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Your Puppy's First Day By Martin Wahl |
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First, let me tell you the
story about "Elroy", the pet and house dog of farmer "Marshall
McCoy". One evening While still bemoaning the loss of his beloved Elroy, he called
out for his son and noticed a movement under the blankets in the crib. There
he found his son, bloodied but alive. Upon further investigation, he also
found a dead wolf under the crib with his throat torn open. He now realized
that Elroy had actually saved his only son from being killed by the wolf. Jumping to conclusions WILL
BE FATAL to your own best friend! You have a great need to learn more about
your dog's body lanuage, so, please read the entire page very carefully. |
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© Copyright 1989-98 by Martin Wahl |
Author's
note: |
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Subtitles: |
Travel hints and
first steps after arriving home
On your way home, try to maintain as much physical contact as
possible with your new puppy.
Do not feed the pup anything, including tidbits,
until after you have arrived home. On a long trip, make a stop every 2 hours so
puppy can relieve itself (on leash). If the trip lasts more than 5 hours, offer
the pup a bit of water every 2 hours.
After arriving home, give the pup a chance to relieve itself in a
quiet area, either by carrying it there, if the area is fenced-in, or put it on
leash before getting out of the car.
Next, move the pup's crate temporarily to a non-carpeted area
(kitchen, bathroom, etc.), and feed it inside the crate with the food provided
as soon as possible. Offer it as much water as it wants outside the crate.
When finished eating and
drinking, immediately take it out to relieve itself again.
If the relieving went well,
relax and let the puppy explore the new home at its own pace, but under your
very close supervision. If it did not relieve itself,
take it out again every 20 minutes until relieved.
If the trip takes more than a day, and a night at a hotel/motel is
necessary, feed the pup in the crate (possibly in the car) first thing after
arrival, and offer it water outside the crate. Let the pup sleep inside the
crate near you in the hotel room, so it can hear you breathe all night. Letting
it sleep in the car overnight will cause it to cry all night and may have long
lasting negative effects.
You are a strange person with a very different scent, definitely
not a pack member, and therefore may well have evil intentions. While selecting
the puppy, you did intimidate it by looking at it repeatedly with piercing
eyes, the way a cat looks at a mouse just before killing it. And then you tried
to physically harm the pup by throwing objects like balls and sticks and cans
around. And those smaller people (children) are the worst, they are so unpredictable, and noisy, they really scared the pup when
they tried to chase and catch it. And now it is being taken and isolated from
its familiar surroundings and playmates, in a noisy thing (car) which shakes
like an earthquake. Being taken away from everything that is known and dear and
precious can only lead to disaster. According to the puppies inborn pack
instinct, being separated from its pack means certain death. Not a good
beginning for a new relationship.
You'll have to pull-up your socks
to prove to the puppy that its first impressions of you are incorrect
and that you really mean no harm. Forget any cuddling and sweet talk, or any
other "instant" remedy. The only way to get through to the puppy is
by being living proof, by being a leader worthy of the pup's respect. You have
to live the part to prove it. That takes time and there are no short cuts. You
have to actually earn the puppy's trust, minute by minute, hour by hour, by
being consistent all the time. No mood changes or outbursts of any kind, no
anger or a sudden outpouring of affection for no reason, as either one will
only confuse the puppy and make it suspicious of you.
The best way to help the new puppy overcome its apprehension is to
let it experience its new surroundings and its new pack (family) at its own
pace. Unlike dogs, we people explore anything new with our eyes and remember
most things in the form of pictures. Dogs are different, they explore anything
new with their nose, ears and mouth, and form memories of smells and sounds and
whether it's edible or not. Give it lots of opportunity to explore, sniff and
play under your supervision whenever it feels like it, and let it rest and
sleep without being disturbed by family members. Maintain your distance, do not force yourself onto the puppy, so puppy
learns to come to you.
After a few days it will become accustomed to all the new smells
and sounds of your home and realize it not only survived the ordeal, but had a
lot of fun making new friends.
