Need Help With Book I'm Writing!

[Jean Cote]

Hi Everyone,

I am creating a FREE eBook about raising a puppy. I want to address the most amount of questions and to make sure I don't leave anything out, I'm asking you to reply to this message and ask me anything you would like answered within the book...

Just hit reply below and I will try to answer your question in the book and send you a FREE copy! All questions are welcome, even if you think it's silly!

Thanks so much.

 

[tigerlily46514]

What a great idea!

stuff i'd put in:
Have puppy held by 100 ppl in 100 days.

Have puppy socialized well with other friendly dogs who know how to play nicely, and other puppies. Often, on regular basis.

LEAVE INFANT DOG with his mom and littermates til he is 12 weeks old, or else YOU get to try to teach the infant dog how hard to bite. Puppies removed too soon from littermates are way more nippier and cry all night long...there's valuable lessons going on in weeks 8 to 12, from his momma and littermates,
that most pups get robbed of by breeders who want to clear out that litter box.

Introduce things, like having paws held, being touched everywhere, while puppy is still young, and continue this often, to make nail clipping easier.

Keep puppy away from dog-aggressive dogs.

Jean, put in lots of advice, for those most common complaints from many puppy owners, and help them get more reasonable expectations of what to expect from an infant dog.....who hasn't heard these kind of questions??? :


~"My puppy keeps biting me with those razor sharp teeth!"

~"My puppy keeps chewing everything, and just ate my ipod...."

~"When will my puppy ever potty train! My carpet is ruined!"

~"Why won't my baby dog walk in a perfect heel yet? I've already shown her twice...."

~"Why won't my baby infant dog come 100% of the time when i call it?"

~"My puppy whines all night long......"

~"My puppy cries whenever he is in his crate......"

~"I'd heard puppies won't pee in their crates, what's up ? mine did!"

~"How long can i leave a puppy home alone?"

~"When can i begin teaching my puppy to jump up high?"

~"How old should a puppy be for his first choke chain?"

~"What to feed a puppy?"

~"Why does my puppy pull so much on the leash?"

~"How hard can one swat at a puppy when i find my mom's shoe is chewed up?"

~"How old can a puppy be to go out in public? HOw many vaccinations do they need?"

etc etc etc, all the typical puppy owner questions.......those are just off the top of my head.




GOOD LUCK JEAN!!!

 

[tx_cowgirl]

One thing about socialization that people seem to misunderstand:
Socialization doesn't just mean being exposed to hundreds of new things.
Socialization means having positive exposure to hundreds of new things. Puppies need to have positive experiences with the things they need to be socialized with, so socialization needs to be a wonderful, fun experience for everyone involved.

Good luck Jean!!

 

[tx_cowgirl]

Oh and I would definitely explain the important of mental and physical exercise, as well as understanding your dog's needs based on their breed.
Meaning that they need to understand that their Border Collie puppy might possibly grow up to need 10 mile walks every day. Buuut, that same exercise regimen may not be best suited for an English Bulldog.

Not sure if that would be getting too detailed or not....lol you could write a whole book just on choosing the right breed. Maybe it could be condensed enough to still be beneficial though.

 

[Jean Cote]

Thank you for the advice, those are great topics to write in the book!

 

[tigerlily46514]

oh, well, if you are going to branch out into how to CHOOSE a dog or breed,
if *i* was writing the book,
on how to choose a canine to live with,
as well as emphasizing the need to research the breed and the requirements for various breeds, like Tx says,
i'd ALSO strongly emphasize the ease of adopting an adult dog, compared to bringing home an infant baby dog.


for real, as cute as puppies are,
raising an infant dog is not for every lifestyle, nor for every human temperament. It's hard to go a month around here or any dog website, (go look on Yahoo answers pet section, and shake your head)
without some puppy owner posting they are about to pull their hair out over something that almost all puppies will go through,
the crying,
the biting,
the chewing,
the destruction,
the "can't be home alone very long",
for some ppl---MONTHS AND MONTHS of trying to potty train a puppy,
the leash pulling,
..........just starting from scratch,
on every single behavior,
on a baby creature with a short att'n span,
and limited self control skills,
is not for everyone.
As well as the uncertainty if this puppy will turn out to have the dog-aggression gene, which doesn't manifest til about 9 mos old. (you can NOT tell by it's parents, it can be recessive,and it does not show up in the puppy...it's like herding---- the urge is already on the DNA, but won't display til later on/can't be seen in the litter box yet)

I'd emphasize the bennies of adopting an adult dog.

