Initial Interactions
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The Proper Communication
Dogs love & respect leaders. Being a good leader by Properly Communicating the rules & boundaries, & promoting responsibility within your new pack will bond you & your dog, for a successful, connected lifelong relationship. Read more about how to help your puppy understand you here. |
Your puppy has just started his forever life there with you. He is going to start learning about the energy within your new pack, so that he can start developing an appropriate lifestyle there with you. Okay, we all know they are just so darn adorable!! However, raising a puppy is more than just loving the cuteness aspect, it is also about guidance, as the puppy depends on you to help them grow into the good, happy dog they need to be. We must remember that our actions will directly influence their reactions, and shape their state of mind.
While your puppy is getting used to your touch, it is important to understand his learning process. Your hands are new to him, and he is learning whether he can trust your hands to lead him towards the right life. He is learning how you will react, and how diligent you are about being responsible. Help him trust your leadership, by taking the right steps towards establishing yourself as a good leader.
While your puppy is getting used to your touch, it is important to understand his learning process. Your hands are new to him, and he is learning whether he can trust your hands to lead him towards the right life. He is learning how you will react, and how diligent you are about being responsible. Help him trust your leadership, by taking the right steps towards establishing yourself as a good leader.
Pet your new puppy with gentle hands.
Show him that you are a responsible leader,
and that he can trust the calm-assertive leadership of your hands.
A good time to pet your puppy is when he is being good. Give positive attention to reward positive behavior. Good behaviors are not just tricks, a positive state of mind can include sitting calmly in your lap, or laying content on their bed. Anything you want him to continue as a lifelong behavior is a positive habit you can help him develop.
Show him that you are a responsible leader,
and that he can trust the calm-assertive leadership of your hands.
A good time to pet your puppy is when he is being good. Give positive attention to reward positive behavior. Good behaviors are not just tricks, a positive state of mind can include sitting calmly in your lap, or laying content on their bed. Anything you want him to continue as a lifelong behavior is a positive habit you can help him develop.
We have nurtured a calm state of mind for these puppies, and they are now happy to follow our lead, and enjoy our company without challenging.
Now that they have a responsible state of mind set up, we can choose to engage in play, and we will all know how to play fair.
Now that they have a responsible state of mind set up, we can choose to engage in play, and we will all know how to play fair.
Once they've had their balance of activity and exercise first, you can bring them back inside your home and enjoy a little downtime together, letting them participate as you work on your computer, or watch TV, by being calm & continuing to follow your lead.!
We don't always realize it, but our actions can also promote Bad Behavior in our puppies.
Sometimes, we as humans get so caught up in the cuteness of someone or something, that we forget the value of our reaction. There are some actions people do without realizing, that influence their puppy to develop a negative habit. To be fair to your puppy's development, these actions should be avoided. Simple things like tickling, unnecessary scratching, or putting fingers in their mouth, are confusing actions that send your puppy the wrong message. The energy we project should be in line with the message we want to get across.
Sometimes, we as humans get so caught up in the cuteness of someone or something, that we forget the value of our reaction. There are some actions people do without realizing, that influence their puppy to develop a negative habit. To be fair to your puppy's development, these actions should be avoided. Simple things like tickling, unnecessary scratching, or putting fingers in their mouth, are confusing actions that send your puppy the wrong message. The energy we project should be in line with the message we want to get across.
Quote from the Dog Whisperer:
Dogs use constant energy to communicate. Energy is what I call beingness; it is who and what you are in every moment. Dogs don’t know each other by name, but by the energy they project and the activities they share. They know humans in the same way.
As humans, we too are communicating with energy—whether we realize it or not. And, though we may attempt to persuade, explain, and rationalize all day long, these energy signals are the only messages getting across to our dogs.
The first energy that a puppy experiences after birth is mom’s calm-assertive energy. Later, the puppy will follow a pack leader who projects the same calm-assertive energy out of association. As pack followers, dogs return a calm-submissive energy that completes the pack balance. It is important to understand that most dogs are born to be submissive, because there can only be so many pack leaders.
When a naturally submissive dog lives with a human that does not lead, he or she will attempt to right the pack balance by filling what they see as a vacant pack leader role. This is how behavior problems develop.
To establish yourself as the pack leader, you must always project a calm-assertive energy. If you don’t know what I mean by calm-assertive energy, think about Oprah Winfrey. She is calm and assertive in the human world.
This natural balance (calm-assertive leadership with calm-submissive behavior) nurtures stability and creates a balanced, centered, and happy dog.
Check your own energy.Your dog is your mirror. Any energy you project, he will reflect back. Are you in a calm assertive state of mind? Are you projecting a confident pack leader energy? Are you stressing out over an argument, or burdened with the worries of the workweek? Nervous or anxious moods can translate into nervous or anxious body language or tones of voice, and can affect the energy of your dog. So be the pack leader and stay in tune with your energy.
