Preventing bad habits before they happen

[danecolor]

i was just reading through the "greatest training obstacles" thread and it made me think. i will be getting a puppy within the next couple of years and, being one of those people who researches everything to death, i am already wondering about how to prevent difficult behavior problems from the beginning. i have only ever rescued young dogs, so i have never raised a puppy "from scratch".

to those who are old hands at training and socialization of pups - what can be done to prevent things such as fearfulness, leash reactivity, over exuberance when meeting dogs and people, dog aggression, etc? teaching basic "manners" like loose-leash walking, respecting thresholds, and taking food gently, etc are all within my grasp, as are basic commands like, sit, down, and leave it. i have also had some experience with reducing problem behaviors when they crop up, but when i get my first puppy, i would like to prevent problems from happening in the first place.

anyone care to inform me?

[DaneMama]

First off...where do you plan to get a new puppy? I'm pretty sure you've said from a breeder in the past, right?

If so, I would find a breeder that socializes their pups from a very early age. Most breeders that I know refuse to have people come to their property before a certain age, etc. But socialization starts from the moment they are born. A breeder must be devoted to handling each puppy extensively BUT in the proper way. Most breeders I know don't give this kind of interaction to their pups even if they are "reputable" breeders. Handling means, touching the feet, ears, MOUTHS, tummies, putting them on their backs, etc, etc. Most puppies start handling exercises in a puppy socialization class but handling really needs to start from day one. Handling isn't just snuggling, cuddling and smooching on the puppies. If puppies are subjected to a routine physical "exam" several times a day for 8 weeks straight...that gives them mad skills in tolerating being handled. Not only the breeder themselves should handle these puppies, but people of all sorts (obviously in a clean way) so that fear towards people is a very low risk. Also, socialization with other dogs is also key but of course being safe about it. Most trainers and behaviorists would rather risk infection with disease and socialize the heck out of puppies rather than risk life long behavioral problems that could very well mean that dog ends up in a shelter or PTS.

Find a breeder that already starts practicing impulse control, NILIF, basic training/cues, potty training (this includes the proper "puppy environment" per Ian Dunbar that maximizes potty training- a good breeder knows exactly what this is), clicker training, etc. Ideally a puppy should leave the breeders house pretty well potty trained with basic commands IMHO. A breeder that is responsible prepares h/h puppies as much as humanly possible to enter the world with a strong foundation. If a puppy leaves the breeders house with these skills, the chance of it being re-homed/PTS due to behavioral problems goes way down. A breeder should invest a huge amount of time into h/h puppies.

Once you get the puppy, take it everywhere and anywhere you can. Make sure that every experience that puppy has is a good and positive experience to the best of your ability. Enroll into a puppy socialization class, or several if you can find them. Continue to enroll in classes until that dog is as well trained as you'd like it to be. It would be awesome to get one into competitive obedience or a dog sport. Doing something with your dogs is highly rewarding! BUT...make sure that whatever class you enroll in, trainer that you work with uses 100% positive reinforcement training. Any trainer that calls themselves a "balanced" trainer you should thank them for their time and find a different one. These trainers make themselves appear to be positive but they can use just as many aversive techniques as their positive ones. I'm not saying punishment is bad, just that it has to be appropriate and non coercive.

You can also prepare yourself by reading, reading and doing more reading. Here's a list of books that I would recommend reading...even if the subject is a specific problem, you never know when that information will become handy:

http://www.siriuspup.com/pdfs/BEFOREphotos.pdf

http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/AF...ur%20Puppy.pdf

Amazon.com: How to be the Leader of the Pack...And have Your Dog Love You For It. (9781891767029): Patricia B. McConnell Ph.D.: Books

Amazon.com: The Puppy Primer (9781891767135): Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., Brenda Scidmore: Books

Amazon.com: The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs (9780345446787): Patricia B. McConnell: Books

Amazon.com: Feeling Outnumbered? How to Manage and Enjoy Your Multi-Dog Household. (9781891767067): Karen B. London Ph.D., Patricia B. McConnell Ph.D.: Books

Amazon.com: Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash-Reactive Dog (9781891767074): Patricia B. McConnell Ph.D., Karen B. London Ph.D.: Books


Hope this helps!!! Can't wait to see another squishy (Dane?) puppy face here on DFC :yay:

[danecolor]

Awesome response, thank you so much! the puppy will be from a breeder and definitely a Dane

i have not started looking into breeders with real depth yet but definitely good advice for when i do!

i have Ian Dunbar's "before" and "after" you get your puppy books and i love them. I even took notes while reading them

the whole socialization aspect definitely overwhelms me to think about sometimes. it seems like such a short window to expose a pup to so much, and then there is the worry that certain experiences could go wrong and permanently affect the puppy. it sounds a lot less overwhelming to just think about taking the pup everywhere possible, though. i have a list of good places to bring a puppy for socialization already, so that sounds doable.

i know there are no guarantees, but do you think a puppy who has that strong foundation coming from the breeder will "turn out all right" as long as the owner exposes them to as many different people/dogs/scenarios as possible while keeping the experiences positive? are there any huge things to avoid to prevent behavioral issues once the pup is in the owner's care?

awesome books suggestions by the way, those will definitely make good summer reading

thanks again for the great response!

