Monique Anstee's Blog - Posts Tagged "training"
No Stinking Help Wanted
I see this often with strong puppies – they don't want no stinking help.
Johnny is the same. If you pick him up and put him into a crate he fights and fights, then will yell and scream for an impressively long amount of time. It doesn't matter if you throw cookies in – he's not happy, and won't even look at them.
But if you ask him to go in by his collar, then give him to the count of three, he walks in willingly and settles right away.
I don't blame him. I hate being forced to do stuff, and probably would behave in a similar manner. But because he is such a tiny puppy, we forget that he has complex emotions and feelings about how things should be done.
The other day he needed help up a rock. I had the urge to pick him up, but forced myself not to. It took five times longer, but I boosted one back leg. He huffed, and puffed, and pulled himself up. He was so proud when he made his way up.
Sometimes when we do too much for them, we take all their self-esteem away. We must remember to teach them how to do things, rather than just doing it for them. It takes longer. It's certainly less convenient. But it is the right way.
Johnny is the same. If you pick him up and put him into a crate he fights and fights, then will yell and scream for an impressively long amount of time. It doesn't matter if you throw cookies in – he's not happy, and won't even look at them.
But if you ask him to go in by his collar, then give him to the count of three, he walks in willingly and settles right away.
I don't blame him. I hate being forced to do stuff, and probably would behave in a similar manner. But because he is such a tiny puppy, we forget that he has complex emotions and feelings about how things should be done.
The other day he needed help up a rock. I had the urge to pick him up, but forced myself not to. It took five times longer, but I boosted one back leg. He huffed, and puffed, and pulled himself up. He was so proud when he made his way up.
Sometimes when we do too much for them, we take all their self-esteem away. We must remember to teach them how to do things, rather than just doing it for them. It takes longer. It's certainly less convenient. But it is the right way.
