BEFORE - Land of PureGoldlandofpuregold.com/the-pdfs/beforepup.pdfFeeling that education can range from boring to hilarious, I have always tried to make my writing enjoyable as well

B E F O R EB E F O R EYou Get Your Puppy

D r . I a n D u n b a r

James & KennethP U B L I S H E R S

BEFORE You Get Your Puppy© 2001 Ian Dunbar

First published in 2001 by:

James & Kenneth Publishers2140 Shattuck Avenue #2406Berkeley, California 947041-800-784-5531

James & Kenneth—UKCathargoed Isaf, Golden GroveCarmarthen, Dyfed SA32 8LY01558-823237

James & Kenneth—OZP O Box 1715Gawler SA 51168-8523-2004

Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations used inreviews, no part of this publication may be reproduced inany form without the written permission of the publisher.

IBSN 1-888047-00-3

Photo CreditsDarlene Bishop: page 25Kelly Gorman: page 44Wayne Hightower: pages 36, 38Carmen Noradunghian: page 79TVS Television: page 23 Joel Walton: page 104 All other photographs were taken by the author.

Front Cover Concept by Nancy PaynterFront Cover Illustration by Tracy DockrayFront Cover Design by Quark & Bark Late Night Graphics Co.Back Cover Design by Montessaurus Media

Omaha

Contents

Foreword...............................................9Synopsis ..............................................11

Chapter One: DEVELOPMENTAL DEADLINES ..131. Your Doggy Education ...................202. Evaluating Puppy's Progress ..........213. Errorless Housetraining ..................224. Socialization with People ...............235. Bite Inhibition.................................246. Preventing Adolescent Problems....25

Chapter Two:YOUR DOGGY EDUCATION..........27Which Type of Dog ............................30Mixed Breed or Pure Breed? ..............32Which Breed? .....................................33Movie DogStars ..................................37When to Get a Puppy..........................39Where to Get a Puppy ........................41How to Select a Good Breeder...........41Puppy vs. Adult ..................................43Shopping List......................................46

Chapter Three:EVALUATING PUPPY'S PROGRESS..47How to Select a Good Puppy .............48Handling and Gentling........................49Sound Sensitivity ................................50Household Etiquette ...........................51Basic Manners ....................................52Personal Preference ............................52Singleton Pups ....................................54

Chapter Four: ERRORLESS HOUSETRAINING....57When You Are Not at Home...............58Long-term Confinement .....................60When You Are at Home......................60Short-term Confinement .....................61Train Your Puppy to Train Himself ....63Errorless Housetraining ......................63Housetraining 1-2-3 ............................64So What's the Problem?......................65Doggy Toilet .......................................74Errorless Chewtoy-Training ...............75What Is a Chewtoy?............................77Dinner from Chewtoys .......................78Chewtoy Stuffing................................80Kong Stuffing 101 ..............................81Settle Down and Shush.......................82What to Do at Nighttime ....................85Sit, etc. ................................................86Misbehavior ........................................89

Chapter Five:PUPPY PRIORITIES .........................91

Chapter Six:BOOKS and VIDEOS ......................100

BEFORE YOU GET YOUR PUPPY

To all truly exceptional dog breeders, whocare as much (if not more) about their dogs'physical and mental health as they do abouttheir dogs' coat color and conformation.

To all knowledgeable veterinarians, whounderstand the crucially important role ofearly socialization and training for theprevention of predictable behavior andtemperament problems.

To all caring and responsible puppyowners, who did their very best to choose,raise, and train their puppies to be good-natured and well-mannered companions.

And to all overworked pet dog trainers,shelter staff and volunteers, and animalrescue organizations, who try their best tosolve the many problems created by otherdog breeders, veterinarians, and dog ownerswho failed to grasp the big picture.

Foreword

Sadly, the majority of puppies fail to live long enough toenjoy their second birthday. They suffer from theterminal illness of being unwanted—failing to live up to

the promise and expectation of the Lassie–Benji–Eddie dream.Instead they develop a number of utterly predictable behavior,training, and temperament problems and are surrendered toanimal shelters to play lotto with their lives. Many peopleblame irresponsible ownership for this tragic situation. I wouldcite lack of know-how. Most prospective puppy owners aresimply unaware of the problems that lie ahead andunfortunately, they have little idea how to prevent or resolvethem. Ironically, the demise of many dogs stems from noviceowners following misleading, erroneous, and in some casesdownright bad advice from out-of-date training books.

