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SOME BRIEF TIPS FOR RAISING
A WELL-ADJUSTED PUPPY © Brooke Taylor, Neigepearl Shepherds May not be used without express
permission A few hints on socialising your puppy ·
Never console the
puppy or pat him if he acts nervous or snappy out of fear. By consoling or
patting him you are telling him that that kind of behaviour
was acceptable. NEVER ‘BABY’ YOUR DOG!
If he acts nervous – ignore it and let him work out that there is no reason
to be scared. Do not allow people or other dogs to force themselves upon your
puppy. You would not like it if someone came up in your face and jumped on
you or grabbed you! ·
Correct any bad
behavior, such as nipping or biting out of fear. ·
If your puppy is a
little wary of people, do not console him – tell the person
to allow the puppy to approach them on their own terms. They may need
to be patience. Do not force the pup! ·
A stranger looking
down straight at the puppy making direct eye-contact is a threatening thing
in the dog world. Have the stranger come down to the pups’ level and not look
directly at the puppy. Tell them to totally ignore the puppy. Once he learns that strangers are OK and
there is nothing to be afraid of, its good if the
person offers them a treat or a pat. ·
If socialising
with other dogs/pups, always check with the owner that their dogs are
friendly and will not attack your puppy. A bad experience can have
long-lasting effects on the puppy and might make him nervous of meeting other
dogs for a long time to come. Dogs must always be under full voice control if
off lead and must come when called. Learn how to interpret dog behaviour to avoid problems when socialising
off leash. ·
Do not let your puppy
boss another puppy or growl seriously at it. There is a difference between
playing and getting too rough. No
owner likes their puppy being beaten up by another pup or dog! Learn the
difference between rough-housing play and aggression. ·
Get your puppy focussed on YOU when working and socialising. YOU must
be the most important person in their life – not anyone or anything else.
Break playtimes or times they are distracted by a fun game with YOU. DAY TO DAY TIPS Exercise and Getting Out and About A build up of energy and lack of exercise
can cause behavioural problems such as aggression, frustration, fearfulness
and destructiveness, so make sure the dog/pup is well-exercised and
stimulated. GSDs are a working breed and were bred
to have brains – and to USE THEM! Take him out on daily walks and enclosed
areas where they can run safely off lead (and not get hit by a car!).
Make sure that you don’t over-exercise your puppy though. No forced
running i.e. jogging with you or jumping until they are at least 12 months
old, because their joints are still growing and over-doing it can cause
life-long joint problems! If there are other dogs around or loose,
ensure the other dogs are stable and will not hurt the pup. Most people these
days are courteous and will put their dogs on lead. Better to be safe than
sorry in these situations! If there is ever a fight or attack, the person who
has their dog off lead, are the ones liable, even if their dog didn’t start
it! You and your family are the dog’s PACK, not
every dog down the street or in the park. YOU are the Pack Leader. During the
walk or run, they must still be focussed on you when you request their
attention. It’s fair enough to allow them to just ‘be a puppy’, sniff things
etc, but ensure that when you ask for your pups’ attention that they give it
to you immediately. Give positive verbal encouragement and make things fun
for them – give treats and lots of praise! Get the puppy out and about visit different
environments i.e. milk bars, a shopping strip or supermarket. Puppies
must learn how to be calm in different surroundings. Always end training sessions on a positive
note! Praise When you get your dogs focus and attention and
they do what you say, reward it with food and verbal praise, but don’t overdo
the praise. Calmly, warmly and confidently praise them (not a high-pitched
crazy voice – that will only hype them up and they are likely to get
over-excited and jump on you!). Avoiding Separation Anxiety When you come home or leave to go out
without them, don’t touch, make eye contact, or talk to them. Don’t make time apart such a big
deal. If you do, it can develop behavioural problems such as separation
anxiety. Give calm and gentle attention once they settle down – this may
take 5 minutes or even up to one hour! Your dog must learn to spend time
alone where they are not centre of attention. Ignore bad behaviour. Reward
the good! If you have more than one dog, alternate the
dogs inside and outside. They should not learn to be dependent on each other.
It’s very important that when raising a puppy with your other dog around, that they are taken separately on walks so the
puppy can learn how socialise by themselves and not rely on the other dog for
confidence. It’s also a good idea if you are not at
home, to leave a bone or a toy like a kong with
food stuffed in it. They’ll be occupied and busy for a while! HOW TO BECOME A PACK LEADER AND GAIN YOUR DOGS’
RESPECT No pulling on lead! Don’t allow the puppy to
pull on the lead. The Pack Leader walks in front. Walk with confident posture
and a calm, assertive attitude. Train your
dog the basic commands i.e. sit, heel, drop, come. You don’t want to be
dragged down the street! Join a local dog obedience club to learn how to make
your dog do these things. No jumping! Your dog should always be prepared to accept a reasonable
measure of control and when young children or elderly people are around
it. A boisterous young dog can easily knock
down the very young or elderly. Children may become frightened of dogs for
life and the elderly are very prone to injury. Getting up on couches or beds! What’s cute as a puppy is
not cute at 30kgs! Couches and beds are for Pack
Leaders – not dogs! Do not allow your dog to lay
upon you – this is a dominant position for the dog. Do not confuse your dog’s
ranking within your pack by allowing it to do things that make it think it’s
the boss. Feed your dog after you and your family!
Pack Leaders
eat first. If it’s not dinner time for you and the family, even eat a biscuit
or something small yourself then prepare the dogs’ meal. Never give up if you give your dog a
command and he/she ignores it! Every time
you give a command, you must always carry it through to completion. If you
give in, the dog learns they can get away with ignoring your commands and
will not take you seriously and they think they are the Pack Leader. If
commands keep getting ignored, be patient, keep trying and make the dog do
it! Reward the dog and praise him when he complies! Never give your dog anything if they are
whinging or carrying on! Whinging and barking at you is THEM being the
Pack Leader and DEMANDING something from YOU. Don’t give in to this behaviour
as it will reinforce it and they will keep trying it! If you must, put them
outside and ignore them. Do not allow your dog to barge through
doors first! As Pack Leader, you go
first, they follow. Do not give the dog attention/affection
unless it is deserved. Reward the dog if it has done
something very good. Make them work to
gain food or praise. Making them sit, drop, stay or heel. Attention is not a
given right – it’s something they must earn. In a pack environment, food and
respect doesn’t come for free! If the dog is in your way and not moving
– walk right through it! As pack leader, you have “right of way”. By
walking around your dog, this is you submitting to your dog. When pushing
through with your legs – don’t fall over! WELL-TRAINED DOGS
CAN ONLY COME FROM RESPONSIBLE OWNERS WHO ARE WILLING TO INVEST TIME &
EFFORT INTO THE DOGS TRAINING PROGRAM! TRAINING NEVER STOPS. IT’S AN ONGOING
JOB. ROUTINE AND CONSISTENCY ARE THE KEYS! These hints and tips are a general guide only. For more information with any behavioural
problems, please consult a professional canine behaviorist. |
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