What do we mean by a well-mannered dog? And why does it matter? Dogs don’t come to our homes pre-programmed with polite social behaviour or habits.
In her 2012 book Plenty in Life is Free, Kathy Sdao said it well: “[dogs] have no innate knowledge of what we want and limited natural skill at comprehending our attempts to tell them… But dogs are behaviorally malleable… Using patient, systematic training, we can help them put the pieces in place.”
At On Kew Dog, we believe helping dogs learn and understand how to live successfully with us is key to having an enjoyable dog for life. And frankly speaking, a well-mannered dog makes for an easier life for both you and your dog. Your dog will better understand what to expect and how to behave in and outside of the home.
Before we undertake a training plan, we also need to remember that each dog is an individual. A number of factors play a role in shaping your dog’s personality and behaviour. These include genetics, breed traits, physical health, learning history, early life experiences, environment, and emotions.
And just like us, dogs need to feel safe and happy to understand what we’re asking, to learn what we’re teaching, and make good choices. At a minimum, we need to ensure their safety and welfare needs are met. This is why an initial consultation should review medical history, nutrition, daily routine, and who else the dog interacts with in his/her life.
Congratulations on your new puppy! Puppies arrive in our homes as sweet cuddly living beings… but who knew they could also be land sharks that chew and bite everything in sight? And how do we teach these little sharks what our cues mean for ‘Sit’, ‘Come’ and ‘Lie Down’? How do we help puppies mature into well-mannered dogs?
Here is where we focus our puppy training to build their skills and confidence:
In a previous blog, we wrote about adopting our dog Steffi at the age of 16 weeks. We thought starting with her as a puppy would be easy – how naïve we were! We did some things right – putting in place a regular daily routine for her, a crate for her to sleep in and take time out, taking her to puppy school with a positive reinforcement trainer, and exposing her to new environments (public transport, pubs, cafes, the vet), people and other dogs.
As Steffi became an adolescent, we found there were some things that still needed lots of work…
One more thing: Let dogs be dogs. After all, one of the reasons we love dogs is that they’re dogs! We’ve touched on a number of topics on how to teach a dog to be well-mannered. Well, what about happy? As well as looking after their safety and welfare, it’s really important to give them the freedom to express their natural behaviours and just be themselves, including:
One of the greatest pleasures in life for our dog Steffi is rolling in deer pee in Richmond Park. If you’re wondering whether deer pee smells bad… well, it’s absolutely disgusting! But watching the look of sheer joy on Steffi’s face when she’s rolling in the grass, we can’t deny her that pleasure. And after all, Steffi’s coat is washable as is her dog bed in the car. A quick wash when we get home is a small price to pay so that she can express perfectly natural dog behaviour.
There is a lot more to say about all of these topics and we haven’t yet talked about Adolescent Dogs or Rescue Dogs… so stay tuned for more content to come.
Are you ready to enjoy a happy, well-mannered puppy or adolescent dog? Then get in touch, we’d love to help.
