 Barked: Tue Jul 28, '09 10:44am PST |
 | |  | | Jean Donaldson's Socialization Hit List from The Culture Clash:
• Category • Neutral Interaction • Positive Interaction
• Adult Women • Meets in corridor • Hand-fed by
• Adult Men • Visits house • Hand-fed by
• Teenagers • Sees on street • Hand-fed by
• 8-12 Year-olds • Patted by in park • Hand-fed by
• 4-7 Year-olds • Sees in schoolyard • Hand-fed by
• Toddlers • Visits house • Hand-fed by (assisted by adult)
• Babies • Sees on on street • Fed when sniffs
• Beards • Sees at a distance • Hand-fed near
• Hats/Sunglasses • Sees on pedestrians • Wear while playing with dog
• Odd Gaits/Dancing • Might see by chance • Hand-fed at Salsa class
• All Races • Sees occasionally • Hand-fed by
• Crowds • Attends outdoor event • Hand-fed at event
• Uniforms • Puppy meets mailman • Hand-fed near
• Wheelchairs • Sniffs one • Hand-fed near
• Crutches • Sees at train station • Hand-fed near
• Bikes • Sees on street • Hand-fed near
• In-line Skates • Sees on street • Hand-fed near
• Traffic • Walks near • Walks by to fun place
• Car Rides • Around block • To fun places
• Cats/Livestock • Sees and sniffs • Treats from owner after sniffs
• Dogs • Meets and greets • Off-leash play
She says, "Why go for a dog who's more or less habituated to screaming toddlers or teenagers on roller blades when you can end up with one who actively likes them?"
"The puppy that has had positive experiences is less likely as an adult to spook in a challenging situation than the dog who had only neutral experiences. So why not improve your odds of getting a relaxed, confident, solid adult temperament ... ?"
"In socialization ... the single best way to obtain this cushion is through hand-feeding. Rather than simply getting the puppy around young children, have young children hand feed the puppy small tasty treats. Each treat builds up a little more money in the bank for young children. Another method ... is to have people in the category ... engage in favorite games with the puppy."
Josie, here. The Culture Clash is a phenomenal book on dog training and behavior. For those who enjoyed Karen Pryor's work, Jean Donaldson's The Culture Clash is the next step. It is wordy, in my opinion, and I didn't like the first chapter, but I went from "skeptic" to "believer" in a few pages. Now I'm hooked. She expanded my view beyond basic positive reinforcement methods and I feel that my understanding of dogs is richer and more complex.
 |  |  | |  |
|
| my posts | my page | msg me | my family's posts | gift me | become pals | [notify] |
0
