Our Woof columnist, Ian Dunbar, is out of the country spreading the gospel of proper (and early) dog training, so his wife Kelly Gorman Dunbar filled in for him this month.
We still wanted Ian’s wise and witty advice in this issue, though, so decided to run an excerpt from one of his early books. How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks is still considered to be one of the most useful and important canine behavior books in existence. It is available from www.siriuspup.com, Amazon, and other online booksellers.
Temperament problems must be viewed in a developmental context, and temperament training must be accomplished during puppyhood. To delay is utter folly. Attempting to resolve adult temperament problems, such as biting, fighting and fearlessness, is extremely time-consuming, difficult, often dangerous, and usually well beyond the effort and expertise of the average dog owner.
On the other hand, preventive measures are easy, effective, virtually effortless, and even enjoyable. The most important item on the agenda of any puppy training and socialization program must always be temperament training – providing an educational forum for pups to learn social skills and to develop the confidence and social savvy for interaction on a friendly basis with other dogs and people. Preventive intervention is the key.
“Some fields are lucky enough to be granted a giant: a figure whose contributions inspire awe and are unsurpassable. Ian Dunbar is that in dog behavior. There is no single person on the face of the planet to whom dog trainers and owners (not to mention dogs) owe more.”
— Jean Donaldson, author of The Culture Clash and former head of the San Francisco SPCA Academy for Dog Trainers.
The temperament of every dog needs to be modified to some degree – molded to suit the owner’s particular lifestyle. All dogs are different. Some dogs lack confidence, whereas others are pushy; some are sluggish, but others are too active. Some are shy and reserved, standoffish, asocial, or antisocial, whereas others are overly friendly and rambunctious.
Socialization and play are essential for a pup to develop the sound temperament and solid disposition necessary for domestic living. Specifically, pups must be allowed to play with other puppies and dogs and to enjoy numerous positive interactions with a wide variety of people, especially children and men.
Fighting and Fearlessness
Puppy play enables the youngster to learn the appropriate context of individual elements of its behavioral repertoire. An inadequately socialized dog will lack confidence in social interactions, as evidenced by hiding and snapping or by mucho-macho snarling and growling – an unnecessarily stressful way to live.
If owners allow their pups sufficient opportunities to play with other puppies and dogs, most potential dog-dog problems take care of themselves. The pups virtually train themselves to be friendly and outgoing, and a socialized dog would much rather play with other dogs than fight or hide. Puppies do, however, require considerable human guidance to prevent the development of fearfulness and aggressiveness towards people.
Fear & Aggression towards People
ALL dogs are potential biters, and ALL dogs have to be TRAINED never to bite people. Please, please, please, never forget this. Moreover, if there were ever a case for the mandatory use of food lures and rewards in training, it is for the routine prevention of temperament problems. By enjoyable exposure to a variety of people, especially children (e.g., in class or in puppy parties), dogs become accustomed to meeting and enjoyably interacting with strangers and children. Dogs that like people are less likely to feel the need to bite them.
Owners must learn how to inhibit biting behavior: firstly, to inhibit the force of biting (until all pressure is eliminated and the pup only mouths gently) and then, secondly, to inhibit the incidence of mouthing. Additionally, owners must desensitize the dog to potentially threatening situations, such as around valued objects (e.g., food bowl, bones, and toys), with strangers and/or children, during friendly (but unwanted)petting and hugging, and during aversive (painful) handling and restraint.
Biting is such a dangerous problem that we employ a three-pronged, multiple-intervention program, emphasizing:
- inhibiting the force of puppy biting;
- inhibiting the incidence of puppy mouthing/biting; and
- desensitizing the dog to every conceivable potential provocation.
The bite-inhibition exercises are vitally important, because unforeseen situations may still arise from time to time, for which we have not adequately proofed and prepared the dog: for example, if a child-Batman jumps on the dog’s ribcage or if the dog’s tail is shut in a car door. Should the dog attempt to bite in these situations, with good bite-inhibition training, it will inflict minimal damage, if any.
Ian Dunbar is a veterinarian, canine behaviorist, and puppy training pioneer. He is the founder of SIRIUS® Puppy Training; Scientific Director for www.dogstardaily.com; and author of several best-selling books and videos. For more information, visit www.siriuspup.com.
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