11/26/2024
Note: There is no dog in this picture. ⬇️
Gosh. The anticipation is building. Thanksgiving is almost here, and we’re thinking about the HOLIDAY!
(Ellie, however, is asleep. She’s thinkin’ about nothin’.)
Dogs have no anticipation of ‘holidays’. They don’t give a RIP about pilgrims, and their expectation-ometers are set at zero. Holidays are OUR deal. Not theirs.
So.
First. Consider this. Since no one can do two things at once, it might be best for your pup to skip the party- and maybe even the majority of the day.
Seriously. They won’t know what they’re missin’. And- besides- you can’t train a dog and cook a turkey at the same time.
True. If they aren’t right smack dab in the middle of the gathering they’ll definitely miss out… of unsupervised accidents, overexcitement, play-biting, zoomies in the house, unrestrained jumping, interacting with non-dog people, food stealing, and access to the wrong foods...
You get the picture.
Sometimes it’s just better to have some quiet time.
*Guest* behavior is *learned* behavior-
if you’ve not yet *taught* it- they can’t be expected to *know* it.
Let me repeat that.
*Guest* behavior is *learned* behavior-
if you’ve not yet *taught* it- they can’t be expected to *know* it.
If your pups don’t yet have good manners with *you*, how can they be expected to have good manners with *guests*?
And, if a pup behaves poorly and goes without correction/ redirection, or gets punished for behavior you’ve not yet taught or aren’t supervising- no good thing has been accomplished.
Nothing. Nada. Zero. Zip.
If you feel you ‘need’ to take your rogue puppy out to interact with your guests (which isn’t wrong!), do.
Take him out, supervised, maybe even on leash, and *train*. Seize the moment. Set the tone. *Teach* him how to interact with guests.
Create positive *events* where your puppy can practice new skills, maybe fail, try again, get it *right*, get rewards, earn praise, have fun, and end up with a whole set of *positive* experiences that END. WELL.
If your pup is HAPPY and trustworthy with guests (including small children and elderly people), ENJOY sharing the day with him- as long as you make sure that every one of his experiences with others are supervised and POSITIVE.
Think *long term*.
Remember that this isn’t about enjoying a puppy for a day, but instead is about creating an extraordinary dog for a lifetime.
I considered my long range plans for Ellie in *every*single*setting* I shared with her when she was young. Like. “Who/ what did I want her to be in two years?””How did I want her to behave?” “Would (this experience) help her grow into becoming a Welcomed Guest in the future?”
Why? Because experiences (gatherings, people, teenagers, babies, groups, noise, general chaos) *and a dog’s conclusions about them* all stack together and create a *foundation*... the lens they see life through. If those are negative, you’ve sabotaged some of your own goals for the future.
Remember. Dogs aren’t trained in a day, but weeks worth of training can be UNdone in a day.
So!
•Make provision for their CARDIO exercise EARLY in the day. They need it.
•Remember that tired dogs have the BEST manners.
•Make provision for an acceptable resting place that feels ‘safe’ to your dog, preferably a familiar one (crate, their ‘room’, your room, etc). Prepare it in advance.
•Make provision for feeding and pottying throughout the day. Set a timer for yourself if you anticipate being distracted.
•Share your (friendly) puppy/ dog with guests in controlled settings, where the dog, the people, and the house are all kept safe.
•Enjoy your guests.
•And be thankful. We have MUCH to be thankful for.
Originally published in the Bledsonian Banner.
Copyright Deb Mileur
Outa the Dog House
