THE ADVENTURES OF BUSTER,
CANINE DELINQUENT

This series takes a humorous look at a 5 month old ½ chow/husky puppy who during puppyhood develops behavior problems due largely to environment created by it’s humans.

 

Buster travels from one family to another until he ends up at the pound where he is finally rescued by the enlightened (ie responsible) owner who takes the time to educate himself and enlist the services of a professional trainer.

BUSTER: I’m a born pack leader. When I was nursing, I would push aside the other puppies at the food bowl and run the other pups off (they were wimps). I don’t like when my human pack members pick me up to cuddle, boy are they weak! I think I’m gonna teach them a lesson. I think I’m gonna growl next time. Don’t they know I’m gonna be boss some day? The other day, I stole a shoe and ran under the bed with it. I showed 'em who was boss. I like to steal things. One day I’m gonna get those fancy shoes that smell like meat; boy they are gonna taste great!

They leave me in the house for a long time, so like any pup, I gotta go when I gotta go. There are so many choices but my favorite is in front of the big TV on the rug. Sometimes I have to go 2 or 3 times. This is great. I go anywhere I want.

TED THE TRAINER: Buster sounds to me like a definite alpha temperament. who if changes are not made at a young age, will be much more difficult later when he is older. Changes in regards to handling as well as environment are necessary. Let me ask my wife, Dawn her advice.

DAWN: The first to tackle is HOUSEBREAKING. Housebreaking is a matter of forming good habits. Good habits are taught by repetition.

The CRATE is the most important tool used in proper housebreaking of a puppy. The crate helps teach the dog to hold it and wait to go outside because most dogs do not like soiling their den. The crate will be used when you are sleeping, away from the house or unable to watch the dog properly. Crate training keeps the dog from forming BAD Habits and if the dog does not form bad habits , it can not be a bad dog. It reduces stress and makes the whole training process more enjoyable for the human and the dog. Imagine- would you rather come home to find 2 messes on the floor, scold the dog maybe a little too harshly, clean the mess and be mad for hours after arriving home, not wanting to pet your naughty dog or would you rather come home, take the dog out of the crate on the leash and walk directly to the backyard where the dog urinates and defecates on command and then you play ball in the yard before returning inside to sit quietly and pet your puppy. Which situation seems less stressful?

WATCH your puppy at all times for the first 1-2 weeks. Never let your puppy run loose in the house, forming BAD HABITS by making a mess on the living room rug when you aren’t watching or chewing up your child’s favorite stuffed animals. Keep the puppy on the leash. If the puppy is on the leash next to you, it can not be forming bad habits around the corner. This will work well for young puppies that are just coming home or even for older puppies that have formed bad habits and need to start back at the beginning. When you are busy or need to make dinner, put your puppy back in the crate.

The closer you can stick to this regimen, the faster your puppy will earn his freedom. It’s that simple.