FEEDING TIME In a household it is very important that everyone else has eaten before the dog is fed. Remember leaders always feed first. This instils in the dogs mind that you are its leader, it is your food, and you are simply sharing it with your dog. Points to remember when feeding. Be consistent and stick to a set feeding time. Make your dog sits and ensure it is relaxed before you give it the go ahead to eat its food, (never reward excitable behaviour). Never feed your dog in the same room where you and your family eat. If you normally eat in the kitchen feed your dog outside in the garage or yard. It helps sometimes if you move your dogs bowl to different positions in these areas; this prevents your dog becoming territorial. To help prevent your dog becoming dominant whilst eating, place your hand in the bowl or remove the bowl from your dog and make it sit. Return the food when your dog becomes relaxed. This instils in the dog’s mind that you are its leader, it is your food, and you are simply sharing it with your dog. DAILY GROOMING When grooming your dog place it on a table and make it sit to give you more control, this is also an excellent time to check the pads on its feet, and between its toes. Also check its’ ears, eyes and mouth. All this will help to humanise your dog whilst being handled. Grooming is an important part of the hygiene and emotional wellbeing of your pet. It helps create a bond between you and your dog because of the physical touching and interaction. In the wild, wolves and other canines groom each other as part of the social interaction of the pack or family group. By cleaning and brushing your dog you are exercising control over it in a positive way whilst reinforcing your position within the pack hierarchy. WHERE TO SIT & SLEEP Allowing your dog to sit or sleep on the furniture is bad practice. Dogs are very conscious of hierarchy and will attempt to find their own place if you do not do it for them. It is important your dog understands that it’s at the bottom of the pack. By creating these differences the dog will have greater respect for you. The dominant canine in a pack will always choose the safest and warmest place to sit and sleep, generally in a more elevated position from the rest of the pack. If a dog sits / sleeps at the same height as you it believes it’s your equal. If you sit on the floor while it remains in possession of the sofa you are effectively its subordinate. This could have disastrous consequences if there is a toddler crawling on the floor and the dog thinks it’s higher in the pack than the baby. If you live in a house with an upstairs Never allow your dog upstairs. BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS If a dog has a behavioural problem it’s because it hasn’t been trained. Before you tackle the behavioural issue you must first establish control and master basic obedience training. Only then can you look at the bigger picture and in many cases you will find the original problem has disappeared. EARLY SOCIALISATION121 Never under estimate the importance of early socialisation for your puppy. Introducing your puppy to lots of different sights and sounds will help him grow into a happy confident adult dog. If you’ve bought your puppy from a reputable breeder he should have already experienced a home environment. Ideally he should be familiar with children, television, radio, vacuum cleaners, hairdryers and other household appliances that make noises such as the washing machine or tumble-dryer using sound therapy. Speak to the breeder to find out about what the puppy has been exposed to before you bring him home. Even before your puppy’s vaccinations are complete there is still a lot you can do to help socialise him. Take him on short car journeys to the vet or supermarket. Puppies should learn to enjoy being handled by different people of all ages in a variety of environments. Research shows that the early months of a puppy’s life are when he is most open to learning. It is important to make the most of this time and introduce him to as many social situations and experiences as possible. Fears and phobias are often created by the reactions of anxious owners, so try to remain relaxed and happy and pass confidence on to the puppy. Furthermore, there is no upper age limit for dog training. The older the dog is the longer training may take and the more patience you may need but to say you can’t teach an old dog new trick’s is a fallacy. In order for both you and your dog to co-exist in a harmonious relationship it is imperative that you enrol yourself and your dog on a dog obedience class with a professional dog trainer. Teach the 3 basic commands Heel, Sit and Come. For successful canine training you need Know-How, Patience, Repetition and Consistency and most importantly a ‘Positive Mental Attitude’ (PMA).