In response to my puppy parenting dilemmas I got two suggestions on how to train a puppy:
1. Ask Lara (the puppy whisperer)
2. Tough love
The funny thing is, rather coincidentally, these are the only two things that I've tried already. As you know from earlier posts, Lara was visiting a couple of weeks ago. She suggested a couple of things and I've been diligently playing tug-of-war since. I have also been tough (ceasing play time when the biting gets too vigorous, and smacking on the nose) but the dog is getting progressively more psychotic.
Now I am in a catch-22. I think Kopi Manis probably needs more attention than she's getting (I'm at work from early morning to early evening), but she's now so bad at biting that even if I wanted to keep playing with her I have to go inside to save myself! As for the tough love, I have no qualms about being tough to a puppy, but she fights back!
At least my fears for Kopi when she is left to fend for herself (when my friend leaves Indonesia in 18 months time) have subsided. This puppy could take on the biggest, meanest dog ever and tear it to shreds.
Can a puppy have slow-onset rabies?
2 comments:
Can a puppy so cute be anything other than wicked on the inside?
It's always the pretty ones you've got to watch.
(Hey, in other news, Ross and I found a house! Woo! Don't get the keys till next week, but photos will follow!)
does she wear a collar? i've had great success with collar corrections. this also proves useful in the future if you have to transport her somewhere or need to walk a long distance with her and don't want her to pull you or to stop every few meters to sniff the flora and fauna. [also as she grows, she'll be really unwieldy so it's best to show her who's boss while she's a size you can physically control] additionally, if the puppy snaps at you, i'd probably not smack it on the nose as it only instigates it to snap back. rather, i'd quickly snatch up its muzzle and snap it close and say a stern word. that, or i've always had fun reaching into a puppy's mouth and pressing down on its tongue which produces the opposite - she'll want to open her mouth to expel your hand! i'm not advising you to do this (so don't hold me legally responsible!) because she's maybe with rabies or other nasty diseases that sarah can do without.
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