Dog owners' lack of know-how has to be the responsibilityof all doggy professionals, including dog breeders, trainers,veterinarians, animal control officers, and shelter personnel. Itis the fault of dog professionals like myself, who have failed toadequately advertise the much easier, quicker, gentler, andaltogether more effective and efficient way of raising andtraining puppies.

This booklet will outline common, predictable puppyproblems, provide a timetable for their development, andsuggest a variety of dog-friendly preventative measures and

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solutions, emphasizing the overwhelming importance of earlysocialization, confinement, prevention, and lure/rewardtraining techniques.

Feeling that education can range from boring to hilarious, Ihave always tried to make my writing enjoyable as well asinformative. However, a delicate balance always exists betweeneducation and entertainment, so I have also tried to stress theurgency of many of these ideas and repeatedly drive home thefacts that new puppy owners absolutely need to know.

When choosing a puppy, you need to know how todetermine whether his behavioral development and educationare up to par. Assessing a pup's developmental and educationalstatus depends on your education about puppy education.

Your pup's first month in your home is the most crucialdevelopmental period of his life. This short, make-or-breakperiod pretty much determines whether your puppy willdevelop into a well-mannered and good-natured companionthat will bring joy to your life for many years to come, orwhether your puppy will develop numerous, predictablebehavior problems and grow up to be fearful and unfriendly.You stand at the crossroads. The course of your prospectivepuppy's development is in your hands.

To help you get a grasp on all the important information youneed to learn, I have outlined six essential developmentaldeadlines, which form the backbone of this book. But before weexplore these deadlines, let’s get an overview of what toconsider before you get your puppy. After introducing theseideas, we’ll explore them in detail over the course of the book.


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Synopsis

If you have your heart set on raising and training a puppy, domake sure you train yourself beforehand. Remember, ittakes only a few days to ruin an otherwise perfect puppy.

Without a doubt, the most important developmental deadlinecomes before you even think of getting your puppy—youreducation about puppy education!

Many first-time puppy owners are surprised when theydiscover their new companion bites, barks, chews, digs, andmarks the house with urine and feces. Yet these are all perfectlynormal, natural, and necessary doggy behaviors.

Your canine newcomer is just itching to learn human housemanners. He wants to please, but he has to know how to please.It's no good keeping house rules a secret. Somebody has to tellthe puppy. And that somebody is you.

Before inviting a puppy to share your life, surely it is onlywise and fair to find out beforehand what you might expectfrom a normal developing puppy, which behaviors and traitsyou consider unacceptable, and how to modify the pup'sinappropriate behavior and temperament accordingly.Specifically, owners need to know how to teach theyoungster where to eliminate, what to chew, when to bark,where to dig, to sit when greeting people, to walk calmly on-leash, to settle down and shush when requested, to inhibit hisotherwise quite normal biting behavior, and to thoroughly

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enjoy the company of other dogs and people—especiallychildren, men, and strangers.

Whether selecting your prospective pup from a professionalbreeder or from a family breeding a litter for the very firsttime, the criteria are the same. Look for puppies raised indoorsaround human companionship and influence—specificallyaround people who have devoted lots of time to the puppies'education.

Your puppy needs to be prepared for the clamor of everydaydomestic living—the noise of the vacuum cleaner, pots andpans dropping in the kitchen, football games screaming on thetelevision, children crying, and adults arguing. Exposure tosuch stimuli while his eyes and ears are still developing allowsthe puppy (with his blurred vision and muffled hearing) togradually become accustomed to sights and sounds that mightotherwise frighten him when older.

Avoid pups that have been raised in an outdoor run orkennel. Remember, you want a puppy to share your home, solook for a puppy that has been raised in a home. Basement- andkennel-raised puppies are certainly not pet-quality dogs. Theyare "livestock" on par with veal calves and battery hens. Theyare neither housetrained nor socialized, and they do not makegood companions. Look for litters that have been born andraised in a kitchen or living room.

