Basic Training For Dog - Part One
Sunday, April 5, 2020
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Even the laziest lap dog must acquire the simple education described herein
One of the follies of man in his association with dogs is that he acquires a pet and then allows the cuddly creature to degenerate into a “bum” through lack of attention to do the right thing by their dogs. A few minutes every day could fulfil most of the dog’s potentialities, but the minutes are not given.
A puppy enters the home, is made much of by the children, the owner and the neighbours then, outside of receiving the bare necessities of life, is taken for granted. A year afterwards the dog may be an unruly creature who barks excessively, jumps up on visitors, runs away whenever he’s in the mood ad perhaps snaps at whoever happens to be handy. The boss decides he has made a bad bargain and gets rid of the dog in one way or another.
He has made a bad bargain, all right, but it’s fault. There are few really bad dogs and few that cannot be trained. Since dogs, like men, are different in their mental and physical make-ups, all cannot achieve the highest degrees of development, but most can be made into pleasant, devoted friendly and obedient companions at the very least, if the owner wants it that war. It takes patience, understanding and kindness. It takes time, too, but not so much it cannot be spared. It takes firmness but never brutality.
When the new puppy enters the house, let him become acquainted. That doesn’t mean bringing in all the neighbours to admire and pet the little fellow. Let him meet and get to know the family first. A few people won’t distract him. Many people will. He’ll want to sniff out all the corners of the house. Let him. There’ll be some wet errors on the floor. Mop them up and start giving attention to the most elementary of all training processes-house-breaking.
There are two methods of house-breaking a puppy. One is to have regular interval of talking or sending him outside the house. The other is through the use of torn-up paper, a box and a location the pup can always reach-under a stove or in a corner. Sooner or later the outdoors system will be the one you will want, so adopt it in the first place unless your circumstances are such you can’t, in which case it may be better not to get a dog at all.
Regularity is the key to success in the outside method. Take the dog out immediately when he awakes and after every meal, which will be about four times daily in the case of the young puppy, and oce more before retiring. The regularity will follow naturally on the heels of proper feeding intervals, but you’ll have to make sure feeding and a trip to the street become almost a matter of course.
The paper system has its uses for very young, delicate dogs in very severe weather, but one objection to it is the dog will become encouraged to disregard the very purpose of house-breaking-regard for the home as a sacred place that must never be soiled. However, if you must use it, tear up newspaper and place them in a box (cardboard cartons that can be thrown away when soiled are good if you have a tolerant grocer to supply them). Most puppies will become accustomed to the box as the proper relieving place very quickly. The box should be placed in the kitchen or bathroom where there are no rugs to be soiled. Don’t scatter papers around anywhere else but in the box or he may get the idea he can use them, too. In re-educating the puppy to use outdoors, newspaper placed on the curb may help carry the idea.
Whichever system is used, there will be accidents in the beginning. Call them to the puppy’s attention immediately, but not in the old way of rubbing his nose into the mess. Scolding will do the job, accompanied by raps on the floor with a rolled-up newspaper because he’s too young to understand, but if you must, do it lightly on the rump.
There’s should be considerable progress during the first week of house-breaking. Start him on it the very first full day you have him, along with the regular schedule of feeding and exercise. If there is a back yard, turn him loose in it and he will find his own place. If you live in a city apartment, try to find a place free of asphalt, but if you can’t, use the street, but not the side-walk. Open soil, grass or gravel will be what the dog heads for instinctively. He’ll go more readily if other dogs have been there.
It may take a while for the first signs. Be patient. If he urinates, wait a while. Another step in the elimination process may be due. Give lavish praise when the job is done. The puppy should be taken out ten to fifteen minutes after his meal. Older dogs can hold themselves longer. In either case, if accident occurs in the house, don’t lose your temper. You’ll only succeed im frightening the dog unnecessarily by so doing.