If i were going to branch out into how to choose a puppy, i'd also warn the ppl what it means when that one puppy in the litter box keeps ducking or crawling away from the human hands, and what that dog will be like later on.

I'd also make an attempt to steer potential dog owners away from puppy mill dogs, pet shop dogs (<----almost invariably from mills) and backyard breeders, if i was branching out into how to CHOOSE a dog.

Jean, you might need TWO different books----"HOW TO CHOOSE a puppy or a DOG"
and
"HOW TO RAISE A PUPPY"

 

[Dogster]

Hi Jean,
I think your book should include the following:

• What games I should/shouldn't play with my puppy;
• What should I feed my puppy;
• Training tips;
• How to choose a breeder (and not to buy dogs from puppy mill-based pet stores or breeders);
• Just like Tigerlily said, emphasise to ADOPT (instead of purchase);
• Punishments (when to use one, when NOT to use one, what punishments to/to not use)

I hope you consider my questions!!!

 

[Evie]

Hi,

If you're still book writing, I think you should put in there something about the importance of rewarding your puppy every time she comes to you when you call her. Whether she comes to you straight away when you call her or 5 minutes later after she finishes chasing that butterfly.... people need to understand the importance of NEVER getting angry or upset with their puppy when they come (no matter how late their puppy is making them by not coming..) or else they'll never have a dog with recall.

Hope that makes sense. I know what i'm trying to say lol

 

[bekah1001]

Maybe add the different rewards you can use, healthy treat recipes,when and how much to feed a puppy, how to make homemade toys, collar grabs (gently, having the puppy used to having its collar grabbed) positive interrupter, a default leave it( why is my puppy always trying to nip food out of my hands?) taking food gently, and introducing the leash Maybe a recommended puppy schedule example: 7:00 potty
7:30 Breakfast and potty right afterwards
Etc.
Another question : Why does my puppy jump up when he's excited/ how to stop puppies from jumping up

 

[Pawbla]

Importance of a schedule in a puppy's life! Maybe crate training? Dunno if you people use it. I don't use a crate myself but I know it can be very positive for puppies, especially for potty training.

And, you know, I'd sort of divide the book in two like Tigerlily said. Like those Ian Dunbar books, "before" and "after" you get your puppy (haven't read them but sounds like something similar). I know it's writing a ton, but maybe if you want and have the time, it'd be an interesting possibility.

I'd love to see the benefits of adoption in the ebook. I've adopted my last 5 dogs as 6-7 months old (minimum) so as not to deal with the puppy stages out of fear I'd do something wrong .

If you do write it, and wish me to do so, I'd love to translate it to Spanish. Much material is needed on the subject, and not a lot is available in Spanish, not even in a "proper book" format. The books that exist in this language are awful as far as I've read.

 

[jmacek07]

Some of these topics might do well to be covered. 15 ways to not ruin your puppy

 

[tigerlily46514]

Jmacek, i love most of your link. Is that your link, you wrote it??
i loved most of it!

However, most dogs who are shy, (which are the dogs that tend to be prone to develop aggression towards humans) are born that way, it is a genetic disorder. It shows up in the litter box. There are many levels of shyness, from mild to severe.
Socializing shy dogs has to be always be done at a subthreshold level. Lack of socialization does NOT cause aggression to humans, that is a myth. Getting the shy dog to be comfortable around Bill, will not help the shy dog be comfortable around Fred. Shy dogs have to accept a unknown person one a time, usually.

