One of the most common reasons given for surrendering a dog to an animal shelter is behavior problems. Training a pet can make it a better companion and give it the best chance for a happy life in a forever home.
****************************
Recently a friend of mine was visiting someone’s home. As she left, the neighbor’s dog came bounding up to her, behaving very playfully. The problem was that my friend is petite, and the dog was a full-grown standard Poodle. Standard Poodles are considered to be medium-to-large-sized dogs and can weigh seventy-five pounds or more. He knocked my friend to the ground and bit her, breaking the skin at least once. She could tell the dog was trying to play but she was still shaken up and had some pretty nasty bruises.
Poodles as a breed are very intelligent and highly trainable. With just a little effort, the dog’s owner could have taught his pet to behave in a more social manner toward visitors. The Poodle did not have an aggressive attitude. His biting was more “mouthing”, a normal activity for dogs. They don’t have hands so they explore their world with their mouths, licking, chewing, biting. It’s cute when the animal is a puppy, not so much in an adult animal.
Most dogs learn to control the force of their bite from their litter mates. The puppies romp and play and bite each other, but when one bites too hard its litter-mate will yelp and stop playing. It doesn’t take too long for a puppy to figure out that if it bites too hard, the game stops, so the pup learns to control itself. Its mom will do the same thing; if a pup bites her too hard while nursing, she yelps, pulls away and turns her back on the youngster. Again, it doesn’t take long for a puppy to learn to be more gentle.
Allowing rough play with a dog creates bad habits. Take a lesson from any mother dog – if the play is too rough and the pet bites too hard, give a high-pitched “yelp” and stop playing. Your dog will probably be surprised and back off briefly. Use that time to praise it, wait a few minutes and then go back to playing. Patience on your part, and consistency in making sure your pet does not play too rough, will make you a better owner and your dog a great best friend.
October is Adopt-a-Dog Month, the perfect time to visit your local shelter and take home a best friend of your own, when you’re speaking of pets.
__>^..^<__
