“The dog was created especially for children. He is the god of frolic.”
– Henry Ward Beecher
Being the god of frolic can get you into trouble.
A lot of trouble.
I know because I see it every day. A large part of my business is going to a new puppy owner’s home to work with them.
Many of the dogs I work with are under six months old and frolic is in full swing.
The problem is that the humans don’t fully appreciate all the energy and quickly get frustrated when the puppy is constantly chomping on their hands, jumping up and stealing anything that is not cemented down.
The first step for me is to explain that these are NOT behaviors problems. They are normal, natural canine behaviors. I explain this because the first reaction for most people (and trainers) is to switch to PUNISH mode.
NOW – before you reject what I am saying and move on from this highly informative, incredibly entertaining and FREE daily dog behavior seminar in an a blog post, let me make this very clear…..
…..it is normal canine behavior but is also unacceptable behavior that can be changed with some patience and a few ADTM techniques.
What usually happens when a puppy bites is that we actually make it worse. One ADTM certified technique that I have been teaching for years is Forced Relaxation.
Frolic is fun and good but puppies tend to overstimulate and have a hard time calming down. Not to mention that the scruff shakes, alpha roll overs and everything else that is done tends to make the excitable behavior worse.
Anyway, if you’re having a tough time with some of these behaviors and want a little extra help, check out the Good K9 Manner Program. Just yesterday I got an email from Kenneth N. in Grey, GA and he stated:
“5 minutes using the paw shake, jumping was solved. Thanks”
Here’s where to go NEXT:
Best,
Eric