A puppy's first impressions are the deepest and longest lasting;
make sure they all are as positive as possible. That's why one of the most
important first things for you to do, is to feed the pup some of the dog food
that came with the pup as soon as you get home. Rosenhof
pups are crate trained and prefer being fed inside a crate. Also offer it some
of the water you received (outside the crate) right after arrival, and keep it
available to the pup until 2 hours before bed time.
Remember to give the pup a chance to relieve itself within 15
minutes after feeding and immediately after prolonged periods of sleep. After
waking up in the morning, the pup must be taken outside in a straight line, so
you have to be ready and dressed before opening the crate door.
Do not ruin your
puppy with Puppy Food
Latest research indicates that all "Puppy
Food" formulations are too rich for puppies and contain a type of calcium
that increases, rather than prevents, hip Dysplasia.
(They are available only because people ask for them) The best puppy food is a
22% to 26% Protein "adult maintenance" type dry dog food, that uses primarily vitamins as preservatives. More
than 26% Protein or 9% Fat can cause skin problems & obesity. For the
start, feed your dog about 2 to 3 mugs (or 4 to 5 8oz. cups) of dry dog food
per day, divided into:
·
3 meals a day when 2 to 3 months
of age,
·
2 meals a day when 3 to 4 months
of age,
·
1 meal a day when over 4 or 5
months of age.
Pick up the food dish immediately after the pup walks away from it
the first time, regardless of how much food may still be left in it, and don't
give it any food until it's next scheduled meal. Rosenhof
puppies are raised to eat like vacuum cleaners, thus they appear to be hungry
all the time and must be fed pre-measured amounts of food to avoid overfeeding.
To adjust the amount you should feed, observe your dogs stool, it
should be firm (like wieners). Soft stool indicates overfeeding, hard stool
indicates not enough food or too many bones.
If your pup was on pre-soaked food when you picked it up, you must
continue pre-soaking its food for about 3 weeks. To pre-soak the food, measure
the right amount of dry food for the next feeding into a suitable container
immediately after the last meal, add sufficient water to just barely cover the
food, and let it sit for several hours until the next meal.
Do your pup a favor by not overfeeding it.
Obesity invites Hip Dysplasia
and other diseases and shortens the pup’s life. Your Rosenhof
Shepherd is a working dog and likes to be trim and fit. Your dog is in perfect
condition if you can see one or two ribs. It is too fat if no ribs are visible
and too lean if all ribs are visible. On plush or long coated pups, run your
fingers down the pup's back and feel the little bumps.
If you can't feel any, the pup is overweight, if the bumps are very easy to
feel, the pup is underweight.
There is no such thing as a 'complete' or 'balanced' dog food.
Several components not yet discovered are bound to be missing in all of today's
dog foods. The claim of 'complete' or 'balanced' suggests that they know 100%
of everything there is to know about dog food and that there will be no further
discoveries of new components possible in the future. How swollen headed can
you get? To safeguard against feeding your pup a lopsided diet, always use two
different foods and mix them, one higher quality with all the extra goodies,
and one lower quality for the fibers and roughage.
That way your pup gets used to different dog foods and won’t mind when you
switch to a different brand every time you run out of either one. Switching and
mixing food like that guaranties your pup a nice shiny coat and makes all food
supplements redundant except for a tablespoon of salad oil once or twice a
week.
Table scraps are an excellent means of supplementing your puppy's
food. It adds variety and some natural components, but more importantly, it
creates a better bond between you and your puppy, because it is a great
privilege for the puppy to be eating the same food that alpha is eating.
However, do not exceed 25% (about 1 cup) per day, feed table scraps only in the
pups food dish mixed with dry dog food and NOT off the table, and don't forget
to take the amount of table scraps off the amount of dry dog food so as not to
overfeed the puppy. Almost all table scraps are OK, especially vegetables, but
take it easy on the extra rich or fat scraps and do not give the pup the breast
or leg bones of chicken (all other chicken bones are OK). Do not feed your pup
any cooked bones. Cooking bones makes them brittle and prone to splintering,
thus increasing the risk of causing internal injuries. All pork needs to be
well boiled, do not give your pup raw pork of any kind.
