Before You Get Your Puppy
When you first think about getting a puppy, it's usually an emotive experience. Most people have a sort of 'always wanted' picture of their future dog. Sometimes, their 'always wanted' dog just can't be. Space, money and time considerations don't match up and it really pays in the long run, to be very honest and disciplined with yourself, right at the beginning. Let's have a run through of possible pro's and con's.
Small dogs get under your feet; big dogs will bump into you/you have to walk around them. Big dogs have deeper voices than small dogs. Hairy dogs need grooming more than smooth coated dogs. Some dogs have genetic issues that can run up large vet bills. Prey drive is higher in some dogs. Some dogs are very vocal. 'Working' breeds usually require a lot of exercise and engagement. Some dogs require experienced guardians. Housebreaking/toilet training can be more difficult in some breeds. Some breeds are better with people than others. Certain breeds are known to produce very independent dogs.
These are but a handful of the considerations involved in bringing a puppy into your life. One aspect that is not so obvious is that a puppy is not a blank canvas. Puppies have already been exposed to 8 weeks of life in the hands of their breeder and those 8 weeks are of significant influence as the foundation upon which everything else is built. Your puppy has already learned several behaviours from its mother, the breeder and via its breed characteristics. Your puppy is already upon its journey....you are not the first step.
From our experience with puppies, many of whom have come to us at 11/12 weeks, the following 6 weeks are the critical stages in which your relationship with your dog is founded. A lot of ground has to be covered in that very short space of time and, often, the first couple of weeks in the new home are 'lost' to 'puppy fascination'. These early days are filled with adoring your puppy and being fascinated by it.
It's easy to fall into this 'fascination' however you are losing critical time if you dally here. In conjunction with having an 'always wanted' dog vision, people also have an idyllic idea of how life will be with their dog. Often, the process of creating that life is undermined by the 'fascination' element and the important aspects of 'shaping and steering' are on the back burner. Within weeks, people find that their cute puppy is doing things in a way they'd rather he/she didn't....and they don't know how to turn it around. They then buy a book. Many of our clients tell us they inundated themselves with so much conflicting information that they were overwhelmed and didn't know what to do next.
An important aspect that highlights the short comings between people and dogs is that people generally use vocal expression to facilitate their needs and wants. We talk.
Dogs use behaviour to express their needs and wants but, their behaviour is so unlike ours, we find it difficult to comprehend what they mean. It can be hard to learn a new language, never mind teach one to another being.
Bear in mind that, for many people, being able to teach something is not a primary skill. Most people have learned however, most of their learning will have been at a non conscious level and therefore understanding the intricacies of how that learning came to be effective, or not, is unfamiliar to them.
We do this every day. Our lives revolve around investigating behaviours, both human and dog, and then extrapolating positive aspects into new, useful patterns.
In order to build the 'always wanted' life with your 'always wanted' dog, you'll need to be able to guide that process. Your dog won't know, and, because you and your dog don't even speak the same language it's likely you're going to need some assistance to create useful patterns.
Start with ‘The Training Triangle’ - that’s our foundational level course and you can scale it up or down to meet the needs of both you and your puppy.
Every day, every week that passes in the life between you and your puppy counts so learn as much as you can even before you choose your puppy. Start with a solid foundation - it makes building that ‘always wanted’ life so much easier.
When you first think about getting a puppy, it's usually an emotive experience. Most people have a sort of 'always wanted' picture of their future dog. Sometimes, their 'always wanted' dog just can't be. Space, money and time considerations don't match up and it really pays in the long run, to be very honest and disciplined with yourself, right at the beginning. Let's have a run through of possible pro's and con's.
Small dogs get under your feet; big dogs will bump into you/you have to walk around them. Big dogs have deeper voices than small dogs. Hairy dogs need grooming more than smooth coated dogs. Some dogs have genetic issues that can run up large vet bills. Prey drive is higher in some dogs. Some dogs are very vocal. 'Working' breeds usually require a lot of exercise and engagement. Some dogs require experienced guardians. Housebreaking/toilet training can be more difficult in some breeds. Some breeds are better with people than others. Certain breeds are known to produce very independent dogs.
These are but a handful of the considerations involved in bringing a puppy into your life. One aspect that is not so obvious is that a puppy is not a blank canvas. Puppies have already been exposed to 8 weeks of life in the hands of their breeder and those 8 weeks are of significant influence as the foundation upon which everything else is built. Your puppy has already learned several behaviours from its mother, the breeder and via its breed characteristics. Your puppy is already upon its journey....you are not the first step.
From our experience with puppies, many of whom have come to us at 11/12 weeks, the following 6 weeks are the critical stages in which your relationship with your dog is founded. A lot of ground has to be covered in that very short space of time and, often, the first couple of weeks in the new home are 'lost' to 'puppy fascination'. These early days are filled with adoring your puppy and being fascinated by it.
It's easy to fall into this 'fascination' however you are losing critical time if you dally here. In conjunction with having an 'always wanted' dog vision, people also have an idyllic idea of how life will be with their dog. Often, the process of creating that life is undermined by the 'fascination' element and the important aspects of 'shaping and steering' are on the back burner. Within weeks, people find that their cute puppy is doing things in a way they'd rather he/she didn't....and they don't know how to turn it around. They then buy a book. Many of our clients tell us they inundated themselves with so much conflicting information that they were overwhelmed and didn't know what to do next.
An important aspect that highlights the short comings between people and dogs is that people generally use vocal expression to facilitate their needs and wants. We talk.
Dogs use behaviour to express their needs and wants but, their behaviour is so unlike ours, we find it difficult to comprehend what they mean. It can be hard to learn a new language, never mind teach one to another being.
Bear in mind that, for many people, being able to teach something is not a primary skill. Most people have learned however, most of their learning will have been at a non conscious level and therefore understanding the intricacies of how that learning came to be effective, or not, is unfamiliar to them.
We do this every day. Our lives revolve around investigating behaviours, both human and dog, and then extrapolating positive aspects into new, useful patterns.
In order to build the 'always wanted' life with your 'always wanted' dog, you'll need to be able to guide that process. Your dog won't know, and, because you and your dog don't even speak the same language it's likely you're going to need some assistance to create useful patterns.
Start with ‘The Training Triangle’ - that’s our foundational level course and you can scale it up or down to meet the needs of both you and your puppy.
Every day, every week that passes in the life between you and your puppy counts so learn as much as you can even before you choose your puppy. Start with a solid foundation - it makes building that ‘always wanted’ life so much easier.
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