From: crs@beta.lanl.gov (Charlie Sorsby)
Subject: Re: Ankle-biting puppy question
Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 15:17:02 GMT

Just a clarification:

In article <15204@drutx.ATT.COM> mlhb@mammoth.dr.att.com (54626-BonhamM(DR2020)214) writes:
= Mouthing is normal behavior, but should not be tolerated.  (See my previous
= post).  Yes, you should punish and try to stop him.

Judging by the rest of Margaret's article, I suspect that "punish"
may not be the word that she meant to use here--at least not in the
sense that it is often used.  How about "correct him" instead?

= Training for a puppy should begin the moment you get him.
[...]

I agree with Margaret and would simply like to add some detail to
(my interpretation) of what she said about puppies of this age
(6 weeks) being immature.  From about this age through adulthood,
there is no magic age at which the dog suddenly becomes "trainable."
It is a gradual transition.

The first thing that you should remember is that, at this age, the
pup's attention span is measured in seconds and probably not too
many seconds at that (the specific number will, of course, vary
with the specific pup).  So you can't and shouldn't try to train a
young pup as you would an older one or a mature dog.

Use *gentle* corrections--thus my concern over the earlier use of
the word "punish"--when corrections are needed.  In a sense you are
more showing the pup what it *may* do than punishing it for what it
does.  Use positive reinforcement.  But do begin to teach it the
meaning of one of the most important commands/corrections: "NO!"

The four steps in training, especially at this age are:

	Patience!	Patience!	Patience!	Patience!

Training can begin but keep it *short* and positive--perhaps one
iteration at first--then go play at something that's fun *for the
pup*.  Even the one iteration of training should be approached as a
game.  For example:  While you are playing with the pup, gently
grasp its collar and (again, gently) hold its front end up and
(again gently) push its back end down while saying "Sit."  As soon
as it reaches the desired position (or even a reasonable approximation
of it) say "Good Sit" and then give your release command and return
to playing.  You can, of course, repeat this later but I believe
that at this age anything more than one repetition at a time is
overdoing it.  Several of these one-repetition "sit games" per day
should be OK, though.  If you believe in healthful treats, it would
be appropriate to give one as you say "Good sit" at first but then
gradually phase out the treat and eventually phase out the "Good
sit" reward itself.

As the pup matures, you can, of course, increase the number of
repetitions but not to the extent that he becomes bored or tired of
the "game."  Serious "training" won't begin until later.

My personal belief is that, in addition to its name, "NO!", "Sit,"
and "Here" (or "Come") are the first commands a dog/pup should
learn but I'd be interested in the initial command set that others
prefer.  Oh, yes, a release command--so that he can begin learning
that.  Try giving the release command at the instant he breaks (and
he will at first) the previous command--thus he learns in time that
the release command tells him that he need no longer perform the
previous command.  I have found it difficult to come up with a
release command that is unlikely to come up in normal conversation
(and that I can still remember myself :) so my work-around is to use
a normal word but to pronounce it in a way that I'm unlikely to in
normal conversation.  My present (and, probably, future) release
command is "ALLright" with emphasis on the "all" and de-emphasis of
the "right."  I also would like to hear what others do to decrease
the likelihood of inadvertantly releasing a dog by saying the
release command in normal conversation.

Well, here I go again--this started out to be a short comment.


-- 
Best,

Charlie "Older than dirt" Sorsby				"I'm the NRA!"
	  crs@lanl.gov
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs