blue cape
Friday, December 31, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Brave New World
Recently, the decision was made to stop neutering or spaying dogs until they come in for training. The reasoning behind this is good; it leaves the Breeding Department with all their options open.
However, the thought of living with intact dogs has raised more than a few questions and concerns. Let’s look at a few of the best sellers:
1.) My male dog is lifting his leg when relieving. What should I do? First of all, let’s define our terms. “Lifting his leg” means just that, the dog cocking a rear leg when urinating. “Marking” means the dog urinates against a vertical surface. Marking is the behavior we do not want male dogs doing. If the dog is urinating on flat ground and cocks a rear leg in the air, that’s not a problem. Prevent the dog from urinating on vertical surfaces from Day One and you will be fine.
2.) How do I get my male dog to empty his bladder all at once and not pee here, there and everywhere? That’s simple: just squeeze him really hard. No, no, no, I’m kidding, KIDDING!! Don’t squeeze your dog. This behavior is hard-wired, instinctual behavior. There is no way to force or train the dog to empty his bladder all at once.
3.) Should I try to stop my male dog from sniffing all over the place during busy time? Again, this is instinctual behavior for all dogs. During a relief opportunity, sniff away! And while we are on the subject: Here’s what everyone (male and female dogs) should do during “busy” time. Take your dog to the relief location. Tell the dog, Busy Busy and then stand still. Let the dog walk around you, but don’t move. This is how students relieve their dogs. It isn’t safe for them to wander around a relief area, so they stand still and let the dog walk around them.
5.) My female dog has gone into heat. What should I do? Puppy protocol says that any dog that lives within 3 hours of the school should be brought in and boarded at the school for the duration of the heat cycle. Dogs that live too far away to come in for boarding are confined to quarters for three weeks. This means that the dog is prohibited from going anywhere except outside for relief or exercise. No socialization trips, no puppy classes. The dog must be on leash every time the dog is outside. This includes your fenced back yard.
A side note to females in heat: most females get their first heat cycle anywhere between 6 to 10 months of age. It’s impossible to predict exactly when it will start, but you can keep an eye out for some hints. Is the dog suddenly REALLY popular at puppy classes? Has she had a change of personality (a sweet dog suddenly becomes a little snappish)? Does she have a case of the stupids (“sit”? I’ve never heard of this “sit”)? Any or all of this might be your first indication of an oncoming heat cycle. Start using a white paper towel and do a “spot check.” At the first sign of spotting, consider that the first day of heat and notify your Area Coordinator.
One last thought on intact male dogs. Don’t be surprised if your 6 to 7 month old puppy starts to suddenly show dominant behaviors towards other dogs in your house. These behaviors can include mounting, standing over the other dog, placing one or both feet on the other dog’s shoulders, becoming rougher when playing or even growling. This is the puppy’s attempt to re-establish himself in the pecking order, now that Mr. Testosterone has made a visit. I think that, up to a point, dogs should be allowed to figure out the ranking of their group on their own. However, you must keep a close watch on them to insure that none of the behaviors get out of control. Mounting, growling and barking at other dogs are absolutely forbidden. Rough play, especially with excessive mouthing and biting is not allowed. And make sure that your new stud is not picking on or bullying an older or softer dog. If any of these undesirable behaviors appear, put a leash and collar on the dog and correct the dog. Don’t allow unleashed interactions until the guide dog puppy can control his behaviors.
There is no question that intact dogs are more challenging. The males combine physical strength with very strong instincts to mark, to mount, to dominate. This will vary from dog to dog, but it is indeed a brave new world for puppy raisers. This makes it doubly important to use proper leash management and enforce all rules from Day One. Get your 20 pound puppy under control so when he is 80 pounds of hormones you don’t have a monster on your hands.
However, the thought of living with intact dogs has raised more than a few questions and concerns. Let’s look at a few of the best sellers:
1.) My male dog is lifting his leg when relieving. What should I do? First of all, let’s define our terms. “Lifting his leg” means just that, the dog cocking a rear leg when urinating. “Marking” means the dog urinates against a vertical surface. Marking is the behavior we do not want male dogs doing. If the dog is urinating on flat ground and cocks a rear leg in the air, that’s not a problem. Prevent the dog from urinating on vertical surfaces from Day One and you will be fine.
2.) How do I get my male dog to empty his bladder all at once and not pee here, there and everywhere? That’s simple: just squeeze him really hard. No, no, no, I’m kidding, KIDDING!! Don’t squeeze your dog. This behavior is hard-wired, instinctual behavior. There is no way to force or train the dog to empty his bladder all at once.
3.) Should I try to stop my male dog from sniffing all over the place during busy time? Again, this is instinctual behavior for all dogs. During a relief opportunity, sniff away! And while we are on the subject: Here’s what everyone (male and female dogs) should do during “busy” time. Take your dog to the relief location. Tell the dog, Busy Busy and then stand still. Let the dog walk around you, but don’t move. This is how students relieve their dogs. It isn’t safe for them to wander around a relief area, so they stand still and let the dog walk around them.
5.) My female dog has gone into heat. What should I do? Puppy protocol says that any dog that lives within 3 hours of the school should be brought in and boarded at the school for the duration of the heat cycle. Dogs that live too far away to come in for boarding are confined to quarters for three weeks. This means that the dog is prohibited from going anywhere except outside for relief or exercise. No socialization trips, no puppy classes. The dog must be on leash every time the dog is outside. This includes your fenced back yard.
A side note to females in heat: most females get their first heat cycle anywhere between 6 to 10 months of age. It’s impossible to predict exactly when it will start, but you can keep an eye out for some hints. Is the dog suddenly REALLY popular at puppy classes? Has she had a change of personality (a sweet dog suddenly becomes a little snappish)? Does she have a case of the stupids (“sit”? I’ve never heard of this “sit”)? Any or all of this might be your first indication of an oncoming heat cycle. Start using a white paper towel and do a “spot check.” At the first sign of spotting, consider that the first day of heat and notify your Area Coordinator.
One last thought on intact male dogs. Don’t be surprised if your 6 to 7 month old puppy starts to suddenly show dominant behaviors towards other dogs in your house. These behaviors can include mounting, standing over the other dog, placing one or both feet on the other dog’s shoulders, becoming rougher when playing or even growling. This is the puppy’s attempt to re-establish himself in the pecking order, now that Mr. Testosterone has made a visit. I think that, up to a point, dogs should be allowed to figure out the ranking of their group on their own. However, you must keep a close watch on them to insure that none of the behaviors get out of control. Mounting, growling and barking at other dogs are absolutely forbidden. Rough play, especially with excessive mouthing and biting is not allowed. And make sure that your new stud is not picking on or bullying an older or softer dog. If any of these undesirable behaviors appear, put a leash and collar on the dog and correct the dog. Don’t allow unleashed interactions until the guide dog puppy can control his behaviors.
There is no question that intact dogs are more challenging. The males combine physical strength with very strong instincts to mark, to mount, to dominate. This will vary from dog to dog, but it is indeed a brave new world for puppy raisers. This makes it doubly important to use proper leash management and enforce all rules from Day One. Get your 20 pound puppy under control so when he is 80 pounds of hormones you don’t have a monster on your hands.
Monday, December 13, 2010
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