petorama

Ask Yvette

Dear Yvette,

My wife and I recently got a purebred Cock-a-poo. My wife insists on carrying the pup. She cuddles it like a baby. I think she shouldn't because the dog is going to get dominant. Please settle our dispute.

DJ

I am a firm believer in finding a common sense approach. In my opinion, the best solutions are often found in the middle. Some people call that negotiating or compromise.

On one hand, I agree with your wife. People should always pick up puppies and cuddle them. In an emergency, you do not want to fight with a dog as it struggles to leap out of your arms. The dog has to learn to trust you. You want your dog to willingly and happily comply.

There are several ways you can do this. Ideally, I like to use what is called intrinsic reinforcement. These are rewards that come from inside the dog. “Being handled is nice because it feels good.” You are using something the dog might already like and pushing the limits to your advantage. Different puppies like different things. Some like having their necks rubbed. Some like having their ears scratched.

Next, you want to start picking the pup up and scratching their neck and ears. This is such a vulnerable and frightening thing for a young pup. Imagine being 5 pounds and dangling in the arms of a very big person. It can help to sit down and place the pup on your lap. You may find it helpful to place a pillow so the puppy feels safer. Work in the zone where your puppy is learning, but not being spooked.

Then you can start turning the puppy over and rubbing their belly. If a puppy starts to struggle a small amount, I keep the mood light. But I don't put them down unless they are calm. If a dog is struggling often or severely, then I re-evaluate how hard I am pushing. Good trainers push hard enough for the dog to learn, but not so hard they torment the animal.

Some puppies really struggle. Understand that being picked up can be intimidating to most puppies. Take your time. Quality should always come before speed. Working carefully will get you quicker and better results. You may have to pair food, an extrinsic reinforcement, with handling. “I am learning to like being handling because my human is giving me food during the process.” That's okay. You can work toward having a dog that enjoys the process.

However, this does not give your wife bragging rights. You make a very valid point. It is not healthy for a puppy to learn to avoid growing up. Dogs need to be socialized. They need to learn how to interact with strangers, not just your wife. I don't for a minute think that picking up a pup will create dominance. But I do think that avoiding walking and socializing can create a dog that is very clingy, fearful and snappy. They can become too bonded to one person and begin to guard that human.

Some people find it frightening to let a young pup interact with other dogs. There are ways you can reduce that fear. Puppy classes allow for controlled and supervised play. Trainers often demonstrate with the dogs in class, your pup will also learn to work with other people.

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

Previous Questions

• Dear Yvette: Our dog has to wear a cone around...
• Dear Yvette, My dog is a pest at the dinner ta...
• Dear Yvette Our new puppy has accidents when p...
• Dear Yvette, Is there a difference between a c...
• Dear Yvette, We are looking for puppy classes,...
• View All Questions