You have been provided with an International Vaccination
Certificate containing the pup’s medical history, and
a vaccination schedule for your puppy on the "Puppy/Dog Adoption
Agreement". Please have your veterinarian check the dog and its medical
history to make sure you received a healthy puppy.
For your new pup's first visit to the vet, be sure to carry the pup
into the clinic and set it down only on the examination table and only if the
table is spotlessly clean.
Rosenhof puppies are wormed when 3 weeks old, and
often again when 6 weeks old. The stress of a major change in a dog’s life,
such as a change in ownership, causes the ever present parasites to activate
again, so plan on having to worm your dog again in the very near future.
Do not allow your dog to come in contact with wild animals or homeless
pets until it had its final boosters and rabies vaccination!
Research done by those that
breed Guide Dogs for the Blind indicates that Hip Dysplasia
can be prevented or slowed down by exercising, so as to develop the pup’s hind
leg muscles. One way of achieving this, is
to let the pup pull against a leash (or "tie-out chain" with spring)
tied to its harness, daily for 10 to 15 minutes, when the pup is 2 to 10 month
old.
· Note list of poisons on last page
Selecting a Veterinarian can be a problem. We found that more than
half of all veterinarians can act rather irresponsibly at times and not give
you your money's worth. Usually the single D.V.M. practice (One Doctor owns and
operates the clinic) is more reliable than a multiple practice. And usually the
good old country vet has more love for animals than a fancy city vet. The
premises must be sparkling clean; many dog diseases are airborne, others can be
transmitted by just a tiny fraction of a single hair and, if contacted, can cause
your pup to die within 48 hours.
A good veterinarian should be "down to earth" (have more
concern for the dog than for you), answer all your questions without
hesitation, ask questions that may reveal clues about the pup's health rather
than what else he can sell you, and not sweet talk you into taking unnecessary
x-rays, etc. A vet that talks too much, refuses to sign your International
Vaccination Certificate, is afraid of getting bitten by a German Shepherd
puppy, criticizes or refuses to accept a breeder’s vaccination schedule,
insists on you leaving the pup at the clinic for observations, etc., is setting
you up as a cash cow.
One of the more common "tricks" veterinarians are guilty
of is to suggest that your pup needs a heartworm test, despite the fact that it
was born during last winter and could not have had contact with mosquitoes
before birth and couldn't possibly have heartworm. Or your pup starts limping
due to Panosteitis, a growing pain that usually
starts at 6-8 month and goes away by itself at 12-13 month, because puppy was
growing a bit too fast. Typical for Panosteitis
("Pano") is that it rotates,
it's a different leg every week. The only known cure is to switch the pup to a
cheaper dog food, but your vet can't profit from that, so he/she prefers to
take an x-ray ($150-300) and then diagnose hip Dysplasia
($800 to 5000).
Another common rip-off is to give your pup a combination
vaccination covering all common diseases, leaving you with the impression that
your dog is fully protected, when in fact the combination did not include
Veterinarians can not be held liable unless you can prove neglect
or malpractice. If you question that vet why
In an effort to protect our Rosenhof
puppies from such mistreatment, we have provided you with an International
Vaccination Certificate. Here, the vet must enter exactly what was done,
including a batch number, and stand up for it with his/her signature and
reputation.
Many vets are of the opinion that breeders can not vaccinate
puppies for various, some times ridiculous reasons. I have vaccinated several
hundred puppies throughout the years without ever loosing a single pup to
vaccination complications. Contrary to what your vet may tell you, I use the
same brand name vaccines they do (or better), and within the expiration period,
I do have a fridge (imagine that) to keep the vaccine refrigerated, and I
always use brand new and sterile syringes (a syringe with needle costs 19 cents
here in Canada). The vet's real reason is profit loss: A combination vaccine
costs between $1.50 and $6.00, depending on type and quantity purchased, but a
vet will charge about $40 or more for it (not including the office visit,
etc.).
