You and Your Puppy

Maybe you were given a puppy at Christmas orEndangering his and other peoples lives by running out
maybe this little pup came into your life quite byinto traffic.
accident. Whichever route, there will be some veryChasing joggers and total strangers.
dramatic changes in the life of owner and pup.All these activities must curbed for both his own
Whether these are good or bad mainly rests with you,safety and the safety of others. He must learn that
the owner.two lettered word 'No'. He must learn to regard traffic
In the space of a few months your darling little puppywith the greatest respect, not to fight with his fellows
will grow into a full sized dog.and if he lives in the country, not to worry livestock
Dog is mans best friend. Yes, agreed, but an untrained,and not to chase humans. If he chases and damages
unmanageable dog can become one of mans mostlivestock, i.e., kills sheep, he is liable to be put down.
obnoxious friends.If you have a dog to guard your property (and you)
Plus if he is allowed to become dangerous he will noremember that under the laws of today you are
longer be a friend, but a liability that could possiblyresponsible for any damage, hurt or harm your dog
mean the end of the dogs life. At the very worst injurydoes to an intruder even if this is on your property.
to a child or other person could be the result of yourThere are probably many dog owners who would
puppy growing into an uncontrollable dog.disagree with this remark taking the view that the
This type of mutt can ruin lives and wreck households,intruder has no right to be on your property in the first
doing tremendous damage in the process. He canplace. Here is not the place for a long discussion on
dominate the household where he exploits this positionthe so-called rights of the intruder.
to his advantage, taking pride of place on 'his' favourIt needs to be remembered - a dog should not be
sofa or armchair, sleeping on your bed, demanding 'his'regarded as some sort of 'trophy' which unfortunately
biscuits, in fact making himself truly objectionable.does happen. This is sometimes the case of some
He can drive a wedge between partners, whom he'cult status' dogs, i.e., 'Staffs, 'Rotts' and many breeds
will individually exploit, but a well trained dog is trulyof small 'lap' dogs.
something to be valued. A constant friend andA dog is an individual whether he/she is a pedigree or
companion and in the case of some invalids, a lifeCross Bred dog and both have equally likable traits.
restorer. Guide Dogs for the Blind and Hearing DogsTo reinforce the puppy training theme, if it can be
for the Deaf etc. spring to mind.arranged for the dog to attend training classes, this
The person who feeds the dog is likely to be the oneshould be a great advantage.
to whom the dog attaches his allegiance. This is aMake sure the trainers in any chosen class hold the
natural process, but this does not rule out the fact thatappropriate 'pieces of paper', i.e. that they are either
a well-adjusted dog should like and respond favourablyBritish Institute of Professional Dog Trainers or Kennel
to all members of the family.Club Accredited Trainers. An 'amateur' or untrained
All his bad habits must either not be allowed todog trainer is liable to do more harm than good at an
develop or be rapidly corrected if they do.early stage in your puppy's life and so entrench the
His main bad habits are:damage for life if not corrected.
Chasing cats, poultry, sheep etc.More information can be found at the web site below.
Fighting other dogsBe firm, fair and friendly. Good Luck.
Eating and licking garbage, refuse, etc.,