Choosing a breed is a very personal choice—your choice.But you will save yourself a lot of unnecessary problems andheartbreak if your choice is an informed and educated one.Choose the breed you like, investigate breed-specificqualities and problems, and then research the best way toraise and train your pup. Make sure you test drive severaladult dogs of your selected breed or type before you makeyour final choice. Test driving adult dogs will quickly teach


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you everything you need to know about a specific breed. Testdriving adult dogs will also pinpoint gaps in your educationabout dog behavior and training.

Regardless of your choice, please do not kid yourself thatyou will get a "perfect" adult dog simply by selecting the"perfect" breed and the "perfect" individual puppy. Anypuppy can become a marvelous companion if appropriatelysocialized and trained. And, no matter what the breed orbreeding, any puppy can also become a doggy delinquent ifnot properly socialized and trained. Please make anintelligent, researched choice when selecting your puppy, butremember: appropriate socialization and training is the singlebiggest factor determining how closely the dog will approachyour view of perfection in adulthood.

No matter your eventual choice—success or failure isentirely in your hands. Your puppy's behavior and temperamentnow depend completely on good husbandry and training.

Your puppy's living quarters need to be designed so thathousetraining and chewtoy-training are errorless. Each mistakeis a potential disaster, since it heralds many more to come.

Long-term confinement prevents your puppy from learningto make mistakes around the house, and allows your puppy toteach himself to use an appropriate toilet, to settle down quietlyand calmly, and to want to chew appropriate chewtoys.Confinement with chewtoys stuffed with kibble and treatsteaches your puppy to enjoy his own company and prepareshim for those times when he might be left at home alone.

Short-term close confinement also prevents your puppyfrom learning to make mistakes around the house, whileallowing your puppy to teach himself to settle down quietly andcalmly, and to want to chew appropriate chewtoys.Additionally, short-term confinement enables you to accurately

SYNOPSIS

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predict when your puppy needs to relieve herself, so that youmay take your puppy to an appropriate toilet area and rewardher for using it. The knack of successful housetraining focuseson being able to predict when your puppy "wants to go."


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Your puppy's playroom (long-term confinement area) requires acomfortable bed, a fresh supply of water, a chewtoy, and a toilet.Long-term confinement prevents mistakes around the house and

encourages the pup to use her doggy toilet and chewtoys.Short-term confinement allows you to predict

when your puppy needs to go.

CHAPTER ONE

The Developmental Deadlines

From the moment you choose your puppy, there is someconsiderable urgency regarding socialization andtraining. There is no time to waste. Basically, an adult

dog's temperament and behavior habits (both good and bad)are shaped during puppyhood—very early puppyhood. Infact, some puppies are well on their way to ruin by the timethey are just eight weeks old. It is especially easy to makehorrendous mistakes when selecting a pup and during his firstfew days at home. Such mistakes usually have an indelibleeffect, influencing your pup's behavior and temperament forthe rest of his life. This is not to say that unsocialized anduntrained eight-week-old pups cannot be rehabilitated. Theycan, if you work quickly. But while it’s easy to preventbehavior and temperament problems from the beginning,rehabilitation can be both difficult and time-consuming, andit is unlikely that your pup will ever become the adult dog heor she could have been.

Learn how to make intelligent choices when selecting yourpup. Learn how to implement a course of errorlesshousetraining and errorless chewtoy-training the moment yourpuppy arrives at her new home. Any housesoiling or chewingmistake you allow your puppy to make is absolute silliness andabsolute seriousness: silliness because you are creating lots offuture headaches for yourself, and seriousness because millionsof dogs are euthanized each year simply because their ownersdid not know how to housetrain or chewtoy-train them.

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If your pup is ever left unsupervised indoors he will mostcertainly chew household articles and soil your house. Althoughthese teeny accidents do little damage in themselves, they setthe precedent for your puppy's choice of toys and toilets formany months to come.

