Mary Allen
If you embark on the adventure of a dog, you should prepare well for the puppy to move in, make optimal use of the first time together, and lay the educational foundations.
Alpine farm Hinterarni BE, on a sunny Sunday morning. A six-month-old Jack Russell Terrier excitedly chases after a ball that his master is throwing across the meadow. From time to time the dog interrupts the game to greet arriving hikers with a loud bark. Not necessarily to their delight.
A situation that Erika Howald, a passionate farmer and longtime dog trainer in Rüti near Büren BE, knows from her own experience and encounters again and again in her dog school. “Unfortunately, far too many dogs are still not socially acceptable, obey ‘no dirt’ and are unable to keep their hunting instincts and excitement under control.” Clear words that Howald chose with care. She emphasizes: “Anyone who fails to show their dog their limits in good time should not be surprised if the four-legged friend becomes a problem during puberty.”
Humans Make the Decisions
So much for the bad example. But how do I make sure that I don’t raise my puppy to become an annoying play junkie or control freak? “This process begins when the puppy moves into its new home,” says Howald. From day one you have to set his limits and assign him his place in the family. Because: “If you appear unsuitable to the young dog as a leader, he will make his own decisions.” But only a dog that can stick to the rules feels safe, explains the dog trainer and advises: “So make the decisions for your puppy. You decide when, where, and how he eats, plays, and sleeps. And you decide when to give him cuddles. Start all games and finish them too. Sometimes the puppy wins, sometimes you.”
Other important cornerstones for the first few weeks are – in addition to food and lots of sleep: regular grooming, closeness, and trust. “It’s also important that you discover the outside world with the puppy as early as possible,” says Howald. In the first few days, the little one still has enough to do with the smells and impressions of the new home, the new people, and the environment. “But from the fourth day, he shouldn’t keep running after his owner in the house.”
With increasing age and the expansion of the rayon, new encounters take place: from bicycles to joggers to buses, from brooks to forests to duck ponds. Encounters with cows, horses, and other dogs are also important, Howald said. She differentiates whether the dog is free or on a leash. “When he’s free, he should decide for himself whether he wants to play with someone of his own kind. If he’s on a leash, I decide what’s going on.”
Everything Has to be Processed
It is very important in this phase that the puppy also learns to stay alone. You should start training on the second day, advises Howald. «Get out of the puppy’s field of vision for a moment, maybe into the next room. Before he realizes your absence and can judge negatively, come back.” This is gradually increased until you can leave the apartment at some point. Important: The less fuss you make about his comings and goings, the more naturally the puppy will perceive the situation. So don’t hold a welcome ceremony. If the little one howls: wait a moment for a break. Only then return, otherwise he will think the howling brought the keeper back.
“And with all this, one should never forget that all activities have to be processed by the puppy,” says the dog trainer. It is, therefore, better to do something small every other day than to put together a huge program for the weekend and overwhelm the puppy with it.