'But we've always done it this way!'

There can be a real sense when talking to some dog people that they are digging in their heels when talking about the ways in which we handle and train dogs. "We've always trained this way. My grandfather learned from his grandfather!" and so on. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking traditions. There are things that have carried on through the generations for hundreds of years. I'm always slightly bemused as to why morris dancing happens, but it has happened for a long time and still does today, and those who take part enjoy it. Morris dancing doesn't cause trouble for anyone though, apart from perhaps people who share my bemusement, are terrified of men wearing bells, or anyone faced with the Stick and Bucket dance. (If you haven't already, read Terry Pratchett's Discworld books, which give 'proper' morris dancing a whole more important slant and are utterly brilliant. See much of 'Lords and Ladies' or the opening of 'Reaper Man' for my favourite references.)

Some traditions passed on from history are not quite so benign. Thankfully, we have made advances in medicine, so doctors are far less likely to cut ill people to bleed them, or stick leeches on them (yes I am aware that leeches have a real use in medicine today, but not to the extent of the historical use!) Medicine, as with many other sciences, has evolved and developed through the years, to be less damaging in the pursuit of the goal of keeping the patient alive and healthy.

For many people dog training has also undergone a process of study and development. We know more about the modern domestic dog than at any other previous point, to the level of running functional MRI scans on awake dogs trained to wear ear protection and lay still while the MRI is running. These dogs are all trained using positive reinforcement methods which alone is a massive indication of just how well reward-based training works.

And yet... We still see and hear of people stuck in the archaic methods of the past. The rolled up newspapers, the taps on the nose, waving fingers in faces and thundering 'No!' if the dog does anything that the human has designated as wrong. The 'old school' way of training dogs still persists, despite the best efforts of those students of canine behaviour and psychology pointing out the disadvantages of those methods, and how much better for dogs it is to stick to positive, reward-based methods.

Raising dogs from puppies is hard work. I think even those of us who love that whole process of raising and shaping dogs from a young age will admit it's incredibly hard work. The lack of sleep through toilet training, the constant monitoring to be sure that they are safe and to keep up with toilet training, the lessons that they need to learn, the socialisation needed to help the puppy relate properly to his world as he grows and throughout life, and so much more.

I wish I'd been able to sleep this well! 😂

These things are all so important and can be draining. I'm not going to lie and say I've never felt frustrated at times in the puppy raising process. The alarms set every couple of hours through the night for the first couple of weeks of having Finn as a puppy nearly had me on my knees, and the process of lengthening those gaps felt so slow! I was sleep deprived and so, so tired from needing to have my eyes on swivels whenever Finn was not safely contained in his crate or his puppy pen (although he managed to climb out of his puppy pen at 9 weeks, so that security didn't last long!) When you add in the shark-like little puppy teeth like daggers on the skin and the damage they can do to things in your home, it can make us feel downright angry. That's when the tap or flick to the nose, the verbal reprimand, the wagging finger in the face, all of those can come into play.

In more recent times we know better what damage positive punishment can do to dogs. Particularly puppies, at such a vulnerable point in their lives. This is when they learn about the world and what they can expect from it. Puppies are curious and adventurous, they want to explore - and puppies explore through their mouths. We don't want to crush that spirit of exploration and interest in the world around them, so it's of great importance that we don't expose puppies to positive punishment. Positive reinforcement is the best tool for working with dogs of ANY age.

Teach them that teeth on skin stops play. If they're chewing the woodwork, giving them something safe that they can chew instead. Overexcited, overstimulated and overtired puppies shouldn't be punished. Instead, make sure that they get enough rest. Puppies need a huge amount of sleep when they are growing, 18-20 hours a day. Teach them to switch off and relax. Pop them in a crate or puppy pen with a nice KONG or other safe food or chew (licking and chewing are relaxing and will help them to switch off) so they can chill and get some sleep.

Sleep is very important for puppies.

Keep up with the toilet training and make sure that you watch the puppy at times when they may need to toilet - after waking, after playing, after eating. Take them out regularly to avoid accidents happening, and reward them when they go in the right place. If there is an accident in the house, NEVER punish the puppy for it. All you'll teach them is that it's not safe to toilet when humans are around and so they'll hide it better. It won't stop any toileting indoors. If a puppy does toilet inside, the guardian has fallen down on the job and wasn't watching the puppy closely enough.

Hard work, but worth every second 💖

No, puppy raising is not easy, and particularly not easy to do well. There is never a reason to strike or shout at a puppy (or indeed any dog) - redirect to a more appropriate behaviour. And don't bother with the word 'No!' It has no meaning to the dog. Instead, if the dog is showing a behaviour you don't like, teach them what you want them to do instead. Puppy jumping all over you when you walk in the door? Cute when he's 10 weeks old and barely reaches your knee. Not so much at 30 kg or more, and reaching up to your chest! Instead of letting him learn to jump up, teach him from the beginning that 'all 4 on the floor' gets him the goodies. If the pup learns from the start he'll get rewarded for standing and waiting for fuss, there is no reason for him to think about jumping up.

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There's currently an audiobook of Understanding Reactive Dogs in the production process to join the Kindle and paperback versions available at Amazon. The narrator I've found is lovely and I'm really looking forward to hearing the finished audio!

My time is currently filled with tutoring, writing, and creating another video workshop for the lovely Canine Principles, and getting things lined up to start work on writing the next book I have planned.