How to Raise the Perfect Dog Read online

  When your puppy approaches adolescence—from six to ten months of age—he will go through a second chewing phase. His permanent teeth are coming in now, and the urge to chew is powerful. Remember to make the appropriate toys available to your “teenager” at this stage, and provide as much healthy exercise as possible. Often, dogs that don’t teethe at this stage may have dental problems later in life, so make sure you are seeing your vet regularly and reporting on your pup’s teething behavior.

  SUPPERTIME

  One of the most important lessons I have learned from the many fine veterinarians I’ve consulted with over the past few years is that a dog is what he eats. As a naive guy newly arrived from Mexico, I used to blindly accept as true all the extravagant claims and promises made by commercial pet foods in their ads and fancy packaging. Back then, I shopped for whatever seemed the best bargain on the shelves. Today, I feed some of my dogs an organic raw-food diet and I’m intimately involved in creating the recipe for my own Dog Whisperer brand organic dog food. What you feed your dog can affect a dog’s energy level, his digestion, his immunity, even his susceptibility to allergies, ticks, and fleas. In A Member of the Family, I discuss nutrition in more depth, and in Be the Pack Leader, I give a thorough description of my own personal mealtime rituals with the pack. In general, however, I recommend that new puppy owners avoid the supermarket and consult with their veterinarians about the many other choices that are available to them in order to safeguard their puppy’s long-term health. Instead of the big-box commercial puppy foods, look into the select number of excellent natural, organic, prepackaged pet foods created by smaller companies that you won’t see on the shelves of your local supermarket or discount store. Seek out the specialty dog foods at pet supply stores or at natural food stores, and learn how to read the ingredients on pet food labels before you buy.

  The first three ingredients listed on the label are critical, as they account for most of what your dog will be ingesting. Look for animal proteins listed as meat. Limit or avoid those with processed cheap grain products. Immediately reject any products with artificial preservatives, food dyes, and any meat or grain by-products.

  And resist the urge to overfeed a puppy with a bottomless appetite or indulge in too many between-meal treats, as these are habits that may be hard to break once your pup stops growing like a weed and burning those extra calories. Obesity is becoming as serious a problem among America’s dogs as it is among our human population.

  Feeding Chart

  Age Stage Feeding Schedule

  0 to 8 months Puppy 3 times a day

  8 months to 3 years Adolescence 2 times a day

  3 to approx. 8 years Adult Once a day

  Approx. 8 years and up Senior 2 times a day

  MAKING VET VISITS FUN

  If you are raising your new dog from puppyhood, you have the perfect opportunity to ensure that you never have a hard time at the vet’s office or with groomers. Veterinarians are trained medical professionals, but many of them aren’t dog behaviorists. Even if their foundation in dog psychology is sound, they don’t always have the time or energy to make sure your dog is feeling his best while they are focusing on his treatment. It falls to you to prepare your puppy for vet visits and to make the ritual of going to the vet or the groomer an exciting journey filled with fun, positive sensations.

  The approach I used for all the puppies raised for this book—as well as for all the grown dogs under my care—began with getting them used to traveling in cars, from the first day I bring them home. If a puppy is stressed out by a car, he will be ten times more upset by the time you arrive at the vet’s office, so you as the owner must make getting in and out of the car as automatic a response for him as is going in and out of the front door for your daily walks. Going for a ride in a car shouldn’t be a traumatic chore for a dog—it should be a cue that he is about to experience something wonderful. I drive everywhere with my dogs, and they have come to associate a trip in the car with fun, adventure, and togetherness. They don’t know where we’re going when they pile into the back, but they know I will always make it a positive experience.

  If your puppy feels hesitant or anxious about the car, condition him to go in and out of the car when you aren’t going anywhere. Leave the doors open, offer a treat, and play in the car while it’s in the driveway. Once you’ve repeated that exercise enough to make the transition in and out of the car go smoothly, add a ride around the block to get the puppy used to the sensation of movement. Gradually increase the length of these drives. Finally, once you’ve successfully passed these tests, add a destination experience to these practice excursions, but vary it, to expose your puppy to as many new environments as possible. Drive to your friend’s house, your mother-in-law’s, your local library, or your favorite sidewalk café, making sure you are aware and observant of your puppy’s level of immunity and therefore his exposure to other dogs. Let the puppy get out of the car, reward him, then bring him back. An important added benefit of these exercises is that they greatly increase your leadership position in your puppy’s eyes. The more places you go in which you display calm-assertive energy to your puppy, the more your dog recognizes you as the one who can guide him through any experience, no matter where you go.

  However, some owners who succeed in conditioning their puppies to the car create another problem—overexcitement. The puppy gets so hyped up by the idea of a car ride that he can’t calm down, creating chaos that can be anything from a nuisance to a roadway hazard. Overexcitement can show itself as barking, whining, hyperactive movements, or even drooling. Crate training is the most obvious way to temper this problem. Once you have conditioned your puppy to remain calm inside his crate, when you move the crate into the car, they both can come to represent quietness. Follow the same procedure as above, but add the crate, and do not pay attention to your puppy until he is calm and submissive in the crate at all times. Correct him with a “Tssst” or a tap on the top of the crate if his excitement even begins to escalate. Then practice the exercise without the crate, using a safety gate or a doggie seat belt.

