Dear Dogfather,
I just adopted a 4-month-old puppy from a rescue group. Could you give me some idea of what I should and should not do to ensure that he acclimates to his new environment and becomes a well-mannered adult?
Thank you,
Bosley’s Mom
Dear Bosley’s Mom,
Congratulations on your new family member, and on being one of the good guys by adopting a dog that needs a home. In most cases, dogs that all of a sudden find themselves in a totally new environment don’t reveal their true personality for a week or two. Then, when they become more relaxed about their new home and family, they start presenting who they really are, and perhaps some idiosyncratic behaviors that you may find unacceptable.
It’s easier to prevent a bad behavior from starting than to correct it after it’s started, just as it’s easier to allow a dog a privilege than to take one away. Never allowing your dog on your bed is easy; letting your dog sleep with you and then changing your mind and trying to keep him off the bed can be very hard.
So to start, I’d suggest crate training. Get him to love his crate by feeding half his meals in the crate, tossing treats into the crate, and having him sleep in it next to your bed at night. Crate training will speed up the housebreaking, which is critical. Even if he loads the dishwasher and takes out the garbage for you, it’s no good if he poops or pees in the house. Feed him on a structured basis — three meals a day till he’s about 4 months old, then eliminate the middle meal. Leave the food down for 20 minutes. This will give you a better handle on when he has to go to the bathroom in relation to when he eats, furthering the housebreaking process.
You are not a chew toy. Teeth and flesh are a no-no. If he starts nibbling on you or your clothing, immediately substitute with a dog toy. Or, if his mouth is on your hand, don’t pull your hand away. Instead, with your other hand gently twist his collar a little tighter as you snarl, “No teeth!” The moment he removes his teeth from your hand release the slight pressure on the collar and praise him. Training a dog is letting him know you like or don’t like the behavior as it is happening.
Call him to come 15 times a day. The first four times he comes he gets a treat, then he gets the treats intermittently. Intermittency is the strongest way to condition an animal. His attitude will be, “Maybe there’s a treat, maybe not; I better go check it out!” His recall will be great. Don’t feed him people food or from your table. When he starts revealing himself as a well-mannered, cooperative gentleman, you can start relaxing some of the rules if you wish, and opening up the can of privileges.
Best of luck with your new family member,
The Dogfather
