Living with a pet can be beneficial to children. Pets can enhance a child’s self esteem, teach them responsibility and help them to learn empathy. However, children and dogs are not always going to automatically start off with a wonderful relationship. Parents must be willing to teach the dog and the child acceptable limits of behaviour in order to make their interactions pleasant and safe.
What age is best? If you have a young child and are thinking of adopting a puppy (less than one year old) there are few things you need to consider:
Time and energy: Puppies require a lot of time, patience, training and supervision. They also require socialisation in order to become well-adjusted adult dogs. This means they need to be taken to places and exposed to new things and new people. If you have a young child that already requires a lot of time and care, will you have enough time to care for a new puppy, as well?
Safety: Puppies, because they are babies, are somewhat fragile creatures. A puppy may become frightened or even injured, by a well meaning, curious child who wants to constantly pick him up, hug him or explore his body by pulling his ears or tail.
Rough Play: Puppies have sharp teeth and claws with which they may inadvertently injure a small child. Puppies also tend to jump up on small children and knock them down. All interactions between your child and puppy will need to be closely supervised in order to minimise the chances of either being injured.
Advantages of getting an adult dog: Adult dogs require less time and attention once they’ve adjusted to your family and household routine, although you still need to spend time helping your new dog with the transition to his new home. You can better gauge how hardy and tolerant and adult dog will be of childish enthusiasm and you can work with your local animal shelter to adopt a dog with a history of getting along well with children. Generally, if you child is under six years old, it is best to adopt a dog that is over 2 years old. Although puppies can be a lot of fun, and it’s exciting and rewarding to help them grow into wonderful companions, they do require significantly more time to train and supervise than an adult dog.
Size: Small breeds of dogs may not be good choices for a young child. These small breed dogs are more easily injured than larger dogs and may more easily be frightened by a lot of activity, loud noises and by being picked up and fondled frequently. Frightened dogs tend to snap or bite in order to protect themselves. Larger dogs may be better able to tolerate the activity, noise and rough play that is an inevitable part of living with children.
Breed Type: Some of the sporting breeds, such as labradors and golden retrievers, make good pets for families with children. Breeds that have been selected for protective behaviour such as chows and rottweilers, may not be as good for families with children. It is sometimes difficult for this type of dog to comfortably tolerate the many comings and goings of children and their friends, who may be perceived as territorial intruders.
It’s unrealistic to expect a child, regardless of age to have sole responsibility for caring for a dog. Not only do dogs need basic things like food, water and shelter, they also need to be played with, exercised and trained on a consistent basis. Teaching a dog the rules of the house and helping him become a good companion is too overwhelming a task for a young child, while teenagers may not be willing to spend an adequate amount of time with the dog, as their desires to be with their friends usually take over at this age. If you’re adopting a dog ‘for the kids’ you must be prepared and willing to be the dog’s caretaker.
The following are some guidelines to help you start on the right foot. Remember, small children should never be left alone with a dog or puppy without adult supervision.
It’s safest for both child and puppy if your child is sitting down whenever he wants to hold the puppy. Puppies are squirmy and wriggly and may easily fall out of a young child’s arms and become injured. If held insecurely, a puppy may become frightened and snap or scratch in response. After your child is seated you can place the puppy in his arms.
Have your child offer the puppy a chew toy while he pets the puppy. When puppies are teething they tend to chew on everything, including hands and arms, so having a chew toy handy will divert the puppy’s teeth away from your child. An added benefit is that the puppy will come to associate pleasant consequences (getting a treat) with being held by your child.
For larger dogs, have the child sit in your lap and let the dog approach you both. This way you can control your child and not allow him to get ‘carried away’ with pats that are too rough. You are also there to teach your new dog to treat your child gently.
Petting and giving affection: Children often want to hug dogs around the neck. Your dog may view this as a threatening gesture, rather than an affectionate one and may react with a growl, snap or bite. You should teach your child to pet the dog from underneath the dog’s chin, rather than hugging him or reaching over his head. You should also teach your child to avoid staring at, or looking directly into your dog’s eyes.
Giving Treats: Children tend to become somewhat fearful and anxious when a dog tries to take a treat from their hand. This causes them to turn their hand away at the last second. The dog may jump up or lung to get the treat, which may result in the child getting knocked down. Have your child place the treat in an open palm, rather than holding it in his fingers. You may want to place your hand underneath your child’s to help guide him.
Supervising play: Children move with quick, jerky movements, have high pitched voices and often run, rather than walk. All of these behaviours somewhat resemble the behaviour of prey animals. Almost all of a dog’s play behaviours are based on predatory behaviour. Consequently, your dog may respond to your child’s behaviour by chasing him, nipping at his heels, jumping up at him or even trying to knock him down.
