by Mary Green
CPDT-KA: Certified Professional Dog Trainer Knowledge Assessed, CDBC: Certified Dog Behavior Counselor
CNWI: Certified Nose Work Instructor K9 Manners & More, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
When we get a young pup, we can become overwhelmed with all there is to do! House-training, socialization, establishing a schedule, and much more…. After a while, we hope to have a pup who knows his name and knows the commands to sit and maybe get down. By five months old, the pup should have mastered house-training and should have stopped puppy-mouthing.
When we rescue an older pup, we might need to do some remedial training to teach him the routine, help him be comfortable meeting the new family members, and even learn to respond to a new name. We feel so accomplished as we check things off the “How To Train Your Dog” list.
What we often fail to do is to introduce many things that the pup will experience or need to accept in the future.
MAKE CRATE TRAINING FUN
If our pup is wonderful and trustworthy to have the run of our home whether we are home or away, we might not have introduced crate or kennel training. Imagine how stressful this could be if we go on vacation or become hospitalized and she must stay in a crate or kennel somewhere away from home. Or perhaps we are expecting houseguests and need to kennel her during their stay. She hasn’t been closed in and separated and therefore can become anxious and stressed. This can lead to physical and emotional issues.
Train your dog to accept crate, kennel, or confinement training. Make it fun! Feed her in the crate, and give her a special food-delivery toy. Do not crate her only when you are leaving. You don’t want her to associate the crate with abandonment. Even with a wonderful, trustworthy pup, continue random periodic crate training to remind her that it’s no big deal.
ENCOURAGE “ALONE TIME”
I have seen many bonded pairs of dogs that fall apart whenever they are separated. Sometimes they are littermates, but not always. In a multiple-pet household, practice some “alone time” for each of the pets. Take them for separate walks, separate car rides, and separate feedings.
At some point in their lives, one or the other of the dogs will need to be hospitalized or will pass away, leaving the other dog without their companion. We know that dogs grieve. If they have always been together, being separated can be devastating. They have better coping skills if they are autonomous throughout their lives.
PREPARE FOR STORMS
Spring is storm season here in Oklahoma. Have you practiced getting your pup into your storm shelter or safe place? What if you must go down steep steps into a small space the dog has never been in before? Couple that with tornado sirens going off and your adrenaline rising with each blast. The pup picks up on your stress. She could even bolt away from you while you are trying to get to safety. Yikes!
Please practice going into and out of the storm shelter or safe space before you need to do it in an emergency. And while you are at it, put together your emergency kit of things your dog needs such as food, medicine, leashes, and most important, ID tags.
INTRODUCE CONES AND MUZZLES
There are many memes of dogs wearing the “cone of shame.” We laugh and think they are funny. It’s not so funny to the dog! She is in a cone to prevent her from injuring herself after a surgery or wound. Suddenly, her vision and mobility are seriously compromised. She gets confused about drinking and eating. And she bangs into everything. Again, high stress and anxiety occur.
How about having her practice wearing a cone when it isn’t needed? You can make a positive association with wearing a cone and receiving treats. You might find it easier to deliver a bit of spray cheese or peanut butter on a long spoon when your dog is wearing the cone. She doesn’t need to wear it for an extended time, but you should practice this periodically so she always thinks it’s cool.
Our veterinarians, techs, and groomers would be very grateful if we would muzzle-train our pups. Again, it is stressful for the pup and people to have to wrangle a dog into a muzzle when she is injured or panicked. It is so easy to teach the dog to wear a muzzle. Dog trainer and behaviorist Chirag Patel has an excellent YouTube video about muzzle training. If your pup is accustomed to wearing a muzzle, she will be less stressed if she needs one in an emergency — and that can keep everyone safe!
There are more things to teach before you need them, and I’ve listed just a few. Think about the things your dog might need in the future (which could be tomorrow), and start to rehearse!
