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Discipline vs. Training – The Wong Dogs Are Still Learning!
Puppyhood is not the only part of our pets' lives that training takes place. It is perfectly normal for some people to think I take Cory’s
and Cole’s good behaviours for granted. But many do not know it takes loads of
consistency... Hey, I love going out with peace of mind you know! Imagine just
heading out for brunch at a café and reading a magazine, knowing that your
furkids will know their boundaries. As such, the incident above might surprise some…
A couple of days ago, I was faced with a behavioural incident. While chewing on his Deer Bone, the usually docile Cole reacted by growling towards Cory
who was being his typical “kaypoh” self. I literally flew from my seat, scolded Cole,
got him into a submissive position and held on to his muzzle for five seconds.
After which, I separated Cole to be by himself for half an hour in the living
room. The whole time, he treated to a guilty look with his shoulders hunched
forward. After the entire incident, I had Cole manja-ing me for affection.
This got me thinking and I decided to ask Rao Canine’s dog
trainer, Vivien Chin (who was also his fosterer) on whether I had been too harsh or strict with my Singapore Special.
Here is what she had to say.
 |
| Vivien with Kafka |
“I would scold
my own dogs if they did that (growling). But I will also teach them not to
bother the other canine when it is preoccupied with a treat during meal times.
Patricia McConnell, one of my favourite authorities on canine behaviour and training,
says that, “Every owner has to decide what is acceptable in their own
household; my criteria are quiet warnings like head turns or stares are
acceptable, anything else is discouraged.”
You said that,
“the usually docile Cole reacted by growling towards Cory who was being his
typical “kaypoh” self.” This reminds
me of my own dog, Lulu. Lulu used to be Dog B in Scenario 2 of this Pat Miller’sarticle on resource guarding. When Kafka, my German Shepherd, was a puppy, he
used to snatch her food from her, she would give it up and walk away. I’d
praise her and reward her with another treat. For a long time, she would defer
to Kafka. However, after fostering a few puppies that did not know what manners
was, her patience gradually wore thin. Lulu now defends her food when intrusive
puppies and even Kafka comes too close. Lulu is a gentle dog, when I verbally
scold her, she would look remorseful. She knows I do not approve of her
growling and a light smack on her butt also serves to tell her my disapproval.
However, unless you know your furkid extremely well, I do not encourage pet
owners to do that because the dog might turn around and bite. At the same time,
Lulu counts on me to maintain law and order. On hindsight, I should not have
taken Lulu’s patience for granted, just as you might have taken Cole’s docility
for granted. Now, I make sure Lulu gets to eat her food without any disturbance
from any other dog and Kafka would wait patiently for Lulu to finish her food
before he licks up what’s left in her bowl.
I do not do
alpha roll as it does not seem useful. While holding on to Cole’s muzzle may
not to be too harsh and your actions were not too strict, it might not be fair
and you could be stricter with Cory by not allowing him near Cole. If possible,
consider counter-conditioning techniques to get Cole to like the presence of
Cory around his treats and during meal times.”
I am not perfect and only by being teachable, I can become a better pet owner! Thank you, Vivien!
*The opinions expressed
in this blog post are of The Wong Dogs and Rao Canine’s own. Every case is unique
and pet owners should check back with their own canine trainers before
attempting any methods on their own.
Labels: dog training, dogsofinstasg, miniature schnauzer, rao canine, singapore special, the wong dogs
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