image credit here)
5. Word association (you may select your own desired words.)
With every action, I will give a key word. Before a walk, say “walk”. During a walk say walk. At the point he poops, say “toilet” When he drinks water, I say “water” The moment he sits, I say “sit” (then praise him) Dogs learns quickly and especially with word association. Talk to them all the time, this will help with the learning process and ease your future live with your pet as you may need to command them when needed.
6. Correction
This is something most pet owners don’t do it correctly. You have to correct your pet WHILE he is making the mistake. IF he chews on a book and 10 minutes later you discover it, you bring the book to him to scold and punish him, he WONT get it ! Their brain doesn’t work like ours, will not understand that is wrong and why you are being mean to them. Your dog will not know what is right or wrong, and it is your task to get the message to them correctly. Do not blame them as all knowledge has to be pass on by you the owner.
How to correct your dog’s behaviour. At the moment your dog does something unpleasant, say NO sternly, and correct him. Some examples below: -
Your dog chews a book/remote control/bag/etc. Say “NO” sternly, remove the item. (I smack the snout slightly and lightly which is beside the nose, NOT on the nose. My purpose is just to make it an unpleasant encounter. It doesn’t hurt them as I do it lightly.)
Your dog jumps on the sofa. Say “NO” sternly; push/lead him off the sofa. It may not work the first time, again, consistency is the key. (One of my method, I locked my dog outdoor for 15 minutes, another unpleasant encounter. He got the idea but he tested and jumped on the sofa one more time. I repeatedly locked him out and ignore him again. He quickly learns that jumping on the sofa does not please the owner. Puppies tend to be clingy, so this really works for me.) Do not throw him into a playpen or cage for punishments. I will explain below in the next topic “play pen”
Your dog shows signs or starts to be aggressive with another animal/people/kids. Say “NO” sternly, make him sit and stay calm.
Your dog jumps on you/your guest Say “NO” sternly, turn around face your back, ignore. Make sure your guest/ other family members does the same. Consistency is the key.
Your dog bites you. Say “NO” sternly, turn around, walk away, ignore. Make sure your guest/ other family members does the same. Consistency is the key.
Your dog jumps on the table Say “NO” sternly, get him off the table, make him sit and stay down. Make sure your guest/ other family members does the same. Consistency is the key. Never give affection (stroking, carrying your dog) when he does something undesired. Example - if your dog starts barking at another dog, do not carry him in your arms and stroke him. By doing this, you are telling him that this behavior is being encouraged as you are giving him affection. He understands it as a good thing and that you are praising him for his action. Instead, say “NO” sternly, hush him, make him sit and stay calmly. A dog barking at another starts off just like that but may led to aggressiveness. They may attack and bite other dogs, and if the aggressive level raises, they may also bite people around.
Do Not hold them back, stoke them, console them. They will understand it as a sign of encouragement.
Do not carry, cuddle, hug, stroke your aggressive dog. This is a sign of encouragement of their current behaviour.
7. Safe place, Playpen / Crate / Dog Carrier
It is good to provide your dog with a “safe space”. In this case, a playpen / crate / dog carrier is good option. Keep it comfortable and never use it as a punishment spot. If your puppy gets used to his little home, it will be easy to transport him around next time. Or have a friend baby sit etc.
Throw in food / toys / put in blanket and get your puppy used to his little dog carrier. Praise him to encourage him when he goes inside. Calmly close the door behind after he goes in for treats. It is good to encourage him to sleep inside as well. Talk to him frequently while he is inside.
Your puppy should never be left in the playpen/dog carrier for all day. It is meant as a safe place to keep your puppy in while you are busy. He should be given much time and attention outside.
Cosy crate
Spacious Playpen
Dog Carrier
8. Food / Treats
There are 3 types of food generally. 1.Commercial dog food (AVOID, RUN AWAY, SAY NO!) 2. Holistic dog food (Pick this, say yes, do it!) 3. Raw feeding. (Recommended by many owners but may be costly and you need to do some research on raw feeding.) (Please do a complete research on raw food as they are very susceptible to bacteria. Example to keep it frozen , purchase from a reputable supplier, discard unfinished portion. Do not refreeze once unfrozen etc.)
In short, holistic dog foods are quality food. BUT also learn how to read the labels as your food may be healthy but it may also consist majority of lesser important nutrients.
Commercial dog foods consist of all the garbage you will never eat. Hence, do you really want to feed your baby garbage? When I say garbage, I mean garbage, such as road kill, unedible part of animal like chicken beak, horse hoofs and so on, they even include euthanized animals (this means animals injected with poison to kill or put to sleep). To read more in detail, read the below link. This sounds horrible and hard to believe, but it is sadly true.
