1. Things to Consider When Adopting a Puppy
2. Bringing Your Dog Home
3. Sleeping in Your Bed
4. One Month and Fighting
5. Respect and Leadership

The single most important part of adopting any companion animal is patience. Animals that have been re-homed are sensitive and very impressionable. Our anger not only confuses our companions, but harms their development. We want our animals to grow up to be confident, alert, good natured and affectionate dogs. In order to accomplish this we must show our companions the same care we expect from them.

Puppies that are two to four months old are developing a sense of attachment, confidence, self-control, and game-playing. Confidence is built by slowly increasing the amount of stimuli that a puppy is exposed to each day (sounds, textures, movement, smells, etc). Your puppy’s world must extend beyond the home. Expose him to children, men, traffic, stairs, riding in the car, and anything else he may experience later in his life. We want to challenge our companions, but not stress or overwhelm them, so take baby steps.

Each puppy is born with a certain drive level. Puppies that do not learn self-control, or how to direct their drive, end up as dogs that are stressed and anxious. This stress may lead to destructive chewing, digging, barking, mouthing, jumping, or one of many other common behavior problems. Forms of restraint include crate-training, walking on a leash, and basic obedience commands. Not only should our pups learn self-control, but they should also learn how to discharge built up energy in a positive manner. This means learning which toys are his; where to run; what to chew; and how to play with you, your family and other animals. Game-playing enhances your pup’s awareness, attentiveness, and problem solving abilities.

“When my daughter brought me home a Bichon Frise puppy as a gift I was thrilled. My last dog, Coco, passed away a couple months ago and I have really missed her. But after a week with the puppy I was exhausted and at my wits end. I couldn’t keep up with this little creature running around my house. Unfortunately I needed to give her away. Since then I have adopted a 5 year old black Lab, Bell and couldn’t be happier. She loves going for a slow walk in the morning and instead of running around my house she is content to lay by my feet and snooze. Adopting an older animal is the best decision I have made.”
- Carol Manchester, NH

At four to six months puppies must learn approval awareness, a sense of responsibility, leash manners, basic commands, and socialization. Perhaps one of the most important factors is socialization with other dogs and other people. Take care that your puppy learns that other dogs and people are great. You will never be able to get back the impressionable stage of puppy hood. As a puppy matures he will be ready for more expectations to be placed on him and for more to be asked of him. We want to be sure that our companions are ready for the challenges we place on them. A puppy should continuously progress with your support and reinforcement.

Adult animals are generally a great match for many families. The struggle of housebreaking is typically over and they are finished with the adolescent stage. Many people find that they enjoy long walks with an older dog that does not have the intense drive to find out what each and every smell could be. Families that have busy schedules have also found comfort in an older dog that has already developed self-control and a sense of independence. Adopting any animal is very satisfying; but remember to sit down and examine your lifestyle before you take on the responsibility of any animal, especially a puppy.

A Great Starting Point

Part of working with your companion’s attention includes challenging his focus. It is important that he learns to check in with you, and ask, when he wants something. In order to work with this behavior we construct an environment that we can control.

Have your dog make eye-contact to ask for the treat in your hand.

It is important that your companion thinks through these steps on his own. If he wants something bad enough, like a treat in your hand, he will find a way to get it. The key in this situation is that there is only one right answer; he must look at you without being prompted. Hold the treat in your closed hand at your companion’s head level. Allow him to lick, nudge, and move around. Correct him lightly for any biting or jumping. Keep your hand steady and wait. As soon as your companion makes eye-contact give him the treat. Your companion will quickly learn how to ask you for something instead of demanding. However, this does not mean that he will always get what he wants.

Bringing Your Dog Home

Question: When I bring my adopted dog home, what should I do?

Answer: Give your new friend his own space, a bed and/or crate. It is important that your dog feels secure and knows where he belongs. Do not free feed, instead feed your dog twice a day and have him sit before you give him the dish. This will show your dog that his needs (food, water, shelter and approval) are met by you.

As much as you want to lavish attention on your new friend, it is best that you pause. Give your dog attention when she is calm. This means when your dog is sitting and/or laying down. By reinforcing calm behavior, you help your companion enjoy the transition into your home. This helps to avoid a dog becoming spoiled, a bully or anxious.

Play time is great. Enjoy tossing a ball, going for a walk or getting involved with obedience. The more you are able to do with your new friend, the better. Once your dog has structure and leadership, he will look to you for that guidance, instead of "looking for trouble" around the home.

Sleeping in Your Bed

Question: Can my dog sleep with me in my bed?

