How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: A Training Manual for Dog Owners

by Monks of New Skete

I love inseeing. Can you imagine with me how glorious it is to insee, for example, a dog as one passes by. Insee (I don't mean in-spect, which is only a kind of human gymnastic, by means of which one immediately comes out again on the other side of the dog, regarding it merely, so to speak, as a window upon the humanity lying behind it, not that,) — but to let oneself precisely into the dog's very center, the point from which it becomes a dog, the place in it where God, as it were, would have sat down for a moment when the dog was finished, in order to watch it under the influence of its first embarrassments and inspirations and to know that it was good, that nothing was lacking, that it could not have been better made . . . Laugh though you may, dear confidant, if I am to tell you where my all-greatest feeling, my world-feeling, my earthly bliss was to be found, I must confess to you: it was to be found time and again, here and there, in such timeless moments of this divine inseeing. — RAINER MARIA RILKE, New Poems, Translated by J. B. Leishman

J. Allen Boone puts it well in Kinship with All Life when he distinguishes a narrow definition of training from a holistic one: If you would understand this secret, you must first understand the distinction between training an animal and educating one. Trained animals are relatively easy to turn out. All that is required is a book of instructions, a certain amount of bluff and bluster, something to use for threatening and punishing purposes, and of course the animal. Educating an animal, on the other hand, demands keen intelligence, integrity, imagination, and the gentle touch, mentally, vocally, and physically.*

As Stanley Coren's work makes clear, the total measure of a dog's intelligence is composed of three different dimensions: adaptive intelligence, which refers to learning and problem-solving abilities in which dogs adapt to their environment; working and obedience intelligence, the capacity of dogs to respond appropriately to learned commands and to accomplish tasks in the real world; and instinctive intelligence, those aspects of a dog's mental makeup that are genetically passed on from generation to generation.

Understanding Your Dog, by Dr. Michael Fox, and Behavior Problems in Dogs, by William E. Campbell, also contain basic puppy-evaluation tests.

Our experience has been that in the beginning stages of formal obedience training, classes are not as helpful as training your dog yourself or working with a private trainer, since the class setting is inevitably a highly distracting environment.

Dogs learn best when they can focus their attention completely on the trainer, in a quiet, distraction-free environment.

Dogs that beg, jump on their handlers, steal, get up on counters, or in any way display bad behavior in connection with food should be put on a program of regular obedience training (with emphasis on the down-stay), a strict schedule that limits their freedom (e.g., alternating between periods with the owner, in the crate, in an outdoor pen, and back with the owner again), and set-up situations that allow the dog to "win" by earning warm praise and perhaps a treat.

When divorced from training, corrections are harmful because they do not give the dog an understanding of what you want him to do.

Any time your dog is on leash, a verbal correction should usually accompany a leash correction.

never use your dog's name during a correction, never call a dog to you to discipline her, and never use an object of any kind to discipline your dog.

After you discipline your dog for a serious offense, remain passive for at least half an hour, not speaking to the dog and avoiding eye contact.

On the label, look for the seal of the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which guarantees content and proportion. Any kibble you feed a young adult of moderate activity should contain at least 22 percent protein, preferably more.

Meat should not constitute more than 25 percent of the dog's diet. The American tendency is to go overboard on meat.

Unrestricted feeding, the practice of letting the dog determine how much she eats and at what times, is problematic.

By allowing your dog to feed herself, you take away the emotional bonding that arises from feeding your dog, which is an intimate daily contact that we believe is important. Instead, feed your dog at the same time every day.

Our experience is that they benefit from daily supplements of live-cultured yogurt (with acidophilus) or acidophilus powder, which helps restore intestinal flora; enzymatic supplements; and additional protein supplements of meat. A hard-boiled egg could be given several times a week in place of the meat.

Every adult dog should have access to cool, clean water at frequent intervals, but keep water off-limits to dogs for at least thirty minutes before and after exercising.

If a pup or older dog spends time outdoors in the sun, he should have all the water he needs.

Water should not be allowed at night, especially if you are house-training a young puppy.

You can also substitute a few pieces of washed, raw vegetables such as carrot sticks or green beans, which are not fattening and which dogs love to crunch.