At first, your child may need to play quietly around your new dog until he becomes more comfortable and calm and your child has gained more control over the dog. Your dog must also learn certain behaviours on his part are unacceptable, but he must also be taught what behaviours are the right ones. The handout ‘Dealing with Normal Puppy Behaviour: Nipping and Rough Play’ outlines procedures for discouraging rough play and encouraging appropriate play. However, most children under the age of ten are not capable of carrying out these procedures, so it is helpful to teach your dog a ‘leave it’ command that you can use when play gets too rough. Taking an obedience class together is a good way to teach your dog to respond to commands.
An approach that is not helpful is to punish your dog for his behaviour. If he learns that being around children always results in ‘bad things’ happening to him, he may become defensive in their presence.
Possessions: Your dog will not know the difference between his toys and your child’s toys until you teach him.
Your child must take responsibility for keeping his playthings out of your dog’s reach. If, and only if, you catch your dog chewing on something he shouldn’t, interrupt the behaviour with a loud noise, then give him an acceptable chew toy and praise him lavishly when he takes the toy in his mouth.
Don’t give your dog objects to play with such as old socks, old shoes or old children’s toys that closely resemble items that are off-limits. They can’t tell the difference.
Dogs can be possessive about their food, toys and space. Although it is normal for a dog to growl or snap to protect these items, it’s not acceptable. At the same time, children need to learn to respect their dog as a living creature that is not to be teased or purposefully hurt and who needs time to himself.
IF YOUR DOG IS GROWLING OR SNAPPING AT YOUR CHILD FOR ANY REASON, THE SITUATION NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. PUNISHING YOUR DOG IS LIKELY TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE. PLEASE CALL AN ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SPECIALIST.
Animals that live in groups, like dogs, establish a social structure within the group called a dominance hierarchy. This Dominance hierarchy serves to maintain order, reduce conflict and promote cooperation among pack members. Dogs also establish territories, which they may defend against intruders or rivals. These social and territorial natures affect their behaviour when a new dog is introduced to their household.
Choose a Neutral Location: Introduce the dogs in a neutral location so that your resident dog is less likely to view the newcomer as a territorial intruder. A separate person should handle each dog. With both dogs on a leash, take them to an area with which neither dog is familiar, such as a park or a neighbour’s yard. If you frequently walk your resident dog in a park near your house, he may view the park as her territory, so choose another site that is unfamiliar to him. We recommend bringing your resident dog with you to the shelter and introducing the dogs before adopting the new dog.
Use Positive Reinforcement: From the first meeting, you want both dogs to ‘expect good things’ to happen when they’re in each others presence. Let them sniff each other, which is normal canine behaviour. As they do, talk to them in a happy, friendly tone of voice – never use a threatening tone of voice. Don’t allow them to investigate and sniff each other for a prolonged time, as this may escalate to an aggressive response. After a short time, get both dogs attention and give each dog a treat in return for obeying a simple command, such as ‘sit’ or ‘stay’. Take the dogs for a walk and let them sniff and investigate each other at intervals. Continue with the ‘happy talk’, food rewards and simple commands.
Be Aware of Body Posture: One body posture that indicates that things are going well is a ‘play-bow’. One dog will crouch with him front legs on the ground and her hind end in the air. This is an invitation to play that usually elicits friendly behaviour from the other dog. Watch carefully for body postures that indicate an aggressive response, including hair standing up on the other dogs back, teeth-baring, deep growls, a stiff-legged gait or a prolonged stare. If you see such postures, interrupt the interaction immediately by calmly and positively getting each dog interested in something else. For example, both handlers can call their dogs to them, have them sit or lie down and reward each with a treat. The dogs will become interested in the treats which will present the situation from escalating into aggression. Try letting the dogs interact again, but this time for a shorter time period and/or at a greater distance from each other.
Taking the Dogs Home: When the dogs seem to be tolerating each other’s presence without fearful or aggressive responses, and the investigative greeting behaviours have tapered off, you can take them home. Whether you choose to take them in the same or different vehicles will depend on their size, how well they ride in the car, how trouble-free the initial introduction has been and how many dogs are involved.
If you have more than one resident dog it may be best to introduce the resident dogs to the newcomer dog one at a time. Two or more resident dogs may have a tendency to ‘gang up’ on the newcomer.
Puppies usually pester adult dogs unmercifully. Before the age of four months, puppies may not recognise subtle body postures from adult dogs signalling that they have had enough. Well-socialised adult dogs with good temperaments may set limits with puppies with a growl or a snarl. These behaviours are normal and should be allowed. Adult dogs that aren’t well-socialised, or that have a history of fighting with other dogs, may attempt to set limits with more aggressive behaviour, such as biting, which could harm the puppy. For this reason, a puppy shouldn’t be left alone with an adult dog until you’re confident the puppy isn’t in any danger. Be sure to give the adult dog some quiet time away from the puppy, and perhaps, some individual attention as described above.
