Serious job ahead for floppy-ears pups
Nine new floppy-eared labrador puppies are about to take their first big step to becoming biosecurity detectors dogs, says the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
From the day a pup is born the bitch will growl or snap to reprimand it. She has no need to hurt it and doesn’t: the noise or quickness of the movement is all it takes. I have yet to see a bitch draw blood, even as the pup gets older and bolder.
As a litter of pups grows, play fights evolve, and inevitably will turn a little more serious. It will usually end with one either shaking the other by the scruff of the neck or standing aggressively over it, looking it in the eye
and growling.
As the pups begin to interact with the other members of the pack they are put in their place by the same methods. There will be a gentle warning growl and if that is not heeded, a snap follows - lightening quick, giving the pup a fright rather than inflicting pain.
It will either scamper off whimpering or roll on its back submissively. Some older dogs are more tolerant than others but it is rare for a pup to be injured in these lessons.
You will never see a dog pick up a stick and give the pup a walloping, so why, therefore, do we do it? Let’s look at how we can use ‘the pack’s way’ to our advantage.
This is a very important lesson for all pups, ideally carried out at about 10-16 weeks of age. If you get an older pup or dog do this lesson after he has settled into his new home and you have made friends with him.
It goes without saying that the older the pup, the bigger the pup, and it can be a tricky lesson to enforce. He will put up a fight, and you will probably get scratched, but this is not his fault and do not punish him; just hold him down the best you can. Straddling him and lightly sitting on him works well for dogs that are bigger.
Gently lay the pup on its side, holding him with one hand over his neck and your other hand holding the flank belly area. Do not use force, just enough pressure to stop him getting up.
The first time you do this the pup will struggle - it will fight being held and try to get away.
Do not hurt it, you are only using enough pressure to stop it getting up; when it realizes it can’t, it will settle. It is vital that it stays there for a couple of minutes, lying flat on its side, totally relaxed.
Don’t talk or praise because you will defeat the purpose; this lesson teaches the pup that you are the alpha member of the pack, the top dog.
When you let the pup up don’t let it run off. Hold it gently at your feet for a minute or two and keep quiet. Because you haven’t hurt it, it isn’t afraid of you, but it does have respect.
I repeat this lesson if a pup is being annoying or disobedient but this time I lean over it, glare it in the eye and say in a rough voice “grrrrrr, listen to me … grrrrr, listen to me”. The growl and words are important, in time you will drop the growl and only use “listen to me”.
I use this to discipline dogs of all ages and I never let the dog up and run off. I hold his collar and keep him at my feet for a minute or two.
• Anna Holland is teaching people dog training, for more information www.annaholland.co.nz, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., ph 07 217 0101
