Putting Your Best Paw Forward With Your New Dog

By:  Karen Taylor, Owner of My Best Friend Obedience

The key to success with a new dog is preparing them from the earliest possible moment for handling.  Of course obedience training and proper house manners are important too, but if you can’t brush them, get a leash on them, touch their food bowl, clip their nails or check their teeth, dogs can be pretty hard to maintain as pets.  Follow these easy steps to prepare your puppy for the future and enroll in a dog obedience class after the puppy’s booster shots are complete!

You’re pulling my leg!

When the pup is 5 weeks or older begin handling his/her paws, mouth and entire body gently.  Make sure your dog is hungry - at least a little hungry - and use a piece of kibble as distraction while you pick up a foot in your hand for a few seconds, then put it back on the ground.  Do this with each foot and give a piece of kibble after you put the paw back down.  Be careful not to pinch or squeeze the paw and try not to pull it out away from the dog.  Instead, if you are having trouble, gently push the pup’s leg slightly in toward it’s body.  This will keep the pup from feeling “disconnected” and thinking that you are trying to grab or pull his/her leg.

Open wide!

Early on in a puppy’s life (or as early as possible) begin to put your fingers in its mouth.  Keep at treat in your pocket to give afterwards and use gloves if you must.  It would be best to do it without gloves.  That way if the puppy bites too hard you can exclaim, in a high-pitched voice, “ouch!”  This simulates a puppy yelp and most pups will back off! When your pup stops mouthing too hard, use praise to let him/her know they did the right thing.  We still need to be able to open the mouth and look at the teeth, to do this simply put your thumb and forefinger in the shape of a “C” then reach over the puppy’s nose (muzzle) and put your thumb behind one canine tooth (the large fangs) and your forefinger behind the other, grasp gently and pull upwards while using your other hand to gently pull down on the puppy’s lower jaw.  Do this as quickly as possible and for only a second.  Be very careful and gentle and don’t grip or pull open too hard.  Make sure you reward with a treat afterward.  When you are in the veterinary office for your initial check up, ask someone to show you how to do this!  You can opt for the easy way out and hold a chew bone in your hand in front of puppy’s mouth, when puppy opens up to grab it hold the mouth open with one hand in the “C” fashion described above.  Do this only a few seconds and then give the chew bone.  Get the puppy used to having it’s lips lifted up also.  Just do it for a few seconds and give a treat!

You look so pretty!

Get the puppy used to being brushed by petting with one hand and brushing with a SOFT brush with the other.  I usually find this is easier when you give a chew bone to keep the puppy occupied while you are doing this.  Don’t forget to roll the puppy onto his back and rub his/her belly, so you can brush the belly and look into the ears.  Remember to be gentle and use very little pressure at first until he/she is used to it!  Put your finger in the puppy’s ear gently and not too deep, just for a few seconds, to prepare puppy for ears to be cleaned and checked.  As always, reward with petting, praise and treats afterward.

Feeding the leashed beast

Accustom the puppy to being leashed and having its food dish touched simultaneously.  Put the leash on the puppy and get his food bowl.  Every other feeding hold the food bowl while you feed him/her.  Gradually progress to keeping your hand on the dish while placing it on the floor, while the puppy is eating.  Be cautious and move slowly while trying this out, especially if you must remove your hand from the bowl, and put it back on the bowl again, while puppy is eating.  If the puppy is a bowl guarder this may cause the puppy to growl.  If the puppy growls in an aggressive manner when you pet during feeding or if you get near the bowl CALL A PROFESSIONAL IMMEDIATELY!  Additionally, leash the pup for short periods daily while you are with him/her, it will make it easier to walk him/her later.  Avoid pulling or dragging your dog on the leash during this training phase.  You can use a treat to coax the puppy instead.  Make sure, if the puppy is a chewer, to treat the leash with some “Bitter Apple” or something that will taste bad to deter the puppy from eating his leash and not his meal!

Check the next installment for lesson #3 of training your dog the My Best Friend Obedience way!

Karen Taylor has been training dogs and their owners for 30 years, and lives and trains in the West San Fernando Valley with her husband Doug, three wonderful dogs, a cat, two birds, and a fish!  You can reach My Best Friend Obedience at (818) 996-3647.