22/04/2020
While I am not a huge fan of Sean O’Shea’s approach to dog training, I love this article so much and share it with all of my students. Right now, my phone is blowing up with clients, as are the phones of my trainer friends, because people are under the misconception that this is a great time to get a puppy or rescue a dog. I have seen rescues on the news rejoicing that their shelters are empty. I have seen lots of people posting their new puppies. Everyone is home, so let’s get a dog! Ugh. Clearly, I am pro getting a dog, as I have five of my own, and make my living as a dog trainer.
However, the real story is that this quarantine is probably one of the worst times to get a dog. Quarantine is not good for dogs, especially new-to-you rescues, and it is the absolute worst time for puppies to find their way in their new homes and get out to socialize with other puppies in a class, and more importantly, meet A LOT of humans. I am so happy that shelters have been clearing out, love it! However, once they clear out the shelter, they are filling them up again. My breeder friends have people contacting them like crazy. This is not great news, unless you have serious dog experience. It will be great for us dog trainers financially if you mess it up, but I would prefer that you do things right. You get one shot at this, people. The socialization period for puppies is incredibly short. Setting your new dog up for success starts the second you bring them home. Home is not all that fun right now.
Think of it this way: Every single one of us is stressed out, scared and not dealing well with the unknown, all while being stuck at home. People are fighting with their kids over schoolwork, people are fighting over money, you name it. Even if you think you are not stressed, you are. There is an underlying, low-simmering anxiety that you can hear in everyone’s voice and see on their faces. All of that bad energy gets transmitted right to your dogs. They feel everything we feel. When I meet a neurotic dog, I can pretty quickly flesh out that they live with a neurotic person. When I meet an incredibly shy dog that has no real reason for such shyness, I watch their owners baby them and pick them up and talk to them like babies. We are who we are, and our personality is what it is. I feel terribly for some dogs I work with, and I have to tell people to stop humanizing their dog if they want anything to change.
Clearly, a new puppy can adapt to things a lot easier than an older rescue, but what happens when we get to go back to work and summer activities and life? We will get back there, and unfortunately, for your new dogs, they are not going to get it. “Where are those kids that played with me all day?” “Where are those humans that spent hours snuggling with me on the couch every day?” Some will probably be thrilled to have you gone, but most will freak out being home alone. There is nothing more comforting than snuggling a sleepy puppy, nothing more fun than playing with a wobbly little ball of fur, and we are all craving comfort and happiness in any way, shape or form right now. Unfortunately, they are not teddy bears, and if we use them for our emotional support and comfort, they will end up being needy and anxious when they cannot be with us.
Rescues take at least three weeks to even start to decompress and understand that they are staying with you and begin to learn their new routines. It takes a long time to build up the trust with a new older dog. Some of these rescues are at the worst possible ages for any kind of change or stress, and those adorable puppies will be hitting those pesky fear periods during the quarantine and long after we get back on track. Our job is to build up their confidence and self-control so that we end up with a solid dog in the long run.
So, if you have a new puppy or a new rescue, congratulations!!!! I am truly happy for you. Just PLEASE read through this article. Put them in a crate and leave the house. Take them on car rides sometimes, just not every time you leave. Make leaving the house completely uneventful and free of drama. Get them set up and leave! When you come home, ignore them until they are calm. We are always happy to see them, but if you want to have a crazy dog jumping on every person that comes to the door, instantly give them attention and affection the second you walk in the door. Once they calm down, then give them all the love. Teach them to have an off-switch away from you while you are home. Lots of naps in their crate or expen, frozen Kongs in their crate while away from you and the family. 24/7 access to you from the beginning will always backfire. Get them out and practice leash walking. And, as always, train, train, train, and then train some more. Short bursts of training throughout the day are better than one long session. Tire out their brains, and you will have a tired, happy dog. Exercise is obviously key, but tire out those brains! There are training videos everywhere, and you can always reach out to me or your trainer for suggestions.
Oh, and when in doubt, ask yourself if you are humanizing your dog’s feelings. If you are, knock that off!
By Sean O’Shea So much of what we see with problem dogs and their behavior, is that people have unintentionally reinforced and encouraged the wrong stuff. And of course, none of us want to in…