Don't ask your vet any dog training or behaviour questions.
Just as a car mechanic is not qualified to give driving lessons, a veterinarian
is not qualified to give advice on dog behavior,
unless he/she is a qualified animal behaviorist
approved by the "American Society of Animal Behaviorists".
The German Shepherd is a clean animal by
nature, all you have to do is give it half a chance by opening door at the
right moment. Cage training is by far the easiest and most efficient way of
house-training a puppy.
· Don't
give your new pup the run of the house!
Rosenhof puppies are house trained when 7 weeks old,
however, they think that your house is part of the rest of the world, and not
their home. It will take your new puppy a
few days to realize that your house is home, thus you may have to endure one or
more "accidents" before the pup's training kicks in. For this reason,
you may want to restrict the puppy to non-carpeted areas of your house for the
first few days.
Pay attention to the puppy's needs and learn to read its body
language. Frantic sniffing and circling indicate the urgent need to relieve
itself. Take your puppy outside after each meal and immediately after it wakes
up until you understand its body language.
· Schedule your pup's food intake.
Free access to food gives you no way of
knowing when your puppy may feel the need to relive itself. Be certain all
family members adhere to your feeding schedule.
· Avoid
paper training.
Your Rosenhof puppy graduated from paper
training when 6-7 weeks old. It prefers to go outside, but you may want to
leave one newspaper in a strategic area in case you missed its signals. Never
yell or punish your pup if it messes inside (that way it will only learn not to
do it in your presence). Make a short, sharp noise without using your voice,
(clap your hands, hit a table or counter top with your hand or a dish, stomp
your foot, drop an empty pop can, etc.) then calmly walk over to your pup, pick
it up, and let it finish outside. Always use the same word (spoken softly)
while outside waiting for your pup to relieve itself, and give moderate praise
during relieving.
If the relieving didn't go as planned, bring the pup back in and
put it in the crate, then try again after 20 to 30
minutes.
· Stock-up
on plastic bags for poop-scooping.
Ordinary plastic bags (minimum 6" x 12"), if turned
inside-out over one hand, make excellent disposable and sanitary poop-scoops
for your back-yard, walks in the park, traveling, or
even for inside your house.
If you intend to have your puppy protect the house when it matures,
start preparing for it now, by first "Crate" training and then
"House" training the dog, so it can have the run of the house without
being destructive or messy.
Step one: An adult must be with the puppy for 24 hours a day during
the first week. At night, have the pup in its crate (door closed) in, or near,
your bedroom so it can hear you breathe all night. (Puppies cry all night only
if left alone, it will soon settle down and sleep quietly if it knows someone
is near by). Move the crate to a convenient location such as the kitchen or
work area during the day, and leave the door open, so pup can have a snooze
whenever it feels like it. It's also practical to have the crate near by, in
case you have to leave the pup unsupervised for a short time.
During the second week, start leaving the pup alone in its crate
(door closed) for 30 minutes the first day (everyone leaves the house). When you
come back, DO NOT make a big fuss, but go right by the crate, say "hi
pup", and put away the groceries or whatever. After 2 to 3 minutes, come
back and then let the pup out of its crate, preferable to relieve itself, and
now make the big fuss, if necessary.
The next day, repeat the same thing but leave for 1 hour, and so
gradually increase the time the pup is being left alone each day, until you
have reached the level needed to go back to your regular working schedule.
Step two: After you have had the pup for several month and it is
fully crate trained, you may start to train it to be left unsupervised in the
house. Follow the same procedure as discussed in step one above, but leave the
pup free in the house, and make the time intervals shorter (15 minutes the
first time, 30 minutes the next time, etc.). You may want to leave the crate in
a convenient spot and leave the crate door open so pup can go in, if it wants
to.
Children
The pup's extreme apprehension about its precarious, life
threatening situation, and children's desire to investigate and play with a new
toy, can be just as disastrous as a panicking elephant in an antique china
store.
