TOP TEN NEW HOUSE RULES FOR SUCCESS
1. NO MORE ON ANY FURNITURE IN THE HOUSE, NOT THE COUCH, NO MORE SLEEPING WITH YOU IN YOUR BED. MAKE HIM A BED IN YOUR ROOM IF YOU WISH, OR A CRATE SO HE CAN BE NEAR YOU IF (YOU NEED IT). WE NEED TO TEACH HIM TECHNIQUES FOR SEPERATION TO BETTER BALANCE HIM.
2. DAILY WALK FOR MINIMUM OF 1 HOUR EACH TWICE A DAY, FIRST THING IN THE MORNING BEFORE WORK, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN YOU RETURN HOME FROM WORK. THIS PUTS A POSATIVE SPIN ON YOU LEAVING WHICH WILL ALSO AID IN HIS SEPERATION ANXIETY.
3. RESTRICT HIS MOVEMENTS WHEN EVER YOU’RE UNABLE TO PHYSICALLY SEE HIM, GOING TO WORK, SHOWER, UP STAIRS, ANYTIME YOU TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF HIM. THIS IS WHERE YOUR CRATE WILL COME IN HANDY, EXAMPLE: YOU NEED TO GO HAVE A SHOWER; HE GOES IN HIS CRATE, YES EVEN FOR JUST THAT FIVE MINUTES!! THIS IS AGAIN TEACHING HIM IT’S OKAY TO BE LEFT ALONE, AGAIN HELPING HIM TO RID HIMSELF OF THE ANXIETY.
4. NO MORE FREE RANGE, OTHER THAN TO GO TO BED, THERE SHOULD BE ZERO REASON FOR HIM TO BE UPSTAIRS, THERE IS NO FOOD UP THERE, NO WATER, NO REASON AT ALL FOR HIM TO GO UP THERE UNLESS INVITED UP BY YOU.
5. KITCHEN IS OFF LIMITS!! HIS FOOD AND WATER SHOULD NOT BE IN THE KITCHEN EVER, WHEN YOU ARE IN THE KITCHEN PREPARING ANY TYPE OF FOOD, AND EVEN A GLASS OF MILK, YOUR DOG HAS TO BE OUT OF THE KITCHEN. DOGS SHOULD NEVER BE IN CONTACT WITH HUMAN FOOD. IF YOU CHOOSE TO FEED YOUR DOG HUMAN FOOD IT HAS TO COME FROM THEIR BOWL, NEVER FROM THE TABLE OR THE KITCHEN, THIS WILL TEACH HIM TO STAY OFF COUNTERS AND TABLES.
6. GET CREATIVE IN YOUR PLAY,IF YOUR DOG IS A WORKING BREED HE NEEDS A JOB; PLAY A GAME DAILY OF SEARCH AND RESCUE AKA: HIDE AND SEEK IN YOUR YARD, ALSO I RECOMMEND GETTING HIM A BACK PACK FOR HIS WALKS TO HELP HIM BURN OFF ENERGY, PUT ABOUT 3LBS PER SIDE OF HIS BACK PACK.
7. WHEN YOU HAVE COMPANY ARRIVING OR PIZZA DELIVERED THE RULES ARE THE SAME, HE IS TO BE AT THE LEAST 5 FEET AWAY FROM THE DOOR IN A SIT POSITION AND NOT TO GET UP UNTIL THE PERSON WHO PUT HIM THERE RELEASES HIM, THIS WILL ALLOW WHOM IS ENTERING YOUR HOME SAFE PASSAGE WITHOUT BEING JUMPED UP ON. WHEN YOUR COMPANY ARRIVES YOU NEED TO PRACTICE, NO TOUCH, NO TALK, AND NO EYE CONTACT FOR A MINIMUM OF 20 MIN GIVING YOUR DOG TIME TO BE QUIET AND CALM BEFORE SAYING HELLO TO YOUR COMPANY.
8. YOUR DOG IS NEVER TO BE ALLOWED TO BE YOUR EQUAL! THIS MEANS YOU ARE THE PACK LEADER AND YOU SET THE BOUNDRIES. YOUR DOG IS NEVER, EVER TO BE ALLOWED TO BE ON TOP OF YOU. EXAMPLE: SITS BESIDE YOU BUT PUTS HIS PAW ON YOUR FOOT OR LEANS INTO YOU, THIS IS DOMINANCE BY HIM, IF YOU SIT ON THE FLOOR TO PLAY AND HE UNINVITED COMES AND STANDS OVER YOU OR SITS ON YOU THIS IS DOMINANCE BY HIM. IF YOU ASK YOUR DOG TO STAY, COME, GO OR ANY OTHER COMMAND AND HE BARKS AT YOU WITH NO CORRECTIVE ACTION, THIS IS DOMINANCE BY HIM, THESE CANNOT BE ALLOWED OR TOLERATED FOR ANY REASON.
9. FEEDING RITUAL, WHEN YOU PUT FOOD DOWN FOR YOUR DOG HE SHOULD BE AWAY FROM YOUR FOOD BOWL IN A SIT POSITION (THIS WAS NOT A TYPO, I SAID YOUR FOOD BOWL NOT HIS) AT LEAST 4-5 FEET UNTIL INVITED BY YOU TO EAT.
10. CONSITANCY!!!!! IF YOU BREAK THE RULES, SO WILL YOUR DOG!!!!! THESE THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN EACH AND EVERY DAY, NOT JUST UNTIL HE LEARNS IT, UNTIL THAT DOGS LAST BREATH! SO YOU’RE LOOKING AT 12 PLUS YEARS! CONSITANCY, CONSITANCY, CONSITANCY, CONSITANCY! THIS IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS; IF YOU FOLLOW THESE BASICS EVERYDAY YOU WILL HAVE NO CHOICE OTHER THAN TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
PLEASE PRINT THESE OFF AND HAVE THEM READY FOR WHEN I BRING YOUR DOG BACK SO WE CAN DISCUSS ANY IF YOU NEED CLARITY ON THEM. ALSO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KEEP A COPY IN CLEAR VIEW AS A DAILY REMINDER IF NEEDED; I FIND POSTING THEM TO YOUR FRIDGE IS USUALLY HELPFUL.