You should treat any puppy housesoiling or house-destruction mistake as a potential disaster, since it predictsnumerous future mistakes from a dog with larger bladder andbowels and much more destructive jaws. Many owners begin tonotice their puppy's destructiveness by the time he is four tofive months old, when the pup is characteristically relegatedoutdoors. Destruction is the product of a puppy's boredom, lackof supervision, and a search for entertainment. Naturalinquisitiveness prompts the lonely pup to dig, bark, and escape


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Nancy's house after aShepherd party!Chewtoys stuffed with foodwould provide the dogswith appropriateamusement andoccupational therapy to pass the time when left at home alone.

in his quest for some form of occupational therapy to pass theday in solitary confinement. Once the neighbors complainabout the dog's incessant barking and periodic escapes, the dogis often further confined to a garage or basement. Usuallythough, this is only a temporary measure until the dog issurrendered to a local animal shelter to play the lotto of life.

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DEVELOPMENTAL DEADLINES

Allowing a single housesoilingmistake is a disaster since it

sets the precedent for yourpuppy's toilet area and signalsmany more mistakes to come.

Digging, barking, and escaping are usually secondary problems of unhousetrainedadolescent dogs which have been relegated to a life of solitary confinement andboredom in the yard. Housetrain your dog, and then you may leave him indoors.Magically, the digging and escaping problems will disappear.

Fewer than 25 percent of surrendered dogs are adopted, ofwhich about half are returned as soon as the new ownersdiscover their adopted adolescent's annoying problems.

The above summarizes the fate of many dogs. This isespecially sad because all these simple problems could beprevented so easily. Housetraining and chewtoy-training arehardly rocket science. But you do need to know what to do.And you need to know what to do before you bring yourpuppy home.

As soon as your puppy comes home, the clock is running.Within just three months, your puppy will need to meet six


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One of the best ways to reduce excessive barking is to teach yourpuppy to speak on cue. Training your pup to bark on request facilitatesteaching him to shush on request, since you may now shush-train thepup at your convenience. Instead of trying to quieten your puppy whenhe is excitedly barking, you may request your pup to bark and so teachshush at times when the pup is calm and focussed.

crucial developmental deadlines. If your puppy fails to meetany of these deadlines, he is unlikely to achieve his fullpotential. In terms of your dog's behavior and temperament,you will probably be playing catch-up for the rest of your dog'slife. Most important of all, you simply cannot afford to neglectthe socialization and bite inhibition deadlines.

If you already have a puppy and feel that you are behind, donot throw in the towel. You must acknowledge, however, thatyou are well behind and that your puppy's socialization andeducation are now a dire emergency. Immediately do your bestto catch up. Call a pet dog trainer at once. To locate a CertifiedPet Dog Trainer (CPDT) in your area contact the Association ofPet Dog Trainers at 1-800-PET-DOGS or www.apdt.com.Invite family, friends, and neighbors to help you with yourpuppy's remedial socialization and training. Maybe take a weekor two off of work to devote to your puppy. The younger yourpuppy, the easier and quicker it is to catch up on itsdevelopmental timetable and minimize losses. Every day youdelay, however, makes it harder.


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SIX DEVELOPMENTAL DEADLINES

1. Your Doggy Education (before searching)

2. Evaluating Puppy's Progress (before selection)

3. Errorless Housetraining (before homecoming)

4. Socialization with People (by 12 weeks of age)

5. Bite Inhibition (by 18 weeks of age)

6. Preventing Adolescent Problems (by five months)

1. Your Doggy Education

Before you look for your perfect puppy, you need to know whatsort of dog to look for, where to get it, and when to get it. Aneducated choice is generally far better than an impulsive puppypurchase. Additionally, you need to thoroughly familiarizeyourself with the developmental deadlines; they become urgentand crucial the day you select your puppy. Take your time toreview this booklet, observe a number of puppy classes, andthen make a thoughtful choice. Your dog's future depends on it.


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Planning for a new puppy begins with the owner's education about puppy education.

