THE “PROBLEM? WHAT PROBLEM?” PROBLEM
Dog trainers, breeders, veterinarians and shelter staff usually have a veritable bounty of useful information to impart to puppy-buyers. Unfortunately, prospective dog owners rarely take heed. When handling cute and cuddly puppies, people seldom acknowledge the timely nature (urgency) and utmost importance of training advice vis a vis appropriate husbandry and especially the prevention of predictable problems. Young pups are often viewed as animated furry toys, rather than the nearly full-size, adolescent dogs, that they will be in just four months time. Future puppy owners just cannot conceive that their bundle of fur could ever pose a problem — a classic example of the Problem? What Problem? problem. Consequently, the onus lies with trainers and other dog professionals to try to get prospective puppy-owners to wise-up pronto! Pet dog trainers have long been aware, that whereas dog training skills are obviously obligatory for teaching classes, the true hallmark of a successful instructor lies with his or her ability to get class members to learn how to train their dog themselves. For effective training and the prevention and treatment of behavioral problems, the principles of psychology must be applied to both ends of the leash.
The Owner's Problem
Some years ago, I had an exasperating encounter with some soon-to-be puppy owners, which made me strongly empathize with the plight of many good breeders and trainers. After being persuaded not to purchase a wolf-hybrid as a first pet, an extremely wealthy Californian couple decided on an Alaskan Malamute. Hardly the perfect starter-dog! But... the couple had learned from a variety of sources that the breed is “universally friendly, easy-going … extremely loyal and intelligent … and devoted, playful on invitation but impressive in its own dignity". Certainly, a worryingly unrepresentative, expurgated, euphemistically self-deceptive, and otherwise short-sighted, rosy-glassed view of the breed's finer qualities. I discussed at length a number of more representative breed characteristics which alluded to: shedding of Olympic proportions, power-pulling-on-leash, lagging-off-leash, unbelievably slow recalls, jumping-up, pawing, yowling, howling, growling, wanton house-destruction and dog-dog and dog-human aggression. Additionally I mentioned many of the breed’s obvious good points— that, if appropriately socialized and trained, a Malamute can be the most loving of dogs with a temperament as solid as a rock. However, it was obvious neither husband nor wife were paying attention. Instead, they persistently fawned my dog, obsequiously complimenting his looks, manners, and noble demeanor. Luckily, my extremely loyal and intelligent Malamute, Omaha Beagle, impressive in his own dignity, fortuitously provided me with an apt solution to this most irksome problem.
After Omaha and I gave a brief but natty obedience demonstration, I instructed Omaha to sit-stay on the front porch, positioned the lady by his right side, had her take a firm grasp of the leash and then said, "Go on, heel him". Now, the lady heard the words "heel him" and ditheringly prepared for action, but Omaha selectively attended to the words "go on" — the equivalent of his sledding command, "Hike! Mush!" Within a malamute moment, Omaha had preempted the lady's lackadaisical languor and was already eight feet away on a six-foot leash. I shouted, "Omaha, Sit!" and then enquired why she let such a large dog get out of control. Previously, I was not paying particular attention to the particular words that I had used in my instructions but after seeing the results, I intentionally played the devil's advocate and once more told her, "Go on, heel him". Omaha rapidly executed the same operative procedure.
Having noticed an immediate improvement in the couple's attitude, I decided another “demonstration” was in order. With Omaha in a stand-stay, I suggested that the husband familiarize himself with methods of “Malamute restraint and reprimand”. This of course is a fictitious procedure that no one in their right mind would, or should, try. I instructed the man to kneel on the floor, firmly grasp Omaha's flews, stare meaningfully into his big, brown eyes and in no uncertain manner, tell him what's what ... whereupon I gave Omaha a handsignal to growl. The man's reaction was dramatic; he jumped backwards as if he had just peed on an electric fence. The couple now regarded me with goggle-eyed, bat-eared, unadulterated attention, while I gave them the benefit of an additional hour of my time... and they hung to every word. I have since used this effective attention-getting ploy many times to encourage owners brain's to return to Planet Earth.
