A letter from Dr. Robert K. Anderson DVM

Diplomate ACVB and ACVPM

Professor and Director Emeritus, Animal Behavior Clinic and

Center to Study Human/Animal Relationships and Environments

University of Minnesota

TO: My Colleagues in Veterinary Medicine:

Common questions I receive from puppy owners, dog trainers and veterinarians concern:  1) what is the most favorable age or period of time when puppies learn best?  2)  what are the health implications of my advice that veterinarians and trainers should offer socialization programs for puppies starting at 8 to 9 weeks of age?

Puppies begin learning at birth and their brains appear to be particularly responsive to learning and retaining experiences that are encountered during the first 13 to 16 weeks after birth.  This means that breeders, new puppy owners, veterinarians, trainers and behaviorists have a responsibility to assist in providing these learning/socialization experiences with other puppies/dogs, with children/adults and with various environmental situations during this optimal period from birth to 16 weeks.

Many veterinarians are making this early socialization and learning program part of a total wellness plan for breeders and new owners of puppies during the first 16 weeks of a puppy’s life — the first 7-8 weeks with the breeder and the next 8 weeks with the new owners.  This socialization program should enroll puppies from 8 to 12 weeks of age as a key part of any preventive medicine program to improve the bond between pets and their people and keep dogs as valued members of the family for 12 to 18 years.

To take full advantage of this early special learning period, many veterinarians recommend that new owners take their puppies to puppy socialization classes, beginning at 8 to 9 weeks of age.  At this age they should have (and can be required to have) received a minimum of their first series of vaccines for protection against infectious diseases.  This provides the basis for increasing immunity by further repeated exposure to these antigens either through natural exposure in small doses or artificial exposure with vaccines during the next 8 to 12 weeks.  In addition the owner and people offering puppy socialization should take precautions to have the environment and the participating puppies as free of natural exposure as possible by good hygiene and caring by careful instructors and owners.

Experience and epidemiologic data support the relative safety and lack of transmission of disease in these puppy socialization classes over the past 10 years in many parts of the United States.  In fact; the risk of a dog dying because of infection with distemper or parvo disease is far less than the much higher risk of a dog dying (euthanasia) because of a behavior problem.  Many veterinarians are now offering new puppy owners puppy socialization classes in their hospitals or nearby training facilities in conjunction with trainers and behaviorists because they want socialization and training to be very important parts of a wellness plan for every puppy.  We need to recognize that this special sensitive period for learning is the best opportunity we have to influence behavior for dogs and the most important and longest lasting part of a total wellness plan.

Are there risks?  Yes.  But 10 years of good experience and data, with few exceptions, offers veterinarians the opportunity to generally recommend early socialization and training classes, beginning when puppies are 8 to 9 weeks of age.  However, we always follow a veterinarian’s professional judgment, in individual cases or situations, where special circumstances warrant further immunization for a special puppy before starting such classes.  During any period of delay for puppy classes, owners should begin a program of socialization with children and adults, outside their family, to take advantage of this special period in a puppy’s life.

When you watch a group of dogs interacting together, you will rarely see confrontation.  Why?  Because the dogs are communicating with each other.  The problem that we (people) run into is when we bring dogs into our homes we somehow forget that they are NOT part of the human race, and that they do NOT instinctively know what we expect.  We have created this image of the dog as being so human-like that we often attribute them with human skills, emotions, and thinking patterns.  As wonderful as dogs are, they are dogs and not people.  If you want them to behave in a certain manner, then you need to communicate with them in way that they understand.

The first step to communicating with your dog is for you to know what it is that you expect him to do.  You can’t teach your dog how to do something if you don’t know exactly what that something is.  Most of us have a few basic ideas, such as not peeing in the house.  After that, things get a little vague.  When asked what they want from their dogs, some people will say that they want their dog to be well behaved, or they want them to be a good companion.  That is great, but how do you teach those things to your dog?  You need to be clearer on your goals.  What does your dog need to do to be well behaved, or to be a good companion.

Make a list of what behaviors you feel makes a well-behaved dog, or a good companion, or whatever roll you have planned for your dog.  If you are not clear on what you do want from your dog, try making a list on the behavior that you DON’T want.  Beside each “bad” behavior, write the behavior you would like your dog to do instead.  When you have completed that you will have your blueprint for what you are going to teach your dog.

Next, you are going to teach your dog what your expectations are.  The way to do that is to let your dog know when he is doing something right.  When you reinforce something, anything, you are making it stronger.  So every time you reinforce a behavior you are making that behavior stronger.  You can reinforce behaviors in many different ways; food, toys, attention, praise, etc.  But to be very effective, and make the behavior stronger faster, it must be something your dog really wants.  The most effective reinforcement would be whatever your dog wants most at that moment.

So when you see your dog doing something that you like, reinforce it.  When you ask your dog to do something and he does, reinforce it.  If you see your dog doing something that you don’t like, redirect him to do something that you DO like, and reinforce that behavior.

