Doggone Etiquette—

Do It Now!

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:

You are a good dog, right? You do absolutely everything — well, almost everything — the instant you’re told to do it. But sometimes it’s a tough call, like when you’re told to “leave it” and you are this close to putting your teeth on a piece of cheese that fell on the floor. Or when it took you hours of hard work to rearrange all the cushions on the sofa just the way you liked and then you are told “Off — Now!” You’re not being naughty, just doing something perfectly normal — for a dog, that is. You dogs must often wonder why your VIPeople can’t see life your way when you try hard to see everything their way. I’ll try to explain it to you both. 

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

No matter how much you admire and adore your dog, you and he operate on different wavelengths. Keeping the peace all boils down to what you do, as well as when and how you do it, to get your dog to work with you. We “teach” our kids, but “train” our dogs and maybe that makes a difference. Whatever you call it, Rufus needs to learn — and to accept the fact — that some things that are okay for you to do are definitely off limits for him. You can pick up the fallen cheese, or plump up the cushions, but Rufus may not!

No dog can fully comprehend a long-winded conversation about anything, whether it’s good, bad, or inconsequential. They may make you think they’re hanging on every word, but in reality they are tuning in to your tone of voice, facial expression, and body language in general. However, your dear dog can learn to understand and make the right connection of those one-word, nonconversational, commands that are for the dog’s safety and well-being. In teaching (or training) Rufus, keep in mind that when the understanding is mutual between dog and owner, the well-being of other dogs and of the people you come in contact with is assured.

And that, good dog friends, is an essential ground rule for our soon-to-be Park and Bark dog recreation facility. There will, of course, be other “ground” rules such as picking up after your dog, whether it’s natural elimination or digging turf. When all the rules and regulations for the dogs and for their owners are in place, they will be available to everyone. We’ll keep you updated. In the meantime, get on with teaching Rufus to be the friendly, trustworthy, obedient dog on and off leash that will make you proud to take him to our dog park. Do it now!

Teaching the dog what you want him to do (and not do) in and around your own home is a good start. Extend it to obedience classes where Rufus will learn to pay attention to you (You, his Lord and Master) in the midst of the distractions of other dogs and people. There are classes available for every stage of the dog’s growth, learning capability and temperament, as well as yours, I might add! If you can’t figure out where to begin, an obedience instructor will guide you to the right group. If you’ve “been there, done that,” you and Rufus will benefit from a brush-up course. When Rufus is ready to earn the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen award, go for it. That’s another asset to help you gain entrance to our dog park.

There’s still some winter weather ahead of us, so there’s plenty of time to get the dogs in shape for spring training. Do it now!  

Until next time — BE GOOD!

—Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh terriers for 30 years, during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog Fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me!,which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award in 2008.