· Do not let any children play with the pup
without your very close supervision!
It is unreasonable to expect children to understand how vulnerable
and lonely and lost the new puppy feels after being taken out of it's old
environment, so you simply have to establish (and enforce!) some basic rules.
1. The crate is the puppy's very own and private bedroom (refuge),
where it can sleep absolutely undisturbed whenever it feels like it.
2. Respect puppies and dogs for what they are. The new puppy
is not a toy, but a living being with feelings and wants and needs similar to
children, yet different because it came from another world.
3. Children are not allowed to chase, or run after, or pick
up the puppy; and play with it only after it has come to them.
4. Loud screaming and running games, or
playing with sticks will give the pup the impression that children are
unpredictable and scary, or fair game to chase and nip (bite). Even the tiniest
of dogs has a deep seated genetic urge to chase and catch wild prey and then
bite (kill) it.
5. Only an adult can prevent the pup from mouthing any children.
You have to intervene by placing your hand over the pup's muzzle and then
pressing its upper lips against its teeth with your thumb on one side and your
fingers on the other side of its muzzle. If the pup continues, do it again by pressing a bit harder until you get a little
yelp. Now it knows you really meant it. The pup will understand what your
intentions are, because this is the way mom taught pup to quit nursing.
6. A very common mistake is to train the pup to allow a child
to put its hand in the pup's food bowl. This is nonsense, because you are
setting up your child to lose its hand or life to someone else's untrained dog
one day. Food is any dog's most precious possession, once given. Only a wimp
would give it up again. If your dog isn't allowed to protect at least its own food
bowl, how can you expect it to protect your home or anything else?
7. Older children that have shown leadership qualities should
be encouraged to take an active part in your training.
All puppies learn by playing. They need the experience to develop
properly and to release their energy. Let it play at it's own pace! Our
"puppy reunions are not only the best exercise a puppy can experience, the
pup also gains a lot of self confidence from interacting with litter mates
(equals), and finds that the world it got yanked out of, some time ago, is
still in existence and that it feels good.
· Don't be
over-protective.
In its quest to explore the world, your pup needs to pick things up
in its mouth to feel it with its tongue, because it can not feel much of
anything with its paws. Don't worry, it will spit it
out again. And if it doesn't, it'll just come out the other end a few hours
later (except rawhide, it can plug-up the puppy).
· Do you have an
older dog?
Younger dogs adopt all the habits and temperament of older
dogs very rapidly. If you want the new pup to be like the older dog, let them
run together, but if the older dog has some undesirable habits or temperament,
let them be together only under your very close supervision.
· Do neither encourage nor discourage
your pup to jump, run stairs, walk up-right, etc.
Your pup knows best when it is ready to try
various exercises, let it surprise you. You should provide sufficient
opportunities to try-out just about anything, and sufficient rest periods
because an excited puppy may not know when to stop playing, especially when
your children have their friends visiting!
· Socialize,
socialize, socialize
Failure to properly socialize your pup at an early age will
cause it to become timid and aggressive. After it is leash trained and fully
vaccinated, take it with you wherever and whenever possible; to work, for
walks, shopping, ball games, visiting, etc. One of the best places to socialize
your pup is in front of a grocery store. Let anyone so inclined touch your pup,
especially children. The more the better. At the
beginning, try and avoid your pup being chased around by children.
No one likes a spoiled dog that's out of control, but its natural to love and respect a well trained dog and its
owner. The owner of a well trained dog can relax in the knowledge that the dog
is obedient, and the dog can relax in the knowledge that the owner is relaxed,
and everyone can have a good time. Because Rosenhof
puppies come from Schutzhund (working) lines with
many generations of trained and trialed (proven)
ancestors, your puppy can and should be fully obedience trained.
Because Rosenhof puppies are bred for
high trainability, they can be easily impressed either way;
·
positively - to become your
obedient, loyal companion and fearless protector, or
·
negatively - to become your timid and unpredictable fear biter.
