Obedience training | Robert Forto

You got a Christmas puppy. Now what?

Training your dog for the Holidays

The packages tied with ribbon and bows, the tinsel and stockings, and the roast beast are all but a faint memory. The sweet little bundle of joy that was nestled beneath the tree Christmas morning is by now a barking menacing terror!

What to do? Surely we cannot allow Max to become unruly.

Start by making a list of behaviors that you would like Max to learn, and then do some research about dog training and search for a reputable local dog trainer with experience in puppies and assistance in helping you reach your goals with your new dog.

I have been a dog trainer for more than a decade, and I never recommend getting a puppy as a gift, but we are now dealing with the menacing terror that is unexpectedly full of energy just two days after the blissful morning.

Training begins immediately and should be adjusted to the puppy’s age for proper retention. Think of it like this; would you ask your toddler to solve an algebra problem? No you wouldn’t, so don’t expect Max to understand the leash that he is now attached too.

A good trainer will have the skills and knowledge to help you train your developing puppy so he learns skills properly and can advanced those skills as he ages. Did you get a puppy that is a working breed? Would you like to learn how to train your puppy to do what he was bred to for? Keep these questions in mind when you are doing your research and interviewing trainers.

Some trainers offer board and train programs; this where you give your puppy to the trainer for a period of several weeks and they return your puppy to you trained. Hopefully they have designed a well-rounded training program that includes; socialization, crate and potty training, age appropriate obedience training and manners. I do not allow any puppy or dog for that matter, to enter my board and train program unless you have had that puppy or dog for 30 days. This is to ensure bonding between you and your new puppy or dog. When I am contacted by new puppy or dog owners I ask them how long they have had their dog and then I build them a training program based on several factors.

No one wants to be a Grinch on Christmas, so you gave in and bought that sweet puppy in the window for Christmas morning, you’ve got work to do!

A Christmas Puppy for a Gift? Maybe Not

Events of this Christmas will have a profound impact on the dog training industry in April.

All those cute puppy-in-a-stocking photos prompt unsuspecting people to give dogs as gifts, inevitably resulting in a high rate of premium business for me and my colleagues.

A Christmas Puppy? Maybe Not

“Christmas puppies” often are impulse purchases, in a spirit of love and giving and generosity that goes with the season, but without the hard self-assessment that goes into asking oneself if one has the time and the energy and the inclination to give the necessary commitment to raising and socializing and educating that puppy. Better to get that new puppy at a less emotionally charged time of the year, when the decision to add a dog to the family is a less impulsive and more carefully considered one, uninfluenced by seasonal generosity of spirit, which might just fade a bit after the tree comes down and the lights are put away.

Realistically and sadly, Christmas puppies tend to be older puppies at the pound a few months later, or that nearly year old dog getting euthanized because someone bought a dog as a “toy” for a child that has no legitimate responsibility for that animal and loses interest. Also, some people have no idea that dogs grow and get bigger, or at least bigger than they expected. Nor do they consider that the dog will require training and they bring them to me at arm’s length saying, “Fix my dog!”

Every April I see frenzied clients at my training center at wits end with their now-adult sized dogs that are totally out of control. They have no leash manners, refuse to come when called, hyperactive from a lack of exercise, obese from too many treats, and unwilling to even acknowledge their name.

Most people think that cute little puppy that was under the tree on Christmas morning will stay that way. On the contrary, they grow up and they grow up quick. Think of it this way. Could you go from the crib to high-school? No way! Puppies need exercise, discipline and affection—in that order. The best gift you can ever give that Christmas puppy is obedience training. This will not only build a lifelong bond but give you the control, leadership and routine that your dog so much desires.

If you are absolutely set upon getting your family a puppy for Christmas, consider this alternative instead: Purchase a leash, a collar, a good book on raising a puppy, a gift certificate for a veterinary checkup, a gift certificate for puppy socialization classes from one of the local obedience instructors, a book or video tape on the topic of how to select the right dog for your family (there are several, including even a computer program that purports to help you do this), or a gift subscription to one of the dog-oriented magazines.

Wrap these up and put them under the tree. As family members unwrap the various pieces of the “puzzle”, their delight and anticipation will grow. They will gradually understand what this present is! Then, after the Christmas tree is taken down and the frenzy of the holiday season is behind, the family can once again enjoy together the anticipation and excitement of discussing and selecting a breed, selecting a breeder, selecting an individual pup, and so on. This will increase the family’s mutual commitment to, and investment in, the well-being of the newest family member. It will be a project the family has done together, which is a wonderful way for any adoption to commence. This will not decrease the enjoyment of your new puppy; I guarantee it. It will increase it by many fold. And it will be a better start both for the puppy, and for the long-term relationship between dog and owner(s). A dog with a good introduction to its adoptive family is much more likely to become a long term companion rather than just another tragic statistic.

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Robert Forto is the training director for Dog Works Training Centers and hosts a weekly radio program, The Dog Works Radio Show, every Saturday. Forto can be reached through his website at https://robertforto.com