Dog-aggressive dogs are also genetic, almost always. (tends to manifest at about 9 mos old) The kind who ARE 'caused' by humans are pretty easy to rehab back to their default normal-dog brain behavior....like almost all of Michael Vick's dogs proved. Getting a DA dog to accept Fido, does not help the DA dog realize Max is okay, too. DA dogs have to be desensitized to each unknown dog, one at a time.

but, it's usually "most" and not "all". Even a shy dog can occasionally accept some stranger on sight, immediately, and even a DA dog, can occasionally accept some unknown dog right away................. it's usually shy dogs and DA dogs dislike "most" and not always "all" unknown (humans OR dogs).

Dogs who have a lifelong, persistent, inappropriate aggression to dogs, or a lifelong, persistent shyness (and occasionally aggression) to humans,
are two different disorders,
and both are neurobiological genetic disorders. It can be a recessive gene, and the parents are often 'normal' dogs. both of these two disorders,
have multiple neurochemical anomalies, as well as abnormal brains in MRI scanners, too.



anyway, we can make the shy dog or the DA dog better, or worse,
but we can't "create" one, nor can we 100% cure one, either.

 

[tigerlily46514]

BUT, Jmacek, most ppl DO believe what you do,
that how a dog is raised or managed is what decides which dogs are shy,(and possible ppl aggressive)
and which dogs are dog-aggressive dogs.

but even common sense should cause us all to question that rampant myth, that we've all been told all our lives by everyone:


Tons of examples of abused, neglected dogs, who, when rescued, stand there loving eveyrone and every dog.
Tons of examples of dogs properly socialized, raised well, by animal behaviorists, vets, committed knowledgeable dog ppl, yet, their dog turned out either shy/ppl aggresisve,
or dog-aggressive,
against all odds.

Sometimes, a knowledgable person can raise 3 or 4 dogs simultaneously, or sequentially, and raise them all in exact same way,
and 3 of the 4 dogs turn out fine! but just one turns out to have either the shy disorder, or the dog-aggression disorder.

although, all 4 dogs were raised in exact same way.

Most geneticists all over the globe agree, these are both genetic disorders, and i really do have to post a thread on this soon, i have even more research links on this now.

 

[tigerlily46514]

sorry for derail.

Properly socializing a puppy IS important, but it does NOT prevent either shyness (tend to target humans IF they develop aggression)
nor does it prevent dog-aggression,
is my point.

 

[Evie]

sorry for derail.

Properly socializing a puppy IS important, but it does NOT prevent either shyness (tend to target humans IF they develop aggression)
nor does it prevent dog-aggression,
is my point.

I found that out the hard way

 

[tigerlily46514]

Yeah, Evie, almost all dog authorities DO promote the idea that dogs with shyness, or dog-aggression, are "caused", which really IS a disservice to dogdom, imo. But, in the research i've done on this topic, i have got impression that dog authorities do NOT use actual scientific research....
Instead, in the dog world, it seems that
if "everyone" says something = that makes it "true".
and few if any even question the notions we have all been told.

and since everyone says "dogs become aggressive if they are mistreated/abused/not socialized properly/etc"
then that makes it "true" since everyone says so.

well, everyone except those actually doing scientific research on the topic, that is...

 

[648117]

You should include something about when they go through fear stages and how to deal with that and when they go through really anoying stages (Holly seems to be at one now at 6 and a half months) where they are always getting into stuff and stop responding to commands as well as they used to.
Maybe a section on grooming. eg, when/how to introduce them to a bath/brush/hair dryer etc even if you think they will not need groomed when older because you can't be sure (especially with mix breeds).
And some stuff about what collar/harness to use and how to travel with the puppy in the car as that will likely be how it travels in the car as an adult. eg, not on peoples knees even if it's a small dog, use a harness and seatbelt (not collar unless you want the dogs neck broken in an accident), crate or have them on the floor of the car for safety (even at puppy class this wasn't addressed and we would see a Vizla pup arrive sitting in the front of the car between its owners - I bet that will be fun when it's bigger, and I sometimes see small dogs sitting on the drivers lap in front of the wheel - I bet that would be awesome in an accident (even a minor one) or sudden stop.