I am reading a fascinating book on dog behavior and training. Here is an interesting piece :
Xenophon (circa 380 B.C.), a student of Socrates, wrote a valuable tract on dog training entitled Cynegeticus.
Xenophon recognized the value of early training and recommended that a dog’s education be started while it was still young and
most eager to learn. During the early stages of training, hare-hunting dogs were trained to drive fleeing prey into snag nets by feeding the dogs near the location of the nets, at least until they developed a sufficient appetite for the hunt itself to perform the task of coming to the nets without such aid. Young trailing dogs were placed on long leashes and paired up with more experienced dogs to hunt hare.
As their training progressed, novice dogs were restrained until the hare was out of sight and then released to ensure that they relied on scent rather than sight to follow and locate the fleeing prey. If a puppy failed to trail an animal in the correct direction, the puppy was recalled and the procedure repeated until the behavior was mastered (Hull, 1964).
Xenophon also anticipates with surprising accuracy a number of modern training theories and techniques. Although
Thorndike has been credited with the discovery of the law of effect, stating that behavior is strengthened by reward and weakened by punishment, Xenophon enunciated this basic rule of animal training well over 2000 years ago in his essay On the Art of Horsemanship:
Now, whereas the gods have given to men the
power of instructing one another in their duty
by word of mouth, it is obvious that you can
teach a horse nothing by word of mouth. If,
however, you reward him when he behaves as
you wish, and punish him when he is disobedient,
he will best learn to do his duty. This rule
can be stated in few words, but it applies to the
whole art of horsemanship.
Holiday season is approaching faster than 7 can steal a food from a baby.
As far as our dog is concerned Holiday season is insane time. More people are in and out of the house, family’s energy is out of whack. Not to mention lots of strange boxes & plants are being placed in the house. In fact very little is familiar.
I view our dog’s need during the holidays in two categories. 1) Safety and 2) Sanity.
Dog Safety
1 Tree water at the base of live trees can be harmful to your dog if preservative chemicals have been added to prolong the life of the tree. Cover the tree basin with foil or a tree skirt to keep your dog from drinking the water.
2 Anchor the tree with cord or wire to the ceiling directly above the tree’s trunk to prevent your dog from knocking over your holiday tree. REMEMBER ! Don’t attach it with wire to a wall behind the tree because your dog could get caught in the wire if be darts behind the tree.
3 To keep your dog from accidentally swallowing something that could get lodged in his throat hang your ornaments with ribbons rather than hooks
4 Don’t use toothpicks. Because your can eat the toothpicks if they are dropped on the floor and they can get stuck in his throat or puncture internal organs.
5 Tie up loose electrical cords of the lights used to decorate the tree and keep them concealed by attaching them with wire or cord to the trunk of the tree.
Dog Sanity
1 Try to enjoy the season. Stay calm. We all get stressed out during the holidays, and our dog picks up on our stress. She looks to you as a leader. If you are calm, she can be calmer. If you spend a little quiet time with your dog every day – it will help you, too.
Review your dog’s basic obedience training exercises daily. Don’t teach your dog something new during this stressful time, but review what she already knows & reinforce yourself as a pack leader.
2 Keep the routine with your dog: Keep your dog’s regular daily routine. Feed and walk her at the same times as you usually do. Changing her routine can make her stressful, and she may seek attention by misbehaving.
3 Play with your dog before your party. If you tire her out, she’ll be too tired to get into any mischief when guests arrive. If that is not possible, hire a dog walker or take him to doggie daycare.
Find out the location of the nearest emergency vet in your area NOW. Don’t lose precious moments during an emergency.