If the introduction of a new dog to a household doesn’t go smoothly, contact a professional behaviourist immediately. Dogs can be severely injured in fights, and the longer the problem continues, the harder it can be to resolve. Conflicts between dogs in the same family can often be resolved with professional help. Punishment won’t work and could make things worse
Destructive Chewing
Exploring the world with their mouths is normal behaviour for dogs. Chewing can, however, be directed onto appropriate items so your dog isn’t destroying items you value. Until he’s learned what he can and can’t chew, it’s your responsibility to manage the solution as much as possible, so he doesn’t have the opportunity to chew on unacceptable objects.
Chewing is normal teething and investigative behaviour, however dogs will engage in destructive behaviour for a variety of reasons. In order to deal with the behaviour you must determine why your dog is being destructive.
Normal play behaviour can result in destruction, as it may involve digging, chewing, shredding and/or shaking toy like objects. Since dogs investigate objects by pawing at them and exploring them with their mouths, they may also inadvertently damage items in their environment when they’re exploring or investigating. Your dog may be chewing for entertainment if:
Dogs with separation anxiety tend to display behaviours that reflect a strong attachment to their owners. This includes following you from room to room, frantic greeting and reacting anxiously to your preparation to leave the house.
Factors that can participate a separation anxiety problem:
These behaviours are not motivated by spite or revenge, but anxiety. Punishment will only make the problem worse. Separation anxiety can be resolved by using counter conditioning and desensitisation techniques.
Without realising it, we often pay more attention to our dogs when they are misbehaving. Dogs who do not receive a lot of attention and reinforcement for appropriate behaviour may engage in destructive behaviour when their owners are present as a way to attract attention – even if the attention is negative, such as verbal scolding.
Make sure your dog gets a lot of positive attention every day – playing, walking, grooming, or just petting.
Ignore (as much as possible) bad behaviour and reward good behaviour. Remember to reward your dog with praise and petting when he’s playing quietly with appropriate toys.
Teach your dog a ‘drop it’ command so when he picks up an ‘off-limits’ object, you can use your command and praise him for complying. The best way to teach ‘drop it’ is to practice having him exchange a toy in his possession for a titbit of food.
Your dog’s destructive behaviour may be a response to something he fears. Some dogs are afraid of loud noises such a thunderstorm, firecrackers or construction sounds.
Provide a ‘safe place’ for your dog. Observe where he likes to go when he feels anxious, then allow access to that space or create a similar one for him to use when the fear stimulus is present.
Don’t comfort your dog when he’s behaving fearfully. Try to get him to play with you or respond to commands he knows and give him praise and treats when he responds to you instead of the fear stimulus.
Never discipline of punish your puppy after the act. If you discover a chewed item even minutes after he’s chewed it, you’re too late to administer a correction. Animals associate punishment with what they are doing at the time of being punished. Punishment after the act will not only fail to eliminate the undesirable behaviour, but could provoke other undesirable behaviours as well.
We strongly suggest that you take your pet to the vet if he has diarrhea with other symptoms such as lethargy, temperature or vomiting.
With any new pet, it is wise to find out what type of food the previous owner or BSPCA have been providing for your new pet as sudden changes can bring on diarrhoea. Ensure that you change their diet over a three day period to minimize stomach upsets.
Every day make sure your pet has plenty of fresh water available.
Try not to change the food too often. When you find a brand your pet likes, stick to that food
Try to prevent your pet (especially dogs) from eating all kinds of junk they may find in the garden or street
Don’t feed your pet your leftovers especially whole chicken or lamb joints which contain bones
Don’t give cow’s milk because dogs and cats cannot digest the sugars in this milk which may cause diarrhea
How to Solve the Digging Problem
Digging is a normal behaviour for most dogs, but may occur for widely varying reasons. Your dog may be:
Dogs don’t dig, however, out of spite revenge or a desire to destroy your yard. Finding ways to make the area where to dog digs unappealing may be effective, however, it’s likely that he’ll just begin digging in other locations or display other unacceptable behaviour, such as chewing or barking. A more effective approach is to address the cause of the digging, rather than creating location aversions.
Dogs may dig as a form of self-play when they learn that roots and soil ‘play back’. Your dog may be digging for entertainment if:
We recommend expanding your dog’s world and increasing his ‘people time’ the following ways:
Dogs may try to pursue burrowing animals or insects that live in your garden. Your dogs may be pursuing prey if:
We recommend that you search for possible signs of pests and then rid your garden of them. Avoid methods that could be toxic or dangerous to your pets.