  Chris Komives practiced this exercise with four-month-old Eliza when he noticed her developing a drooling problem in the car. “I put her in the car when we weren’t going anywhere, waited until she was calm, and then got out and did it again. We played in the back of the car. It wasn’t long before the drooling stopped.” I am constantly challenging my dogs to stay calm-submissive inside the car, even in the face of stimulating activity happening all around us. The other day, just for fun, I took a carload of puppies with me to share a drive-through car wash experience, to expose them to all the different sights, sounds, and smells. Everybody—Junior, Blizzard, Angel, Mr. President, and a visiting French bulldog named Hardy—stayed quiet and calm through the entire ordeal.

  Once you are certain your puppy is comfortable about accompanying you anytime, anywhere, practice getting him used to your specific vet’s and groomer’s offices. Since sick dogs can be present at either location, don’t practice this part of the exercise until after your puppy is four months old and his immunization schedule is complete. I always recommend getting a dog used to the neighborhood of the vet’s office, parking a block away, and walking—or even Rollerblading—to the office itself. That mimics the experience of migration to a dog, so it makes sense to him when you arrive at your destination. When your puppy is young and still unsure of new places, don’t push him too far. Instead, start with a short walk across the parking lot. Don’t let the puppy pull and sniff the ground, but let him take his time at first. Take a few trips to the vet’s office, just for fun, and ask the office staff or vet techs to provide your puppy with a treat or a fun toy when he arrives. Remember when you were a kid and your doctor had the best lollipops?

  It’s also important that your puppy gets to know the vet, and that the vet practices no touch, no talk, and no eye contact at the very first meeting. Finally, check your own energy when it comes to vet visits. Are you the type of
person who always becomes tense before your own doctor or dentist appointments? Do you find yourself worrying about how your dog will cope with an examination? Unless your energy is calm and assertive, you can’t ensure that your dog will be able to relax either. Your dog will always mirror the energy you share with him. Puppies in particular are absorbing every cue their pack leader sends them about how they should feel and react when they are in strange new environments.

  HOME CARE FOR YOUR DOG

  The next thing you must do in order to ensure serenity during your vet or grooming appointments is to introduce your puppy to all the different ways a professional might examine his face and body. Since all veterinarians recommend that you perform regular home checks on your puppy’s eyes, ears, and mouth and teeth, this is your perfect opportunity to practice this activity. “A puppy’s ears should be checked at least once a week,” says Charlie Rinehimer, VMD. “More often if the dog is a flop-eared breed like a cocker or springer spaniel. Owners should also check their dog’s paw pads after long walks or play sessions on pavement for abrasions and scratches. After walks in the woods or high grass, run a comb through the puppy’s fur to check for fleas and ticks.” Bath time is another good opportunity to make routine health checks on your puppy. “Another misconception that I see is people don’t bathe their dogs regularly, thinking it dries out their skin. Not true! Wash your dog as often as you see fit,” advises Dr. Paula Terifaj. “Clean out the ears. Inspect them for redness, irritations. Look in the mouth—look for redness. Smell—is there any discharge? When you wash the dog, feel for lumps. Lift up your dog’s tail! I know you don’t want to look back there. But you can find things like tapeworms. Starting this with your puppy young will help them get used to it. Get active in your dog’s health care! Don’t just say to your vet, ‘Here’s my dog; take care of it.’ “Becoming proactive in your puppy’s health routine can also save you on vet bills in the long run.

  MR. PRESIDENT’S JOWLS

  The lovable bulldog is a feat of human genetic engineering so extreme that it requires special health care and maintenance throughout its entire life. English bulldogs tend to have respiratory problems because of their flat noses, which also cause them to snore and drool. Their unnatural body shape can cause them to develop joint problems or arthritis. Bulldogs also require regular, almost daily, cleaning between the jowls and the loose folds of skin on their faces, which can become dry and crusty—or even smelly and infected—if they aren’t tended to. It’s vital to start this regular cleaning ritual at an early age, even if the folds are fairly shallow and undeveloped. If you wait until the dog is an adolescent, he can interpret your touching his face as a challenge and may become belligerent and fight back. I’ve rehabilitated many dogs that have had serious issues around being touched on their bodies and their faces, and we’ve covered many such cases on Dog Whisperer. I made sure to start the process of cleaning Mr. President’s folds early in his puppyhood, to lay out the blueprint for stress-free vet and grooming sessions for the rest of his life.

