[nagdu] Any tips for us?

[Raven Tolliver]

I get this question a lot from puppy-raisers, especially those who are
about to raise their first dog, and the ones who haven't had a dog
graduate.
Obviously, there's a handful of tips in the huge packet of paperwork I
have to go over with the raisers. Remember that your puppy is on the
ground and will go after objects on the floor. Watch your pup outside
to prevent him from picking up rocks and sticks. Patience, practice,
praise. And so on.
And of course, their puppy counselors and raiser groups will be there
for them whenever they need.
But I think the raisers still look for some overarching, comprehensive
advice to keep in mind at all times.

So off the record, this is the advice I give them.
Be strict. More specifically, have an expectation for your dog at all
times. When young dogs are not sleeping or eating, they're looking for
something to do, so give them something to do or somewhere to be.
Reward the dog for performing that behavior or being in that place if
it is not self-rewarding.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Avoid problem
behaviors by preventing them. Once a behavior is a problem, it is
harder to eliminate since the dog finds it rewarding, and you now have
to make an alternative behavior more rewarding than the problem
behavior. Problem behaviors include alert barking, pulling on leash,
inappropriate chewing, counter-surfing, scavenging in the garbage,
scavenging in public, etc.

What do you guys think of this advice? Furthermore, what other advice
would be valuable to share?
Thanks.
--
Raven
Founder of 1AM Editing & Research
www.1am-editing.com

You are valuable because of your potential, not because of what you
have or what you do.

Naturally-reared guide dogs
https://groups.google.com/d/forum/nrguidedogs