In hot weather, dogs may dig holes in order to lie in the cool dirt. They may also dig to provide themselves with shelter from cold, wind or rain, or to try to find water. Your dog may be digging for comfort or protection if:
We recommend that you provide your dog with other sources for the comfort or protection he seeks:
Any behaviour can become attention-getting behaviour if dogs learn that they receive attention for engaging in it (even punishment is a form of attention). Your dog may be digging to get attention if:
We recommend that you ignore the behaviour:
Dogs may escape to get something, to get somewhere or to get away for something. Your dog may be digging to escape if:
We recommend the following in order to keep your dog in the garden while you work on the behaviour modifications:
“Safe” Toys
Many factors contribute to the safety or danger of a toy. Many of those factors, however, are completely dependent upon your dog’s size, activity level and personal preference. Another factor to be considered is the environment in which your dog spends his time. Although we cannot guarantee your dog’s enthusiasm or his safety with any specific toy, we can offer the following guidelines.
Be Cautious
The things that are usually the most attractive to dogs are often the very things that are the most dangerous. Dog-proof your home by checking for string, ribbon, rubber bands, children’s toys and anything else that can be swallowed. Toys should be appropriate for your dog’s current size. Balls and other toys that are too small can easily be swallowed or become lodged in your dog’s mouth or throat.
Avoid or alter any toys that are not “dog-proof” by removing ribbons, strings, eyes or other parts that could be chewed and/or ingested. Avoid any toy that starts to break into pieces or have pieces torn off. You should also avoid “tug-of-war” toys, unless they will be used between dogs and not between people and dogs.
Ask your veterinarian about which rawhide toys are safe and which are not. Unless your vet says otherwise, “chewies” like hooves, pig’s ears and rawhide, should be supervision-only goodies.
Very hard rubber toys are safer and last longer.
Take note of any toy that contains a “squeaker” buried in the centre. Your dog may feel that he must find and destroy the squeak-source and could ingest it, therefore squeaking toys should be “supervision only” toys otherwise you could be driven mad by the noise!
Check labels for child safety, as a stuffed toy that is labelled as safe for children under 3 years old should not contain dangerous fillings. Problem fillings include things like nutshells and polystyrene beads, however, even a “safe” stuffing isn’t truly digestible.
Remember that soft toys are not indestructible, but some are sturdier than others. Soft toys should be machine washable.
Active Toys:
“Busy Box” toys are large rubber cubes with hiding places for treats. Only by moving the cube around with his nose, mouth, and paws can your dog access the treats.
Soft stuffed toys are good for several purposes but are not appropriate for all dogs. For some dogs, the stuffed toy should be small enough to carry around. For dogs that want to shake or “kill” the toy, it should be the size that prey would be for that size dog (mouse-size, rabbit-size or duck-size).
Dirty laundry, like an old t-shirt, pillowcase, towel or blanket can be very comforting to a dog, especially if it smells like you! Be forewarned that the item could be destroyed by industrious fluffing, carrying and nosing.
Rotate your dog’s toys weekly by making only four or five toys available at a time. Keep a variety of types easily accessible. If your dog has a huge favourite, like a soft “comfort blanket/toy” you should probably leave it out all the time, or risk the wrath of your dog!
Provide toys that offer a variety of uses – at least one toy to carry, one to “kill”, one to roll and one to “baby”. “Hide and seek” is a fun game for dogs to play. “Found” toys are often much more attractive than a toy which is blatantly introduced. Making an interactive game out of finding toys or treats is a good “rainy day” activity for your dog, using up energy without the need for a lot of space.
Many of your dog’s toys should be interactive. Interactive play is very important for your dog because he needs active “people time”. By focusing on a specific task, like repeatedly returning a ball or Frisbee or playing “hide and seek” with treats or toys, your dog can expel pent-up mental and physical energy in a limited amount of time and space. This greatly reduces stress due to confinement, isolation and/or boredom. For young, high-energy and untrained dogs, interactive play also offers an opportunity for socialisation and helps them learn about appropriate and inappropriate behaviour with people and with other animals, like jumping up or being mouthy.
How to resolve jumping up
Jumping up is an annoying habit to most people, but relatively simple to correct. Dogs jump for attention and praise. This habit stems from puppyhood, when littermates “mob” the female and lick her around the face, looking for acceptance and a meal. Knowing this, you must teach the dog that the only way it can get your attention, praise, petting or a treat is by keeping all four feet on the floor, not by jumping.
Teaching a dog not to jump requires good timing and consistency. THE DOG CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO JUMP AT ALL! Each time the dog is successful in jumping, it is telling the dog that jumping is acceptable whenever it wants. This training process requires the help of all members of the household and all who visit. The dog may only be petted when he is sitting, standing or lying down.
There are several ways to teach the dog not to jump on you :
There are also multiple ways to teach a dog to stay off furniture:
Remember, once you have taught your dog to politely wait for your attention or not to jump on your favourite chair, you must reward him with the proper praise or a treat!
We recommend that you keep your dog indoors, unless you are present to supervise his time outside. Dogs are ‘pack animals’ and need to socialise with you and the world around them. By walking your dog regularly (at least twice a day), you can provide him with the exercise and mental stimulation he needs.
