Veterinary Medicine - December 2007 - (Page 787)

2007 Highlights Central • Give the puppy a time out. If the puppy won’t stop the bad behavior, put the puppy in a room or in its kennel with toys to keep it busy until it calms down. Monkey in the middle: An exercise in obedience This game not only exercises energetic puppies, it also reinforces the basic commands of “sit” and “come,” enhances name recognition, and teaches puppies to run up and sit to get attention (instead of jumping on people). At least two people are needed, and each person should have six to 12 small treats (regular puppy dinner kibble is usually adequate) at hand. The two people sit opposite each other with about five to six feet in between. The first person calls “Skippy, come” in a high-pitched, upbeat voice. As the puppy approaches, the first person has the puppy sit for a treat. Immediately, the second person calls “Skippy, come” in a high-pitched, upbeat voice and has the puppy sit for a treat. Immediately, the first person calls again and has the puppy sit for a treat, and so on. The distance between the two people can increase as the puppy becomes accustomed to the game—the people can even move into separate rooms, increasing the strength of the “come” command and the exertion needed to obtain a treat. PREVENT INAPPROPRIATE PLAY In addition, offering owners these tips on interacting with, socializing, and training their puppies may help prevent abnormal play aggression. • Provide plenty of exercise. Puppies are bundles of energy, so give them productive ways to expend that energy, such as going on walks or playing “Monkey in the middle” (see sidebar at right). • Provide mental stimulation. Rubber toys that can be filled with treats, such as Kong toys or Busy Buddy puzzle toys (Premier), offer puppies a chance to chase and bite the toys and obtain a food reward. • Play with your pup. Playing fetch or throwing a soccer ball for the puppy to push around saps some of its energy. • Teach and review basic obedience commands. A well-trained dog is more likely to follow orders when behaving inappropriately. • Conduct leadership exercises. Follow these rules to maintain overall order: 1) Nothing in life is free. Ask the pet to respond to a command such as “sit” before the pet receives anything it wants or needs. 2) Don’t tell me what to do. Do not allow the pet to be pushy about soliciting attention from you. Pull your hands in, lean away, and look away from the pet if it nudges, whines, barks, leans, or pushes for attention. Walk away if the pet is too difficult to ignore. Once the pet stops soliciting attention for 10 seconds, ask the pet to sit and give it attention. 3) Don’t move without permission. Anytime you begin to move from one area of the home to another, ask the pet to sit and stay for a second or two before you give a release command to follow you. • Don’t sit on the floor with the pup. This tends to get puppies excited, puts family members in a vulnerable position, and makes it more difficult to control the pet. • Promote socialization. Puppies must have frequent, positive social experiences with all types of animals and people during the first three or four months of life to prevent asocial behavior, fear, and bit- providing behavior information from the outset can make a big difference in the relationship between the pet and the owner. Owners need reliable help to weed out conflicting and inappropriate training information, and behavior problems are much easier to prevent than to correct. Help owners weed out conflicting and inappropriate training information. ing. And continued exposure to a variety of people and animals as the pets grow is essential for maintaining good social skills. Everybody wins when we take the time and effort to provide timely behavior counseling. The owner is more likely to have a well-behaved pet, we are more likely to have a manageable patient, and the pet is more likely to remain an important part of the family. O WHAT NOT TO DO Be sure that the family is not using any physically punitive methods such as scruff shakes, alpha rollovers, squeezing the pet to the floor, thumping the nose, or swatting. PROVIDE BEHAVIOR ADVICE WITHOUT DELAY Whatever you do in the way of counseling new pet owners, remember that Download a client handout on how to prevent inappropriate play in puppies at www.vetmedpub.com /PlayAggression. VETERINARY MEDICINE December 2007 787 http://www.vetmedpub.com/vetmed/data/articlestandard//vetmed/512007/479956/article.pdf

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - December 2007

Veterinary Medicine - December 2007 Contents Letters Editors' Guest Thanking Our Valued Reviewers The Veterinary Medicine Interview: Dr. Joseph Harari Clinical Exposures Idea Exchange Answers to Three Commonly Asked Questions About Lyme Disease Practical Ideas for Managing Common Internal Medicine Problems A Tip for Interpreting Leptospira Species Titers Investigating Proteinuric Kidney Disease Counseling New Puppy Owners: Normal Play vs. Aggressive Tendencies 11 Guidelines for Conservatively Treating Chronic Kidney Disease CE Form Product Preview Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller Merial Insert

Veterinary Medicine - December 2007

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