Special to The Star-Herald
I got a puppy; it was over 10 years ago, shortly before I became affiliated with the Humane Society. He is some sort of mixed breed that started out as a 15-pound puppy and now is a 120-pound beast. He has a great personality, but I was so uneducated about dogs and puppies when I got him; it is shameful. All that I could see is that I wanted a puppy; breed, color or sex didn’t matter. Then along came Baxter. I fell in love, because we all know, puppies are cute! I brought him home, and was so happy. That was in February, and my happiness soon became disappointment. In the cold mornings before work, I would open the door to let Bax out to relieve himself. NO WAY, so he would go onto the deck and pee and poop right on my deck in the snow and run back into the house. Unfortunately, we couldn’t break that behavior until he was 6 months old, 50 pounds and the snow melted. Before work, I would feed Bax and put him in his crate, and there he sat for eight hours. I would come home to poop squishing out the sides of the crate, a chewed up doggy bed and a puppy that needed a bath. What a disgusting mess.
I was so discouraged, so I went to work to investigate what I was doing wrong. Holy cow, was I in for a shock. I thought I knew it all. Honestly, I know nothing and that poor little puppy! I felt horrible! Glad it didn’t take me long to catch a clue and turn things around for Baxter and for myself. Many puppies and dogs are surrendered to shelters because the owners are ill-prepared for a dog or puppy. If you don’t teach them, they just don’t know.
My point is: please learn from my mistakes. Read information regarding “getting a puppy.” Speak to your veterinarian, kennel club members, humane society members, dog owners and get their opinions prior to getting a puppy. The Web site, www.dogplay.com/GettingDog/puppy.html, is a wonderful site full of information for the potential new dog or puppy owner to think about before getting a dog. Remember, they don’t train themselves.
One problem that is terribly difficult to deal with and potentially dangerous is nipping. Nipping from puppies usually starts out as play, but if left unchecked, it can become a dangerous learned behavior as the dog gets older and larger, so it is best to stop it when the dog is a puppy.
Try to discourage nipping by giving the majority of your attention to your puppy while is it quiet and calm or preoccupied with some sort of chew toy. Remember to always reward the dog for his good behavior (not nipping). This teaches your dog a rewarding behavior to replace his inappropriate behavior. You can also try placing small, yummy treats in the opposite hand that you are petting the puppy with. Reach to pet the puppy; before he has the opportunity to nip, let him sniff the hand with the yummy treat and redirect his attention away from the hand you were petting him with. You are replacing the nipping with something more rewarding. Before you know it, when you pet your dog he will associate it with something good and he will be looking for the baited hand. Slowly give more petting than treats and wham, you have a puppy that has decided that being petted is a good thing. Now this is only one suggestion as to how to redirect the behavior. Like with teaching children, every technique does not fit every dog or every situation. If you are having puppy issues, consult a dog trainer.
You will find, as you enter the dog ownership world, that there are many different training theories, training tools and techniques. You have to decide in your heart what methods you can live with using and what methods work best for your dog’s learning style. If you want great dogs, you must have patience and dedication. I don’t care if you start with a puppy or an adult; all dogs can learn, but it takes lots of time and patience. It takes an owner who is willing to try new methods, to ask for help and to learn to communicate with your dog.
If you are looking for a “Friend for Life,” please visit the animals available for adoption at the Central Aroostook Humane Society. Our cats are feline leukemia/AIDS tested negative, vaccinated and altered. Our dogs are also vaccinated, temperament tested and altered. The Central Aroostook Humane Society is a great place to find a healthy pet. We are open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Our phone number is 764-3441, or you can visit us on line at www.centralaroostookhumanesociety.org.
Please keep your pets inside and safe this Halloween!
