The Value of Preparation

When we decide to acquire a dog, we know that we will need to have certain tools and supplies in place before the dog arrives. Those who have owned dogs previously wouldn’t even think of bringing a puppy or dog home without the essentials of crate, gates, a knowledge of where the pup will be confined, and a plan for housebreaking and obedience training. Even newbie dog owners know that bowls, food, bed, collar and leash are going to be needed. We may elect to procure these items at the same time as we get the dog, if not before, but we certainly don’t (or shouldn’t) think we can bring a dog or puppy home and go for days or weeks without the proper equipment.

Preparation saves a lot of headaches later on. It tends to make things like having a picnic, buying a car, going on a vacation, and bringing home a new baby much easier, doesn’t it?
Well, the same is true for dogs, but not just for the first night home.

Preparation regarding training is also quite helpful.

I’m not talking about knowing the best method for training, per se. There are many paths to a well-trained dog, including hiring a professional, or reading books and articles and watching videos in a “DIY” manner. Some people try it on their own first, then hire a pro. Most dog owners do not hire professional trainers, though. They either make it work with DIY, or they just live with the dog’s behavior. Or, they get rid of the dog.

What method you use isn’t really the point here. It can matter, for sure, but you probably already knew that.

What I’m talking about is preparing the dog for his life ahead, or the training itself as a preparation.

Pretrain your dog to lie in her bed while you answer
 the door, instead of mauling your visitors.

If your dog jumps up on people when they enter your house, waiting until people come over and yelling “DOWN!” at the dog (or yanking him down, or something worse) when he jumps is not training.

If your dog chases the cat, waiting for him to start chasing and then yelling at him or throwing things at him is not going to fix that problem.

If he jumps up on counters, pulls on the leash incessantly, barks obnoxiously at passerby, chews your belongings, or tries to bite you when you walk past him while he is eating, your responses during those situations do not constitute meaningful training.

Oh, learning is occurring, but it isn’t the type of learning that is going to help you.

So, you say, “When IS the time for meaningful training to begin for the dog who jumps on guests, chases the cat, jumps up on counters, pulls on the leash incessantly, barks obnoxiously at passerby, chews my belongings, or tries to bite me when you walk past him while he is eating?”

The answer, of course, is “before he started to exhibit those behaviors.”

And you are saying, “But I didn’t know I needed help with those things until he started doing them!”

That’s where you should have prepared a bit better.

See, you don’t try to train a dog not to do something when he is in the middle of doing it. And you don’t try to train him to do something when he is in the middle of doing something else. You train him to do the behaviors you want before you need him to do those behaviors, so that when the time comes and the need arises, he already knows what you require and either 1.Waits for you to remind him what to do, and then remembers and does it, or 2. Does it automatically.

(2. comes after a certain amount of teaching. 1. constitutes a trained dog, but 2. is even better.)

Dogs jump, pull on leash, eat what smells good, chase moving objects, make noise, and chew things naturally. These are default behaviors to most dogs, and one can pretty well assume most dogs will do them if not taught not to. In fact, you should absolutely assume they will.

Pretrain your dog to sit quietly when
you want to stop and chat with a neighbor.

So, you pretrain the dog to sit for greetings, keep four feet on the floor in the kitchen, walk nicely next to you on leash, chew their own toys and bones exclusively, refrain from chasing the cat, and allow you to control their resources without complaining. You train in advance of these things so that the dog can fully concentrate on what needs to be done when the behavior is needed. You pretrain because while he is learning the new behaviors, you need to be able to control the dog’s attention and give him lots of small successes, and this is unlikely to be successful when things are already hectic.

In short, you don’t train when you need the behavior—you train before you need it. That way, it’s already instilled in the dog, and all he needs to do when told to sit, or stop, or get off, or move away, or be quiet is remember what he already knows.

Because if you haven't taught him these things, he doesn't know them.