When you are clear and consistent in what you want, you are communicating to your dog in a way that he can understand.  When he understands what the rules are, you will have a much easier time teaching your dog what is acceptable behavior and what is not.

Your dog’s crate should be a warm safe spot that he has access to all the time. The crate should be kept close to the family activity, at least until he is comfortable being left alone with the door closed. If you can teach your pup that the crate is a great place to be, you will never have issues of him not wanting to go in. If you introduce your pup to the crate right away, chances are good that he will be happy to go in and use it. If he does go into it happily, tell him he is a good boy and give him a treat. Make it as comfortable as possible with blankets and a toy or two. When he shows complete comfort in the crate close the door, if he is still relaxed praise and/or treat and open the door. Increase the amount of time the door is closed, until you can close the door for twenty to thirty minutes at a time. This may go very quickly.

Next, you are going to want to teach him to be alone while he is in the crate. Once you can keep the door closed, you can start adding distance from the pup/dog. Close the door, and leave the room-just for a second- come back into the room and praise and treat if pup/dog is still calm and content. If he becomes upset, wait until he is once again calm before you praise, treat, and open the door. It is very important that you don’t let him out of the crate when he is making a fuss. * Increase the time that he can be in the crate while you are not in the room. If you have progressed slowly, and only moved to the next stage when your pup is ready, you should have eliminated any fears or concerns your pup had of being left alone in the crate. *

If your pup or dog does not accept the crate right away, you may have to train him to accept being in it. If he already has a negative association with being inside the crate, you will have to teach him that the crate is a GREAT place to be and not scary at all. You need to flip his association from a negative one to a positive one. You are going to use the clicker to re-teach him that the crate is great. Read or review the process in “Introduction to Clicker Training” before you begin.

To start with, leave the crate door open, anytime your dog interacts with the crate you are going to click and toss a treat (toss slightly away from the crate). Interaction means looking in the general direction of the crate, moving in the general direction of the crate, accidentally walking past or into the crate. At first, he will have no idea why you are clicking and treating, that’s o.k. – eventually he will learn that it is connected to the crate. If you have been clicking repeatedly for looking at the crate, you are going to raise the criterion for the click. Just looking at the crate will no longer earn a click. Your dog must do more, or have greater interaction with the crate to get the click and treat. He may take a step towards the crate, click for that. Keep clicking for a step until he takes that step then turns to look for his treat. If he is looking for the treat he has made the connection that a step towards the crate = a treat.

Once again you will raise the criterion, he needs to take two or more steps toward the crate to earn the click and treat. Then three steps, then moving his face or head closer to the crate, to putting one paw into the crate, sticking his head into the crate, two paws in, three paws in, his whole body in, etc. Once he is walking into the crate, you can start naming the behavior. After he goes in the crate, but before you click say ‘crate’ then click and toss the treat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Now ask him to go into his crate – if he goes in, click, and have a party! He has learned that when you say ‘crate’ he is to go into the crate.

Now you are going to want him to stay in the crate for longer periods before you click. So when he goes into the crate wait a second or two before you click. Slowly increase the amount of time before you click. When he is happy being in the crate for a few minutes, close the door-don’t latch it, just close it, click , open the door, and treat. Repeat that a few times, if he is calm with the door closing, try latching it-click, opening, and treating. Slowly increase the amount of time he can be calm with the door closed. Once you get to this point, you should be able to progress quickly. When he can be in the crate for long periods, 20-30 minutes, you are going to teach him to be alone in the crate (paragraphs with *). Your dog or pup should now be crate trained. He will go to his crate on request and be comfortable with the door closed and left alone for longer periods. Congratulations!

Before you Start

Being in control means that you decide when, where and how fast you get somewhere, your dog follows your lead not the other way around.

Leash Manners to teach your dog before you start running:

• Staying on one side – if your dog is moving from side to side it increases the chances of an injury

• Following your lead – you want your dog to follow you, not the other way around.

• Keep the leash loose – it will be more enjoyable for you and your dog if the leash stays loose rather than constantly having tension on the leash and pressure on your dog’s throat.

Teaching the running rules to your dog should be done separately; set up training sessions to work specifically on the running rules. The concepts for teaching your dog the rules are relatively simple; it just takes consistency and repetition.

• Every time your dog pulls STOP and wait for him/her to release the tension on the leash. When the leash is loose, give a cheerful “let’s go” cue and start again. By stopping as soon as the leash becomes tight you are teaching that s/he will only get to move forward on a loose leash. Loose = Go, Tight leash/Tension = Stop.
• Every time your dog crosses in front or behind you STOP and reposition yourself on the correct side. Give a cherry “let’s go” cue and start again. If you stop every time your dog crosses sides they will learn that to keep moving forward s/he needs to stay on one side.
• Keep the leash short. You will have better control of your dog if you keep the leash short. Ideally you only want the leash long enough for your dog to be beside you with a little slack in the leash. If you allow more distance you lose some control. When you keep a short leash you are able to respond to your dogs movements mush faster, which will speed up the learning process.
• Teaching dogs anything is all about reinforcement and association. The reinforcement should be something your dog really likes, and especially what he really wants NOW. When you teach your dog running rules, the assumption is that your dog really wants to run with you. So the reinforcement for good leash behavior is that s/he gets to continue running.
• If your dog either pulls or crosses you, stop running and only start again when the leash is loose or he/she is on the correct side. Your dog will learn the association of tight leash = stop and loose leash = go, it just takes a lot of reinforcement and repetition.