  THE HEALTH CARE RITUAL

  My supplies for this regular ritual are a towel, a little warm water, some cotton swabs, and a cleaning pad with a little alcohol on it, as well as a few tasty treats for rewards and incentives. I begin by putting an organic lavender lotion on my hands. The scent relaxes me, so I can make sure my energy is calm and centered. Always remain peaceful—never rush any kind of grooming or health-related exercise, including bathing. Your dog needs to associate all these experiences with relaxation and he can’t achieve this unless your energy is calm first. I always approach these sessions with my dogs like a prayer or a meditation. Another advantage is that I am teaching Mr. President to associate the scent of lavender with relaxation. The memory of the scent becomes much more influential than my saying, “Calm down” or “Relax.” I want to create an imprint so that I can use that scent in the car or anywhere else that I need help creating a mellow bulldog.

  I do this exercise on a raised table in my garage. After I lift the dog onto the table, I wait until he relaxes before I begin the session. I start with a treat hidden behind the warm-water-soaked towel. I want the scent to get him interested in the towel, but I don’t want the treat so close it creates too much excitement. I want Mr. President to see this as a win-win situation; when he entrusts me with his face, he also gets a treat. Mr. President is one extremely food-motivated dog. However, I don’t want to give too many treats; I want to create such a pleasant association with this process that eventually treats won’t even be necessary.

  Gently, I place my hand under his chin and lift his face up. I’m projecting a serene energy that I want him to mirror. I use this opportunity to put drops in his eyes—bulldogs are also prone to eye irritations and infections, and their eyes must be kept clean and irrigated. He gives me a little protest when he feels the first sensation of the drops—just a little curl of the lip—but I soothe him with a deeptissue massage of his hindquarters. His reaction serves as a good reminder, however—a curl of the lip from a cute bulldog puppy can turn into a growl or a bite from an adolescent or adult bulldog if we don’t build the proper foundation early.

  Next, it’s time for the cleaning pad and alcohol. Since he is naturally going to be repelled by the medicinal smell, I hide a treat behind the pad. This way, the unnatural smell is accompanied by a smell that definitely interests him. It’s a simple trick, to keep him engaged, so he wants to find out more about what I am doing, not shrink away from it. When I give him the treat, however, I always use my clean hand, not the one with alcohol on it, so he doesn’t accidentally ingest any alcohol. Using the cotton swabs, I wash between his folds. Every time I move toward his face, I reinforce the action with the association of a treat.

  At the end of the exercise I clean my hands to remove the alcohol scent, then put some more lavender lotion on to end the ritual in the same way I began it. I give him one last treat, and the fact that he takes food instantly shows me that his mind is not under stress. Finally, I finish with a massage of his whole body and face, so he learns that when I touch his face it can be for pleasant sensations as well. He ends in a relaxed, receptive state—just the way I want him. I lift him back up by his scruff, using my hand to balance his weight, and place him gently back on the ground. The fact that he gravitates right back to me and doesn’t try to run away assures me that he had a positive experience.

  My hygiene ritual with Mr. President should serve as an example of how to make a pleasant interlude out of any of your puppy’s health care and grooming needs. By applying this method, you will prepare him for future handling by other professionals, you’ll be taking a proactive role in his health and hygiene, and you’ll also be strengthening the bond between you, building a lifetime of trust.

  * DHP—3 in 1 vaccine

  † May be considered on a regional basis where these diseases are known to be a true risk

  6

  CONNECTING, COMMUNICATING, AND CONDITIONING

  How Your Dog Learns

  Tug-of-war between Junior and Mr. President

  A mother squirrel and her baby spent all day on a walkway of the UCLA campus, repeating over and over the same apparently fruitless task—trying to get the baby squirrel to jump up and over an approximately four-foot-high wall. Such exercises in life learning are everyday occurrences in the animal world, but this particular incident was captured on videotape by some fascinated university student, who uploaded it onto YouTube, and it received an amazing 500,000 hits! When I saw the short piece, I was happy to learn that it was reaching so many people. To me, this simple amateur video illustrates exactly what I want my readers to take away from this book about how animals learn—and how we can help, not hinder, their natural processes.

  In the video, the mother squirrel is showing the baby squirrel what it looks like to jump to the top of the wall, teaching by example. The mother squirrel seems to have an endless supply of patience as she demonstrates her graceful moves over and over again. The ba
by squirrel finally gets up the gumption to try it a few times himself, but he makes it only partway before falling. At this point, the concerned UCLA students watching this unfolding drama decide to get involved. They move a backpack up against the part of the wall that the squirrel is attempting to scale. At first, the squirrel flees the strange object, but after a few minutes, it returns and figures out that the backpack could make a good ladder. The squirrel climbs up the backpack, but the object isn’t quite high enough to leverage the baby animal to the top. Another student comes on the scene with a couple of large sandbags; stacked together, they are taller than the backpack. Again, the tiny rodent flees the scene. This time, his mother comes down and escorts him back to the wall for another try. She leaps up and waits just above the sandbags. Then, encouraging with silence and energy, she watches her baby climb up the sandbag, make a last heroic hurdle, and finally succeed in scaling that daunting concrete wall.