As the proud, happy, but sometimes vexed owner of a new dog – one who has made a serious dent in the amount of sleep I’m getting – I completely understand that you don’t really know what you’re getting when you adopt a dog. Of course, you do your best to assess the dog’s character and temperament before you bring him home, and try to compare the list of attributes you were looking for in a dog with the traits he seems to display. But you don’t really know whom you’ve brought home for days, weeks, and months.
That was certainly the case with Spryte, the dog discussed in the “case history” that appears on the following pages. Fortunately for Spryte, she was adopted by an unusually experienced, determined, and open-hearted couple, who did everything in their power to find just the sort of training regimen the reactive dog needed. Positive trainer and writer Terry Long, of Long Beach, California, brings us the story, which could serve as a blueprint for an extremely successful dog adoption.
Also in this issue, Training Editor Pat Miller defines “generalization” in its dog-training context, and explains why it should be your goal whenever teaching your dog a new skill. The article appears on page 8.
After hearing about case after case of kennel cough, our long-time contributor and holistic health expert, CJ Puotinen, decided to take an in-depth look at preventing and treating this contagious canine condition (see page 10).
On page 15, I offer another account of what I’m doing to try to establish my new dog, Otto, as a well-behaved, diurnal member of the family. I’m much less experienced than the owners featured in our case history, but just as determined. And, of course, I have 11 years’ worth of back issues of WDJ’s training advice at my fingertips! It’s my hope that through sharing some of the details of our experiences with Otto, others may find some useful information on dealing with their new dogs. Or learn from my mistakes!
Finally, on page 18, we present a longer article from Pat Miller about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in dogs. Many people (myself included) make jokes about OCD, but anyone who has a dog who suffers with this condition can tell you that it’s not a laughing matter. These dogs truly can’t control their behavior in certain circumstances, and may be easily triggered into long sessions of tail-chasing, fly-snapping, licking themselves, or other repetitive behaviors until they have harmed themselves (and driven their owners to the brink of madness). Miller describes the tell-tale signs of a budding canine OCD behavior, and instructs us on what to do and what not to do if our dog begins exhibiting one.
Say, last month I gushed about my guilty pleasure: watching a TV show called Greatest American Dog. I mentioned that it was broadcast on Thursday nights – just before its schedule was changed to Wednesdays. I hope everyone saw its final episodes, and apologize if I accidentally made anyone miss it. As this issue goes to press, all the episodes are still available on the CBS website: cbs.com.
