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Now that we have picking the dog out of the way, and the does and don'ts of getting a well suited dog, we can go onto the first weeks home. As with any living creature, each dog or puppy will take things differently and in different strides, however this article will be assuming you have dodged all the bullets and chosen a well bred, well mannered dog/puppy, with no pre-existing behavioral issues. A clean slate to work with and mold info your perfect family dog. But no worries - there will be a second article on this, for if things didn’t go quite as smoothly, and some hiccups were encountered. For now though, we will focus on this ideal scenario. The most important things during this time, is crate training, not flooding the dog, and if other animals or children are present in the home, introducing them properly. This is functionally the same as introducing them to anything, or socializing them. On leash greetings are not ideal Dogs who are forced to greet something or someone on leash, are automatically more stressed and have a higher state of arousal than dogs who greet things off leash. Typically owners are afraid to allow them to greet off leash because they are fearful of the dog getting overexcited, or displaying aggression. However, if that is a concern, the dog or dogs should be trained separately before attempting to formally introduce. A leash hinders how the dog would normally and naturally communicate, and can lead to miscommunications with other dogs as well. Encourage neutrality When the time does come to formally introduce the dog to another member of the family, do not encourage extreme friendliness. Often, new pet parents get excited when they see the dog start wagging their tail, jumping, licking. Hurrah! The dog likes the other person/pet! However, remember that you have years for the dog to build a bond and connect with who you are introducing them to. Right now you want to reward calm. If you encourage arousal in the early meeting stages, reward it, then it will become a learned response. Just the same as if strangers give your dog treats when on a walk, they will become excited whenever they see someone pass by them. Some dogs will become wise to the human stealthily giving the stranger a treat, but not all will. It's an ingrained response, and likely you will end up with a jumpy, badly behaved dog. That’s one of the last things you want with a young child, or older (or just disgruntled) pet. Engage and Disengage This is a crucial exercise for dogs new to a home. Learning when to engage with their surroundings, and when to engage with you. If it is a new puppy who does not know their name yet, this is where you begin teaching it. If your new dog already had a name they understand, or other commands, it's best to practice training “look” with high-value toys and treats, and low-value distractions to set the dog up for success. One of the most important factors with this step, is learning how to properly use hold, use, and think about a leash. It is one of the most underrated and misunderstood training tools - so much so many people forget it even is a training tool! Something as simple as a trainer teaching you how to use your dogs leash, can make a huge difference in behavior. Time Without Stimulation As humans, it’s natural for us to want to constantly pacify our dogs. Whether it be going for a walk, throwing a ball, or giving them a bone to chew on, our dogs are constantly flooded with stimulus. However, that can create many different issues:
And many other, complex issues that cannot simply be listed in bullet-point fashion. Needless to say, dogs, and puppies especially need intermittent downtime without games, toys, or people to distract. Even if your dog appears to “never stop going”, they still have the sleeping needs in addition to their exercise needs. It’s up to you, the owner to enforce both, and not just one, in order to create a well balanced dog. These are some of the basics to get you well on your way with training. For further tips and tricks, make sure to follow us on social media. And if you have any specific issues you'd like discussed, you can email at [email protected]. Hope these tips can help a new pet parent and answer some of the questions they may have!
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