By Karen Reardon Taylor, CPDT

Wow, another year already!  I haven't been good about getting our newsletters out to you often enough.  Gee... I am sure that has nothing to do with the two-and-a-half-year-old boy and the 6 month old puppy I'm responsible for!

I hope this will help some of you with a problem that I receive more calls about than just about any other. Even after people have done a session and/or read my website articles, they still ask: "Why should I control my dog's food/water and free roaming in the house?

The first answer is:  If your dog is obedient, not destructive, and completely potty trained, then you don't have to control it.  

The second answer, if the above does not apply to you, is:  To help your dog learn to be obedient, potty trained and to chew on his own toys!

 How can being a control freak over food, water, and freedom help?  Because this is almost the whole enchilada!

 Water control means offering water at two or three-hour intervals throughout the day and removing water access overnight, unless your vet gives you other instructions.  If I know when my dog drinks, that helps me know when he needs to pee.

 Food control means feeding on a schedule.  Specifically, one or two times a day (three times for pups under four months). Feed your dog only as much as he/she will eat at one sitting (typically 5-10 minutes).  Lab, Spaniel, and Retriever owners must measure the amount. There are 2 guidelines to use: 1) go by what your vet recommends, or 2) read the label on the bag of dog food, since most of the above breeds will keep eating until they pop! Knowing when my dog has eaten can help me determine when he needs to poop.   Also, if he is hungry (not grazing all day), it is easier to use his regular food to train him to perform new tasks, such as getting the paper, my slippers, or a soda, or to find and bring me the phone, the T.V. remote control, or my car keys. All this without having to buy him filet mińon for rewards.  Okay, I know what you're thinking -  I can get these items myself, but I get tired!  Ok, so maybe I am lazy.  If I weren't, I would train my dog to answer the phone and cook dinner, too!. If I know my dog is not eating out of a bowl all day long, I can give him food -oriented "busy toys" to occupy him when I cannot attend to him. (Check with me if you have more than one dog; sometimes dogs will fight over these sneaky hidden morsels).  This helps to circumvent destructive chewing on inappropriate items, or simply to entertain him quietly in his crate or other designated area.

Oh yes, that brings me to the other issue: "Why should I control free roaming in the house?"  Let me tell you the top ten reasons:

1)      "Holding it" because he doesn't want to soil his living, eating, and sleeping space (which should all be one and the same).  So I can take him to a place where I want him to relieve himself.  End result: rugs and furniture free (or nearly free) of urine stains/smells!  I purposely didn't mention pooped on...ugh.

2)      I can teach him what I want him to chew on. Then I won't have to say "no, don't chew on that!" a thousand times a day, which makes my relationship with my dog more pleasant.

3)      I don't have to chase after him because he stole my kid's toys, underwear, or lunch.  "Whaaaa!... Mommy, Crash ate my lunch!" is not my favorite song!

4)      He is not jumping on my family members, except when I am ready to train him to "sit instead of jump-up" for attention.

5)      I don't come home to a destroyed house and yard...phew!

6)      I don't come home to a drowned, electrocuted, poisoned, or hung by the collar dog!

7)      I can spend more money to train him to do fun stuff like finding the keys and T.V. remote control.

8)      I don't have to worry that my dog will charge out the front door.  I can take my time and train him not to bolt out.  Dogs tend to be easier to train than the kids and spouses who leave the front door open!

9)      I can leash him with me when he is not in his designated area so that he can't get into mischief without me catching him in the act.  This gives me more opportunity to train and prevent mistakes by making sure he has something else to do, instead of giving him loads of reprimands!

10)  I don't have to yell or threaten my dog with being sent to the shelter! I get to remain at my usual elevated stress level, instead of adding more straws to an already (almost) broken camel's back!

I hope this helps to clarify a few things.  Most dog trainers would much prefer to hear that you don't need to do any of this stuff and that everything is perfect with your dog's manners, so we can move on to the fun stuff!  Oh, I forgot, the fun stuff is easier if you are already a control freak with your dog's resources, because it has the added effect of letting your dog know who's boss!  Who knew?  But seriously, if you guys followed these food, water and freedom instructions, what would the 300 or more Southern California dog trainers do all day?  Hmm… there's always flyball, agility, herding, scent- dog work, gun dog work, rally-o, etc. (Okay, so I guess we could find something!)  Happy dog owners mean happy dogs!  Toodles...