Adventures in reading (puppy edition)
The best (and worst) books we read when preparing for Bishop and how well it’s worked for us in the three months since
At first when Ryan suggested he might want to get a dog, I didn’t take him too seriously. Sure sure, I thought, just wait until you realize all the logistics you’re going to have to coordinate, then let’s talk.
But not a week later I walk into our kitchen to Ryan cooking dinner with headphones on (a pretty typical occurrence — both the cooking and the headphones). “Whatcha readin’?” I asked, assuming the answer would be his typical CIA crime drama about a guy who lost his identity and is being chased by the country who abandoned him and must fight for his life. “A puppy book” he casually replies….. Okay what?
So the idea of getting a dog stuck. And not just in a dream kind of way. But in a “let’s get down to the logistics of it” reality kind of way. And part of that was the research. I wrote a little in February about how we picked Bishop, and a lot of that decision making came from what we’d read while preparing for a new puppy. So here goes!
Favorites
Our two favorite books by far were Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog by Ian Dunbar and The Dog Training Revolution: The Complete Guide to Raising the Perfect Pet with Love by Zak George.
Ryan and I both loved the positive training approach and found the research Zak cited throughout his book to be both refreshing and realistic. (As both books admit, there is no credential system for dog trainers, and most training work is done via gut instinct, personal preference, or age old ideas about how to train a dog, not scientific studies). Both books stress positive reinforcement, training with treats, and practice, practice, practice. We audio-booked both (and downloaded the kindle versions for reference to pictures) and especially loved the dry humor of Ian Dunbar. I definitely laughed out loud a few times.
Some of our favorite take aways:
Socialization of young pups is the single biggest indicator of future personality and life longevity. If puppies aren’t socialized to people, sounds, different environments, and other pups (throughout the first 6–12 months of their life) they are statistically more likely to be returned to animal shelters and eventually killed. Not only do you want to find with a breeder who works with their pups on these things at the appropriate times, but once you bring your dog home, it’s important to continue working on these skills. A dogs first year with you should include introducing them to new sounds (vacuum cleaners, door bells, etc), people (especially men), other dogs (give them a chance to play with other pups big and small to learn bite inhibition) and situations (cars, bikes, construction, being alone, blow dryers, you name it.) Two months in and Bishop’s biggest problem is that he wants to play with every dog he sees on the street and every house hold cleaning item we take out (the vacuum, broom, and swiffer each provide equal opportunity play time).
Boredom is dangerous. And not necessarily dangerous in that your pup will bite you (though an untrained dog might) but more in that they will eat all your shoes, pee on your floor, and just be an all around nuisance. You can combat this my making your dog work for their food (possibly by feeding them through a kong toy, where their food is released to them over time throughout the day via their hard work) but also with proper play time, walking, and training. Dogs have been bred to be social and look for human attention. If you’re leaving a dog home alone all day, consider a dog walker, day care, or bringing them with you to work a few days a week. If you had to sit around all day all the time, wouldn’t you find yourself in a bit of mischief if only out of boredom?
Training just comes down to consistency. If you are willing to work with your dog for five minutes a day 2–5 times a day on basic skills, and keep introducing new skills once those old skills are well established, after a year you will have an amazing companion. But if you stop with “sit”, you’re in for a lot of problems. Pups should be taught how to be touched and handled by people of all shapes and sizes, not to bite no matter the scare they might be experiencing, how to walk nicely on leash, how to return to you on command, and so much more. But it takes time and effort. Like anything else in life, what you put into training, you’ll get back 10 fold with a happy, healthy, well trained companion for life.
Other books
I also learned a lot from There’s a Puppy in the House: surviving the first five months — there were tons of images for working through specific commands, and a great timeline for what you should be trying to accomplish each of the first few weeks you have them in the house. However, I thought a few of the tips were outdated so take it with a grain of salt.
The final book we read was How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With by David Neil. I honestly don’t remember much of what was in there, so I think that says a lot all on its own.
Your recommendations
I know that there are more books out there, and as we’re only a couple months into this whole “raising a puppy thing” we have lots to learn. Dog moms and dads any advice for…
- leash pulling — half the time he’s an angel, walking gently along beside me. The other half he’s a demon child, dragging my practically lifeless body along behind him. Our biggest problem is leaves — let a slight wind blow and a leaf cross his path and the little guy is a total goner. We’ve spent a good amount of time on walks with him using treats to reward good behavior, and the gentle leader has been a life saver, but when that wind comes in, poof, he’s a pup possessed! Lunging after the leaf with all he can muster. SEND HELP!
- barking — specifically, at noises outside the front door. We live in an apartment building near the stairwell and every time someone exists or enters the hall from the stairs he goes nutso. But also, he’s just a vocal dude and has opinions sometimes. What do you do to help keep your pup from barking at the world?
What were some of your favorite books? Any tips for dealing with anxious pups? Send your recommendations my way!
❤,
samantha
