By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:

It’s In My Mouth – So It’s Mine!

You may think it’s yours just because you stole it, so let’s get this straight. Not even the chewed up pieces are yours. Not any part of it is yours just because you buried it in the garden. Or hid it under the bed. That high-heeled shoe in your mouth is not yours no matter how hard you try to convince your favorite person otherwise. The fact that you got bored with the toy sailboat after you smashed it does not mean the young boy in your life will love you when you give it back.

People are very fussy (and possessive) about things they consider to be theirs. But here’s the really weird part. If you totally destroy that big soft squeaky toy you were given, in a day or two you’ll be given a brand new one! A dog’s life can be very complicated.

                                            

And a Word to the Owner:

Look At It This Way — Let’s say you walk into the bathroom and find it has been totally redecorated with bits of toilet paper, what do you do? Your first reaction is to scream at Rufus, who is no doubt looking rather proud of his latest accomplishment.  He cannot understand why you don’t share his pleasure. You are too late for any meaningful punishment, verbal or otherwise. What’s done is done. Remove him – as calmly as you can manage – to a place where he will be safe and out-of-sight while you clean up the mess. His crate (without anger or force) always a good spot. The tone of your first exclamation, “What are you DOING?” upon discovery of the crime was sufficient to let Rufus know he goofed. Remind yourself that shouting at the dog is akin to barking, and excessive barking is not acceptable in people or dogs

While you’re restoring the damage, make note of when and how he got in there. Who left the door open? Who was supposed to be watching him? And how long was Rufus out of sight? This is invariably a puppy trick, and puppies need to be watched and to some extent entertained in order to prevent such naughtiness. All those “Ps” in “PuPPy” stand for the all-important “P” in “Prevention.” Remember, too, that a dog of any age new to your home, must be considered a puppy until he has learned the rules. Puppies are great at testing the waters to be really sure you really, really mean what you say. With an older dog, the learning process is the same only a lot quicker.

Other Crimes

There will be all the other times when Rufus conveniently forgets that what’s yours is not automatically his. If he still has a stolen object in his mouth, or even a portion of it, you need to teach him how to return it. The word you will use to teach him is “Drop it” (said as one word, “droppit”). Some people use “Give it,” but I feel that sounds too much like “Leave it” and the last thing you want is to confuse the poor dog that is only just beginning to learn our language.                

Here’s how to teach Rufus to return whatever is still clamped between a worthy set of jaws: Be sure you have a super treat in one hand. Show it to him, even let him smell it if, for example it’s a bit of cheese or liver. At the same time, extend you other hand, palm up, as you say, “Droppit” and look him right in the eye. You’ll notice that “Leave it” and “Drop it” are not preceded by the dog’s name. You may not get the object placed in your hand, but dropped on the floor in favor of that treat. That’s perfectly okay. Just make him walk forward to collect the treat, while you pick up the stolen goods. (When you get better at all of this, you can have him “Sit” before getting the treat – but one thing at a time.)  AS, not two seconds later, but AS he drops it, say, “Good dog” very calmly.   

One other mistake many pet owners make is to come upon the crime (anything chewed to pieces) after the culprit has long since left the scene, and then seek out the dog and drag him back to show him what a bad dog he was.   That’s a big mistake! Your dog will have completely forgotten having had anything to do with the mess you’re pointing to. Rufus may cringe, or try to slink away, but that’s only a dog’s normal reaction to your angry voice. It is not, as so many would like to believe, a sign of guilty conscience. 

When you and Rufus are playing with his toys, add a game that reinforces the “drop it” command. For example, you toss the toy and usually (dogs never do things always) he’ll bring it back so you can throw it again. When he does, hold out your hand and give him the “droppit” command with a big smile. And this time add a nice, cheerful, friendly, “good dog.” Teaching can be fun and so can learning.  

                            

Until next time,  BE GOOD!

- Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written some 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me! which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award this year.