There is a term called “learned irrelevance.” What it means is that after a certain point of repeatedly hearing a command without any result or consequence, the command becomes meaningless. It is basically the principal behind the “boy who cried wolf”. Almost 25 years ago I had to choose a name for my dog training business. I picked “I Said Sit!” with no intention of yelling at a dog but to represent the frustration of owners who couldn’t get their dog to listen.

So by the time you get to telling your dog “I Said Sit!” you can be pretty sure your dog has already tuned you out. It is most likely not because your dog is stupid or defiant. It is not because you aren’t being alpha enough. It is because of scientific principles of learning that you have expertly taught your dog that your voice is meaningless. This is exactly why the first thing we teach the dogs is what to do, in other words teach them the behavior we want and the last thing we do is put it on cue.

For more on this come back for a link to the full article.

You want to establish a pattern of success with your puppy. This is especially important during the first week because that is exactly when the dog learns how things work at the new house. If it has good habits right from the first week, then you won’t have to go back and fix things later.

It is also really common for dogs to be a lot better behaved the first week than they are the second and third weeks. This gives us the false impression that our new puppy isn’t inclined to do anything wrong, when in actuality it is likely that the puppy is just a little subdued cause it is on overload from its change to a new home.

The six things to get started on right away are.
1) Make a puppy safe place
2) Set up the housebreaking for 100% success without accidents
3) Keep on a good vaccination schedule and begin safe early socialization
4) Teach your puppy right from the beginning that learning can be fun
5) Don’t let the puppy learn habits you will not want it to have later
6) Accustom him to the leash and collar right away

Keep coming back for more info on these steps in future posts.

As pet owners we have obligations not only to our pets, but also to other people in the environment around us. Our pets have a significant impact on others. They bark, they jump on guests, they trample newly seeded lawns and flowerbeds, and commonly they soil in public areas and owners pretend to be or actually just are oblivious to the damage they cause. Just last night I overheard some people say, “OOOH careful, don’t walk on the grass here, there is always dog poop.” It’s a shame that some people can’t walk to their own front door because some self entitled dog owner didn’t clean up after their dog.

There are some obvious obligations that all dog owners should follow, beyond the first and most basic obligation to provide properly for the dog. (Basic grooming, daily care, feeding and proper training and veterinary care are topics for another time.) We need to be respectful of other people all the time and not just when it suits us. The next time you take your dog out, think twice about how you behave. Go that extra mile and don’t let your dog be a nuisance. Keep it on a 6-foot leash instead of a 20’ retractable one. Always be conscious of where you let it use the bathroom and always make sure you clean up after your dog.

Lets go the extra step to make dogs welcome in our world.

Hi
We take our french bulldog (1 year old) out to the park and he has a great time. He never wants to come home!! We end up either pulling him so hard that he thows up or we have to carry him.
Can you help us!!
Thanks so much–
Shirley

Hi Shirley, Its so nice that you take your “grand puppy” to the park. All fun and no lessons do teach a dog that they don’t want to stop the fun and come home. Try mixing up park time with some practice at coming and making it fun. Then do it several times throughout the play time so come doesn’t always mean that Bowser has to go home when he hears the command come. Also watch the video on teaching come for more tips on how to do that. Or if you need more help please go ahead and call me.
Jonathan

Jonathan P. Klein
Dog Trainer & Behaviorist

1. Familiarize it with the vet. Have fun vet visits, put it on the exam table, have the vet or a tech give it a treat, pet it, then leave without any potentially unpleasant treatment.

2. Have someone else walk your dog away from you. Why? Your dog needs to be comfortable if the vet, dog walker or kennel attendant if it ever been taken out of your presence.

3. If your dog becomes aggressive or barks, don’t reprimand it. Instead, try to redirect its attention back to you. Then reward it for being involved with you.

4. Teach your dog what you want it to do rather than what not to do. For instance, don’t tell your dog not to go into the street. Instead, reward your dog for waiting at the door or the curb. Teaching your dog not to jump is hard. Instead, teach your dog to sit — then reward it by only petting it when it has all four feet on the ground.

5. Dogs actually do have a good memory. It only takes one time of getting on the couch or finding food scraps in the trash for the dog to learn that “that sofa is really comfortable” or “that is where to find used chicken bones”. It is better to never let the dog learn something wrong, than it will to teach the dog not to do something it already knows is rewarding and fun.

6. A dog in a new home will often seem perfectly well behaved the first week. Usually its behavior will be suppressed for one to two weeks. So your dog doesn’t learn bad habits, provide free access around your house a little bit at a time, as its behavior and experience warrant it.

7. Brush your dog once or twice a week (more of course for long haired dogs). Start with short grooming sessions, then do it longer and longer. It is easiest if your tether your dog while grooming. Your efforts will be helpful for your groomer and will help prevent skin and flea problems.

8. Keep lots of different toys and chews for your dog. Rotating them every few days will keep your dog more interested. Rather than leave them all down all the time, introduce a new one every few weeks or so to prevent boredom.

9. Early socializing is an irreplaceable effort. Many more dogs are lost due to fear issues than sickness. Take your puppy to 5 new places every week beginning as 8 weeks. Just make sure to take it to only places with healthy vaccinated dogs. Play dates and puppy class is great; dog parks need to wait till all the shots are done.

For more training tips from “I Said Sit!” and Jonathan Klein, visit www.isaidsit.com or call 1-800-400-TRAIN (8724)