Answer: The short answer is not right away, but your companion can earn the privilege of sleeping on the floor by you or, in some cases, on a blanket at the end of the bed. This all depends on the breed and temperament of the dog.

This is the number one question that people ask, but truly do not want the tough love answer. We all love our animals, our friends and family members. However, we must all live with boundaries. If we allowed our children, the neighbors' children and/or their friends to come into the home and jump on our bed, it would be rather difficult to gain control later. Another example would be allowing children to behave in any manner they want during recess, and then expect them to focus in class.

Many pet owners welcome a new member into the family and want to make sure the animal is loved. The best way to show that you love an animal is to make sure that your home is their forever home. By setting boundaries early, you are able to give privileges later. We all earn privileges through give and take, including our animal companions.

One Month and Fighting

Question: "It has been 1 month since we brought our new dog Grant home! The good news is that Grant has really come out of his shell. However, he is also testing boundaries. Our dog Bella and he have scuffled over food and, more seriously, a toy. No blood was shed, but it was loud and scared me. I didn't think this would be an issue with such a (seemingly) submissive dog, and one of the opposite sex!! Grant is still very leery of my husband—Grant won't come to Peter, and still freaks out when Peter walks him. What do you recommend?"

Answer: You may have two middle-ranking dogs who are trying to figure out who is in control. The best thing for both dogs to understand is that you are the leader, not either of them. This means that all the food, toys and resources are yours, not theirs. The best way to demonstrate this is through doing dominance work with the dogs. Practice Down and Stay while there are controlled distractions in the dogs' environment. Do a lot of obedience work, making sure that they learn to pause before reacting. Practice a lot of "Give" and "Take" to work with possession. Make sure that both dogs are physically lower than you (off the couch and beds).

A wonderful way to teach attention is with a treat in your hand. Work with one dog at a time. Put the treat in a closed hand and allow the dog to sniff and/or lick. Don't say anything to encourage him or her to look at you; just wait. In time the dog will look at you. This teaches the dog that when he wants something, he needs to look to you. You want them to look to you for the answers.

In regards to Grant and Peter, have Peter hand-feed Grant as often as possible. The more that Grant understands that he gets what he needs from Peter, the better. Some dogs are very sensitive to how we move. It is far better, for men especially, to approach in an arch and to bend at the knees instead of at the waist. We want our dogs to understand that we do not intend for our approach to be seen as a threat and, therefore, there is no reason to be defensive. At times, though, the animal instinct of "fight or flight" takes over. We, therefore, want to help our dogs stay our thoughtful companions instead of reactive animals.

I do want to mention that a dog can behave very differently with people and other dogs. This means a dog who is nervous (or has submissive tendencies) around humans can gain false confidence through bullying other dogs. It is similar to a bully on the playground. Many look for an easy fight to feel better about some sort of insecurity. The answer here is to solve the source of the problem.

Respect and Leadership

We all want our animals to love us. Along those same lines, we expect our children, parents and partners to love us. The difference lies within the conditions, or the lack thereof. We speak about how animals are all-forgiving and offer unconditional love and affection. As owners and leaders, we can offer unconditional love, but not unconditional affection. This is similar to saying that you always love your family, but sometimes you don’t like what one member may do or say.

Typically, a lack of respect leads to a dog making his or her own decisions. These decisions are made in regards to instant gratification (getting what he or she wants immediately) instead of long-term good behavior. Lack of respect can cause problems out of the home such as pulling on the leash, jumping on strangers and barking at distractions. In the home, it leads to stealing, chasing, counter-surfing, bumping into you and even knocking objects and people over.

It is important that before we worry about good or bad behavior, we set boundaries and expectations. If our expectations are unclear, how can they be followed? In addition, our dogs, just like our children, must care about the consequences. We cannot have a situation where we need “daddy.” It is, therefore, necessary that each individual is respected by the dog.

RESPECT:

1. Our dogs must be Responsive to our body language and vocal commands.

2. They must Earn praise, rewards and privileges. No treats just because and no free feeding. Remember everything in the house is yours first.

3. One of the most important aspects of a dog’s world is Space. Our dogs must respect not only our personal space but also our home. This includes acknowledging a buffer zone, responding attentively to a body block and not displacing (taking our spot) us from a couch and/or chair.

4. Patience is needed by both sides. We must be sure that we are communicating clearly and our dogs must wait until they are given that guidance.

5. They must be Eager to please, offer eye contact and follow through with commands.

6. This includes Checking In with you. Checking in is like a dogs saying “what’s next” or “what can I do for you.” Realistically this is the dog sitting and looking at you attentively.

7. We must be the Teachers. Dogs are like children and need guidance. Without boundaries in school there would be chaos. Think about the difference between recess and class time.