See my write up article here on dog food – ( https://itscheryl3.wixsite.com/fluffymalamute/single-post/2017/03/01/Dog-Food---Are-you-feeding-your-beloved-furkids-GARBAGE- )
I do not recommend that you give your dogs any sort of cooked bones. Personally I wouldn’t give them any bone, but I heard raw bones are alright. - Raw lamb / beef bones – OK - Cooked bones NO – reason being the splinters inside cooked bones become hard and can cause internal organ bleeding. - Fish bones are obviously OBVIOUSLY a no no!!
Do not give your dog commercial RAWHIDE chew toys. (reason, chemical, inedible ingredients are used, google or read more here - http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/rawhide-dangerous-for-dogs/ )
Research on list of do and don’ts for food and treats for your dogs. Here are some - https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/foods-are-hazardous-dogs
Tip – do not feed your puppy cow’s milk. Dogs and Cows are different species. Most dogs are either allergic to dairy products or are lactose intolerant. Although yours may not be, it is better to be safe than sorry. Tip – when switching dog food (brands or different flavours, or puppy food to adult dog food), do it gradually as most dog’s stomach will not be able to handle the change immediately. Slowly add new food bit by bit with the old food lessen bit by bit. You should gradually change the food up to a week or two.
9. Guest / Family
Training your dog alone may not work if your family members do not cooperate and train consistently as well. You are almost guarantee to fail if the others do not follow up and do the same. Make sure you educate your family members and guest and train consistently.
Educate kids on how to approach a dog and how to play with them. Often when kids are rough and hurt the dog, it’s only natural that one would defend itself. And when it happens (a dog bites, attacks or growls), all blame goes to the dog. Handle your children well. No one likes to be screamed at their face or ears. A dog generally does not like hugs as well. Learn to watch for signs such as a licking tongue, lowered tail, tense body/face, backed ears. Teach your kids the following :- - Never put their face near a dog’s face - Never touch a dog when they are sleeping - Never make sudden quick movements to a dog suddenly - Never shout or scream at a dog - Never go up to a dog when they are eating - Never grab their toys when they are playing - Never stare at them in the eyes - Never pull a dog’s tail (OMG I seen this SO often at the park and parents do not educate them !!!) - Let a dog approach you instead of you approaching them
How should you approach a dog? No eye contact, let the dog approach you, keep sideways or back to him (non-threatening posture) Pet them by the side on the face, body or back. Not at the backside. See (http://media.galaxant.com/000/464/775/desktop-1463750335.png)
10. Greeting & saying Goodbye
Always greet and say goodbye calmly to avoid over excitement in your dog. “Don't make a big deal when you leave for the day or when you return. This way, you are communicating to your dog that the time apart is no big deal.” When you make a huge fuss when you say goodbye, (hugggggg, cuddleeeee GOOD BYEEEE BABYYYY, I will miss youuu , see youuuuu !!!!), this will over excite them and then you suddenly leave, they will start to feel anxious and emotional. This will lead to separation anxiety. Separation anxiety can be troublesome as they can be destructive, emotional, depress. They may cry and howl and cause a scene as well.
Same goes for greeting your dog. Do it calmly. If whispering is voice level of 1 & 2, if talking is of level 3 & 4, you may greet your dog between level 3-5. never with a high pitch HIEEEE BABYYYY, cuddle cuddle etc etc. Your dog may take it as if it was a sad thing being separated.
Tip – practice, Start out small by leaving your dog alone for 5 minutes, extend slowly to 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, an hour. Slowly increase until a couple of hours.
Tip – you can also say goodbye long before you actually leave, maybe 10 minutes, this will prepare them to calm down. I normally tell my dog “I’m going out” 10 minutes before I leave the house. He understands this.
Tip – I make it a routine to give him a treat as he goes into his fenced area when I go out. This will also help him associate me going out as an okay thing and not something unpleasant. My steps are, tell him “I am going out” 10 minutes before. As I walk out the door, he follows me out to the side fenced area. I give him an apple AFTER I close the fence gate and say good boy. Then I say “goodbye, see you later” with a soft pat on his head.
Tip – if I leave him in the house, I simply do the same. My steps are, tell him “I am going out” 10 minutes before. I tell him “goodbye, see you later” with a soft pat on his head. (I also command him to “Toilet” about 15 minutes before I leave the house)
11. Teething
Teething in puppies, a time when their gums are feeling itchy, they will bite and chew everything, including your sofa, your hands, your legs. Here are some tips on how to handle them
When your puppy bites/legs/shirt/hand/etc, say NO sternly, get up, walk away.
