Bringing a puppy dog home can be an extremely challenging affair, even for those who previously have done it. Dogs are individuals, and I rapidly learned that what worked or didn't work for a previous canine resident didn't necessarily apply to future canines. I'm always looking for ways to incorporate a puppy into a household in as user-friendly ways as possible for both the humans and the canines. When I read certified dog trainer Kathy Callahan's highly praised—Library Journal gave it a starred review—new book Welcoming Your Puppy From Planet Dog: How to Go Beyond Training and Raise Your Best Friend, I knew I had found an important go-to guide in which she "reassures owners that success flows not from nailing an intimidating list of disciplinary tactics, but from adopting a mindset of 'trusted guide' rather than 'master.' The key to great training is recognizing that we have essentially kidnapped these puppies from their own vastly different culture."
Developing an environment of respect and trust in which you work to get your dog's consent when you ask them to do something is critical, and it's never too early to have them learn that you would like them to agree with you. Here's what Callahan had to say about a must-read for those lucky enough to welcome chewing, peeing, pooping, fun-seeking, infinitely curious pup into their lives.
Marc Bekoff: Why did you write Welcoming Your Puppy From Planet Dog?
Kathy Callahan: I’ve been guiding overwhelmed new puppy owners for 10 years. They come to me saying, 'Maybe this was a mistake! Getting a puppy was supposed to be fun, but all I feel is stress.' They’re at their wit’s end with the peeing, the destruction, the sharp puppy teeth. Adding to their misery is the tremendous pressure they feel to 'get it right.'
It doesn’t have to be this way. I wrote the book because I want to bring the joy back into puppyhood. A real, live puppy doesn’t fit nicely into a pre-puppy life, and trying to make it so is a recipe for angst. The way to enjoy puppyhood—and to emerge from it with a beautiful two-way friendship—is to get into the right mindset and dive in.
I ask people to think about their puppy as a baby they’ve kidnapped from another planet—far from her own kind, far from her own customs—and to sit with that thought long enough to feel a little sad. Why? Because if they lead with the empathy that idea demands, suddenly, training becomes intuitive.
MB: How does your book relate to your background and general areas of interest?
KC: I specialize in coaching people through puppyhood—I’m a dog trainer (CPDT-KA, LFDM-T)—and a writer for Whole Dog Journal. But what gives me a more intimate perspective is that our family has fostered more than 200 rescue puppies. We focus on moms with nursing litters, so I get to witness, 24/7, the way puppies spend their first eight weeks. It’s a warm, cozy scrum where they’re never more than a leap from a fun littermate who wants to wrestle, romp, dig, and chew with them.
Then I think about what awaits a puppy in most homes: a world of nos. We humans immediately begin to discipline puppies for doing things that are as natural as breathing for their species. Frustrated owners think they’re not asking much: 'I just want to hang out with him and cuddle.' But that’s not actually true. We’re also asking our puppies not to bark, jump, bite, pee, sniff, or chew. Sometimes, it’s as if we’re asking them not to be dogs.
Does that mean I think dogs should be left to do whatever comes naturally? No. But I think it’s only fair that—having kidnapped them—we do the work of creating an environment filled with 'yes' choices rather than leaving a puppy to stumble into all of our nos. My book helps folks figure out how to do that.
MB: Who do you hope to reach with your book?
KC: New owners encounter lots of confusing, intimidating noise surrounding 'puppy training.' They are flooded with conflicting opinions, impossibly detailed advice, and a surprising number of techniques that seem unkind.
I want to offer a lifeline to those folks. Their puppy doesn’t need a perfectly skilled "master' who knows how to get her to 'obey.' Instead, she needs a trusted guide to show her the ropes here in our world. Flipping that mindset switch puts you on a happier path to the 'well-behaved' adult dog everybody’s trying so hard for.
MB: What are some major topics you consider?
KC: The book covers everything setup to potty training, leash walking to nail clipping, interacting with kids safely, and working through spousal disagreements over dogs-on-couch philosophies. Throughout, there’s an easy-to-grasp thread unifying the details: instead of thinking exclusively about what you want, think about who this puppy is. For example, let’s say you want to actually enjoy family dinners without puppy chaos. If you think about who this puppy actually is, ideas will bubble up about what would help him act the way we’d like him to. Result: A nightly routine. Half an hour before dinner, puppy gets his Planet Dog enrichment (maybe sniffing on a walk or a playdate with the neighbor dog). Then, from the freezer, you grab one of the always-ready Toppls you stuff with nutritious food. You pop your now-happily-tired pup in the crate where he can enjoy his 'foraging' while being with the family. Win-win. All it took was a little empathetic problem-solving.
MB: How does your book differ from others that are concerned with some of the same topics?
KC: The very last thing a new puppy owner needs is another to-do staring at them from their nightstand. They’re barely getting through the day, what with cleaning up the pee, trying to repair their daughter’s favorite stuffed bear, and removing the muddy paw print from those nice pants that, in hindsight, were a poor choice for the day.
That’s why I wanted to create a different kind of guide—an easy, warm, fun read.
MB: Are you hopeful that as people learn more about the cognitive and emotional lives of puppies, they will appreciate them more and use positive methods to educate them?
KC: When I was 12, I was so excited for my first training class. But they wanted me to scare my puppy in the name of obedience. I hated it. He hated it. I thought that was 'training,' and we never did it again. I wish I could have handed this book to that little girl so she’d know that there’s a kind, fun way to raise a dog 'right.'
References
In conversation with CPDT-KA, FDM dog trainer Kathy Callahan. She and her family have fostered more than 200 puppies in the past decade, and her dog training business, PupStart, focuses on puppyhood. Kathy is the author of 101 Rescue Puppies and writes regularly for Whole Dog Journal on training and behavior.
Freddie's Rollercoaster Journey: Puppy Mill to Loving Home; To Raise Happy Puppies, Spare the Rods; How to Raise Puppies So They Have the Best Lives Possible; Piglet, a Deaf and Blind Puppy, Teaches the Power of Love.
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