After spending my early childhood with an old bull terrier, followed by a poor abused blue heeler, and then growing up with an adorable little terrier cross I have recently brought into the family two little mostly black pups both of whom will soon be two quite large pups. Both crosses of blue heeler, border collie, foxy, kelpie, bull something and God only knows what else.
This being the first time I have ever had two dogs at once, and them being supposedly from the same litter (pound puppies) makes life very interesting.
They're only 12 weeks old now and both well over 5kg (that's over 11 pounds for you guys still on the imperial system) so of course they'll need to be kept under control. They pretty much have the toilet training figured out, still a few slip ups as can be expected. They get walked around the markets to help get use to other people and dogs now that their shots are all up to date and puppy school will start ASAP, and they're coming to visit a friend and her puppy schooled schnauzer next weekend. So I'm on the right track with them.
There's just one thing that always makes raising dogs more difficult, and that's other people. People who think they're dog experts, people who approach the dogs in a threatening manner when trying to say hello, people who appear out of nowhere to pat the dog putting both the owner and the dog on edge. The list is endless. But there is one that deserves mentioning, that gets overlooked all to often. Dog trainers. Not all dog trainers. The dog trainers who treat every dog exactly the same when dogs, just like humans, have their own individual personalities and more importantly their own individual learning needs. For example; the previous puppy I had stopped chewing my shoes when she was given her own pair, but the current pups will simply chew anything left where they can get it if it looks interesting. Luckily they are learning the meaning of "Leave It!" and "Excuse me, can I have that back please?" with the usual response of "If you can catch me."
The truth is that if you don't want to introduce your dog to other dogs, and you don't mind your dog acting as a house alarm when a butterfly lands across the road, the only training it will need is a constant supply of hugs and kisses, and the run of the house upon which you now have for next to no effort a loving caring baby who will protect its house and family at all costs. This method is perfect is the dog in question is a Maltese Terrier or something that size and under.
My advice to anyone thinking about getting, or who has recently acquired a new pup is this.
1 - Consider how much space you have before getting something that needs to run a million miles a day. Working dogs are bundles of energy and bore easily.
2 - Consider how much time you have available before bringing home the cute little teething piddle pot who needs 2 months of constant attention.
3 - If you only want a dog in the yard and not in the house don't bother getting a dog. They are pack animals and want to be with the whole family.
4 - Don't leave the dog alone with babies/young children. The dog will either be jealous of the baby for stealing its attention from Mum and Dad or will mother and protect the baby from everything including Mum and Dad as dogs are very possessive of what they think they own, and the vast majority of dog attacks on children are because the child did something to hurt or frighten the dog. If you're a parent who thinks their child does no wrong you need to wake up.
5 - Get a dog that is appropriate for your circumstances age. A Labrador is a great family dog but it will help the burglars carry the computer out. The Staffy is also a great playful family dog but it is solid enough to act as a speed bump so it's not the best choice for toddlers.
6 - No training makes an uncontrollable dog. Inconsistent training makes a confused and dangerous dog.
7 - Positive Reinforcement is the only form of training that really works and it requires patience.
You know it's true.
