Planning towards a perfect puppy part 3 - Life Lessons

Here is the final article adapted from the thesis that I wrote for the Canine Principles Puppy Development, Care & Coaching Accredited Diploma course.

To give any dog the best chance possible of a long and happy life, it is important that they learn how to do certain things that will make their life in a very human world easier for both to deal with and understand. Learning these cues means that dog and guardian can co-exist contentedly together. As with most things, the breed type of the puppy should be considered as different breed types may have difficulties with certain cues, or respond differently to reward types. A terrier for instance may see a game where they can rag a favourite toy as an ultimate reward to end a session, while a less energetic breed might far prefer something tasty.

Planning towards a perfect puppy part 2 - Socialisation

Here is the second article adapted from the thesis that I wrote for the Canine Principles Puppy Development, Care & Coaching Accredited Diploma course.

Socialisation is a vital part of preparing a puppy for a long and happy life through adolescence and beyond to an adult dog. Socialisation is the process of introducing a puppy to the things that he will encounter in his life, in a safe and positive way, so that the puppy learns to have a positive outlook on life. The aim of socialisation is habituation – the puppy becomes used to new things in his environment and never has a chance to become sensitised to them or scared of them, and accepts them as a matter of fact part of his environment. A puppy that has been well socialised will grow up to be a resilient dog through their adult life, able to recover quickly if they encounter a tough situation, and with a positive outlook meaning that they expect good things to happen. A good breeder will start the socialisation period very soon after the puppies are born, including gentle handling and introducing the sights, sounds, and smells of everyday life in a human family home.

Planning towards a perfect puppy - before birth

This is the first in a series of articles taken from a thesis I wrote to complete the Puppy Development, Care and Coaching Accredited Diploma from Canine Principles. The thesis asked for a plan to produce a perfect puppy, following the process from the beginning through to the age of six months.

There is a saying in some places that a puppy is a blank canvas and so anyone that gets their dog as a puppy will have a very simple job to produce a happy, sociable dog that they can take into any situation without worry. The truth is rather more complicated, but with care and attention to details from the very beginning of the process, the chances of the dog growing up to enjoy a happy life are greatly increased.

Engage the disengage!

Harnessing the power of choice.

My appreciation for the courses on offer from Canine Principles is well known, and links to the courses I have completed can be found on the 'Courses Completed' page of this blog. The lovely folks at CP have launched a new different style of course for them, that comes in the shape of a 30 day program of video lessons and tasks to think about and complete. The course can be found at Inspiring Resilience In Fearful & Reactive Dogs - 30 Day Program

Just Be

Look at just about any dog-related site and you will see lists of ‘rules’. The rules on what you should be training your dog to do, how much time you should spend training, how you should train (there is one rule I state for how to train, and that’s to make sure you have a good supply of treats on hand – positive reinforcement all the way!). Finn, my dog is a herding breed - a Border Collie. He's a livewire, and can be challenging to be around sometimes as he gets wired very easily. There are certain situations that he finds incredibly exciting, and just cannot contain himself. I am forever being told that he needs training to be 'better behaved' in these situations. They are ones that don't occur often, (not often enough to become not exciting, which is the problem) and so we have a policy of simply managing these situations. We don't get into the situation, and so the problem doesn't arise. Why waste time and possibly frustrate us both to get him to 'behave' in a situation we don't actually need to be in? This is wandering from the point a little, but is also relevant to the thinking I have been doing of late.

Yes, it's an end of year post - no points for originality!

There's been a meme going around online along the lines of 'Describe your 2019 in 5 words' or something close to that. For the year here, it would have to be something like incredible highs and lowest lows.

To sniff, or not to sniff? It's not really a question!

Quality or quantity in canine exercise?

It is something heard often, especially among people with some of the higher energy breeds: ‘We walk for hours and miles, but the dog never gets tired!’ Home from a several mile hike, the humans in the household are about ready for a drink and possibly a nap, but their canine companion is still doing the wall of death around the living room or contemplating eating the dining table. In desperation, the family up the miles and hours of walking but the problem never seems to get any better. In fact, their livewire pooch is even more full of beans than ever! The issue spirals onwards, turning into a vicious cycle.