The First Month

-by Joyce Baker

This is the most important time for you and your new companion, who wants nothing more that to be loved and cared for.  I am a firm believer that a basic obedience class at a training facility that uses positive, motivational methods will be the first step to creating a bond with your new partner.  Patience and understanding is the key to building a bond based on trust and respect.

It is important to set your rules and guidelines right from day one.  Are they allowed on the furniture, or aren't they?  Are they allowed to beg at the supper table, or aren't they?  What ever your rules may be, stick to them.  Being allowed to do something one day and not the next, confuses them and from that point on you will have a struggle getting back on track.

A well socialized do is a confident and outgoing companion.  The more you can take them out and introduce them to differenct surroundings, people, and noises the better your dog will behave with they are introduced to something new.  It is your responsibility to introduce things in a calm and positive manner.  Never force and issue, but start slow and carry lots of treats.  For a dog that is timid and unsure, the worst possible thing you could do is to coddle them.  When we start to fuss, "it's okay", "don't be scared", "I'm here", all the time petting and fussing over them, we are unkowingly encouraging the behavior and creating a dog that when afraid of something will resort to cowering.  Of course they will react but we need them to recover.  Every time we take them out for a walk you can count on meeting something or someone that they have never seen before.  Plan ahead and carry a pocket full of treats.  If we watch closely enough, we can predict their reaction just by observing their body language.  Before they have a chance to react in a negative or fearful manner be ready with your treats.  If they are afraid of bikes and you see one coming in the distance, before they see it, pull them off to the side and start pezz dispending threats one after the other until the bike has passed.  You have now associated that bike with a reward.  Use this method with all new experiences, people, places, things and noises.  There may be a time when you run across something that treats just will not be enought to keep them from being overwhelmed by fear.  Understand and accept this and try your best to control the situation. 

Most of all, enjoy and have fun with them.  We are their whole world.

Copyright 2006 Joyce Baker for Collie Rescue Network.  All rights reserved.

E-mail rescue@collierescuenetwork.com before reprinting this article in any written format. All reprints must give full credit to the original author, Joyce Baker.