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ArcaMax Cats & Dogs for You
Tuesday January 13, 2004
Teaching Your New Dog to Settle
From Terry B. in Williamsburg VA
"We acquired a new puppy just before the holidays when a neighbor's dog had a litter. Mom is a hound/beagle mix, and we're not certain what dad was. Mom is a sweet natured dog, however, and we have every reason to believe that little Howard will be as well. But right now he's a little terror, running all over the place, chasing the cats, and just being a little bundle of energy. The kids love it, but I'd like to see him calm down, if only to give me a few minutes of peace and quiet every day. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks!"
We get a great many questions here at Arcamax on how to get a new puppy to calm down! A nice way to control your puppy is to teach him to be calm and controlled on cue. When they are not sleeping, many puppies tend to be little bundles of perpetual motion and energy. Unlike an irritating child's toy
though, you can't remove the batteries of a rambunctious puppy. Instead, you must learn how to turn the puppy off.
Puppies don't automatically mellow with age. Chances are that a puppy who is allowed to indiscriminately run, play, and carry on endlessly whenever and wherever, will also exhibit this same uncontrollable behavior as an adult dog. Right from the start owners should make frequent little quiet moments part of their puppy's daily routine.
Begin by luring the puppy with a treat into a "sit", then a "down" and withhold giving the treat by closing your fist, leaving it on the floor. As you delay giving the treat, pet and massage your puppy, praising him in a calm voice. Do not give the treat if the puppy is pawing, nibbling or biting at your hand. Wait for him to cease, pause for a second or two as you praise, and open your hand as you continue to pet. Wait 2-3 seconds and release the puppy.
Do this several times until your puppy learns that rewards come
when he is calm and relaxed and laying down. When he begins to relax and be still consistently, tell him to "settle" after he lies down. You can slowly increase the time your puppy is holding the position by giving a few treats, five seconds apart. It's important that your puppy learn that the treat is not the release from the settle. Your release word is the only thing that allows him to get up.
Over the next two weeks, ask your puppy to "down" and "settle" without a visible treat. When your puppy is down, praise him and slowly pull out a treat. Keep praising him and attempt to stand up. You may continue to give him treats as you stand, reinforcing his relaxed position. Once you are standing, praise him and release him but do not give a treat at the end. He must learn that all rewards come to him when he is settled, not when he is released or active.
At this point, begin to transfer "settle" to real life times and situations where it can be useful. Gradually increase
the time that your puppy must remain relaxed, before releasing him. Be sure to always release your puppy from the "settle" position.
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| Friendly Pets - Our Subscriber's Photos |
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From Patricia R. via NetZero
"This is my pomerian, Pepper, who believes she is the largest and biggest dog around. She weighs in at five pounds and her favorite pastime is going to the pet run in our neighborhood. She loves chasing the Pit Bulls and German Shepherds around. I can't help but laugh when I see these larges dogs running away (she has lost almost all her teeth so any biting is not possible). More than one owner was caught by surprise to see his beloved dog running away. She is a wonderful companion who can never get enough affection and is by my side at all times. She is a very gentle little dog who is wonderful with people and can always be found demanding attention from anyone who will give it to her."
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From Diane in Pennsylvania
"This is Nakita, who just recently went over the Rainbow Bridge at the age of 10 1/2-years. She was just 5 1/2-weeks-old when I brought her home, and very small. However, she quickly became the reigning queen of our home, despite having a seven-year-old "brother" named Boomer, who was much larger. There is nothing quite like being greeted at the door the way that she did me. Nakita brought me many years of joy with her quirky personality and I miss her so very much. She will forever live in my heart."
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We want your pet pictures! Send us your pet pictures, along with a brief description of your critter, and we'll print the best ones here. Guidelines for sending pet pictures and descriptions:
1 - Please attach photos. Do not embed them in the email.
2 - Only one photo per email please
(although you can send as many emails as you wish).
3 - The subject line of the email should be identical to the name of file attached (i.e. if the photo is titled "IMG030403" then that should be the subject line of your email. If the photo is titled "Little Pookums Sleeping.jpg" then that should be the subject of your email).
4 - Please don't forget your name, the pet's name, where you're from, and a one or two sentence description of the pet.
5 - Did we mention only one photo per email? Please, only a single photo should be attached to each emailing. This ensures that we can keep the appropriate photo with the appropriate description. If we lose the description, we can't use the photo.
Mail photos to dogsncatsphotos@...
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