THE VERSATILE GOLDEN RETRIEVER  -  PART 12

As discussion of an older pup needing to behave more appropriately continues, it may well be worth your time to consider establishing your authority by insisting your pup earn rewards, including your attention.  Too often we fall into the trap of dropping what we are doing whenever our young bundles of fur seek our attention.  After all, how can anyone refuse that darling fluff ball with the sweet expression?  Yet, when the pup becomes 7 or 8 months of age and demands that we pet him or toss a tennis ball, we find ourselves sometimes becoming irritated by the pup’s desire to gain our attention.  Often we fail to recognize that when we give in to such demands, we provide the pup with the upper hand in the hierarchy of our relationship. 

When Stoney was a “wee pup” I would gate him in the computer room with me as I had my morning coffee.  I would have a toy or two for him to play with, and at times I would also offer him something to chew on to relieve his sore gums and satisfy his chewing instincts.  Periodically, I would stop reading or typing for a few minutes to play with him.  Over time he learned to paw at my thigh when he got bored and wanted a bit of attention from me.  As he grew older though, this behavior became irritating, particularly when he got big enough to then climb into my lap with his front feet.  I was the one who created this behavior.  I was the guilty party who taught my young boy that he could demand my attention at will.  Undoing this pesty behavior took consistency and patience on my part, particularly since Stoney resisted this retraining somewhat.  Even when removed from my lap, he would look at me as much as to say “You can’t really mean that?  I am your little angel!” as he attempted to climb back into my lap.  He would turn on his best “But I am so cute!” expression, hoping he would succeed in getting his way.  The tone of my voice and the “force” of the correction used was determined by his reaction to my command.  I had to become creative and find a way to let my pup know just how his behavior was unacceptable to me.  I had to make certain that I truly communicated my objection to him.  Even when he would comply, frequently he would turn on a very sad expression when I would firmly tell him “Off” as he pawed my thigh or climbed into my lap.  He tried every trick in his precious golden toolbox to convince me that he should be allowed to demand my attention.  To this day, there are times when Stoney will test the bounds of this particular behavior.  The fault is mine because I permitted the negative behavior to become an issue in the first place!

Dogs that are obsessed with tennis balls can also become quite demanding.   How often when you finally find time to just sit down for a bit does your Golden bring you a tennis ball and expect you to toss it for him?  Perhaps you don’t mind much of the time, but what about those times that you are engrossed in an interesting part of a TV program?  Giving in whenever your dog decides he wants to retrieve that ball is another instance of allowing your dog to control the situation.  All play in my house is controlled by me.  Granted there are times that I do allow my dogs to initiate such play, but there are also times when it is inconvenient.  To discourage a demand to play, it works best for me to give my dogs a “Down” command rather than just telling them “No”.  (I don’t like to constantly tell my dogs “No”.  I feel that just like with kids, the constant use of that negative word can become meaningless.)  If you tell your pup to down and he ignores your command, then obviously you will need to get up and place the pup in a down.  If you are consistent and insist your pup cooperate, he will soon learn that when you tell him “Down”, you are not willing to play at that given time.  (I do not put my dogs on a stay in such situations.  They are expected to remain in a down for a reasonable time, one long enough to discourage play behavior for now. If you do choose to tell your dog to stay, then remember that you must also release your dog.  If the dog gets up before you do release him, then you must replace the dog in the down for that stay command to have any meaning.)  Again, be consistent.  Don’t let a sad or mournful expression get the best of you!  Yes, our goldens need love, attention, and time to play.  However, if you want a well-behaved canine citizen, it should not always be the dog who demands such attention.

  Playing with a tennis ball also has other “rules” in my household.  Sometimes my dogs will delight in just brining a tennis ball to me while jabbering that they have a marvelous treasure.  Other times though, my crazed boys will proudly bring that furry yellow ball to me and shove it in my face.  If you try to remove the ball to toss it for them, often they will hang on for deal life unless you teach them otherwise.  The rule in my household is that if you want me to toss that ball, then the tennis ball needs to be placed either in my lap or next to me on the couch.  It really is a simple rule to teach to your dogs.  Just point to the area where you want the dog to drop the ball.  Quietly, but firmly tell them “Put it here if you want me to throw it for you.”  Look away from the dog.  Breaking eye contact seems to help them understand the message you are conveying to them.  It takes only a time or two for most goldens to figure out the rules for this game.  My boys will charge after that ball and quickly place it back on the seat after retrieving it, knowing I won’t throw it again until they cooperate.

Dinner hour is frequently another time your Golden will either choose to demand your attention or beg for those wonderful smells wafting from your dinner table.  Early on we teach our young dogs that they must lay down quietly and not pester while we are at the dinner table.  If the dog walks around the table, sniffs at your plate, or turns on that best begging face, he is told to lay down.  Granted, you will need to place most young dogs in a down, since they do not yet know to assume the position with just a verbal command.  Therefore, you must get up from the table and place your pup in a down.  Initially, you may well need to be prepared to get up from the table several times to accomplish this.  (Be prepared to have one or two or more cold dinners!)  But, if you want to succeed in properly teaching what we consider an essential manner in our household, then you must be patient and consistent until the dog develops some understanding.  I do not find the need to tell my dogs to stay in this situation.  They quickly learn that Down means Down until I tell you otherwise.  More explicitly, my dogs have all learned to remain in position until we rise from the table.  This is quite easy to teach a younger pup.  But, with patience and consistency, you can also teach this to an older pup.  And, the importance here is that you are the one in control.  You are the one your dog must look to.  You are the one who sets the rules, not your pup.  You must demand respect and proper behavior from your dog.

  It may also be helpful to designate a specific place for your pup to lay during meal time.  Perhaps that throw rug in front of the sink or stove or in the doorway to the kitchen might be a comfortable place where the pup still feels his is connected to you.  Having a specific area to retreat to may help promote understanding for your dog.  Being the lazy soul that I am, I find it easiest to just place the young pup in a down beside my chair.  (That way, it takes less effort for me to replace the pup if he does choose to get up during initial training.)   However, over time, my dogs all learn to pick a spot where they will rest during dinner.  They snooze comfortably, seeming to forget that we are eating, until those chairs are pushed away from the table, indicating that dinner is over.

There are so many things to consider when molding the perfect canine citizen!  And, I think we all agree that most of us allow certain behaviors to become established that we now prefer to change.

Next month pulling on lead and persistent mouthing will be discussed.

Until next time,

Pat Quinn

Everlore@insightbb.com

Return to Current Column