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    The Little Book of Dog
    The Little Book of Dog
    The Little Book of Dog
    Ebook110 pages1 hour

    The Little Book of Dog

    By Max Ray

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    About this ebook

    The Little Book of Dog is a brief look at one man's experiences, covering 60 years, of providing health, medical and practical advice to pet animal owners and trainers in a dedicated
    veterinary setting. It primarily explores the methods used by these people and their pets in their ongoing efforts at communicating.
    All of the hypotheses concerning these attempts and methods are described through his own eyes and reflect only his opinion and he welcomes any and all discussion relating to this Little Book of Dog.

    Photography by Daniel Ray
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBookBaby
    Release dateApr 29, 2019
    ISBN9781543969894
    The Little Book of Dog

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      Book preview

      The Little Book of Dog - Max Ray

      AFTERWORD

      INTRODUCTION

      Dogs are wonderful! Loveable, trainable and very reliable when properly trained and conditioned. Most are interesting to look at, with enough difference and breed variation to suit most everyone’s taste.

      Properly chosen and trained, there is probably no aspect of American family life where a certain breed, or mixed breed, would not fit in and do nicely.

      Dogs bred and trained for commercial, military or public service use need no introduction as their competence and utility speak volumes about their value, as does the time-honored loyalty and efficiency of the various specialty dog breeds.

      The utility of the hunting breeds is self-evident and is perhaps the primary reason the dog has evolved as man’s number one non-human companion.

      From provider of food to being food, the dog is probably the best example of the age-old adage: All things to all people.

      And then there is the pet dog: And just what constitutes a pet dog and what qualifies a dog to be so designated? What does a dog do, or have to do, to qualify for what may well be our canine companion’s highest calling? What breed or type of dog is best suited to be a successful pet? What color? What sex? What size? And what part does the owner’s pride of ownership, play in the dog-as-pet scenario?

      During my sixty years as a practicing veterinarian, I was constantly examining dogs of exceptional breed quality by owners whose lifestyle seemed to contradict their dog’s breed specific utility value to them. When I tactfully asked about their use of such a special breed of dog, the answer, with few exceptions, was: It’s just a pet, always spoken with great pride – and rightfully so.

      As my career progressed, I found this observation more frequent and the dogs more special, with mixed breeds coming on strongly and with as much potential as centuries old breeds.

      The tune rarely changed and the It’s just a pet clients far outnumbered the He’s a great foxhound, or This guy can really trail ‘coons, or My German shepherd placed in every agility trial he entered, clientele…but their pride in ownership was just as great.

      So, what is a pet dog and how do you train a dog to be just a pet? I have not been able to find much written information on this subject and what seems to be available revolves around canine behavior modification and how to correct, or live with, unacceptable canine behavior. There is not much written about methods to train a dog to just be a pet and nothing else, so I present these ideas as a small step in filling that void.

      Nothing in this chapter recommends anything that changes or interferes with natural canine ability, training or breeding. Its success depends only on a receptive, interested owner and a puppy of average temperament. As the dog ages, this method of training becomes less reliable but will still be effective if the owner and dog have a reasonably good relationship.

      I hope that The Little Book of Dog will be a small incentive for dog lovers to seek more information and research on how to condition and train a dog to become the one thing it needs to be: A pet.

      BEGINNING

      The Dog: All dogs are not created equal concerning their ability to learn and get along with people and other animals.

      While this method of behavioral conditioning should be effective with any breed, or mixed breed, the owner should try to choose a puppy or young dog with certain criteria in mind. These should include size, temperament, use, or potential use, available living space, probability of child encounters and opportunities for outside exercise and play; If necessary, get professional help in choosing a puppy.

      All dogs should receive conventional come-sit training and those owners who encourage and take advantage of specific breed characteristics should not alter their programs in any way as the training to be a pet will only complement these traits; the exception being military or war dogs. Nothing in this book should be construed as applicable to any canine trained to be aggressive to humans or animals.

      The field of animal behavior and dog training encompasses a host of highly motivated and learned people that provides any dog owner, novice or seasoned, with a wealth of up to date information as to choosing a puppy, training a dog, or any factor associated with the myriad aspects of a dog’s life. The computer puts this information at the new owner’s fingertips and I highly recommend the use of this valuable resource.

      The Goal: There are many existing guidelines that define acceptable dog behavior and the following is some of what an owner should expect from their pet dog: Respects people, male or female, young or old, large or small. Does not bark unnecessarily or jump on people unless given permission. Does not defecate or urinate except in appropriate places, preferably on command and is not destructive. Does not try to run away when put outside and comes when called. Leaves quietly when dismissed by the owner. Doesn’t need to be isolated when visitors arrive.

      Obviously there are other desirable criteria owners may want for their pets and achieving them should be possible using standard training methods even as a solid owner-pet relationship is being developed by Rewarding Observed Acceptable Behavior [ROAB]. Proper use and timing of this method will enable an owner to train a puppy almost as an afterthought, as any unasked-for good behavior is timely rewarded.

      Always remember that any behavior by a dog that is rewarded is going to be repeated. Watch for this.

      Mentality: My observations over five decades lead me to conclude that the dog can only focus on one thing at a time and whatever exceeds the excitement value of its current focus will cause an immediate shift in interest and can result in total reorientation; with the dog totally forgetting its initial interest to focus 100 percent on the second, more exciting interest. There are many credible writings in canine behavior literature covering this aspect of dog mentality and I sincerely recommend it to all who are considering the purchase of, or have recently acquired, a puppy.

      For purposes of simplicity this method of puppy training is based on two principles that may be easily applied due to the dog’s unique mentality.

      Opportunity: Most dogs will respond to behavior modification by exhibiting acceptable behavior when given the opportunity and this is the ultimate goal of the ROAB method as applied to the new puppy.

      Urge: Commonly used to housebreak puppies and can, in some dogs, stand the test of time; however, it lets the pup dictate the pace and timing of the training program, aka, decision making. The

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