Baby Steps

By Gillian Ridgeway

There is a principle to getting things done, commonly known as "baby steps". This is the act of breaking down what appears to be a large task into smaller, do-able steps. We often use this mindset in our daily lives - at first the idea of remodeling a bathroom seems overwhelming, but once you decide on a plan and single each job out from the other, the whole idea becomes more appealing.

We can, and should, apply the baby steps theory to the raising and training of our dogs, in particular, our puppies. The first thing to do is decide what your goal will be. What do you see yourself doing with your dog? Do you see yourself hiking in the woods, playing dog sports, competing in obedience and perhaps becoming a therapy dog?

Once you have decided on your overall goals, figure out the steps it will take to get there. If you have a new puppy, one of the first steps will be to housetrain your new addition. While this might not seem part of your bigger picture - take another look. Your dog will need to be taught that eliminating outdoors is the best thing he has ever done. Even if you are considering using an indoor toilet pad, he will still need to learn how the system works. This is one job that needs to get done as soon as you can, then you can move forward. You might want to set up some household manners, or etiquette, goals at the same time. Decide on what they are (not sitting and staring at the family while they are eating, no jumping onto the furniture unless invited), then set out to make a plan. If you don't want your dog sitting and staring at the family during dinner, teach him to lie down, then to stay, then to stay in a certain place outside the dining room. Teaching him to down/stay doesn't seem as hard to accomplish as teaching your dog to stay away while you are eating.

Teaching your dog behaviors and activities is one of the most rewarding and fun-filled things you do with your dog. If you have your eye on your dog doing dog sports in the future, put on your thinking cap now. Young puppies should not be formally jumping over jumps or weaving in and out of a lot of weave poles, but there are some fun activities you can do to prepare for these future tasks. Once you have the approval of your vet, consider getting your pup onto different surfaces. Instead of walking him down the street to the local dog park, get him into some woods for a nice hike. I live very close to a lake with a sandy, pebbled beach. I love to see my dogs ambling over the rocks and see that it helps to establish confidence on different surfaces – much needed skill for agility.

Teaching your puppy basic obedience can present other issues. One of the main issues is the over-training of youngsters, thinking that the more you do; the better they will become. It is common for trainers to see adolescent dogs who appear "flat" or un-motivated. They might do as they are told, but they don't do it in a very enthusiastic manner. This is usually the result of heavy-handed training (a "do it or else" style), or can be the result of repetitious training. For instance, teaching your dog to come when called can be accomplished in a variety of ways, all adding to the success of getting the task accomplished. You can leave your dog to stay and call him to come in your living room. You can call him to come for his dinner. You can call him to come from outside and when he comes in you can toss a handful of kibble into the air - there is nothing like the sound of kibble hitting the tile floor to make a dog scamper in faster. You can vary your pup's reward – sometimes he gets his favourite treat while other times he gets his favourite toy or a good ole' belly rub. Sometimes you can ask him to sit and other times - jump up and down in excitement when he gets to you. All of this will keep him motivated. Making your dog stay and calling him to come sit in front of you, and worse, telling him he didn't sit close enough when he does come, will contribute to a very un-motivated dog later on in life. Plus, it is so much more fun for parents to make the exercises upbeat.

It is important to do a bit of training on a daily basis but it is equally important to know when to call it quits. Sometimes, when a training session is going well, we lengthen the session. With too much time on the same exercise, your dog can become stressed. Thus, his attention span is weakened and he begins to make errors. As typical humans, our frustration level rises, especially when we have tasted success only minutes earlier, and the old line "but he knows it" comes out of our mouths. The scene then resorts to upset puppy owners and stressed puppies and no one comes out the winner. Keeping your sessions short and ending while everyone is still enjoying the game is a big key to future success. If you have a dog who loves the game of training you have an eager participant who will want to learn new and challenging skills.

Get yourself and your dog on the right path. Get some help with obedience by signing up for a class and get started. Keep a journal of your training accomplishments and your goals, both big and small. Set time frames for what you want to accomplish – this way, you have something to work towards.

Setting goals and limits will help you get the dog you want. Remember - goals are not set in stone and can be adjusted and revised as new information is learned or glitches in the plan steer you off course. Limits will help you to overcome the urge to over-train your young pup. After all, what is the hurry? Take baby steps and enjoy the whole process with your dog. Enjoy each day and you'll both get closer to the goals you desire.

Gillian Ridgeway, AHT, has worked with dogs for over 35 years. She is director of Who’s Walking Who in Toronto and Ajax. A consultant for Dogs, Dogs, Dogs!, Gillian also writes for Dogs in Canada. She has appeared on Dogs in Canada TV, Global television, Q107 radio and in Toronto Life, and is co-author of the book, “Citizen Canine.” She travels with the Iams SuperDogs Performance team and teaches learning theory at University of Toronto. Gillian can be contacted at 416-465-3626; www.whoswalkingwho.net