To be sure you don't have to undo bad behavior
later, start by reading the book "Good Owners, Great Dogs"
(also available as video) by Brian Kilcommons.
German Shepherds are like people, in that no two are alike. As you
learn that your dog is an individual, do what's best for him, not what's best
for other dogs. If the advice given is unclear or
insufficient, please call me, better sooner than later.
An answer to the old question: "When can I start
training?" depends on what you consider training, and which training
method you use. You can teach a young dog anything you like, as long as you use
pure motivational methods (only praise and rewards, no punishment) and the
puppy thinks it's all just fun and games. The start of formal obedience
training, using force or punishment, depends on the dog’s temperament and
socialization progress. It must not start until the pup has sufficiently
developed and can withstand the rigors of such training without permanent
damage to its nerves. You must first have earned the puppy's trust before you
can ask anything of it. Because most people don't understand the philosophy
behind dog training or lack the discipline to train a puppy, we strongly
suggest that you take your pup to an experienced and competent trainer for
obedience training. (See also "Schutzhund")
In the mean time, play with your pup to start the bonding process,
and socialize it as much as possible. Please be mindful of your pup's high
trainability, it can be impressed easily and with a positive outcome, if you
remember the following guidelines:
· Being playful
Never apply pressure, or force a young pup to do anything.
All interactions must be playful and be designed to build-up the pup's self
confidence. In the end the pup must always win!
· Being positive
Go to your dog only when you are in a positive
frame of mind. Never interact with your pup when you are under stress and stop
before you get angry.
· Being aware
Your pup never stops learning,
it is always watching you for clues, especially when you're not paying
attention. It'll pick-up on anything you do or say, whether it was intended for
it or not, even when it seems to be sleeping or is very busy playing.
· Being communicative
Establish a voice communications system with your pup. From
exited praise to dangerous growls, it'll soon understand every tone you make,
in any language.
· Being "NO" free
Please do not use the word "NO" on your dog. Every time
you say "NO" in conversations with your family or on the phone, you
are un-training your pup, it will think you didn't mean it. A good alternative
is "ploooie I' or ~psssst"
(pronounce them any way you like).
· Being consistent
A command once given must be fulfilled, even if it takes all
day and all your patience. Never issue a command the pup
cannot understand, or that may require force to be fulfilled. And never, never repeat a command!!! Your are teaching your pup
that you didn't mean it the first time, that you were
only kidding then.
·
Being creative
Never create a situation for your pup that can have a
negative outcome and may necessitate force or punishment. It's up to you to set
things up right, for instance: if you must leave the pup alone for a minute,
put it in the crate, so when you return, it didn't destroy anything and didn't
mess on the carpet. Now you have a reason to praise it for good behaviour.
· Being alpha (the leader)
Dogs are like children; they will respect a leader that is
always consistent and fair. Letting the pup get away with something or making
an exception, only once, will teach it that you are inconsistent and that it is
the puppy's decision to do as it pleases and that it may obey you, or not.
· Being desirable
Never punish your pup, especially not after it has come to you. It
must learn to come to you gladly, and feel safe and secure being with you. Only
then can you hope to be able to teach your puppy anything.
You should make use of the puppy’s natural desire to be near you
while still young, to teach it to always come without delay. Try this: take the
pup to an unfamiliar place, get the pup's attention, give it the command
"come", and then simply turn and walk away. I'll bet you any money
the pup starts following you soon after you start walking. Repeat this many
times in many different places and it will become second nature for the rest of
its life.
·
Being sociable
Dogs are social beings. Just lying at your feet while you are
working or resting is heaven. Take the pup with you wherever you can, give it a
chance to meet all types of people, children, animals, traffic, and situations
with you.
Selecting a trainer and training
method
Regular AKC/CKC style obedience classes are often the only
choice in many areas. They are often run by someone meaning well but with only
a minimal amount of training knowledge using the old correctional methods of
forcing a dog into submission. The only good thing about those classes is, your pup gets some dog socialization, but not much else.