2. Evaluating Puppy's ProgressBefore you select your puppy (usually at eight weeks of age),you need to know how to select a good breeder and how toselect a good puppy. Specifically, you need to know how toassess your puppy's behavioral development. By eight weeks ofage, your puppy must have become thoroughly accustomed toa home physical environment, especially to all sorts ofpotentially scary noises; your puppy should already have beenhandled by many people, especially men, children, andstrangers; your puppy's errorless housetraining and chewtoy-training should be underway; and your puppy should alreadyhave a rudimentary understanding of basic manners. At the veryleast, your puppy should come, sit, lie down, and roll over whenrequested. In other words, in preparation for household living,the litter of puppies must have been raised indoors and aroundpeople and not in some secluded backyard or fancy kennel.


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This candidate forRocky Mountain

Search and Rescuewas carefully selectedat eight weeks of age

from a carefullyselected litter.

3. Errorless Housetraining You need to ensure that an errorless housetraining andchewtoy-training program is instituted the very first day yourpuppy comes home. This is so important during the firstweek, when puppies characteristically learn good or badhabits that set the precedent for weeks, months, andsometimes years to come.

Be absolutely certain that you fully understand the principlesof long-term and short-term confinement before you bring yournew puppy home. With a long-term and short-term confinementschedule, housetraining and chewtoy-training are easy,

efficient, and errorless.During her first fewweeks at home, regularconfinement (withchewtoys stuffed withkibble) teaches thepuppy to teach herself tochew chewtoys, to settledown calmly andquietly, and not tobecome a recreationalbarker. Moreover, short-term confinement allowsyou to predict when yourpuppy needs to relieveherself, so that you maytake her to the right spotand reward her foreliminating.


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4. Socialization with People

The Critical Period of Socialization ends by three months ofage! This is the crucial developmental stage during whichpuppies learn to accept and enjoy the company of other dogsand people. Thus your puppy needs to be socialized to peopleby the time he is twelve weeks old. However, since his series ofpuppy immunization injections is incomplete at this point, ayoung pup needs to meet people in the safety of his own home.As a rule of thumb, your puppy needs to have met at least ahundred different people before he is eight weeks old and thenmeet an additional hundred people during his first month athome. Not only is this easier to do than it might sound, it's alsolots of fun.


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Puppies must be socialized to people,especially men and children,

before they are three months old.

5. Bite Inhibition Bite inhibition is the single most important lesson a dog mustlearn. Adult dogs have teeth and jaws that can hurt and harm.All animals must learn to inhibit use of their weapons againsttheir own kind, but domestic animals must learn to be gentlewith all animals, especially people. Domestic dogs must learnto inhibit their biting toward all animals, especially towardother dogs and people. The narrow time window for developinga "soft mouth" begins to close at four-and-a-half months of age,about the time when the adult canine teeth first show. Providingyour puppy with an ideal forum to learn bite inhibition is themost pressing reason to enroll him in puppy classes before he iseighteen weeks old.


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Bite inhibition is all-important. Puppies mustlearn to inhibit the force oftheir biting before they aretaught to stop biting andmouthing altogether.

6. Preventing Adolescent Problems

To ensure that your well-rounded and well-schooled puppyremains a mannerly, well-socialized, and friendly dogthroughout adulthood, your dog needs to meet unfamiliarpeople and unfamiliar dogs on a regular basis. In other words,your dog needs to be walked at least once a day. Your puppymay be taken for rides in the car and to visit friends' houses asearly as you like. Start walking your puppy as soon as yourveterinarian says it’s safe to do so.


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Maintaining socialization requires ongoing socializationthroughout puppyhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Yourdog will continue to gain confidence with continuedexposure to unfamiliar people, to unfamiliar dogs, and tounfamiliar situations.


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BEFORE You Get Your Puppy addresses the first threedevelopmental deadlines, covering the search andselection for a suitable puppy and his first week at home.The first three developmental deadlines are extremelyurgent and crucial, and leave no room for mistakes. Asecond booklet—AFTER You Get Your Puppy—addresses the final three developmental deadlines,covering the first three months the puppy is in yourhome. The clock is still running, but you do have threemonths to get things done.

CHAPTER TWO

THE FIRST DEVELOPMENTAL DEADLINE

Your Doggy Education(Before You Search for Your Puppy)

Without a doubt the most important developmentaldeadline comes before you even begin your searchfor a puppy: namely, your education about puppy

education. Just as you would learn how to drive before settingoff in a car, you should learn how to raise and train a puppybefore you get one.