If there are times when you must leave your dog outside, keep him in a securely fenced garden or yard to prevent him from straying. Within the safe confines of your yard, he should have adequate access to shelter from heat and the sun and rain. You may also consider providing him with a covered dog ‘run’ or pen with a doghouse inside. This is a good alternative if you are unable to fence your yard, or if your dog is apt to escape from your yard by jumping the fence.
We do not recommend that you chain or tie your dog up to prevent him from wandering off. A chained or tied up dog is likely to become frustrated, which could lead to destructive and/or aggressive behaviour. He could become entangled in his chain, rope or leash and severely injure himself.
However, if you feel you must chain or tie up your dog, then use a ‘dog trolley’. You can construct one by sliding a ring onto a heavy wire or rope and fasten the ends between two posts or trees. Then, connect your dog’s lead to the ring. Make sure the lead is short enough to avoid tangling, yet long enough to allow your dog to lie down. The trolley may either be overhead or on the ground. Provide at least 15 feet or clear space for your dog to move around in and be sure to remove any objects or debris that could cause him to become entangled or injured. Do not secure the dog trolley near stairways, fences, decks or porches and make sure it’s a safe distance from all possible ‘escape routes’. When using a dog trolley, don’t ever use a choke chain collar, but use a leather or nylon harness instead. Do not leave your dog chained outside for extended periods.
It’s best to provide your dog with a tip-proof water bowl or place the bowl in an area where it won’t get knocked over. You can dig a hole and place the bowl at ground level, which will not only keep it from being knocked over, but will keep the water cool as well. You will also want to provide your dog with safe toys that are appropriate for his size (see: ‘ Dog’s Toys and How to Use Them’).
Causes
When animals have not had much attention in their lives and are then showered with love, affection and companionship, they very quickly become attached to their new owners. This can sometimes be to the point where your pet becomes your constant shadow, never wanting to leave your side. Separation Anxiety arises when you have to leave your pet for a time and they do not know how to cope when you are not around.
Your pet can become anxious to the point of destruction because they have to relieve their frustrations. The behaviour symptoms may vary from urinating or messing because they are so worried they can’t control their bladder or motions, through to chewing and destroying items usually with your scent on them. Bad, unwanted habits from your pet’s past may reappear and sometimes even self-mutilation can occur where your pet chews their feet or tails, breaking the flesh and causing sores.
Thus Separation Anxiety simply means that your pet becomes anxious to varying degrees because it is separated from you. If your pet is displaying these symptoms, DO NOT DESPAIR! The helpful tips opposite will show you how to train your pet so overcoming this problem.
This is general advice which cannot cover every eventuality but may be a start to solving the problem.
Submissive Urination
Submissive urination occurs when a dog feels threatened. It may occur when he’s being punished or verbally scolded, or when he’s approached by someone he perceives to be threatening to him. It’s important to remember that this response is based on the dog’s perception of a threat, not the person’s actual intention. Submissive urination may resolve as your dog gains confidence. You can help to build his confidence by teaching him commands and rewarding him for obeying. You should also expose him to new people and new situations and try to make sure all of his new experiences are positive and happy.
What to do if you Dog has a submissive urination problem:
Excitement urination occurs most often during greetings and playtime and is not accompanied by submissive posturing. Excitement urination usually resolves on its own as the dog matures, if it’s not made worse by punishment or inadvertent reinforcement.
Definitions
Dogs and cats will sometimes eat socks, rocks or other objects, which may result in a variety of problems for both you and your pet. Not only can your possessions be destroyed or damaged, but objects such as clothing and rocks can produce life-threatening blockages in your pets’ intestines. Eating non-food items is called pica. A specific type of pica is stool-eating (either their own poop or that of another animal) and, while not necessarily dangerous to the animal, it is probably unacceptable to you. Stool eating is called coprophagy.
The causes of pica and coprophagy are not known. Many ideas have been proposed by various experts, but none have been proven or disproved. Such behaviours may sometimes be attention-seeking behaviours. If engaging in one of these behaviours results in some type of social interaction between the animal and his owner (even a verbal scolding) then the behaviour may be reinforced and occur more frequently. These behaviours may be attempts to obtain a necessary nutrient lacking in the diet, although no nutritional studies have ever substantiated this idea. They may also stem from frustration or anxiety. It is possible the behaviour begins as play, as the animal investigates and chews on the objects, then subsequently begins to eat or ingest them.
It has been suggested that coprophagy is carried over from the normal parental behaviour in ingesting the waste of young offspring. Some experts believe coprophagy occurs more often in animals that live in relatively barren environments, are frequently confined to small areas and/or receive limited attention from their owners. Coprophagy is fairly common in dogs, but is rarely seen in cats and is seen more often in dogs which tend to be highly food motivated. It’s also possible that dogs learn this behaviour from other dogs.