· Observe before paying
Reading the book "Good Owners, Great Dogs" will
have given you a good insight into the more humane "motivational" training
methods now being used by up-to-date trainers, so that after observing several
of your local trainers, you should be able to judge their methods before making
a decision.
· Preserve the pup's protective instincts
The book "Good Owners, Great Dogs" was written for
American show breeds, but because you have a working breed puppy, it requires
to be treated differently than show dogs in some instances. If you want your
puppy to be protective when it matures, ignore the "no bite" suggestions
of the book, and raise your pup to do lots of mouthing, biting and playing
"tug of war" games with you. If the pup bites so hard that it hurts,
place your hand over its muzzle and press its upper lips against its teeth with
your thumb on one side and fingers on the other side. It's similar to the way
mom taught pup to quit nursing. It's dog language and
easy to understand for the pup. If the pup continues to hurt you, just squeeze
harder until it yelps, so it realizes that you really meant it.
Regular training or Schutzhund?
Contrary to popular belief, Schutzhund
training does NOT teach a dog to bite, (puppies know how to bite when 4 weeks
old), but rather teaches the dog when NOT to bite and to be obedient under
difficult conditions. Much time is spent in protection training on the
"bark & hold" and similar exercises,
where the dog learns to search, find, hold, bark, etc., but is allowed to bite
only rarely and for a very good reason.
If you intent to train in Schutzhund,
visit as many Schutzhund clubs as soon as possible
and select the one you are most comfortable with. After joining one of them,
read the books recommend in the enclosed Schutzhund
book list
The "ideal" Schutzhund club
should have one or several members interested in having a good time while
training their dogs, mostly for the love of having a well trained dog, rather
than for competition. They are usually older people with the knowledge and
patience to help newcomers by answering their questions and showing them the
routines. Unfortunately, Schutzhund is being
advertised as a sport and therefore attracts a lot of competition minded people
(usually young) with their overblown ego and macho image of themselves.
Competitive minded club members usually have no time for novices, instead, they
like to ridicule others to prove that they are superior, and because of their
lack of experience use old, heavy handed training methods, often use pinch or
electric shock collars, and see a dog as a sporting object (foot ball) that
gets taken out of it's enclosure only for training.
Please do not listen to those competition nuts. I know of many top
National and International competition dogs that live in the house with their families and children as perfectly safe companion pets and reliable protectors.
· Prey drive and defense
drive training
Everybody talks about them,
very few know what they mean. A young puppy must not be subjected to defense training at all. To train in defense;
to put a dog into defense drive, is making the dog
believe that it must fight for its life, it's being scared to death and must
defend itself or die. Commercial and competition agitators (trainers) prefer
this method because it gives very quick results (easy money). The fact that it
makes the dog unstable doesn't bother them.
Training in prey drive makes the dog believe it is chasing a rabbit
(prey), which is a perfectly natural thing to do, and very enjoyable. This
method takes 100 times longer, is very exhausting for the agitator, but builds
a good foundation and makes the dog very stable. Only much later, when the dog
is mature and well advanced in training, should it be introduced to defense drive training to give it a taste of reality.
· In conclusion
Please remember, your Rosenhof puppy was bred from working and herding bloodlines. It has
above average intelligence and is very observant, it can read you better than
you can read it (it has nothing else on his
mind!). It knows what is in your heart and how
you feel, you can't fool it with words or treats.
What you do with your puppy will ultimately determine the dog it
becomes. Be firm but fair with the pup and it will protect you and your family
with it's life. The more you teach it, the more it
will do for you, the more you can rely on it, the more happiness it will bring
you. It will care for you as you care for it.
Should you have any questions whatsoever, don't hesitate to call. I
love to hear from you and how "our" puppy is doing.
See proof that the above does
work, see how "Hadja vom
Rosenhof" became the most versatile and best trained dog, and how Iro
of Rosenhof became a SchH3, IPO1 now living in the Czech Republic.
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Copyright 2001 Martin Wahl, Real GSD. RealGSD1@netscape.net.
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rights reserved. Please view his site Real GSD.