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To New Dood Parents:
Thoughts at 1 Year
Mon Jul 14 18:53:16 2003
Some of you have followed the exploits of Sebastian Thor, on these
pages, and have said you enjoy hearing about his kooky antics. Today,
though, Sebastian officially turns 1 year old, and we find ourselves in
a more reflective mood, so please forgive or skip this long post, if you
find that it’s not particularly entertaining!
Over the last several
months, so many people have commented on how well-behaved Sebastian is,
for such a young guy, (of course, they don’t see him at home), and have
asked about “his school” or “his trainer.” The adjective that people
use, consistently, is “attentive.” Several have asked, “If you had
to give only 1 piece of advice, what would it be?” I’ve always been
hesitant to answer, because we’re just first-time dog owners, with no
expertise or credentials. But, I do think about it, particularly now
with all the new Doodles that have just arrived from Australia, and
thought others might benefit from our experience at this 1-year
milestone.
Sebastian IS about the most
“attentive” puppy I’ve ever seen. It’s not just that he “sits,” “downs”
and “stays.” He DOES do that – most of the time, and when it suits him –
but he is also an independent, stubborn little guy who does not respond
like the well-trained little robots I’ve seen at the dog park. We like
that. He has a mind of his own.
Sebastian does not have a
hostile bone in his body. He’s not a coward, but just won’t deal with
aggressive behavior. He loves everybody and everything. He is fearless
when roughhousing, but more gentle than you can imagine when taking a
bit of food from your hand. Since the first few weeks, there has never
been an accidental bite, even during the hardest tug-rope game. He has
bared his teeth only once, and learned quickly that this was not
acceptable.
When we are out and about –
and this is the thing we love the most – Sebastian is his own guy and
very independent. But, he constantly “checks in,” as if to say, “Are you
still close? Are you safe? Am I being OK?” It’s the most intuitive,
inquisitive look you can imagine. And he will stop and give it in the
midst of the wildest moments of romping in the surf or charging up the
hill at the park.
Sebastian “moves with ease.”
By that, I mean that he just seems to KNOW when it is time to hop into
the back of the Jeep, to head home from a walk or to sit down under the
table at a restaurant. It’s like he just knows what we are doing, and
trots right along with us.
Yes, this great breed
accounts for much of Sebastian’s character. But, we are convinced that
the routines around “alpha dog” patterns, which we found through various
web sites, have been primarily responsible. From his first day home, we
did things like play in Sebastian’s food or remove his bowl and return
it. (He always eats after we do and, even though he often gets our table
scraps, he always waits patiently for us to finish, and never begs). We
also make sure that we always move through a doorway first, and never
let him look down on us from a higher level. We groom him at will. I
even do the food shopping every night, so that he gets the idea that I
have been out hunting for food all day, which – since I’ve been at work
– is not far from the truth. (Sebastian always greets me wildly and then
inspects the groceries, when I come in the door at night).
These are all behaviors, we
are told, that mimic “life in the wild.”
Likewise, although our
school, (which was good for the sit-down-stay stuff, but not much more),
believed only in positive reinforcement, we DID give an occasional
negative slap-on-the-rear. (Never enough to hurt anything more than his
feelings). Again, that seems to mimic pack behavior. (It’s funny, the
little slap was always preceded by a finger pointing in his face. Now,
the finger point is usually enough).
Finally, Sebastian also
believes humans to be the most thin-skinned creatures on the planet.
During play, the slightest bite or scratch always elicits a dramatic
howl or yelp from us, and an immediate cessation of play.
The net result of all this
seems to be that Sebastian feels a strong part of the ‘Pack,” but knows
his place and feels very comfortable with it. (It’s like I think I
remember Beverly Manners saying somewhere - forgive me if this is a
misquote - “Puppies like to know their limits.”). He is, in short,
incredibly “attentive.”
Oh, and there is one more
thing. Sebastian gets an incredible amount of love. A harsh or
disappointed voice hurts his feelings so badly, that it is an incredibly
effective correction. He returns more love than he gets, particularly in
those sleepy morning hours or in the evening, after Dad has returned
from all that hunting and gathering.
So, for all you new Doodle
parents, this is our one piece of “Doodles helping Doodles” advice. Hope
it is of some help and that I’ve not gone on too long!
All the best of luck
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