Some owners want heaven and earth from their pups; othersonly demand magic and miracles. Owners want the puppy to beperfectly well-behaved and to amuse herself when left at homealone for hours on end. And they assume the pup will magicallygrow up to act this way without guidance.

It is simply not fair to keep house rules a secret from yourpuppy, only to moan and groan when she predictably findsdoggy ways to entertain herself and break rules she didn't evenknow existed. If you have house rules, somebody needs to teachthem to the puppy. And that somebody is you.

Luckily, dogs have their natural activity peaks at dawn anddusk, so many are quite happy to settle down and snooze theday away. However, some dogs are not. Some dogs are simplymore active than others, and when left at home alone becomeexceedingly stressed and may destroy the house and garden inthe space of a day.

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Puppy owners are often surprised when their new puppybites, barks, chews, digs, and decorates the floors with urineand feces. Yet this is what dogs do. How did you expect yourdog to communicate? To moo? To meow? And what did youexpect your dog to do to pass the time of day? Housework? Tomop and clean floors and dust the furniture? Or to amuseherself reading books, watching television, or doing macrame?

Many owners appear to be at a further loss when confrontedby utterly predictable problems, such as jumping up, pullingon-leash, and expressing the boundless energy and exuberanceaccompanying doggy adolescence. Additionally, owners areincredulous if their adolescent or adult dog bites or fights.When dogs are undersocialized, harassed, abused, frightened,or otherwise upset, what do we expect them to do? Call alawyer? Of course they bite! Biting is as normal an ingredientof canine behavior as wagging the tail or burying a bone.

Before inviting a puppy to share your life, surely it is onlywise and fair to find out beforehand what you might expect


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from a normal developing puppy, which behaviors and traitsyou might consider unacceptable, and how to modify the pup'sinappropriate behavior and temperament accordingly.Specifically, owners need to know how to teach the youngsterwhen to bark, what to chew, where to dig, where to perform histoilet duties, to sit when greeting people, to walk calmly on-leash, to settle down and shush when requested, to inhibit hisotherwise normal biting behavior, and to thoroughly enjoy thecompany of other dogs and of people, especially men,strangers, and children.

YOUR DOGGY EDUCATION

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Dogs are dogs. Not surprisingly,

puppies behave likedogs: they chew, dig,

bark, communicatelargely via body

language and p-mail,and spend much of

their free time sniffing rear ends.

It is vital that you know what and how to teach yourpuppy, before you get him. So in addition to thisbook, read other books, watch videos, observe puppytraining classes, and above all, test drive as manyadult dogs as possible. Talk to owners at puppy classand discover what types of problems they areexperiencing. New puppy owners are ruthlesslyhonest when describing their puppy's problems.

Which Type of Dog?There are many things to consider when choosing a puppy,including which breed or type, and the optimal age ofacquisition. Obviously, you want to choose a dog that is best

suited to you and yourlifestyle. Rather thanlisting my preferences, Iwill discuss some of themore important guidelines.

First, please do not kidyourself that all you haveto do is select the "perfect"breed and the "perfect"individual puppy and hewill automatically grow up

into the "perfect" adult dog. Any puppy can become amarvelous companion if appropriately socialized and trained.And, no matter what his breed or breeding, any puppy canbecome a doggy delinquent if not properly socialized andtrained. Please make an intelligent, researched choice whenselecting your puppy, but remember: appropriatesocialization and training is the single biggest factordetermining how closely the dog will approach your view ofperfection in adulthood.

Second, seek advice from the best sources. Commonmistakes are to take breed advice from veterinarians, healthadvice from breeders, and all-important behavior and trainingadvice from veterinarians, breeders, and pet-store personnel.The best plan is to seek training and behavior advice fromtrainers and behavior counselors, health advice fromveterinarians, breed advice from breeders, and product advice


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Documents

BEFORE - Land of PureGoldlandofpuregold.com/the-pdfs/beforepup.pdfFeeling that education can range from boring to hilarious, I have always tried to make my writing enjoyable as well