We strongly advise against treats at the dinner table; however, do not banish your dog from the room when eating. Teach the dog the down and down-stay first so he can be included in the experience. During meals your pet should lie off to the side or somewhere visible in the dining room. Keep the dog out from under the table and never let the pet sit at the table. It is not a "torture" for the dog to watch his owners eat — it is a pleasure to be present.

If you are dealing with an older dog, you can desensitize him to nail clipping much more gradually. Sit on the floor with him and gently take his paw in your hand and lightly massage the toes. When he allows you to do this without pulling his paw back, praise him warmly and give him a treat. Practice this for several consecutive days. Next, begin applying light pressure to a nail by tapping it lightly with your index finger. As the dog allows you to do this, give him a treat. Be prepared to go slow — there's no rush in view of the long-term goal. Once your dog is comfortable having his nails touched, show him the nail clipper, letting him sniff it if he is inquisitive. Gently hold his front paw with your free hand and clip only the very tip of one nail. Praise him warmly and give him a treat. If your dog seems comfortable, trim the remaining nails on the paw in the same way, rewarding him after each clip. Conclude the session once the initial foot is finished. Do the remaining paws over the next several days in a similar fashion. Usually this approach can condition a dog to the nail-trimming procedure in a short while, then all of the nails can be done in one session. The key is to remember always to praise and treat, and to take off just the tips.

We are not fans of "the Saint Francis syndrome," the notion that some people simply have a way with dogs while others, no matter how hard they try, will never be able to learn.

The owner assumes a position of informed responsibility for the relationship and views training from the perspective of communication, how best to help the dog understand.

When applied to training our dogs, obedience involves as much our listening to the dog in order to discern what is needed as it does the dog's responding to our commands.

No matter where they live, smart dog owners avoid the temptation to blame the locale for their dog's problems and behavioral quirks.

One of the most obvious problems is providing your dog with a balanced amount of exercise every day. If you are in the city and own a dog, you need to commit yourself to a program of two, and preferably three, exercise outings each day.

The length of the walk depends on the breed. These walks should entail more than simply time outdoors for the dog to eliminate. They must be exercise outings in which the dog is walked at length or allowed to run.

One of the most important skills you can teach a city dog is to fetch.

A fetch session should be on the daily agenda of every city dog; however, make sure to use a long rope or nylon line that can trail behind your dog as she runs after her "prey." This ensures that you are always in a position to enforce your dog's recall should she start playing "catch me" games with you. Bring the rope with you in a canvas shoulder bag along with something to fetch. Frisbees, sticks, or a deflated football are objects that can be located more easily than a regular ball after a throw.

While we vigorously support the idea of dog walking, we recommend that the number of dogs being walked at any one time not exceed four, unless a larger number are from the same household and have been trained properly.

There is no shame in walking your dog on leash.

Generally, we do not expect a dog to be capable of having full access to the house until he is between a year and a half and two years of age.

When you return, delay feeding the dog for half an hour or longer. If you return from work at 5:30 and feed the dog right away, you are helping condition him to expect food at that time. Then he is frustrated whenever you are delayed and arrive home later.

Regardless of the environment, the only complete solution to free roving is to somehow contain the dog on one's own property when she is not on leash. The best and most humane way is to bring the dog into the house, where she belongs — regardless of the owner's interpretations to the contrary.

One of the most frequent misjudgments suburbanites make is to think that their dogs get enough exercise in a fenced-in backyard. "But she has the whole backyard to herself during the day," we've heard many an owner complain when we recommend additional exercise. Dogs often sleep or are inactive when owners are away, making periods of walking and exercise important ingredients to the health of your relationship.

Provide a spot for the dog with a small rug, dog bed, or blanket. Food and water are not needed overnight. The best policy is to have the dog lie down, ignore her, and go about preparing for bed.

In general, it is a good idea to keep the dog away from the top of the bed but still in the bedroom. Dog owners who enjoy a long good-night scene or ritual bedroom romp are inviting trouble and canceling out the potential benefits that stem from an in-bedroom sleep.

Unless the mother (or increasingly, the house-husband) can accept the full role of being primary caregiver to the dog while the child is younger than twelve years of age, the family should hold off on the decision to get a dog.