A New #Dog - The Training Begins!

Whenever a new dog joins the pack there is a period of adjustment and training. That is a given. Some dogs, however, perhaps especially rescues, need a little more work than others.

Curly is just such a dog. We were looking for a tiny dog to round out our own little pack, and yesterday we got a 6# chihuahua mix that will one day be the perfect dog! He'd been a stray when he was picked up, so we have no idea about his history. He appears to be about 4 years old and is really adorable!

First day he was here, we learned that, in spite of what the shelter thought, he is not housebroken. Easy fix. We also learned that he is VERY possessive about food, water, and anything else he claims (such as a washcloth out of the laundry), and doesn't bother with a warning nip or growl but goes straight for the bite.

This is not such an easy fix, but it IS fixable in most cases. (I have worked with only one dog where it wasn't - a purebred of a breed that is known to have the occasional wiring issue in their brains.)

When we got Doodlebug, a 5YO minpin, he had the same problem the first day. I tried to pick up a toy that he had, so that I could throw it for him again, and he nailed me. At that time I had the coolest cat in the world, Bruce. Before Doobie had even retreated from the snap, that cat was on him like white on rice, chewing the heck out of whatever he could reach, and within a few seconds, so was my yorkie/pom girl, Bing. Poor Doobie took off through the nearest doorway, which happened to be into our bedroom, and our doberman Chandler immediately took up his station at the door, and wouldn't let Doobie back out. All of this took place in the span of about a minute...and Doobie never, ever snapped at us again when we tried to take something from him.

I still have my elderly Bing girl, but she's a bit spacey these days. Bruce and Chandler are gone (as is Doobie)...so Pete and I are on our own with this one. So here is the plan, which is the same plan I use with any new dog I've ever had - and there have been quite a few - or worked with for others. Even when they don't have issues, they learn their way around, and their place in the pack fairly quickly. And when there are behavior issues, they are immediately corrected, or even prevented, this way.

Thankfully Curly is already crate-trained; that's half the battle! Because that is where he will sleep, eat, and go whenever he isn't with us. And the rest of the time, he will be with one of us - attached by a leash. Whatever we do, he will do too. If he's in the way, he will be learning to sit/stay or down/stay. When we are eating he will be learning not to beg and cry and bark at us (as he does now) - he will be learning that he isn't in charge of what and when he eats, we are.

As training progresses, he will learn to earn food treats, and learn never to take food. He will eat only when given permission, and only after the people eat. The same with toys. He will be wearing his leash whenever he isn't in the crate, which will give us a certain amount of control until he has mastered the first lessons in willingly ceding control to humans - all humans. (For example, we won't have to fear being bitten for picking up his food dish, because we will be able to hold him away from our hands.)

Tiny dogs are often allowed to become monsters because, IMHO, many of the people who get them want little "babies" to spoil. And it is considered cute when they are naughty because they are so tiny and adorable. I'm thinking this is what may have been the case with Curly, and then he was disposed of when he became the monster that his former owners had trained him to be. Just a guess on my part :) but an educated one...

So no spoiling for little Curly. What he wants, he will be earning, and we will be the source of all good things to him...on our terms. Once he falls into step with the rest of us - and I'm SURE he will, he already is showing signs of wanting to please - he will be a very special and lovely little dog to be around :). It will be worth all of the work now because we plan to love on this guy for a lot of years!