Guest Blogger — Shannon Heim
Dreaming of the Best Dog Ever
By Shannon Heim
I think everyone who brings home a new puppy dreams of their new friend growing into the “best dog ever.” Loyal, but friendly, playful, but well-mannered, smart but obedient, fun but calm when needed, the ideal companion. We marvel at people we see who have these dogs. What is the secret? How do you get a well behaved “good” dog? Unfortunately those who love dogs the most seem to have the most trouble being graced with a “good dog.”
I believe that they are simply blinded by love and are not recognizing how dogs learn. Dogs learn very simply in an “action=reaction” sequence. If the reaction is something they like they will repeat the action. “When I growl at the vet, my owner talks to me in a sweet voice ‘now, honey, don’t growl at the vet, don’t do that’ and pets me on the head. So I will continue to growl at the vet”. When the reaction is something negative they probably will not repeat it. “When I growl at the vet my owner snaps up on my leash and harshly says “NO! So I probably will think twice before I do that again.”
I recently adopted a new puppy. She is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever we named Sasha. Many people had advice for me about my new puppy. I listened to it all with interest, after all, I want a “good dog”. Some of the things I was told were breed specific and worrisome. Like “CBRs are aggressive, watch out!” or “CBRs are very hard to train and stubborn”. Some of the things were good, like “CBRs are loyal and protective” or “CBRs are smart.” I think that it is certainly true that some characteristics are stronger in specific breeds. So I took these opinions into consideration and researched them. I learned a great deal about the breed and keep that in mind when training Sasha. I think that it is a good starting point for anyone getting a new dog to understand the behavior traits of the breed. Its like a little one up in the training process. Of course we all know there are a whole lot of mutts out there that need homes too and they can definitely be “good dogs”, many people will attest to that!
Either way, mutt or pure bred, there are few things that can be done early on to get your puppy well on her way to being a “good dog”. I have learned about some of these things through my reading and talking to people about my new puppy. Some I have gained through the experience of owning dogs all of my life. In this column I will focus one VERY important lesson.
What is the most important command for a dog to learn? What is the most useful thing to get your dog to do in almost any situation? Let’s say your dog is running toward the road, or standing looking excitedly at the neighbors cat, or perhaps you are going to be leaving in the next half hour and need to put the dog in her kennel. That all-important command that your dog must know and obey is; COME.
There is nothing more frustrating then yelling “FIDO! get over here! C’mon boy, here boy! FIDO! FIDO come here! FIDO!” and having your dog completely ignore you. It is even sometimes quite embarrassing if he is jumping on poor Aunt Matilda who has just arrived for a visit and is trying to get out of her car.
The most common mistake that is made in the beginning is not making it crystal clear to your dog that when you say that magic word “COME” (or whatever word you choose) that she must come no matter what. There is no other alternative, it is simply what she does, every single time, period. The way to train your dog to do this is simple enough, but requires discipline on the owners part.
First, NEVER say the command unless you are sure she will obey. That means if she is a baby and she doesn’t know what it means yet, you don’t say it unless she is on a leash and you can pull her to you when you say it. Train her on the leash at first until you are sure she gets the meaning. If you think she is going to be too distracted or tempted by a certain situation and might not obey, don’t test her! Go to her instead.
Secondly, when she comes make sure she knows how wonderful you think she is for doing it. Praise her, rub her chest and her belly, talk to her in low voice, “good girl! Such a good dog!” etc. Romp with her a little. Every once in a while surprise her with a treat when she comes. Give her praise for at least 20 seconds. This is critical. Dogs learn by association. If she comes and something wonderful happens she will keep doing it. Remember, no matter how angry or frustrated you are, never scold her when she comes to you. Even if you step out onto the deck and spot her out in the garden eating your prize tomatoes! If you yell “COME”, when she gets to you, you must praise her, (she’s already forgotten she was eating tomatoes anyway!) If you want to scold her, you must go to her and catch her in the act. A harsh high pitched “NO! LEAVE IT!” will show your disapproval. Another key part of this training is not to make the mistake of calling her to you and then immediately locking her in her kennel or in the house. This creates a whole other set of problems I will cover in another column. EVEN if you are running late for an appointment, I can tell you Im always running late so I know all about that one, you must take the time to let her know it was well worth it to come to you.
The first rule “never command come unless you are sure she will obey” makes the third rule almost unnecessary but I will say it anyway, NEVER chase her. Dogs can run very fast and chances are, unless she is a very small puppy, you will not be able to catch her. This is such a detrimental and very common mistake. If she thinks you will chase her, she will think “what a fun game this is”, and she will run. If you ever find yourself in a position when she wont come, don’t say the command again. Just use other phrases such as “here girl!, lets go, this way” and run away from her. Hopefully she will follow. When you get under your control again practice the command COME on leash for another week or so.
The fourth important rule to remember goes with all training, make sure everyone that is involved with the dog understands the rules of the command COME. They also should never use it unless they can follow through. Kids especially need to understand this, they mean well and see you doing it and think that they should follow your lead, but it is best if that command is left to the primary trainers in the first year. Other people can say “here girl” or “lets go” or pat their leg if they really need to get her to come to them. My husband is one of my biggest obstacles in training. He wants to help, but he just doesn’t seem to get just how important it is not to call “COME” unless you can make sure she does. I see him at the door in a towel trying to call her in from a rainstorm. I know that she loves water, and that she is having a grand old time. So I remind him “Don’t yell COME unless you are ready to go out there in your bare feet and navigate the poop mine field in the rain while trying to catch the dog and still hold on to your towel!
Most importantly be your dogs pack leader. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Demand obedience, and give love in return. Dogs are pack animals and they are most comfortable when they know their place. However instinct tells them to try to lead the pack when it is weak. Don’t put this burden on your dog, we all know that being the leader is a lot of work! It’s a tough job that requires constant vigilance and can cause a lot of stress. Dogs are much happier pets when they know that they have a competent, consistent leader who will take care of them. Then they can relax and just be your pet, your Sasha or Fido, your friend. These are the dogs that become your dream dog, your “good” dog.
