Costa del sol dog training

For the Mums and Dads

Before anyone decides to take on a puppy, (or any other pets) they should seriously consider WHY they are buying/getting it.

Owning a dog is not something to take lightly. A puppy, when you first bring it home, is sweet and cuddly, but its needs quickly out weight how much fun it is, and it is easy to forget just what having a dog is really about

 If, as adults we decide to get a dog for the children, please consider the implications BEFORE committing to getting one..

Adults often forget and we see it all too frequently at the school, that dogs grow at a far greater rate than children do. A child of 6 or 7 years of age can easily handle a very young puppy of 10 to 12 weeks, but within 6-8 months the dog is no longer small and easy to handle, having grown into a young adolescent, but of course the child is still the same age and size! Big breed dogs, like Labradors, Retrievers, Spanish Water Dogs, German Shepherds (and far too many to list) are all dogs good with children, but they are high energy dogs, and can easily have a child over with their exuberance! Children get very upset when they are made to look foolish, but a dog doesn’t understand how powerful it has become, it’s up to us as adults to give as much help and guidance to both of them.

So, if you decide to get a dog for the children, they need to know what dog ownership is all about. Here are a few guide lines that are important for them and their dogs. The pups will grown into well behaved pets, and the children the future generation of dog owners.

Just for the Children

These are things that you, as children need to do for your beloved dogs. Read through them yourselves and see that they make sense to you. When you own a dog, it is for life, THEIRS, and they will look to you for all their needs. I hope this is useful to you.

When you wake up in the morning, remember that you’ve slept all night without going to the loo, and it may be the first thing you want to do, so your pups will need to do the same. Just dumping them outside in the garden IS NOT what they need, they need to have stimulation, and that means taking them out. We all need routines and you to stick to yours. They are creatures of habit, and they will ‘do their business’ much quicker of they know what is expected of them. Don’t rush them around because you got up late, make sure you give them enough time to do what they need to do, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be rushed when you’re on the loo!

Make sure they have fresh water every day, they can survive a few days without food, but not water. When it is really hot, the water should be changed at least twice a day, more if they need it. They should NEVER be left without water!

If they are having a meal in the morning, again make sure that you make time to see that they get it, and eat it. NEVER leave food down for them during the day. If they don’t eat it by the time you are going to school, pick it up and keep it for later. Their breakfast is as important as yours, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to go to school without something in your stomach! The same routine goes for their evening meal. Make sure they eat and have time to digest before giving them a last walk.

Don’t expect the rest of the family to always be there to give them what they need because you can‘t be bothered. These dogs are your responsibility, and depend on you. When you get back from school, the first thing you should do is take them out. Obviously you may have homework and other chores to do, but these are living things, and cannot understand why they have to wait. When you take them out, give them some of the basic training you’ve been doing in class. Don’t let them pull you along, they should walk beside you. Make them sit at curbs, get them to do a ‘Sit’ and ‘Down’ and follow it through. Don’t except anything other than the right response, if they get into bad habits now, they will do so for the rest of their lives, (as you will!)

Make time to give them a good brush, coats get matted quickly and the more matted they are, the more difficult they are to brush out. Matts’ can become heavy and painful if they are not dealt with, and can make dogs agitated and aggressive when you try to take them out. Under their tails is one of the worst places to get messy (and probably not the nicest place to check), but keeping them clean and tidy will make them less stressful (and smelly). Check their teeth, ears, eyes and nails. Make sure they don’t have ticks or fleas, and if you find anything you’re not sure of, speak to mum or dad. What you do with them now will make you the future responsible owners and will make the dogs happier pets.

When you come along to the school, we can help with any problems, but you need to put the work in during the week to get the sort of results you can see with some of the other dogs in the school. See the classes as a means for us to see how well you are doing. Only doing the exercises in the class is not enough to give them the education they need, a bit like you only going to school once a week for one hour (Of course I’m sure most of you would prefer that though!) Owning a dog is not just about how sweet they are, but a commitment for the rest of their lives, which doesn’t always fit in with what you may want to do. Many dogs will live for at least 10 years, and the smaller dogs even longer, so your dogs need you to show them how to behave and be a good member of the family.

Pups at this ages should still be fun, and obviously you as children want to have play time with them, and there is nothing wrong with that. This is another way to stimulate them, and enjoy having them, but they rely so much on you for their comfort and wellbeing that if you let them down, they can either turn into sad lonely little dogs, or constantly seek the attention they are sadly missing. Don’t think that because they have each other they don’t need you, they do!

Even with my little dog, although she is 10 now, I do something everyday with her to keep her alert and fit. My routine doesn’t change, even when we take her on holiday. She doesn’t understand if I’m sick and don’t feel like going out, there’s no one else who can do it, so I have to go, and so should you.

I hope this is useful to you and if there is anything you need to know please contact us, that’s what we’re here for.