Think of it like taking a test. You don’t try to take a test without having studied. You learn when the test will happen, and you prepare for it by learning the material. Then, on test day, you walk in, sit down, and wrack your brain to remember what you just stuffed into it. There is no learning happening at that moment—it’s all recall.

Good dog training imparts the lessons before they are needed, so that when they are needed, all the dog need do is remember.


Prepare your dog to exhibit good behaviors in stressful or hectic situations by pretraining him. It’s much more kind and effective, and a lot less frustrating, than reacting in the moment.

A Sense of Entitlement

Quick quiz: you are walking down the street and someone (a stranger to you) with a dog is walking towards you. The dog is calm and appears well-behaved, and both he and the owner are minding their own business. You love dogs, of course (yours is not with you at the moment). What should you do?

A: Start squealing in a high-pitched baby voice at the dog while moving towards it with your hands outstretched. If it's small enough, go right over and pick it up, then kiss it. If it’s a big dog, bend over it and kiss it.

B: Start cooing in a sing-song voice, stop, bend over and wait for the dog to get close, then try to pet it.

C: Squat down, talking sweetly to the dog, and wait until it comes to you, then let it sniff your hand, and pet it.

D: Ask the owner if you can pet the dog, and then do C.

E: None of the above. It's not your dog, and you don't have a right to pet it. Smile at the owner, say, "cute puppy!" and continue walking.

Did you choose (D)?

The correct answer is (E).

What? Did I just tell you to pretty much ignore a dog on the street, even though it's adorable and you clearly love dogs?

Sigh. I did.

Would you walk up to a stranger and pet their child on the head? Would you touch them? Would you walk up and grab someone's bike, or phone, or dress, and admire it? If the person with the dog was walking without his dog, would you stop him, touch his arm, and interact with him, just because? Why not?

Because it would be rude.

When you go to pet someone's dog, someone who has not explicitly asked you to interact with the dog, you are making an assumption, and you put the owner in a tough spot. If they refuse you, you will think them rude. Why is that?

Dogs are not public property, despite the apparent eagerness of many to be social. If you would feel hurt that someone wouldn't allow you—lover of all dogs--to pet their pup, you need to look at your assumptions--and your desires. 

Because wanting to pet that dog is your desire, your want. It's all about you. It doesn't take the dog, or his human, into account at all.

Just because your dog loves people, and just because you love dogs, that doesn't grant you the right to interact with others' dogs without explicit permission.

If their dog is sketchy around strangers, they don't want you to try and pet it (and you shouldn't want to!). Telling them, "It's ok! Dogs love me!" as you approach and as their dog clearly turns away from you (or growls or barks at you) is not OK. Continuing to approach a dog that is barking in a threatening manner, instead of backing off, is not OK.

If their dog is in training, they may be concentrating on that, and following the advice of a professional to prevent others from touching the dog (I give this advice a lot to my students).

If their dog is too social, and will jump all over you, they may be embarrassed about this and trying not to encourage it. Even the dog that is clearly straining to be petted belongs to someone who may not want him to be doing that.

Please don't put people in an awkward position. You would blame them if the dog bit you (or scratched you in his exuberance), when in fact it would be your fault if you invaded his space. Some dogs just are not social with strangers, and you believing yourself “good with dogs” doesn't imbue you with some magical force that makes it OK. In fact, if you are actually “good with dogs,” you’d never try to pet one you didn’t know—especially one who was clearly sending signals that he didn’t want to be petted.

(People who are “good with dogs” don’t typically announce this fact. They act in ways that dogs understand to be non-threatening. It’s not magic—it’s experience. And practice.)

I don't allow people to pet my dogs when I'm out. They don't care for attention from strangers, and often, we are in training. I never foist myself upon dogs I see in passing. I smile and compliment them, and go home to love on my dogs, because each of us knows and trusts the other. I love dogs, yes, but because I love them, I don’t have a searing need to interact with every one I see--especially uninvited. Self-control around dogs takes some practice, but you can do it.

