Nipping It in the Bud
After a dog has bitten, or threatened to bite, it’s no longer nipping it in the bud. This is true for all unwanted dog behaviors. While, yes, there are things you can do as an “intervention” once a dog has started down the wrong path, it becomes much more difficult and time consuming, and takes a HUGE commitment on the owner’s part.
PREVENTION, PREVENTION, PREVENTION, is ALWAYS the best way to help dogs grow up healthy and well adjusted emotionally. There are a few things that can promote prevention.
The first is choosing the right puppy or dog. Many people choose a dog based on color or cuteness but often do not realize that there are genetic behaviors than can be tested for early on to help you understand what behaviors you may be facing later on. Dogs and pups can be tested for “prey drive”, “pack drive” and biddability before selecting a particular dog. A dog with naturally high prey drive can be very difficult to live with and become a nipper easily without proper instruction and leadership. A dog with good food motivation can be much easier to train. And dogs that are “middle of the road” are a blessing to live with. These things can be tested for prior to your selection with the help of an experienced behavior expert.
EARLY training is IMPERATIVE – hopefully before a puppy turns 16 weeks old. This is a critical imprinting time that dogs learn things that they will do the rest of their lives. That includes both good and bad behaviors. If a dog is taught not to jump on people early on, it’s much easier. If you wait until your dog is 6 months old to stop the jumping, it becomes a HUGE task. Don’t wait until your puppy has had all their shots!!!! So much can be done at home with a private trainer that will set your dog up for success!
The environment a dog is exposed to is another critical component to prevention. We have all heard about socialization, BUT, socialization does not mean just getting your dog together with other dogs to play endlessly. It means everything you expose your dog to such as rides in the car, friends and their healthy, safe dogs coming over to visit. It means going safe (from parvo) places to experience new vegetation, streams – the great outdoors. Socialization also means teaching your dog that they can play with other dogs in a CONTROLLED fashion such as sitting and relaxing before romping, and being called out of play for a reward, then being allowed to play again. With proper instruction early on, your dog can learn social manners that make life so much easier!
The point is that EARLY work with your dog through good selection fitting for your home, early training and excellent socialization with some controls built in can PREVENT unwanted behaviors that can be destructive. Nipping something in the bud means PREVENTING it, not waiting until an incident becomes a problem then trying to stop it. As my mom would say, “An ounce of prevention is worth any pound of cure!”
