I am often asked, (actually, “criticized” and “punished” might be more accurate terms): 1. Why are most of my seminars, articles, books and DVDs not Focus on raising and training puppies rather than training adult dogs? and 2. Why am I promoting (which I do not recommend) buying purebred puppies from breeders instead of adopting adult crossbreeds from shelters?
1. Why Puppies? Basically, because each The adult dog was once a puppy. More specific, each Adolescent/adult dog with unresolved behavior, temperament, or training issues that was once a real puppy begging to be educated to learn how to live with people without upsetting them or uncomfortable. More than that, all shelter dogs waiting for a second home used to be puppies, most of them got their first home but for some reason it didn’t work out.
My focus has always been prevent completely predictable behavior, training and temperament problems transparent childhood, so juvenile/adult dogs do not develop problems and are Not Surrender shelter and rescue. Prevention is quick, easy, extremely effective, and often, a lot of fun, while rehabilitation can be complicated, time-consuming, and not always effective.
From a personal perspective, back when I was teaching nine puppy classes a week, I felt so happy that in any given month I got 80–100 families and their puppies off to a good start. direction, or very quickly back on track. . Off-leash puppy classes are a great temperament test to identify early issues of fear and aggression and then, coax them from an early age. Even Week One, it’s easy to identify puppies that are likely to become fearful of other dogs or people and are no doubt locked up when visited and never taken. they go for a walk or go to the park. Likewise, juvenile/adult biters stand out as sore thumbs, as do their potential victims, such as children, men, and/or strangers. All of these adult dog problems were easily prevented in the puppy classroom.
On the other hand, I could spend over 36 of those hours of instruction per month working with just a few extremely fearful and/or dangerous adult dogs (Level 4+).
Behavior and training issues can be solved at any time in a dog’s life (it’s just quicker and easier during puppyhood) but from a practical standpoint, problems of characterization gas need to is prevented during the puppy period because for fearful and aggressive adult dogs, the prognosis is both protracted and protective. I would rather work with families to prevent predictable problems in puppies, than try to change the temperaments of a few adult dogs. Yes, this is doable but it takes a considerable amount of time – and the time investment would not be necessary if only we (the dog owners) did a better job with puppies. Confidence is the Best Gift that gives a puppy a quality life as an adult.
2. Buying a purebred puppy versus adopting an adult mixed breed dog:
For the past 10 years I have lived with 10 dogs – 4 bought as puppies (all purebred) and 6 rescued or adopted (only one purebred).
I would never recommend buying a puppy from a breeder instead of getting an adult or a puppy, mixed breed or purebred from shelter/rescue, or vice versa. Instead, I talk about: 1. Pros and cons of owning a puppy versus an adult dog and the pros and cons of keeping a purebred versus a crossbreed or crossbreed, 2 . Best way to educate prospective owners to find and choose the most suitable item and 3. Best way to raise and train their new companion i.e. by ordering items in a puppy/adult education program about urgency and importance.
Why am I speaking/writing about purebred eugenics? Since all hybrids and mixed breeds inherit their genes from purebred dogs, the eugenics of purebred dogs is a huge issue affecting longevity, health and quality. life all dogs (purebred, hybrid and hybrid) and their companions. This is why I spent the first part of my career educating breeders and now, I am doing my best to reach potential puppy buyers, to let them know that they have a choice – a huge choice – a choice that will affect their quality of life for a decade or so. For more information check out my two latest articles in Dog owner training and behavior program in the Free Course Collection at DunbarAcademy.com – “Eugenics or Dysgenics?” and “Law Lifespan Index”.
Over the past 45 years, I have worked with a large number of shelters around the world and, therefore, with many shelter dogs. In the early 80s I founded the SFSPCA Department of Animal Behavior and in the 00s I acted as a Science Advisor when Kelly founded and designed Open Paw – one applied Shelter Dog Training and Behavior Program. We have come up with a series of special convenience techniques to train adult dogs and adult dogs OTT, OOC (Over-the-top, Out-of-control) that have been bribed or “beaten” ” to learn to be helpless. If you are interested in my views on what still needs to be done in shelters/rescue camps, check it out for free. Dog shelter behavior and training program.
Basically, the active education of promising Community puppy/dog owners are Key to Success and training a large group of shelter volunteers is the first step. To be a dog than Adoptable during their stay, (friendly and confident with people, especially including children and men, and other dogs), People: Small percentage of dogs in a shelter should be equal at best but preferably more people than dogs. Obviously, a staff of this caliber wouldn’t be feasible, otherwise the majority of donations would have to go to salaries (and real estate). Instead, an army of trained volunteers is the solution.
However, volunteering to train resident dogs is just the beginning. Much more important, “training dogs” to become teachers, educating volunteers. In a sense, the shelter becomes the School for Dog Trainers, in which volunteers receive a wealth of hands-on dog training experience. Volunteers are now better skilled at effectively training their own dogs and spreading the word (and free educational materials) in the community to family, friends, and neighbors who have dogs. .
I analyzed data from multiple input/output shelters: 1. Quantifying reasons for surrender and straying and educating the community to best reduce numbers coming to their shelters and 2. Training train resident shelter animals to make adoption easier to increase the number of successful adoptions* i.e.* follow-up the next day, week, month and then three months, six months and a year to check that the new owners are still satisfied with their adopted dog. (Volunteers again!) Paw breeder shelters excel at educating the doggy community and making animals easier to keep. However, all shelters and rescues can do so much more in terms of education promising puppy/dog owners (both buyers and adopters), so they know how to make an educated choice.
First, educate all existing dog owners in the community. With a huge Newsletter email list and a snail mailing list used to solicit donations, the shelter and periodic rescue is well established to educate the indebted community take a look prevent and address common behavior problems, for example, problems that might lead to a dog’s surrender, or provide a reason not to walk the dog or other family members when moving or causing owners to give up. The house does not accept dogs. For example, there’s nothing wrong with mousetrap training and tough training and how to reduce barking to prevent dogs from being evicted into the backyard or basement. All information is currently provided free of charge, we just need to disseminate. For example, two free, downloadable e-books“BEFORE You Get Your Puppy” and “After You Get Your Puppy” are a good start but beyond that, any shelter, trainer, veterinarian, pet store retailer, breeders or dog owners can use any of my articles, blogs or posts for educational/promotional purposes as long as they cite the author (that’s me) and publish, eg: DogStarDaily.com
Some current dog owners may receive a new puppy in the future, or more likely, will know a family member, friend, neighbor or acquaintance who is thinking of a new puppy. adoption and future, puppy/puppy buyers or adopters will know they have a choice. Potential puppy buyers especially need to know, they have a choice:
Or they can get a puppy that’s been rigorously trained, tough-trained, behavior-trained, socialized, and capable of living to adulthood,
Or, they may purchase a puppy that is untrained or tough, lacks any basic manners, is likely to become fearful as it gets older, and is incapable of living to enjoy its years. its twilight month.