Because pica and coprophagy are behaviours that are not well understood, stopping them may require assistance from an animal behaviour professional who works individually with owners and their pets. A variety of specialised behaviour modification techniques may be necessary to resolve these problems.
Because the cause of coprophagy isn’t known, there are no techniques or solutions that are consistently successful. The following techniques may or may not be, effective in resolving the problem.
What doesn’t work:
In Bahrain’s dry climate, parasites are not as much of a problem as in other parts of the world. If your pet is parasite-free and is eating only his stool, he cannot be infected with parasites by doing so. If your pet is eating the stools of another animal that has parasites, it may be possible, although still unlikely, for your pet to become infected. Some parasites, such as giardia, cause diarrhoea, and most coprophagic dogs ingest only formed stools. There is also a delay period before the parasites in the stools can re-infect another animal.
Most parasites require intermediate hosts (they must pass through the body of another species, such as a flea) before they can re-infect another cat or dog. Thus, your pet is much more likely to become infected with parasites through fleas or by eating birds and rodents than by coprophagy. Most parasites are also species-specific, meaning that dogs cannot be infected by eating cat stools. Health risks to humans from being licked in the face by a coprophagic animal are minimal. For more information, please contact your vet.
Pica can be a serious problem because items such as rubber bands, socks, rocks and string can severely damage or block an animal’s intestines. In some instances, the items must be surgically removed. Because pica can be potentially life threatening, it’s advisable to consult both your vet and an animal behaviour professional for help.
When you get a new puppy, you are adding a member to your family. You are going to have to make certain preparations and changes around the house and in your lifestyle. As a puppy owner you are the most important part of your puppy’s life. You have to watch out for danger, provide food and shelter and decide what’s best for your puppy’s health. It’s a lot of responsibility, but the reward is well worth the effort.
Puppies are usually weaned at six or seven weeks but are still learning important skills as their mothers gradually leave them alone more and more. Ideally, puppies should stay with their littermates (or other role model dogs) for at least 12 weeks. Puppies separated from their littermates too early often don’t develop appropriate “social skills” such as learning how to send and receive signals, what an “inhibited bite” means, how far to go in play wrestling and so forth. Play is important to help puppies increase their physical co-ordination, social skills and learning limits. Interacting with their mother and littermates helps them learn “how to be a dog” and is also a way to explore ranking (who’s in charge). Skills not acquired during the first 8 weeks may be lost forever. While these stages are important and fairly consistent, a dog’s mind remains receptive to new experiences and lesson well beyond puppyhood. Most dogs are still puppies, in mind and body, through their first two years of life.
The following provides general guidelines for the stages of development:
There are many options to consider when feeding your dog; many varieties of wet food, dry food, home-cooked, etc. It’s extremely important that your dog gets the appropriate nutrition for its age and activity level so discuss your options with your vet and find out what they recommend.
Your nose is the best judge of bath time! When your dog starts to look or smells ‘doggy’ its time to put him in the tub! Bathing should only be done when your dog is truly dirty, since over bathing removes natural oils and can dry out your dog’s coat. In winter months you may want to use a handheld dryer to dry your dog’s fur. Be sure to have it on the most gentle setting and kept it far enough away from its coat to avoid burning. In winter months keep your dog indoors for a few hours after the bath so he doesn’t get chilled.
Keep the following items close at hand do you don’t have to leave your dog unattended in the middle of his bath:
Puppies and small dogs can be bathed in a sink or washtub. Big dogs will need either the bathtub or if it’s warm outside a wading pool or hose. If bathing outside make sure your dog doesn’t jump from the pool into the nearest pile of dirt!
First, place a rubber mat in the tub or sink to help your dog feel secure and stop it slipping and sliding all over the place. Wet your dogs coat thoroughly and then lather in the shampoo, taking care not to get it in the dog’s eyes. Rinse the dog’s coat well with warm water, taking car not to get water in the dog’s ear canals. Make sure to remove all traces of the shampoo as residue can cause skin irritation, particularly for a puppy’s sensitive coat. Towel-dry your dog while he’s still in the tub.
A Scratching puppy is certainly nothing to worry about – unless it is excessive and leas to coat loss, red skin and ultimately infection. If this is the case then tour puppy may be suffering from an allergy. Your vet can tell the difference between an allergy and normal canine behaviour.
If it is an allergy you’ll need to identify the allergen and then control that allergen or your puppy’s symptoms as best you can. In general allergies fall into these categories:
House training a puppy requires time, vigilance, patience and commitment. Following the procedures outlined below, you can minimise house soiling incidents bur remember that virtually every puppy will have an accident in the house!
The more consistent you are in following the basic house training procedures, the faster your puppy will learn acceptable behaviour. It may take several weeks to house train your puppy; it may take longer with some smaller breeds.
