BEFORE_YouGetYourPuppy.pdf

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James & Kenneth Publishers
¨ 2001 Ian D unbar
BEFO RE You G et Your Puppy
D r. Ian D unbar
Veterinarian and animal behaviorist, D r. Ian D unbar is the
D irector of SIRIU S Puppy T raining, w hich holds classes in a
variety of locations in the San Francisco Bay A rea. D r. D unbar is
the author of numerous books and videos and host of the popular
British T V series Dogs W ith Dunbar.
Forew ord
Sadly, the majority of puppies fail to live long enough to enjoy
their second birthday. T hey suffer from the terminal illness of
being unw antedÐfailing to live up to the promise and expectation
of the LassieÏBenjiÏEddie dream. Instead they develop a number
of utterly predictable behavior, training, and temperament
problems and are surrendered to animal shelters to play lotto
w ith their lives. M any people blame irresponsible ow nership for
this tragic situation. I w ould cite lack of know -how . M ost
prospective puppy ow ners are simply unaw are of the problems
that lie ahead and unfortunately, they have little idea how to
prevent or resolve them. Ironically, the demise of many dogs
stems from novice ow ners follow ing misleading, erroneous, and in
some cases dow nright bad advice from out-of-date training
books.
D og ow ners' lack of know -how has to be the responsibility of all
doggy professionals, including dog breeders, trainers,
veterinarians, animal control officers, and shelter personnel. It is
the fault of dog professionals like myself, w ho have failed to
adequately advertise the much easier, quicker, gentler, and
altogether more effective and efficient w ay of raising and
training puppies.
T his booklet w ill outline common, predictable puppy problems,
provide a timetable for their development, and suggest a variety
of dog-friendly preventative measures and solutions, emphasizing
the overw helming importance of early socialization, confinement,
prevention, and lure/rew ard training techniques.
Feeling that education can range from boring to hilarious, I have
alw ays tried to make my w riting enjoyable as w ell as informative.
H ow ever, a delicate balance alw ays exists betw een education and
entertainment, so I have also tried to stress the urgency of many
of these ideas and repeatedly drive home the facts that new
puppy ow ners absolutely need to know .
W hen choosing a puppy, you need to know how to determine
w hether his behavioral development and education are up to par.
A ssessing a pup's developmental and educational status depends
on your education about puppy education.
Your pup's first w eek in your home is the most crucial
developmental period of his life. T his short, make-or-break
period pretty much determines w hether your puppy w ill develop
into a w ell-mannered and good-natured companion that w ill bring
joy to your life for many years to come, or w hether your puppy
w ill develop numerous, predictable behavior problems and grow up
to be fearful and unfriendly. You stand at the crossroads. T he
course of your prospective puppy's development is in your hands.
T o help you get a grasp on all the important information you need
to learn, I have outlined six essential developmental deadlines,
w hich form the backbone of this book. But before w e explore
these deadlines, letÔs get an overview of w hat to consider before
you get your puppy. A fter introducing these ideas, w eÔll explore
them in detail over the course of the book.
Synopsis
If you have your heart set on raising and training a puppy, do
make sure you train yourself beforehand. Remember, it takes only
a few days to ruin an otherw ise perfect puppy. W ithout a doubt,
the most important developmental deadline comes before you
even think of getting your puppyÐyour education about puppy
education!
M any first-time puppy ow ners are surprised w hen they discover
their new companion bites, barks, chew s, digs, and marks the
house w ith urine and feces. Yet these are all perfectly normal,
natural, and necessary doggy behaviors.
Your canine new comer is just itching to learn human house
manners. H e w ants to please, but he has to know how to please.
It's no good keeping house rules a secret. Somebody has to tell
the puppy. A nd that somebody is you.
Before inviting a puppy to share your life, surely it is only w ise
and fair to find out beforehand w hat you might expect from a
normal developing puppy, w hich behaviors and traits you consider
unacceptable, and how to modify the pup's inappropriate behavior
and temperament accordingly. Specifically, ow ners need to know
how to teach the youngster w here to eliminate, w hat to chew ,
w hen to bark, w here to dig, to sit w hen greeting people, to w alk
calmly on-leash, to settle dow n and shush w hen requested, to
inhibit its otherw ise quite normal biting behavior, and to
thoroughly enjoy the company of other dogs and peopleÐ
especially children, men, and strangers.
W hether selecting your prospective pup from a professional
breeder or from a family breeding a litter for the very first
time, the criteria are the same. Look for puppies raised indoors
around human companionship and influenceÐspecifically around
people w ho have devoted lots of time to the puppies' education.
Your puppy needs to be prepared for the clamor of everyday
domestic livingÐthe noise of the vacuum cleaner, pots and pans
dropping in the kitchen, football games screaming on the
television, children crying, and adults arguing. Exposure to such
stimuli w hile his eyes and ears are still developing allow s the
puppy (w ith his blurred vision and muffled hearing) to gradually
become accustomed to sights and sounds that might otherw ise
frighten him w hen older.
A void pups that have been raised in an outdoor run or kennel.
Remember, you w ant a puppy to share your home, so look for a
puppy that has been raised in a home. Basement- and kennel-
raised puppies are certainly not pet-quality dogs. T hey are
"livestock" on par w ith veal calves and battery hens. T hey are
neither housetrained nor socialized, and they do not make good
companions. Look for litters that have been born and raised in a
kitchen or living room.
Choosing a breed is a very personal choiceÐyour choice. But you
w ill save yourself a lot of unnecessary problems and heartbreak if
your choice is an informed and educated one. Choose the breed
you like, investigate breed-specific qualities and problems, and
then research the best w ay to raise and train your pup. M ake
sure you test drive several adult dogs of your selected breed or
type before you make your final choice. T est driving adult dogs
w ill quickly teach you everything you need to know about a
specific breed. T est driving adult dogs w ill also pinpoint gaps in
your education about dog behavior and training.
Regardless of your choice, please do not kid yourself that you
w ill get a "perfect" adult dog simply by selecting the "perfect"
breed and the "perfect" individual puppy. A ny puppy can become a
marvelous companion if appropriately socialized and trained. A nd,
no matter w hat the breed or breeding, any puppy can also become
a doggy delinquent if not properly socialized and trained. Please
make an intelligent, researched choice w hen selecting your puppy,
but remember: appropriate socialization and training is the single
biggest factor determining how closely the dog w ill approach your
view of perfection in adulthood.
N o matter your eventual choiceÐsuccess or failure is entirely in
your hands. Your puppy's behavior and temperament now depend
completely on good husbandry and training.
Your puppy's living quarters need to be designed so that
housetraining and chew toy-training are errorless. Each mistake is
a potential disaster, since it heralds many more to come.
Long-term confinement prevents your puppy from learning to
make mistakes around the house, and allow s your puppy to teach
himself to use an appropriate toilet, to settle dow n quietly and
calmly, and to w ant to chew appropriate chew toys. Confinement

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