Perseverance Pays Off

Posted on Nov 15 in Small Dog Behaviorby Jeff K.Print

“Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.”
- Benjamin Disraeli

On October 2, 2008, a Miniature Pinscher named Royce walked for ¾ of mile in the heel position. Big deal, right? If you knew Royce like I know Royce, you would know this was a big, big deal, worthy of a press alert. If you click the “Read More. . .” link, I will tell you why.

Royce shares the house with Dawn and me. We had inherited him from his original owner who had labeled him “untrainable.” There were times when Dawn and I discussed giving Royce to another family because he did seem more than we could handle or tolerate. Here is a short list of what were Royce’s most offensive behaviors:

• He would poop and pee in the house.
• He would bark non-stop at any unfamiliar sound.
• He would attempt to drag me down the street at the end of his leash (using all ten of his muscular pounds.)

Often we asked ourselves WWCMD? (What would Cesar Millan do?) because it seemed only the Dog Whisperer Himself could have worked the miracle necessary to get Royce to settle down.

As of October 2, 2008, Royce no longer poops or pees in the house. He still does bark at neighborhood dogs. Most significantly, he will walk in the heel position. This comes after 2 1/2, count ‘em, 2 1/2 years of virtually continuous training. The question you must be asking at this point is, why did it take so long?

Royce came to us from an owner who did not have the time to care for his dog. Initially Royce, at 9 months of age, spent days boarding at Kelsey’s Dog House. Then he spent weeks in residence. Then he stayed for months, sometimes going home for no more than a day or two. Even before he came to us, Royce was frequently boarded at another facility.

Animal behaviorists agree that a dog’s habit patterns are built most strongly during the first 12 weeks of life. Its behavior is then refined over the ensuing 6 months. Later, a dog owner may further shape a dog’s behavior, but the foundation of who that dog is develops very early in life. When we finally started taking Royce home with us, he had learned to behave like a mega-brat. I cannot blame him.

Dogs, like people, prefer to be taken care of. When it becomes apparent that no one will fend for a dog, that dog will begin to fend for itself. Also, like people, if no one shows a dog the difference between right and wrong, the dog will create its own definitions of right and wrong. Almost always, these self-appointed boundaries are set in a way that is most convenient for the dog. For example, it is easier and more comfortable to poop inside. That is where we humans do it. It should come as no surprise that a self-directed dog feels the same way.

The good news is, a dog is trainable at any age. That old adage, you can’t teach an old dog a new trick is complete baloney and probably invented by a crotchety old man who did not want to change his ways. The adage should read: you can teach an old dog a new trick but you are going to have to work very hard to do it, especially if you are trying to counter-train bad habits or instinctive behavior. (If anyone can think of a shorter way to say that, let me know.)

Noted animal behaviorist and dog trainer Stanley Coren, says when teaching a dog a new behavior it may take up to 2000 repetitions of a command before a dog really understands what that command means and responds correctly. Let me embellish that statement by saying that Royce walks with us at least once per day, almost every day, for 30 to 40 minutes at a stretch. We have been walking together for–let me say it again–2 and ½ years! He is just now responding properly and consistently to the “heel” command.

For those of you who have an “untrainable” dog in the family. Take heart. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. It may be just a pinpoint right now, but with enough perseverance, you and your dog will reach the light.

P.S. There is a good book about the trials and tribulations of working with a headstrong, set-in-its-ways dog. It comes from one of my favorite authors, Jon Katz. If you are a dog lover, you have probably already read it. If not, get your hands on this book, especially if you are going through what Dawn and I have gone through with Royce. The book is A Dog Year and I have included a link to in the left column.

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• Dog Anti-Bark Collars says:

  July 2, 2009 at 3:57 pm

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