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Training Your New Dog
Training and behavioral questions are something I deal with everyday.
Nearly 30% of the phone calls we receive have to do with these issues.
And to emphasize the importance of this aspect of pet ownership,
it is estimated that over 60% of the animals that are relinquished
to pounds or humane societies because of behavioral problems. This
especially applies to dogs. Most of these problems could have been
avoided if the owners had spent enough time working with their new
pets when they first acquired them. Let’s concentrate on the canine
population, since this really is where the majority of problems
lie.
Housebreaking is certainly the most common issue we have
to address with new puppies. I recommend crate training and focus
on the three C’s of housebreaking; the Crate,
Confinement and Consistency.
How do I use crate training to housebreak
my new puppy?
If you choose not to follow the crate training method, keep in
mind whatever program you choose for housebreaking, you need to
be extremely consistent. This is really the key to being successful.
Get on a schedule that works for you and your family (and your pet),
and stick to it.
Basic Training
Once again, you have to start simple and again be consistent.
There are hundreds of qualified trainers and thousands of good books
available to you.
I will admit that, if I obtained a new puppy tomorrow, I would
absolutely, positively go to some sort of training classes. Even
veterinarians would find great pearls of wisdom by attending a few
training sessions. There are basically two kinds of classes, group
and private. I am a big fan of doing what works for you. The classes
are only going to be valuable if they fit your schedule and you
attend them, and if they fit your budget. Personally, I like the
group classes because of the following: they are less expensive,
they teach you how to train the dog rather than doing all the work
for you, they teach the dog how to focus on you in a room full of
other dogs and people and they are generally a lot of fun. The private
classes, although more expensive, are also of great benefit. You
can schedule them specifically to fit your needs, you can have your
entire family present, concentrate on the issues that pertain to
you and your pet and the learning curve is much shorter (the pet
becomes trained much faster). If the group classes meet for 8 weeks,
be committed to all 8 weeks. If the private trainer says you need
6 sessions, commit to the 6 sessions. The time you spend at the
beginning will save you tremendous heartache down the road, and
may even prevent your pet from becoming another humane society statistic.
So there you have some basic housebreaking and training techniques
and a few simple references. The best advice I can give you is to
set reasonable goals and be consistent, so you will set yourself
up for success.
I’m always happy to help your pet…and their people, too.
Dr. Larry
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