Who do you have with you today, Dr. Greco?
Ernie first came to us about a few months ago, and Gus we just got this weekend. So, there have been a few adjustments we've had to make.
What are some important considerations when training a new dog?
Mainly, I want to go over how important training is in the beginning. These dogs are young, so obviously we're hoping to have them for a long time, but we don't want to have dogs with a lot of behavioral problems that make it not fun to be around them. One of the things we did right away was meet with a trainer. If you check out our website, we have a few different trainers that we recommend who work with positive reinforcement and good handling techniques.
What are some specific training areas you focused on?
It's definitely very important to get them used to walking on a leash and meeting all kinds of people, socializing them so they're not scared. These guys were both rescued, so they both came with some baggage. Separation anxiety can be a big thing because they're not used to a routine and they're worried about where they're going to end up.
Did Ernie have any specific behavioral issues?
Ernie had a lot of resource guarding problems and still continues to have that now that we've introduced Gus. What resource guarding means is they focus on an object, a person, their bed, or food, and they want to guard it against either you or other animals in the house. We also have an older cat in the house who's been with me for 16 years, and initially, Ernie was trying to guard me every time my cat would jump up on my lap. Ernie would growl at him, so there was a lot of work we did with putting Ernie in his place, making him stay on the floor so he would learn the hierarchy in the house before letting him onto the couch.
How do you use tools like leashes and collars within the home?
There's also been a lot of using the leash and collar in the house because you want to have control and you want them to know that they're kind of in a working mode. You're working with things like learning to leave it, learning to drop it, and learning to come when they're called. Emergency recall is a big thing that we were working on too because, obviously, if you're taking them out into the world and they get away from you, you want to be able to get them back with a call that they know means business and that it's an emergency.
How has Ernie progressed with training?
What has come around from that is Ernie's definitely come a long way. He's a really sweet little dog. We're able to go to the beach, go to Lake Mohan, and see other dogs and people with minimal fuss. We can go for walks and not have to worry that there are maybe other dogs coming and what we are going to do if we see another dog. That's definitely a scenario I encountered with my previous dogs, and I always said, when I get another round of dogs, we're really going to focus on training in the beginning so that we don't have these mistakes that we're dealing with for 10 or 11 years until the dog's older. So, I'm definitely happy with what I've seen so far.
What are your thoughts on the cost of training?
Just today, I was talking to a client who was concerned about the cost of training. Typically, they're probably running around $100 to $200 for an hour session. Realistically, I only needed a couple of sessions with the trainer because they go over everything thoroughly, and then it's just a lot of reiterating. I don't necessarily think you're going to need to have a trainer come every week, and I think that's what people think in the beginning. I always recommend at least having a consult so you can talk about what the game plan is.
How does human behavior affect dog training?
A lot of times, it's our behavior that's really affecting them too. Sometimes it's the way you are handling the situation that's indicating to the dog what they can do or not do. So, a lot of our problems just happen to be related to that, so definitely training is a good option.
Do you offer any resources for dog training?
We offer resources to a certain extent. Lindsay, our technician, has had a lot of training experience, but we do defer to the trainers who do this for a living as far as how to get around big problems. Certainly, let us know if you have any questions, and we'll happily provide you with these resources as needed.
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (203) 259-5295, or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media Facebook, Instagram.