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my (totally unqualified) advice to new puppy owners:
- get your dog on a schedule as soon as possible
- don’t get too confident too quickly with anything - esp potty training
- take time to have an existential crisis
- know that you’re not alone and no one does this “perfectly”
- get your dog on a schedule as soon as possible
- don’t get too confident too quickly with anything - esp potty training
- take time to have an existential crisis
- know that you’re not alone and no one does this “perfectly”
I used to think Queso was stubborn. When I told people he was part husky the first thing they said to me was “oh be careful he’s gonna be stubborn.” I now feel no dog is really stubborn - it’s really that the owner hasnt found the right way to motivate them
Especially important for puppy owners: does it seem like your dog was doing one thing really well (eg not nipping at your ankles) and then they’re suddenly doing it more than ever? This could be bc of an “extinction burst” (continued...)
this increase in behavior could mean that they’re having something like a temper tantrum. your dog is basically like “hey wtf why aren’t you cool with this annoying thing I do anymore?” Keep going. Keep being consistent. It will work out.
I’m not an expert so feel free to totally disregard all this. But I’m lucky enough to work with an incredible dog trainer who has taught me a lot. I also get to chat w some of the smartest dog researchers for work. I learn from them all the time
Also I cannot stress the importance of working with a professional dog trainer (thank you @BesoMomma). Dog trainers are amazing bc they teach *you* how to communicate with your dog.
A lot of puppy owners don’t realize how bad they are at listening to their dogs. Some barks, for example, are really just attention barks! Some are to let you know they need to pee! Trainers can help you understand how to read your dog’s cues.
Puppies have a funny way of showing where you need to grow as a person. For me, that was patience. I was a radically impatient person before getting Queso — and I’m still working on that. But puppies require a level of patience that didn’t come naturally to me. Queso taught me.
Maybe one day I’ll write about this in some sort of coherent way. Thanks for listening to my rambling