When he bites the sofa/remote control/pillow/clothes/wires/etc, say NO, remove the item, and replace it with a suitable chew toy. This also teaches them to only chew on things you give them.
Always provide them with chew toys to relieve their biting itch. Also always supervise them with their toys as some toys may come apart and it’s never suitable for them to consume it. (Provide them with suitable chew toys and AVOID rawhides http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/rawhide-dangerous-for-dogs/)
Spray lemon juice / apple cider vinegar on your items (plants/household items where they will not get their teeth off, etc) as a deterrent. This unpleasant taste will deter them from chewing it again.
12. Exercise
This is especially important especially for active dogs with pent up energy. Leaving them alone in a large garden to run does not count. A dog who does not his exercise will relieve his energy by biting, destroying items, chewing doors, over excitement, digging up the garden, etc
Bring your dog for a daily walk. A walk at human pace is good as it actually tires them to walk at a slower pace. Jogging is alright too but never over exhaust your puppy or dog.
Alternatively, walk him while you cycle.
If your dog is super active type and requires more exercise, you may place a bag pack/ ‘dog weight vest’ on him with water bottles as weight. (Research or consult your vet regarding the weight for your dog, also read https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-training/training-tools/dog-backpack-dos-and-donts ).
Another alternative is to walk them on the treadmill. Do some Youtube research as there are many videos on introducing your dog to a thread mill.
13. Other Tips
Only call your dog’s name for something good. Never shout his name when he is doing something bad. Otherwise he will not come to you or respond to his name if you only always call upon his name for something bad or unpleasant (example Max, come shower! assuming he doesn’t like shower as most dogs do not).
Always mention key words during an action they perform so that they will be familiar with the words and may associate with the words easily next time. Example: - - When he pees, say “toilet, gooood boy!” - When he drinks water “water, gooood boy!” - When he sits “sit, gooood boy!” - When he barks “speak, gooood boy!” (if you do not want a vocal dog, you may want to make sure he understands “Hush” command. - When he drops a toy, “drop, gooood boy!” - Feeding time, say “yummy” - Giving treats like apple, say “apple”
When your puppy is doing something unwanted, do not just scream its name. Remember to say “no” sternly and correct accordingly. Every wrong behavior must be corrected consistently.
It is good to practice a barter system when a puppy is young. If you take its toy, say ‘give’ and reward with a treat. They are more motivated with food rather than praise until they are older. (Personally, I never offer my dog any sort of treat or food without him working for it. A simple command for ‘handshake’ or ‘bark’ or ‘play dead’ for a reward. This trains him to always be obedient.)
Always walk through a door FIRST, before your dog. Same concept as walking your dog. The leader/alpha leads. A dog will only respect and listen to his alpha/pack leader.
Always pick up after your pet when he poops in public area. Be a responsible pet owner. You don’t want parks banning dogs because of your irresponsibility.
Always correct your puppy immediately for common household problems, example shoe chewing. Always supervise your puppy so that you can teach him accordingly. You should never leave a puppy alone unsupervised. Place shoes around the house, and correct him if he bites on your shoes. If he bites on your shoes, say NO sternly, remove shoes. You may replace it with his toys.
Again, to avoid common dog problems, another example is cat chase. This can be a problem if he goes for a walk and suddenly runs off or pulls you hard to chase a cat, or finding dead cats in your garden or finding deep cat scratch wound on your dog’s sensitive nose). So teach him while he is a puppy not to chase a cat. When you walk your puppy and when you spot a cat, introduce the cat to your puppy. Say “cat”, make him sit or stay calmly. If your puppy tries to pull or chase or has high excitement level, calmly say no and make your puppy sit until he remains calm, then praise him.
I have mentioned this tip above but I think it is important enough to mention it again. On the first encounter of events that scares your puppy, example fireworks, thunder, vacuum cleaner, other loud sounds etc.. QUICKLY stroke him, praise him, make happy gestures, go “wowwww, yay !!!”, give treats, give toys. You want them to associate these events as happy events and not something to fear. Do not show negative respond such as “oh no, its ok,” * slow stroke* , *cuddles*, because they would understand it as something to be afraid about and you are comforting them)
It is good to practice a good manner routine action.