When interviewing likely puppy-buyers, breeders should first ensure that all family members are present, and that everybody is paying attention. On no account should breeders allow people to catch even a glimpse of the pups, until convinced they would make responsible dog owners. Few people have difficulty handling two-month-old Rottweiler pups for example, consequently, little is to be learned from watching potential puppy-buyers go goo-goo over the litter. Instead, breeders must ascertain that soon-to-be owners of puppies that are soon-to-be adult dogs are in fact capable of raising and training, and comfortably controlling, adult dogs. And so, why not establish this from the outset? Usher the visitors into a room on the pretence of meeting the pups' parents, family and friends, i.e., half a dozen or so full-grown Rotties. This is by far the quickest way to get prospective puppy owners to wise-up. Moreover, the procedure enables breeders to quickly determine whether people are likely to be apprehensive and ineffectual, or overbearing and ineffective, such that they may be individually instructed how to groom, handle, examine, and train an adult Rottweiler, preferably using the largest male for demonstration purposes. Hands-on practice sessions by each family member allow the breeder greater confidence and reliability when assessing and vetting prospective owners. Suitable people may then be allowed to view the pups.
The Dog Professional's Problem
Breeders and trainers must be wary of falling into the Problem? What problem? trap themselves. With years of experience, many breeders become experts in breed husbandry and trainers become experts in training. Raising and training dogs becomes second nature, and potential behavior, training and temperament problems seldom are given the opportunity to develop. Consequently, many breeders and trainers just fail to see how other people could possibly experience difficulties when raising a puppy. Pet owners, however, do not have this vast reservoir of experience and expertise and therefore, need all the help they can get.
Novice pet owners are not necessarily stupid or irresponsible but rather, they simply don’t know what to do and the prospect of canine husbandry and training specifically renders them “dog-dim”. Let me give you an example of relative intelligence between different cognitive domains. I consider myself to be reasonably intelligent and blessed with an acceptable proportion of native wit, enabling me to fair reasonably well with everyday activities such as, driving, cooking, home maintenance, dog training and the like, but ... when it comes to installing a new computer program ... I just cannot do it! i.e., although endowed with an obviously functional cerebrum, I still remain specifically “computer-dim”. It is not unusual for people to function extremely intelligently within several cognitive domains, yet to lack common-sense in unfamiliar fields, especially computers (and other gadgets with buttons), car mechanics, relationships with spouses, children and parents and especially, with dogs. Indeed, lots of people require lots and lots of help with dogs.
In addition to wisely selecting and educating prospective owners, breeders would be well advised to extend their sphere of influence over the pups; to ensure that the owners' and the pups' education is continued at least through the dog's adolescence. It is folly to devote so much time and energy to breeding and raising high-quality pups, only to have owners undermine this good foundation work simply through lack of know-how. By regularly monitoring the pups' development and keeping an eye open for utterly predictable, potential and incipient problems, breeders and veterinarians may offer relevant advice at the optimal time, i.e., when it is needed, and hence, when it will be heeded. Even the simplest problems can stymie some owners, in many cases signing the dog's death warrant. In fact, behavior problems are the number one terminal illness for pet dogs — namely: biting, housesoiling, house-destruction, excessive barking and lack of control (hyperactivity, jumping-up and pulling on-leash). Problem behavior is the cardinal reason for surrendering animals to shelters, wherein millions of unwanted dogs are euthanized annually in the United States alone. When owners are not adequately educated by breeders, trainers, veterinarians and other pet professionals, the problem-dogs severely damage the reputation of dogs in general and especially, the reputation of specific breeds.
Breeders and veterinarians should strongly advocate puppy training classes in order to maintain their sphere of influence over their puppies. Puppy classes focus on bite inhibition, socialization, handling, behavior modification and temperament training in addition to teaching basic manners — settle down and shush, to sit (and not jump-up) when greeting people and not to pull-on leash.
A growing number of breeders stipulate mandatory enrollment in off-leash puppy socialization and training classes as a clause in the pup's sales contract. Similarly, a number of veterinarians (albeit a small number) insist, during the puppy’s first visit at weight weeks of age, that the owner enroll in puppy class. That’s the way it should be.
This article was based on Dr. Dunbar's monthly Behavior column in the January 1989 issue of the American Kennel Gazette. Reprinted with permission of the author and The American Kennel Club.