I once entered a pet supply store with my dog, who I was training. I needed to buy something, and I wanted to work my dog around the distractions of the store while I was doing it. Everything was fine, and my dog was doing quite well, until one of the clerks spotted us. She literally started squealing and following us around the store (I started moving quickly away, on purpose) with her hands outstretched.

My dog was looking to me for help to get him away from this crazy person, and I could not shake her. I finally had to stop, put my dog in a stay behind me, and block her approach like a soccer goalie. She finally asked if she could touch him, and I said no, not rudely, but with conviction. She got her feelings hurt, sure enough (not my intention at all), and probably told her co-worker how rude I was as we left without buying anything, both of us breathing a sigh of relief upon stepping out into the sunlight.

My job was to protect my dog, and I did.

NOTE: I’m not an absolutist. Life is full of shades of gray. Many dogs love people, and want to approach them, and belong to people who are trying to socialize them, and can handle your greetings properly. Many people don’t mind if you pet their dogs. In fact, some may ask you to. Some may even become offended if you don’t touch their dogs! If you meet such people with such dogs, see option D above. And enjoy!

Otherwise, please keep moving.

Seconds between Safety and Sadness

I was never the crossing guard at my elementary school. I jaywalk sometimes when I'm walking alone. I exceed the speed limit on the highway when conditions are good and traffic is flowing well. The stairs on my deck leading down into the yard have no railing on them. My anti-virus software is not 100% up-to-date.

I'm no saint when it comes to safety.

But I'm far from a sinner, either. I wear my seat belt every time I'm in a car. I wear my helmet when I scooter--and I would anyway, even if it wasn't a law. I never, ever wear flip-flops, because I'm afraid I'll twist my ankle being clumsy or stub my toe (and for dog's sake, what if I have to run somewhere suddenly? Flip-flops aren't shoes!). I don't tailgate, change lanes without a turn signal, or pass on the right. Even though my dogs are trained, I leash them when we are near traffic.

Safety matters to me. (No, that is NOT ME or anyone I know in that photo.)

I crate my dogs in the car, and encourage my students to do the same--and if crating's not an option due to the size of the dog or the size of the car, I encourage them to use seatbelt harnesses. I tell them to not allow their dogs off-leash until they are responding immediately to the come command in every possible situation. I tell them to never, ever crate two dogs in the same crate--no matter how much they "love each other." I teach them to hold their leash properly, make their dogs wait at doorways, avoid retractable leashes, and to pay attention to what they are doing at all times.

To potential adopters with whom I speak, I strongly recommend crate training for safety and structure. It's a "dogsend" for any dog going into a new situation, and it can avert serious accidents or problems with a dog you really don't know much about. This seems odd to many people, because they assume the dog they are adopting knows more than it does. But the bottom line is that this dog has never lived in your home. Keep him safe, and keep your other pets safe from his exuberance or lack of training, until you know each other better.

I'd never, ever leave a dog I don't know alone with other dogs (or kids, of course). But people do it. And because, like many things with the potential to cause harm, it usually works out, many people seem to think it always will. Until it doesn't.

I incorporate these messages into my classes and all my lessons. It takes a bit of extra time, but I know it's worth it.

I have horror stories from former students and potential clients, from friends and neighbors, from internet acquaintances and message board posters about What Could Go Wrong.

A woman adopts an adult dog with no known negative history from a shelter on Tuesday. On Thursday she is petsitting a friend's small dog, and leaves her new dog and that dog alone in the house while she runs errands. She comes home to find the small dog dead. Was the dog she adopted truly dog aggressive? Or did he simply see the small dog as prey?

The above story is not an isolated incident.

A student of mine called me in tears. She'd been working to wean her adolescent Shepherd mix out of the crate during the day (something I absolutely agree with, done in small bursts with well-trained dogs). She came home to find her dog had suffocated inside a potato chip bag he'd found in the kitchen.

