The SIRIUS® Puppy Raising Initiative for Dog Professionals: Breeders, Veterinarians, Pet Stores, Trainers and Shelters
Imagine … If people consulted dog trainers before getting a puppy or immediately after acquiring one. Or, if people went to a shelter and saw the many dogs in want of a home and asked themselves, “Where did all these dogs come from?” The world would certainly be a much better place for dogs and their human companions. Trainers and shelter personnel have the know how to prevent the development of behavior temperament and training problems but they don’t have the early access to puppy owners like breeders, veterinarians and pet store personnel.
In my previous article, I wrote, “Puppy classes are absolutely brilliant and are simply too much fun to miss … but so much needs to be done before puppies attend class at three months of age.” “Puppy classes offer much too little much too late.” Consequently, to celebrate SIRIUS’ 30th birthday, we are launching a new Puppy Raising Initiative for Dog Professionals at dogstardaily.com.
The purpose of the initiative is to attempt to coordinate dog professionals to promote a preventive educational program, so that it becomes commonplace for prospective puppy owners to learn how to select and raise a puppy before they select and raise a puppy.
New puppy owners require an educational “vaccination” before or immediately after they get their puppy. So much of the necessary educational information for puppy owners is readily available as free downloads of two of my eBooks — AFTER You Get Your Puppy and BEFORE You Get Your Puppy (www.dogstardaily.com/free-downloads). The challenge though, is to make sure that prospective and new puppy owners are aware of the necessary information at the appropriate time, i.e., when they are searching for or have just acquired a new puppy. Present day technology makes this very doable.
Dog Professionals and doggy people, please download the two free eBooks and then email them to all of your colleagues and clients, or family, friends and neighbors, urging them to forward the books to every puppy/dog owner that they know. If these two eBooks are emailed to a sufficient number of dog owners, not only will they have copies prior to acquiring another puppy but also, they will have copies on hand to email to family members, friends and neighbors should they decide to search for a new puppy. I very much hope that you will support this Puppy Raising Initiative so that it rapidly spreads nationwide and worldwide.
The Problem
The sequence of events is all too common. Owners acquire puppies that have been allowed to eliminate anywhere and everywhere, chew anything and everything and bark willy nilly and that of course, is exactly what they continue to do in their new home. Many puppies are allowed too much freedom and too little supervision and instruction. Without appropriate early training during the first few weeks at home, puppies develop housesoiling and chewing problems. As they reach adolescence, many dogs with problems are relegated to the yard until they “grow out of it.” But who’s going to housetrain and chewtoy-train the dogs in the yard? — A shrub? Lonely and bored, the dogs soon develop additional predictable doggy habits outdoors, namely digging, barking and escaping. When neighbors complain about the barking, the dog is further confined to the basement or garage (which it destroys). Housed in solitary confinement, many dogs become hyperactive on the few occasions that they are allowed indoors while other dogs de-socialize and become wary and fearful of people. Eventually, many adolescent and young adult dogs are surrendered to shelters.
Common reasons for surrendering the dog are “the landlord objects,” “we’re moving,” or “not enough time.” However, the Open Paw Surrender Questionnaire soon reveals that these “people reasons” are often excuses for an uneducated dog. “Why does the landlord object?” The landlord objects because the dog has destroyed household furniture, urine drips through to the apartment below and all the other tenants have complained about the excessive barking. “You’re moving? Are you married?” “Yes.” “Do your have kids?” “Yes.” “Are you taking your husband and children with you?” “Yes.” “Then why are you leaving the dog?”
Most families are so excited and delighted when they get a new puppy but within just a few months, many feel frustrated and annoyed and no longer want to keep their adolescent dog because he/she has become hyperactive, inattentive and uncontrollable and developed predictable and preventable behavior and temperament problems. Consequently, the dog is surrendered to a shelter.
The Initiative
Breeders, Veterinarians and Pet Stores are the first point of contact with puppies and any successful puppy raising program depends on you. Please implore new puppy owners to maintain errorless housetraining and chewtoy-training (which also prevents excessive barking and separation anxiety), to continue safely socializing their puppy with people at home so that the puppy does not become fearful or aggressive as an adult, to contact a trainer right away for an in-the-home visit and to register for puppy classes. If you do not refer to a preferred trainer, suggest that your clients try the APDT Dog Trainer Search.
Puppies must be safely socialized to people and taught to enjoy being hugged and handled (restrained and examined) before they are three months old, otherwise, during adolescence they will likely become wary and fearful and maybe aggressive towards people, especially strangers, men and children. Socialization must start very early and is on ongoing process. Socialization in the breeder’s kennel and the owner’s home is quite safe provided that outdoor shoes remain outside. As a rule of thumb, puppies need to meet and be handled by 100 people, (especially men and children), before they are eight weeks old and another 100 people during their first month at home.
Puppies need to be raised with housetraining, chewtoy-training and alone-time-training programs up and running from the outset in order to prevent housesoiling, destructive chewing, excessive barking and separation anxiety. Ideally, this would start in the breeder’s kennel but it is essential during the first few weeks and months that the puppy is in his/her new home.
Puppies benefit from early manners training – lure/reward training is as quick and easy as it is enjoyable. A simple sit prevents or interrupts most undesirable behavior. Many people think that puppy classes are for socializing and training puppies. Actually, puppy classes are a safe forum:
- For already socialized and easily handled puppies to continue off-leash socialization and being handled by people – especially children, men and strangers;
- For puppies to quickly revamp their social savvy with other puppies and so, develop bite inhibition (a soft mouth); and
- For people to practice their training skills when their puppy is off-leash* and distracted, so that the puppies learn to respond to commands promptly and willingly. (*People live with dogs off-leash at home.) To accomplish this, a puppy class needs to be taught off-leash with the ongoing play session regularly interrupted by numerous short training interludes and handling sessions.
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 siriuspup.com.
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