We've been watching the Dog Whisperer since we've had Sophie, our beagle. He famously says that he "rehabilitates dogs and trains people." I can appreciate this approach because, like the impact parents have on children, dysfunctional people with bad habits often end up with dysfunctional dogs.
But what about puppies? The Dog Whisperer deals with adult dogs who have all sorts of abuse or, on the other hand, have been spoiled by their owners who treat them like a child instead of an animal. Neglect and abuse can really hurt a dog that would otherwise be well behaved.
But puppies are ill-behaved by nature. Housebreaking a puppy can almost convince a person not to get a dog in the first place. Sophie will be a good dog someday, but right now she's rambunctious, over-eager and incontinent. We're gradually breaking her of bad inclinations but it's not pleasant work – it's a lot like parenting – constant, diligent, training and behavior modification.
2 comments:
You are soooo right!!!! This puppy business is just madness. I guess we just deal with it now and wait for them to grow up so we can dominate (said in my best Cesar voice)
Jared,
It will get better!! My labrador puppy is about to turn 2 years old, and lab's are notorious for staying puppies for a long time. She has gotten better month by month and now she minds her manners very well. You just need to make sure that you establish dominance from the beginning and that includes your boys. After she understands that the rest is downhill.
Chad
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