Alright, i suppose that some of you are familiar with the sight of huge dogs jumping up people and quite literally knocking the person over? Yes? Well it’s funny in the movies and on Last of the Summer Wine perhaps, when it happens to Compo, but it isn’t funny when it happens to yourself or a loved one…
There was a tragic case in the news a long time ago now, but it’s one that i continually quote in order to stress the importance of training dogs in the correct way; particularly big dogs. There was a border collie who jumped up a small child and pushed her through a plate glass window. The small child sustained many injuries and died; the dog was put down.
This case saddens me because it needn’t have happened. By the owner’s own confession, the dog was not trained properly. This dog was merely greeting the child, and had no idea how to do it correctly because it hadn’t been show; the consequences where great. I wrote a post about greeting your dogs in the morning and when you come in from being out at work etc, and you would do well to read it.
It really is a simple case of making your dog the lowest in the pecking order. If you have children you must teach them to do exactly the same. You really must ignore your dog from being a puppy. If you run to it and greet it by hugging etc, then the puppy will continue to do this as it grows; why wouldn’t it? It knows nothing of the world. So by the same rationale, you need to ignore the dog until it calms down, and then you can call the dog to you. Give lots of praise and attention when the dog comes on your terms, not when it feels like it.
Tags: Puppies, puppy development, Puppy Training