Example before serving your puppy food, command him to sit. If he doesn’t understand the command yet, wait for him to sit or lightly push underneath his backside to make him sit. Then say “good boy” and give him his food. A puppy will sometimes/normally automatically sit if you stand close to him, as it is easier for him to sit and look upwards then to stand and look upwards. This will prevent your grown dog to jump on you in the future. It will also be easier when u need someone else to feed him on your vacation days. (Also see my tip on point 10 on leaving your dog alone at home for good routine)
Training - Tricks
Teaching your pup/dog tricks is actually simple, but it requires time, depending on your dog if he is a quick or slow learner.
The trick is rewarding them the minute they perform the action you ask. When teaching a new trick, do not say “no” when they do not perform the tricks correctly. (Teaching time should not be be too long as they will lose interest) Here are the steps :-
Sit Put your hand slightly under the buttock, push LIGHTLY the leg inwards,
You pup will go into a sitting position.
As you do all of this, say “sit”.
The minute he sits, give him LOADSSSS of praise “GOOODDD BOY !!!”, loads of strokes and a treat.
Your puppy will quickly learn that these pleases you, plus he will also get some treats =D.
DO NOT push your dog’s back hips down as this will hurt them.
It is good to always mention “sit” the minute he sits, then praise him. He will quickly associate the words with the action.
You may also perform a simple hand gesture with every practice.
Shake Hands
Grab your puppy’s hand, say “shake” or “hand”
Give him LOADSSSS of praise “GOOODDD BOY!!!”, loads of strokes and a treat.
Do this 10 times, a puppy normally learns quickly that shaking hand action on the command of 'shake/hands' will earn him a treat
in no time, he will quickly give you his hands. Of course some puppies may learn it slower and may need this action to be repeated 50 or 100 times, depending on individual.
Stay
You may need a partner to hold your puppy onto a leash for this
Say “stay”, make sure your puppy is sitting or standing on the same spot. (easier to sit)
Back away 1 step. If he continues to stay, say “GOOODDD BOY !!!”, loads of strokes and a treat.
If he moves, get your partner to pull him back and make him sit.
Repeat until successful. Then try again 2 steps back, 3 steps back, 5 steps back and so on.
Tips – you may give them thin slice of apples / carrots for tricks if they are bored with their kibbles. Be careful not to give too much it may cause diarrhea.
Note – I strongly advice against cheap treats from pet shops as most of them are pure junk. If you are going to purchase treats from the pet shops, read the ingredients and make sure they are from good food source. I normally give my dog ‘quality holistic dog kibbles’ or fruits for treats, but I give in small amounts.
Lastly…
While most of my article above written is intended for new pups, training is the same for adult dogs as well. Method is applicable for training, rules, consistency, leaving your dog at home, etc, so on.
The saying that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks is not true, as I myself have trained many adult dogs.
Some dogs learn faster than others, so you need to be patient with the slower ones. Positive reinforcement works better, they will be more eager to please you for something good, rather than to listen to you for the reason of being fearful. They will also respect you as a leader with the right technique. Being a leader/alpha means maintaining order in the pack, you have the responsibility to make sure of that.
I hope that this article is able to guide you in raising your pup. You are welcome to message/email me for any further guidance. This article is written based on my experience what works on my dog and 3 other dogs I have trained. My current well behaved Malamute will be 5 years old in 2 months. I have also raised a 14 year old poodle who knows 20 different tricks and a 10 year old husky previously. Other than my own pets, I have trained a chowchow puppy. All the stories you hear about leaving your dog alone and coming home to a broken torn sofa / remote control / messed up house and them being un-trainable is not true, because it really is possible.
If you haven’t own a pup and you are preparing yourself for one, be sure to know that owning a puppy/dog involves MUCH time, responsibility, commitment, money for future vet/medical fees/food/toys/etc ..
My Alaskan Malamute, Mochi has already cost me a at least RM16k and counting for all this medical fee alone and he isn’t even 5 years old yet.
(1k hip dysplasia checkup, 1.5k hip supplements, 1.5k stomach checkup & supplements as he has irritable bowel disease, 4k left eye surgery, 4k for coming eye surgery, 2k for previous eye test & checkup, approximately 2k for imported eye supplement and eye drops.
I have NOT even included RM300 per month for his food, yearly checkups, monthly deworming & tick prevention)
However, I have no regrets for Mochi and if I have to pick a pup all over again 5 years ago, it will be Mochi everytime!
So please, when you purchase a pup, please take into consideration the responsibility, dedication, time, effort & finance. Don’t be easily influenced to get a dog for the sake of it because it’s not cool to not be able to maintain one and take the easy way out by getting rid of it later.
(Note – image sources not mention are taken from random google images)
Cheers!