Establish a Routine Like babies, puppies do best on a regular schedule and take your puppy outside frequently, at least every two hours, immediately after he wakes up from a sleep, after playing and after eating. Praise your puppy every time he poops outdoors. You can even give him a treat and praise him which must be done immediately after he’s finished so he associates good things with doing his business outside! This is vital as this is the only way he’ll know what you want him to do. If you are training your puppy in an apartment then choose an area close to the door and always take your puppy on a lead directly to the bathroom area. Take him for a walk or play once he has finished. If you clean up an accident in the house, take the soiled rags or paper towels and leave them in the designated bathroom spot. The smell will help your puppy recognise the designated bathroom area. While your puppy is going to the bathroom, use a word or phrase, like “go potty” that you can eventually use before he poops to remind him what he is supposed to be doing. If possible, put your puppy on a regular feeding schedule. Depending on their age, puppies usually need to be fed 3 – 4 times a day. Feeding your puppy at the same time each day will make it more likely that he will “go” at a consistent time as well, making house training easier for both of you.
Don’t give your puppy an opportunity to soil in the house. He should be watched at all times when he is indoors. Watch for signs that he needs to go to the bathroom, like sniffing around or circling or energetic movement about 30 minutes after eating; immediately take him outside on a leash to his bathroom spot. If he poops praise him and reward him with a treat.
When you are unable to watch your puppy at all times, he should be confined to an area small enough that he won’t want to “go” there. It should be just big enough for him to comfortably stand, lie down and turn around. This area could be a portion of a bathroom or laundry room blocked off with boxes. If your puppy has spent several hours in confinement, when you let him out take him straight to his bathroom spot and praise him when he poops.
Expect your puppy to have an accident in the house – it is a normal part of house training a puppy. When you catch him in the act, do something to interrupt him (like make a noise but do not scare him). Immediately take him to his bathroom spot, praise him and give him a treat if he finishes pooping there. Don’t punish your puppy for pooping in the house. Simply clean it up. Punishment or discipline will only make them afraid of you or afraid to go in your presence. Animals do not understand punishment after the act, even if its seconds later. Punishment will do more harm than good. Cleaning the soiled area is very important because puppies are highly motivated to continue soiling in areas that smell of urine or faeces. It’s extremely important that you use the supervision and confinement procedures outlined above to minimise the number of accidents. If you allow your puppy to poop frequently in the house, he’ll get confused about where he is supposed to go which will prolong the house training process.
A puppy less than 6 months of age cannot be expected to control his bladder for more than a few hours at a time. If you have to be away from home for more than 4 or 5 hours a day, this may not be the best time for you to get a puppy. If you’re already committed to having a puppy and have to be away from home for long periods of time, you’ll need to train your puppy to go in a specific place indoors. However, doing so can prolong the process of teaching him to poop outdoors. Teaching your puppy to poop on newspaper may create a lifelong surface preference, meaning that he may even as an adult poop on any newspaper he find lying around the house! When your puppy must be left alone for long periods, confine him to an area with enough room for a sleeping space, a playing space and a separate place for him to poop (using newspaper or a sand box). If you clean up an accident in the house take the soiled rags or paper towels to the designated bathroom area to help your puppy recognise the place where he is supposed to go to the bathroom.
If you’ve consistently followed the housetraining procedures and your puppy continues to poop in the house, there may be another reason for his behaviour:-
House soiling can often be caused by physical problems such as urinary tract infection or a parasite infection. Check with your vet to rule out any option of medical illness.
Some dogs, especially young ones, temporarily lose control of their bladders when they become excited or feel threatened. This usually occurs during greetings, intense play or when they are about to be punished (see handout: “Submissive & Excitement Urination”).
Dogs sometimes deposit urine or faeces, usually in small amounts, to scent mark their territory. Both female and male dogs do this, and it most often occurs when they feel their territory has been invaded (see handout: “Territorial Marking Behaviour in Dogs and Cats”)
Dogs that become anxious when they are left alone may house soil as a result. Usually there are other symptoms, such as destructive behaviour or vocalisation (see handout: “Separation Anxiety”)
When animals become frightened, they may lose control of their bladder and/or bowels. If your puppy is afraid of loud noises, such as fireworks, he may soil the house when he’s exposed to these sounds (see handout: “Helping Your Dog overcome the Fear of Thunder and other Startling Noises”)
Puppies may be just as much work as human babies – maybe more so because puppies can’t wear nappies and they have very sharp teeth! It’s definitely true that, similar to infants and toddlers, puppies explore their world by putting things in their mouths. In addition, puppies are teething till they are about 6 months old which usually creates some discomfort. Chewing not only facilitates teething, but also makes sore gums feel better. Although it’s perfectly normal for a puppy to chew on furniture, shoes, shrubbery and such, these behaviours can cause a problem for you. A puppy won’t magically “outgrow” these behaviours as he matures. Instead, you must shape your puppy’s behaviour and teach him what is acceptable and what is not.