[DaneMama]

Awesome response, thank you so much! the puppy will be from a breeder and definitely a Dane

i have not started looking into breeders with real depth yet but definitely good advice for when i do!

What are you looking for from a breeder? And I'm always happy to help!!!

i have Ian Dunbar's "before" and "after" you get your puppy books and i love them. I even took notes while reading them

You're already 100X more prepared than the majority of new puppy owners out there. Kudos to you!

the whole socialization aspect definitely overwhelms me to think about sometimes. it seems like such a short window to expose a pup to so much, and then there is the worry that certain experiences could go wrong and permanently affect the puppy. it sounds a lot less overwhelming to just think about taking the pup everywhere possible, though. i have a list of good places to bring a puppy for socialization already, so that sounds doable.

Yes, I know how you feel. That is why is stress it so much to find a breeder that starts this socialization process the proper way from day one, when the window of opportunity opens (It closes about 4 months of age....for most dogs). They are very few and far between, I'd almost say that they are far more rare than those who do full health testing. Not only do most dog owners have no clue how to raise a dog, communicate properly with them, train them, etc...same goes for breeders. It would be awesome for breeders to only be trainers and behaviorists. That would ensure that nearly every single puppy would be a stable, well prepared, even tempered dog by the time it is re-homed to its new owner. I'm certainly not saying that socialization just ends when they leave the breeder...socialization NEVER really ends. Every situation in life should be seen as an opportunity to socialize and train your dog. The work certainly doesn't end just there with the breeder, it continues with the new parents....

And to be quite honest....You'll be ITCHING to take that sweet baby with you everywhere. You'll start calling businesses up before you go there asking if they allow dogs inside their stores, if restaurants will allow dogs on their patios, if your friends will allow you to bring your puppy to their house.

i know there are no guarantees, but do you think a puppy who has that strong foundation coming from the breeder will "turn out all right" as long as the owner exposes them to as many different people/dogs/scenarios as possible while keeping the experiences positive? are there any huge things to avoid to prevent behavioral issues once the pup is in the owner's care?

I do. Especially from a breeder that I've painted an example of in my above post. I don't believe that if both parents have wonderful temperaments that the puppy will just naturally have one as well. Every dog is different. While temperament is very important in the parents its about nature vs nurture. I believe the parental foundation is important...BUT I think the nurture that puppy receives every moment its alive after the moment its born is far more important. Thats why breeders must use careful screenings and be available for life long support (and the idea that every breeder must be a trainer/behavior expert is even more important- its like having a free trainer in your "toolbox" for training a dog you get from them).

awesome books suggestions by the way, those will definitely make good summer reading

thanks again for the great response!

Of course

Another piece of advice is to work equally with Riley during this time as well. Sometimes people get so lovestruck by their new puppy that they unknowingly neglect their current dog...even if only by a very small amount. Its important to let Riley know that she is still number one dog (since she was there first). Don't intervene too often when she "schools" the puppy, as long as its appropriate and not "bullying". She can teach your new pup probably just as much as you can, without saying a word. I'm certainly not saying that she will potty train the kid for ya, but she will teach her important lessons in the language of "Dog" that you can only try and mimic!

[RawFedDogs]

You are spending a lot of energy worrying about problems you willl probably never have. Puppies are much easier than older dogs. You don't have to undo bad stuff they have already learned. You say you know how to reduce problems once they show up. Well in this case, thats exactly what you do. When a problem crops up, reduce it .... you will catch the problem in its infancy and it'll be easy to stop in most cases. As Natalie says, "Socialize early" ... that can't be overstressed. Let the pup experience as much as possible as soon as possible and try your best to make all experiences positive. If one isn't don't get all upset about it. Those things will happen in spite of everything you can do to prevent it. You'll do fine. Don't worry so much. Worry is your enemy. Positive confidence is your friend.

[bernadettelevis]

I don't have as much experience in training as Danemama and RFD, but my dog socializing it was the most important thing for me.