Helpful Equipment

Obviously you can run with your dog using pretty much any leash and collar you want, but some equipment will make the run more enjoyable and safer for both you and your dog.

Footwear

There are a lot of dog boots available. A good dog boot will protect your dog’s feet from the harsh summer heat, the freezing cold in the winter, and dangerous debris, such as sharp rocks and broken glass when you are running off road. If you choose to use boots, make sure they fit well and have good support.

Collars

• Halti/Promise collar – these self correcting collars are a great way to teach your dog not pull. I don’t recommend using these while running  with your dog as they may cause damage to the neck and/or spine if there is a sudden stop.
• Corrective collar – such as a pinch or choke collar should not be used when running as you may cause serious damage on sudden stops.
• Body harness – these are great for taking the stress off the dog’s neck and spine, but they can encourage a dog to pull as they are able to use their entire body to pull forward. You may want to teach your dog how to walk/run without pulling before you use a harness, or you may find yourself being dragged down the path. There are no pull or self correcting body harness out there that will discourage your dog from pulling ahead of you.
• Regular buckle collar – works well for running as there will be some pressure on the dogs neck if they get to excited and start to pull, but it won’t tighten and choke them if they get carried away.

Leashes

• Flexi/ retractable leash – I don’t recommend these as they don’t allow you much control. If the flexi is extended then your dog will be all over the place and you won’t be able to react quickly enough if needed. It is also dangerous for you as your dog will be able to tangle you up in the leash.
• Regular nylon/ leather leash – these work fine as long as you are able to shorten the leash to whatever length is best for your height. If you can hold the leash in a way that enables you to keep the length as short as needed to remain safe and in control, a regular leash works great.
• Hands free leash – these leashes attach to your waist and allow you to keep your hands free. These can be great as you don’t need to worry about hanging onto a leash, or having your arms pulled as you run.

Keep in mind:

As with people, some dogs just can’t handle strenuous physical exercise. Make sure your dog is able and willing before you take him/her out for a run.  Just like with people you will need to build stamina and endurance in your dog. So start slowly, and don’t push your dog to do more then he can.  If you take your time and do this right, you will have a willing and enthusiastic running companion for years to come.

I personally don’t understand why anyone would choose a different method of training. Dogs are really very good at learning, especially when it makes their worlds better. Since they don’t come wired to understand our language, why not use a devise that simplifies the learning process for them.

Let’s say you were living in a world where everyone spoke a foreign language and exhibited counter intuitive behavior. How would you prefer to learn their rules? Would you want a teacher that just assumes you know what the rules are and gets mad when you don’t? or maybe one that just raises their voice and repeats themselves when you don’t do the right thing ?or would you like a teacher that communicates those rules in a way that you can understand and makes sense to you.

The clicker is the tool to help your dog learn your rules in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand. It speaks to them in a language that they CAN understand. When you eliminate the language barrier, learning is much faster and way less frustrating… for both you and your dog.

Puppies are cute and adorable, let’s face it who doesn’t love puppies! But raising a well behaved puppy is a lot of hard work, and as you have a short period of time before your cute puppy becomes an unruly teenager, you need to lay down the ground rules fast.

Make it easy on yourself as well as your puppy, and don’t allow any behavior from your puppy that you won’t allow once he has grown into an adult dog. Decide what the household rules are going to be, and be consistent and persistent.  It takes much longer for your pup to learn the rules then you would think,  and even though you will need to repeat your self over and over again, make sure you redirect your pup when he is doing something wrong, and always let him know when he is doing something right.

It is going to be much easier to follow through with your puppy training if you have a plan. Decide what is acceptable behavior and what isn’t, and then follow through. If he is chewing on a shoe, get it from him and encourage him to chew or play with his own toy. When he changes his focus and starts playing/chewing on an appropriate toy make sure you let him know that he is doing the right thing by praising him, petting him or even giving him a treat. If you redirect him to the correct chew toy but don’t acknowledge it in some way, it will take way longer for him to know what you want/expect from him. So make it clear when he is doing something right.  Every time he makes the right  choice-tell him. Every time he makes a wrong choice- redirect and then praise him.

It is really easy to get frustrated and give up on the redirection and reward, but if you stick with your plan you will start seeing the benefit of you consistency and persistence. And remember, if your pup is being especially trying, give yourself and your pup a break and let him unwind in his crate. Puppies need a lot of sleep and just like human babies they can get over stimulated, so when your pup is getting  really worked up give him some down time by calmly putting him in his crate. It is very important that he is put in his crate as an opportunity for some quiet time, and not as a punishment for misbehavior.