It’s virtually inevitable that your puppy will, at some point, chew something you value. This is part of raising a puppy! You can, however, prevent most problems by taking the following precautions:
Never discipline or punish your puppy after the act. If you discover a chewed item even minutes after he’s chewed it, you’re too late to administer a correction. Animals associate punishment with what they are doing at the time they are being punished. A puppy can’t reason that, “I tore up those shoes an hour ago and that’s why I’m being scolded now.” Some people believe this is what a puppy is thinking because he runs and hides or because he “looks guilty”. “Guilty Looks” are canine submissive postures that dogs show when they are threatened. When you’re angry or upset the puppy feels threatened by your tone of voice, body postures and/or facial expressions, so he may hide or show submissive postures. Punishment after the act will not only fail to eliminate the undesirable behaviour but could provoke other undesirable behaviours as well.
In most cases, destructive chewing by puppies is nothing more than normal puppy behaviour. Adult dogs, however, can exhibit destructive behaviours for a variety of reasons, which can occasionally be the cause of chewing problems in puppies, as well. Examples include separation anxiety, fear related behaviour and attention seeking behaviour.
When puppies play with each other, they use their mouths. Therefore, puppies usually want to bite or “mouth” hands during play or when being petted. With puppies, this is rarely aggressive behaviour, attempts to suppress it or stop it are unlikely to be successful unless you give your puppy an alternative behaviour. The goals of working with this normal puppy behaviour are to redirect your puppy’s desire to put something in his mouth onto acceptable chew toys and to teach him to be gentle when a hand is in his mouth.
Redirect your puppy’s chewing onto acceptable objects by offering him a small rawhide chew bone or other type of chew toy whenever you pet him. This technique can be especially effective when children want to pet him. As you or the child reaches out to scratch him behind the ears (not over the head) with one hand, offer the chew bone with the other. This will not only help your puppy learn that people and petting is wonderful, but will also keep his mouth busy while he’s being petted. Alternate which hand does the petting and which one has the chew bone. At first, you may need to pet or scratch your puppy for short periods, since the longer the period he’s petted, the more likely he is to get excited and start to nip.
You must also teach your puppy to be gentle with hands, and that nipping results in unpleasant consequences for him. Teach your puppy that nipping “turns off” any attention and social interaction with you. After a nip, look your puppy right in the eye, and say “ouch” as though you’ve been wounded, then ignore him. Leave the room if you must, but ignore him until he’s calm, then try the chew bone and petting method again. It’s even better if you can coax your puppy into a sitting position using food. It may take many repetitions for him to understand what is expected. Nipping and mouthing hands can be discouraged by loosely holding your puppy’s lower jaw between your thumb and forefinger after he’s taken your hand in his mouth. Don’t hurt him by squeezing too hard, just gently so that whenever his mouth goes to nip, your hand hangs on. This will quickly become tiresome and he’ll eventually pull away. After several seconds, release his jaw but continue to offer him your hand. If he licks or ignores it, praise, pet and offer a titbit. If he closes his mouth on your hand again, repeat the procedure. Another alternative is to wear cotton gloves coated with a substance that has an unpleasant taste such as ‘bitter apple’. In this way, your puppy will learn that hands in mouth ‘taste bad’. For this to work, every time he nips your hand he must experience this bad taste. The possible disadvantage to this method is that your puppy may learn ‘hands with gloves taste bad and those without don’t’. Remember that any of these three methods will probably not be effective unless you work hard to teach your puppy the right behaviour by offering him an acceptable chew.
When your puppy jumps up on you, he wants attention. Whether you push him away by gently putting pressure on his chest or shoulder etc he feels he is being rewarded for jumping up (even though its negative attention, he’s still getting what he wants).
Fold your arms in front of you, turn away from him and say “Off”. Continue to turn away from him until all four feet are on the ground, then quietly praise him and give him a treat. If he knows the “sit” command, give the command when all four feet are on the ground, then quietly praise him and give him a treat while he’s in the sitting position. When you begin to praise him, if he begins to jump up again, simply turn away and repeat step 2. Remember to keep your praise low-key. When your puppy realises that he gets no attention from you while he’s jumping up, but does get attention when he stops jumping and sits, he’ll stop jumping. Remember, once you’ve taught him to come and sit quietly, for attention, you must reward his behaviour. Be careful not to ignore him when he comes and sits politely waiting for your attention.
Never play “tug of war” or wrestling games with your puppy if you’re having nipping problems. These types of games encourage out-of-control behaviour, grabbing, lunging and competition with you. These are not behaviours you want him to learn.
It is very difficult for children under eight or nine to practice the kind of behaviour modification outlined here. Children’s first reaction to being nipped or mouthed by a puppy is to push the puppy away with their hands and arms. This will be interpreted by the puppy as play and will probably cause the puppy to nip and mouth even more. Dogs should never be left alone with children under ten and parents should monitor closely all interactions between their children and dogs.