In Five Tips for Starting Off on the Right Paw I referred to setting boundaries as one of the five steps. I can’t over-emphasize how important it is to establish clear and consistent boundaries in order to create and maintain harmony at home.
Dogs don’t see things the same way we do. They tend to see the world in black and white, or actually as “safe” of “unsafe.” They don’t have a sense of morality, propriety, or guilt. It is our responsibility to teach them what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. Punishing a dog for breaking a rule that’s never been enforced before is unfair.
Before you bring a dog home you need to decide the following. (If it’s too late, that’s fine. Work these rules out now.)
- What are the literal boundaries? Will your dog be given complete run of the house?
- Will your dog be allowed on the furniture?
- Where will your dog sleep? Will she have a crate? Will she be required to sleep in the crate overnight after house training is done?
- Will your dog stay in the crate when no one is home?
- If you have children, will they be allowed to play with the dog unsupervised? (Hint: NO.)
These are just a few questions to get you thinking. The important idea is to establish these boundaries up front and make sure that all of the human family members are fully aware of them and are prepared to enforce them.
[...] Set boundaries – last and far from least, establish the rules before you bring your new family member home, make sure all of the humans are “on the same page” and enforce those rules from day one. [...]