Our days are never the same since we adopted Peanut 2 weeks ago, and they’re definitely better!. It’s true that within these 2 weeks, we’ve undergone several adjustments: waking up every hour at night, and then getting used to waking up at 3 in the morning; doing countless cleaning jobs (within the first few days she peed every 10 minutes!). We’ve also been reading thick “raising puppy” books; training her patiently & consistently; socialising her with as many other beings as possible, and exposing her to as wide-ranging experiences as we can possibly provide. Sometimes Ivonne would even sing Italian opera songs or German Lieder for her, and I would be playing violin & flute for her on separate occasions. Early music education is always good!
I learned from books that the most important thing in raising our dog is to understand how she communicates, how she learns, and what she needs to be successful. Training is about understanding how our dog perceives the world around her. With this knowledge, we can communicate in a language that she can understand, and eventually this is what we need to solve problems! Training isn’t about imposing our will on our dog. It’s about giving her the tools she needs to live in our world.
Now at 12 weeks old, Peanut is growing much bigger, stronger, smarter, and definitely even more adorable! She has so many expressions and so many ways to communicate with us. We start to really understand her spoken & non-spoken language too. I’m happy to see how comfortable & secured she feels in our home, and how we have earned her trust over time.
So far, I’m still working on her basic obedience training. I’m using the method I learn from the books (that is, trying to communicate with her in ways that she understands). It’s really amazing to see how fast she’s learning! She understood my “SIT” and “DOWN” commands in just one and a half day worth of training each. It then took a couple more days to perfect them. Now I’m moving on to “WATCH ME” & “STAY” command. (”WATCH ME” is for when I want her to focus on my face and give me eye, while “STAY” is for when I want her to sit still & not move until I give her the release command. I’ll also start with her walking training as soon as she grows big enough to fit the smallest-sized harness we’ve prepared for her.
We both are really enjoying our training session. It’s a time for Peanut to learn & to be challenged by new things, and at the same time, a chance for us to bond. On top of that, she gets her treats, & I get my time-out. What’s not to like? 