I cannot imagine the horror and guilt she felt upon finding her precious companion this way. I know it tore her up. It was an accident. It was random. It was freakish. No one would ever think it could happen. But it did.

(Yes, I am aware that crates themselves can kill dogs. Collars get caught and dogs strangle, or they try to escape the crate and impale or horribly injure themselves in the process. I am not saying crating is 100% safe for all dogs, and I completely understand why someone would avoid it if the above had happened to them or someone they knew. I still say that properly crate-trained dogs are safest, overall.

As for collars, accidents abound there, as well. Chain training collars left on dogs can and do choke them. Pinch collars get caught on fencing, in other dog's teeth, and on other dog's collars. Even regular buckle collars can strangle dogs in some situations. I still collar my dogs, each and every one. For my dogs, the risks of collaring are miniscule when compared with the risks of not collaring. This is not true for everyone, but I believe it is true for most of my students and regular pet owners. If you are leery of collaring for the above reasons, you should try a breakaway collar.)

Some people simply do not understand that certain situations pose safety risks for ourselves and our pets. Many people suffer from the "it hasn't happened to me yet; therefore, it won't happen" syndrome. How often do you see dogs being carried loose in the beds of pickup trucks? Dogs on retractable leashes on busy streets straining at the end of the leash (at least 16 feet away from the handler, probably more) while the handler talks on a cell phone? Dogs off-leash on busy roadways? Small dogs left on balconies with very wide guard rails? Dogs left in closed (or partially open) cars on hot days? People bringing Chihuahua-sized dogs into dog parks (in the "large dog" section)? People leaving leashes and training collars on dogs at the dog park? People bringing their pets to fireworks celebrations? The list is endless.

And in addition to the "it hasn't happened so it can't happen" folks are the "bristlers." They are the ones who cannot handle any kind of criticism, who react immediately to other people "getting in their business" when it comes to pets or kids, even if they are doing something horribly unsafe. They scream, curse, yell, give you the finger, or attempt to harm you bodily if you even so much as suggest that what they are doing might pose a risk.

Haven't had this happen? The next time you see a dog in a hot car with the windows up, wait by the car for the owner to appear, and politely (and I mean, politely--be almost ingratiatingly polite) explain to them the risks they are placing on their dog. I can bet you $100 that they will not say, "Oh, thank you! I didn't know that. I won't do it again, and I really appreciate you bringing it to my attention." Well, at least not without dripping sarcasm, anyway. Be prepared to flee their unbridled wrath. (There's a blog post coming soon that talks about the inability to handle criticism. I've been "brewing" it for a while.)

I honestly don't think I look for safety risks; they just pop out at me. I notice them like lotharios notice buxom girls. And once I spot them, I can't "unsee" them, unfortunately. I see the potential for harm to happen to the pet or child in the scenario like a movie playing in my head. And it makes me angry.

Every day, we take risks. If we are smart and being rational, we calculate these risks instead of simply tossing caution to the wind. What has occurred in one's past will most definitely affect the risks one takes in the future. Often, critical thinking doesn't play a part in risk assessment in conjunction with events that have occurred to us before; we react in an emotional, non-rational way. It's all part of the human experience.

We also laugh derisively at the multitude of warnings now placed on everyday items that seem so ludicrously unnecessary, but let me tell you: if the warning is there, that means that someone, somewhere was injured by that product because they did the ridiculous thing. How does the saying go? Build an object that is 'idiot-proof' and they will simply build a bigger idiot."

What can we do to make our lives, and the lives of those who depend on us, such as our pets and our children, the best they can be? Calculated risk is an important part of life. Throwing caution to the wind in situations where mistakes cannot be undone is a recipe for sadness.

Be safe.

There are seconds between safety and sadness...a razor-thin line of them. ~Sarah Wilson