SOOOO many people told me not to get a weimaraner because of potential aggression towards people and other dogs...:/

So when i got my puppy, i took it EVERYWHERE with me! I got to see my horse from day one. I took him with me to university, shopping malls, friends places, restaurants, cafes, parks and so on. Now he's almost 2 and he doesn'T have a problem anywhere! Last week i was visiting a friend in vienna and of course i took the dog with me. There where so many people and new things and noises but he wasn't stressed at all! Also it breaks my heart when i see dogs at the shopping mall that are so stressed, well my dog is used to it and he loves it! New people, new smells...

Fortunately i have an off-leash area right next to where i live, so i also got to introduce him to as many dogs as possible.

And what also was important to me, to introduce him to ducks, cats, rabbits and so on. So now i can go where ever without a leash, without him running off chasing something. He's interested, but he always comes when i call ;).

Good luck :)

[Caty M]

I brought Bishop everywhere too and now he isn't scared of anything really. Some people say NOT to bring the dog anywhere though until it's around 16-20 weeks.. because of getting parvo etc. Any advice on that? I am a bit iffy on bringing my new puppy to the dog park right away. We did with Bishop but I didn't do much reading on vaccination and puppy diseases and this time around I have done probably too much and now I am terrified.

[DaneMama]

Oh no, please don't give into the propaganda about waiting to socialize puppies until theyre done with their shots!

Like I said earlier.....the risk of having an under socialized dog is a far greater threat that can turn into a LIFE LONG behavioral problem compared to the risk or parvo/distemper which are often times curable in young, healthy puppies- catching it early is vital. While these diseases are a risk, your pup should be just fine because he has immunity from mom initially and all through the boostering process. As long as your conscious of where you take them (I'm not a fan of most dog parks for young pups because there are some dogs there that can have a very negative effect which is not what you want to expose your puppy to).

[danecolor]

What are you looking for from a breeder? And I'm always happy to help!!!

i do have a shortlist of breeders that i have found over the years who may eventually be candidates, but i am definitely still looking. i would love to have a breeder putting a variety of titles on their dogs (rally, obedience, CGC), doing therapy work, and/or being very active and involved with their dogs. conformation showing isn't my highest priority but if the breeder does show, i would want to see their dogs being owner handled and finishing quickly. of course, full health testing with good results is an absolute must. definitely no kennel situations. i want all breeding dogs to live inside as pets full time and all puppies to be raised in the house exclusively. i would also like to see the breeder working on training and socialization from the beginning with their puppies. i have a definite soft spot for the non-standard colors, but color is my last priority. i also do not like to see extensive linebreeding/inbreeding. that's all i can think of off the top of my head, but everything else is pretty negotiable.

And to be quite honest....You'll be ITCHING to take that sweet baby with you everywhere. You'll start calling businesses up before you go there asking if they allow dogs inside their stores, if restaurants will allow dogs on their patios, if your friends will allow you to bring your puppy to their house.

oh believe me, i have puppy fever so badly that i have an entire notebook devoted to puppy preparation . i already have a whole page devoted to local places i can bring a puppy! it is going to be so hard for me to wait until i am actually in a good situation to bring in a puppy but when the day comes, it will be worth it.

Another piece of advice is to work equally with Riley during this time as well. Sometimes people get so lovestruck by their new puppy that they unknowingly neglect their current dog...even if only by a very small amount. Its important to let Riley know that she is still number one dog (since she was there first). Don't intervene too often when she "schools" the puppy, as long as its appropriate and not "bullying". She can teach your new pup probably just as much as you can, without saying a word. I'm certainly not saying that she will potty train the kid for ya, but she will teach her important lessons in the language of "Dog" that you can only try and mimic!

great advice once again, thank you

You are spending a lot of energy worrying about problems you willl probably never have. Puppies are much easier than older dogs. You don't have to undo bad stuff they have already learned. You say you know how to reduce problems once they show up. Well in this case, thats exactly what you do. When a problem crops up, reduce it .... you will catch the problem in its infancy and it'll be easy to stop in most cases. As Natalie says, "Socialize early" ... that can't be overstressed. Let the pup experience as much as possible as soon as possible and try your best to make all experiences positive. If one isn't don't get all upset about it. Those things will happen in spite of everything you can do to prevent it. You'll do fine. Don't worry so much. Worry is your enemy. Positive confidence is your friend.

i know, i am a worrier and a preparer by nature. very good advice though, i will remember to relax and not over complicate things. i am glad to hear that puppies are much easier, that's a bit of a relief. i do wonder though - how do puppy shots and socialization mesh? when is it safe enough to take the puppy out to meet dogs and people, etc?

[DaneMama]

As long as you keep up with vaccinations in the beginning (8,12 and 16 weeks) your pup will be safe to go most places...just don't go anywhere with rabid animals! Dog parks I'm not the biggest fan of because you never know who will be there which there's a chance for a bad situation.

I would find a group of people, dog club, etc and get together as often as possible. Make sure almost every single interaction with a dog/person is a positive one.