When I had my first dog, my father taught me so much about training. That was 63 years ago! We had a Brittany Spaniel named Susie. He would have me hold her upstairs, and then he would hide a piece of cheese or lunch meat in the living room. He would say, “Go Hunt” and I would let her go. Off she would run downstairs to find the cheese. He would hide it under a rug, a chair, on the bookcase, any place he could think of.
During this pandemic, the market for puppies and rescues has been astounding. With so many people at home and trying to survive an incredibly difficult time, many of us have reached out to bring a dog or puppy into our lives. I brought a small litter into the world in mid September and found myself completely immersed into raising them, nurturing them, and with very serious intent, putting them into homes where I knew they would thrive. This week, they all went to their new homes.
Pain? What does that have to do with dog training? Plenty. First, dogs are by nature very stoic. They will not tell you when they are in pain so many of us miss this critical element in dog behavior. Why? Because when a dog shows pain it makes them vulnerable to other dogs and it risks potential attack by another dog seeking higher status.
“He’s Friendly!” or, “He’s only a puppy!” is the common chant among those who do not seem to recognize that their dog is about to offend another dog. When a dog or puppy runs up to another dog quickly, then jumping on the other dog, he is an obnoxious greeter without greeting manners. Those chants are excuses for lack of training. Even a young puppy can learn to greet other dogs nicely.
Mother Nature has provided all animals with the necessary tools to learn how to survive, and thrive. She uses her environment and gives elders the ability to give baby wildlife important information for their growth and ultimately survival of the species. At first, the mother and or father provide food for their young, from birds to bears, squirrels to skunks.
Now back to work part time. Please call to schedule.
