ADVICE COLUMN
“ What ’ s Up
With My Pup ?”
Hello and welcome to What ’ s Up with my Pup ? I will endeavor to answer your most burning questions about your dog , their behavior , and how to get the most out of your relationship together . Be sure to write in with any issues you are experiencing with your precious canine companion .
Question : For today ’ s question , I will share my best piece of advice for early puppy training .
ANSWER : Okay , you ’ ve gotten your new furry housemate home and have had all of the fun : puppy kisses , petting that very soft fur , maybe even cleaning up the first little puddle . Now , the inevitable question is “ Where should I start with training ?” Here ’ s my advice :
I have found the best way to begin serious training with your puppy begins at the food bowl . Food , after all , is a powerful motivator .
When preparing your pup ’ s meals , be sure to work on sit and stay by reiterating the commands and demonstrating them to your pal a few times . ( Yes , it ’ s ok to gently push their bottom to the ground while you are teaching sit ). After pouring out food into their bowl , it is time to start working on stay .
Your dog ’ s natural instinct will be to plow right in , but this is where you will begin to exert your dominance . Every time your little pup makes a beeline for the bowl , gently push them back a step or two and repeat the sit and stay lesson . Keep in mind that , at first , your dog will probably only give you a few seconds of obedience , but be sure to recognize this with praise and then give them a release signal that it is okay to now eat .
By repeating this lesson at every feeding , you are doing several things : 1 ) teaching two very valuable
commands ( sit and stay ), and 2 ) solidifying your position as the Alpha Dog . . . the bringer of food .
You will find that much of your future training will go more smoothly once this relationship is established .
Remember , if there is no Alpha Dog role established , your puppy will be happy to step in and take on the responsibility .
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MEET LEN SILVERMAN
Len Silverman has lived with animals his whole life . From a young age , there was always a cat on the prowl around the house , but he discovered his true love when his folks brought home their first dog , Poncho , who was a mess . Very lovable but completely untrained . Now with his family in Nashville , Len enjoys having a golden retriever around and finds that they are always ready to show you some love . He has discovered that when dogs understand their role in the family , everyone is a lot happier . In his spare time , Len likes to paint , but he hasn ’ t quite gotten the hang of animal portraits . . . not yet .