Читать книгу Puppy Training Book: The Quick Guide for New Owners - Daniel JD Joseph - Страница 6

“Mommy, can I keep him!?”

So you’ve found a puppy. Maybe he was a little stray puppy, totally homeless. Maybe he was a shelter puppy. Maybe you found him in a pet store. Regardless, this puppy is suddenly in your arms and gazing up at you with those adorable eyes. He tentatively licks your nose and your heart, no matter how hard and cold, melts like ice in bonfire.

The inevitable has struck. This puppy is now yours.

Hey, there’s no judgment here. It’s impossible to refuse a cute puppy. You took that puppy and fawned over him as he fell asleep on your lap during the trip home. You squealed in delight as he attacked that toy you bought him and yipped in mighty puppy fury.

You probably melted into a puddle of goo while you watched his head disappear into his food bowl and you were left with his wiggly puppy butt.

Trust me, I understand.

But hearken to me. That little ball of adorable won’t always stay that way. Sure it’s funny to hear your roommate/spouse/parents/siblings moan in distress as Spot maws a new pair of peep-toe pumps or shiny leather loafers. Yeah, we get it.

It’s hilarious. And sure, you might not be totally bothered by the tiny little piles of poop and unexpected puddles of piddle. Of course you can handle it. How silly of me to presume otherwise! Here’s the deal: that puppy’s going to grow up.

A full grown Saint Bernard running around and pooping everywhere is not ok. It’s also not easy to manage. Imagine all the trouble and mess a puppy can make.

Now take that and apply it to an adult sized dog. The problem is suddenly compounded and you are left with a menace. And the issue goes beyond simple mess.

Think it’s cute that your puppy is gnawing on your fingers? Sure. It won’t be cute when the puppy is an adult Rottweiler and is gnawing on the next door neighbor’s kid.

Suddenly, you have a health hazard on your hands. Bad dogs become homeless dogs.

It’s no big secret that we are often inclined to abandon dogs that are unmanageable. And who can blame you if you do?

If you aren’t driven to insanity by your bad dog, chances are that someone else will be driven to a hospital and your bad dog will be carted off to the pound or, worse, be put down for the safety of the community. Not to mention you can rack up some hefty fines.

But I’m going to assume that you actually want to keep your puppy for years to come. I’m also going to assume that you’re a responsible adult.

Dogs aren’t people. They can’t teach themselves. However, they have the ability to be taught how to behave. It’s part of their genetic make-up. They can learn but you have to teach them.

Trust me, if you put the effort into your puppy’s training now, you can enjoy a full long life with your dog without constantly worrying about him peeing on that nice Persian rug.

Now dogs have been domesticated for 15,000 years. Micro-evolution has caused them to become dependent on us. Their bodies aren’t designed to live in the wild anymore.

They want to work with us, with humans, because that’s how they’re going to survive. Your puppy wants you to be his owner. He wants a family and nice warm home to live in. Because of this yearning, your puppy is trainable.

Puppies are like babies. Babies learn how to interact based on what’s going on around them. Puppies are the same. What your puppy learns in the next few months will stay with him for the rest of his life.

And yes, it’s harder to teach an old dog new tricks. Because of the developmental intelligence, it’s important to get to your puppy while it’s young.

Yes, it will be frustrating. Yes, you’ll have to clean up puppy poop for a little while. Yes, your puppy will cry at night. But it’s worth it in the long run. I promise.

So take a deep breath, roll your shoulders, and crack your neck: it’s time to train your puppy.