Wild Thing

Is Your Dog Being Trained or Are You?

About two years ago a friend of mine got a Golden Retriever puppy. It had been many years since she had a dog. She named this puppy Daisy. As soon as Daisy stepped paws into the house she knew she would have a good home. Daisy was a very smart puppy and learned to fetch almost immediately. She also learned other things, most importantly: she had complete run of the house.

When you went to visit Cindy you had to brace yourself. Daisy would get excited and jump all over you. She would run on the furniture from one couch to a chair, then to the table, and back to the couch. Everyone referred to her as “wild thing.”

Watching Cindy walk her on the leash was comical. Actually, it was the pup who walked Cindy. Cindy weighs about 100 pounds and Daisy weighs about 75 pounds. Needless to say, the extra pounds did nothing to help Cindy.

Daisy went everywhere with Cindy—except to other people’s homes. Not many people welcomed Daisy, and this frustrated Cindy. She tried to keep Daisy under control, but as soon as Daisy gave her that sad look, Cindy caved. She was a real push over.

One day Cindy told me Daisy needed ear cleaner twice a day for an infection. Cindy said it was difficult to do. When she reached for the cleaner, Daisy immediately looked for an escape route. Once caught, she rolled over and used her paws to block Cindy’s attempts. When that didn’t work, she turned her head away at the last second.

I helped by having Daisy sit up and keeping her steady. Daisy didn’t know what to expect from me since I had never required much from her. I cleaned her ears, praised her, and sent her on her way. Cindy asked, “Why won’t she act like that with me?” I told her it was because Daisy knew what she could get away with when dealing with mom.

Now Daisy is a little over two years old and has turned into a fairly well‑behaved dog. She is welcome at my home. She still knows how to work Cindy when needed.

Just like children, dogs need boundaries. If they are allowed to run amok, they will. We teach them from day one where they are supposed to go to the bathroom. This simple training technique should be applied to everything you want to teach them.