We've learned these truths over our 25+ years experience observing dogs and raising puppies, and we love the fact that we see there are other Dog Enthusiasts out there like Cesar Millan who also understand & spread the word about the value of proper communication & interaction!
No tickling, scratching, or rough housing with the New puppy
Do Not tickle or roughhouse with your new puppy
He must first learn that your hands are responsible, & learn to be responsible.
To a puppy, Tickling Hands seem like another puppy's biting mouth. Puppies are used to rough-housing with their littermates, as they play, wrestle, and challenge the pecking order within the group. A puppy would usually be able to bite a littermate back if he didn't care for what it was doing, or if he wanted to engage in that type of play with a puppy of equal ranking. Since rules are still being established in this new pack, its best (& easiest in the training department) for you to refrain from any rough play , until you have established yourself as the calm-assertive leader, and have gained his respect so he may trust your judgment.
Do Not tickle or roughhouse with your new puppy
He must first learn that your hands are responsible, & learn to be responsible.
To a puppy, Tickling Hands seem like another puppy's biting mouth. Puppies are used to rough-housing with their littermates, as they play, wrestle, and challenge the pecking order within the group. A puppy would usually be able to bite a littermate back if he didn't care for what it was doing, or if he wanted to engage in that type of play with a puppy of equal ranking. Since rules are still being established in this new pack, its best (& easiest in the training department) for you to refrain from any rough play , until you have established yourself as the calm-assertive leader, and have gained his respect so he may trust your judgment.
Rough play can encourage your puppy to bite, so wait until after he has learned what is okay and what isn't okay, before more intense play.
He is still learning about responsibility, and until he learns the difference between positive and negative energy, he may think that rough-housing & biting are equal behaviors, and therefore get confused and think he can respond with an irresponsible bite. As you tickle him, that will push him to explore his unestablished, possible reactions to you, and he may think pushing the biting boundary was an appropriate, or necessary, response to what was happening to him. As your little puppy gets to know you, you want to help set his mind up to trust both the love and the strength of your hands, the meaning & consistency of rewards & corrections, to respect your wisdom towards a situation.
He is still learning about responsibility, and until he learns the difference between positive and negative energy, he may think that rough-housing & biting are equal behaviors, and therefore get confused and think he can respond with an irresponsible bite. As you tickle him, that will push him to explore his unestablished, possible reactions to you, and he may think pushing the biting boundary was an appropriate, or necessary, response to what was happening to him. As your little puppy gets to know you, you want to help set his mind up to trust both the love and the strength of your hands, the meaning & consistency of rewards & corrections, to respect your wisdom towards a situation.
With just a short preparation stage, we will all be able to fully enjoy Playtime for the many many years to come! By allowing your puppy to trust your position as leader, and adapt to your pack, you will be able to ensure that he will be a responsible playmate when the time comes. The more rigorous type of play can come later. First proper respect needs to be established, so that when the play does come, following the rules are already a habit, and it is clear that biting is not okay, and responsible play is fun. Then playtime can be the most enjoyable for everyone, because you helped your puppy to first make the commitment to following your lead!
A young puppy, full of life & curiosity, may sometimes wiggle,
just to see what will happen next.
The puppy is learning what result that behavior will produce. The little puppy will notice whether the person holding him will stay strong, or if they will give in, and put them down. It is important to not give in if they experiment with this behavior, so that your leadership is reinforced, and they will understand that they are not in command of the situation. If the puppy wiggles, stay calm, but in control of the situation with firm hands so that he will know you are stronger, and he can not win by challenging you.
just to see what will happen next.
The puppy is learning what result that behavior will produce. The little puppy will notice whether the person holding him will stay strong, or if they will give in, and put them down. It is important to not give in if they experiment with this behavior, so that your leadership is reinforced, and they will understand that they are not in command of the situation. If the puppy wiggles, stay calm, but in control of the situation with firm hands so that he will know you are stronger, and he can not win by challenging you.
Remember from day one that you are the responsible master, and you are the leader of the situation. You must also be in control of how you convey your energy, especially while your puppy is still learning about your pack order. A puppy may test the boundaries to figure out how he should behave in order to have the most fun. You must be firm in showing your puppy what is and isn't okay in this pack. You must help him trust the fact that the only way everyone can be happy and have fun, is by following your lead. In order to feel secure with his position, a puppy must know that he has strong leaders whom he can depend on to make the right choices for his well-being. Help your puppy understand that minding your rules, and say-so, is the best way to live a harmonious & prosperous life within your pack, so that he will feel motivated to fit in & will be happy to follow the rules of your established pack order.