Raising a Balanced Puppy

How To Keep Your Sanity While Raising A Balanced Puppy

In a word, structure, structure, structure, structure.

Your life is going to revolve around a schedule broken into one hour and two hour segments from am to pm for proper puppy training.  If you don't have a life that lends itself to that kind of attention, then don't get a puppy.  Harsh, I know.  But real.  Sure, there's ways of jury rigging potty training and feeding so we can earn a living, that's not what I'm talking about.  Having the awareness that you need to figure out how to accomodate a puppy's needs is half the battle.  There are a million creative solutions.  But that those time based needs, need to be met, is non-negotiable.

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The Marker System

"Yes is the Key" 

One of the core tools used here at the ranch is the Marker System, the use of the word "yes" or "good" to mark a correct behavior, followed by a treat reward in the early stages to create incentive to learn and positive association with the word "yes".  Markers allow dogs to understand the precise behavior that we are trying to get them to capture, whether a simple sit, or a find in search and rescue.  Over and over again, dogs come into training with vast zones of confusion as to what is expected of them, and what we are really asking them to do. 

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Propriocetion: Balance By Any Other Name

A Product of Kinaesthetics for Animals

This article is one in a series of articles designed to introduce key concepts from the world of bodywork as they are applied to the dog world.  The author and founder of the Kinaesthetics system of therapy has worked with humans and animals for over 20 years.  Her animal clients have included World Champion performance horses in a multitude of disciplines, dogs of innumerable breeds, and a variety of other animals.

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