Lally – Puppy Training Case Study
This Atlanta Dog Trainer Blog talks about the one thing we all love…puppies. We love them because they are so sweet, cuddly, adorable, and they are basically a clean slate for us. With puppies, they simply need guidance to the right path. Some people are lucky where they will housebreak their puppy, and after that, no further issues as the pup ages into adolescence and adulthood. Still, whether there are early signs of behavioral problems or not, it is still extremely beneficial to embark on some puppy training. It not only gets the basics out of the way (eliminating indoor accidents, destructive chewing, jumping, etc), but it can prevent any new problems—mild or severe—from popping up out of nowhere.
Puppies can be easier to handle, but that does mean we should be lax when it comes to the training consistency. Just like any dog of any age, size, breed or temperament, it is imperative that the training is backed by a fully-committed, educated owner. I have had a lot of clients with puppies before, and while they can be simple cases, sometimes they can also be the most difficult!
Take Lally here, for instance. That Beagle face will melt your heart. Her clumsy, ploppy walking, her cute little spotted nose, and those doe eyes! Lally is a sweetheart, but at the same time, she was making some bad decisions. When I first got the call for Lally, her owners John and Lisa wanted to set Lally up for the basic puppy training. Lally was not housebroken yet, did not enjoy walking on the leash, and naturally as a puppy, she had nipping and impulse control problems. Soon after our consultation, John and Lisa started reporting that Lally was beginning to show some guarding and aggression, particularly when it came to her toys, or any object she could get her teeth on! What would occur was that Lally would be playing with her family, and once it was time to drop her toy, Lally would refuse. If John or Lisa tried to take the toy from their puppy’s mouth, Lally then suddenly transformed into a snapping, biting Beagle! Soon Lisa had battlefield scars all over, and the family was worrying that Lally was not going to grow out of this aggressive behavior without some professional help.
Some might see Lally’s case as extreme, but many would be surprised that aggression can commonly arrive in the early stages of puppy life. We could certainly bring the nature vs nurture argument into the picture, pointing to genetics or breed generalizations as playing roles in these strange cases. Either way though, without consistent direction and leadership, the puppy will be confused and will see any decision as a possibility. Even though we might know that the puppy chewing on the owner’s slippers or attacking their owner’s hands when they come near the puppy’s toys is wrong, the puppy will not understand this without us communicating to him/her!
Lally has overcome all of her basic obedience, and in regards to her aggression, we’re taking gradual steps to set Lally up for success and teach her calm, appropriate behavior. Through this training, I instruct John and Lisa to remain as consistent pack leaders — demonstrating patience, follow-through, and a reward-based philosophy. Lally has already shown great improvement with the obedience and aggression training, and as she gets older, we will ensure that she continues forward, with little to no steps back.
If you are thinking about basic obedience for your puppy, or are noticing some problematic behavior patterns with your puppy, give me a call and we can set your puppy up for success and a rewarding transition into adulthood! For questions on my puppy training program, or to immediately schedule a consultation, call 800.649.7297!