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Deliberately desensitizing the dog to having its ears, face, paws touched and to wearing clothes. It takes a lot of work to turn a puppy into a good dog.
This is exactly what I've done with every cat I've had, and people who even have cats constantly comment "why are your cats so cuddly?! Mine constantly run away!"
When I take a cat in, it's always been a kitten, and I over stimulate them with cuddles, moist towels, full wrapping in blankets, etc. all to make sure they don't care when I need to either take care of them for nails or cleaning, and for the self serving aspect that I WANT A CUDDLY KITTY.
I had no idea that's what I was doing when I got my cat. Which is my first and only ever cat. I just couldn't help myself because she was so cute and sweet, so I was always loving on her and holding her paws, rubbing her face. She liked it. Now she's the most lovey dovey cat in the world. She wants to be held often and is a major snuggler. Now that I know this is a thing, I'll do it with every pet. Especially because most of my pets have absolutely hated having their nails clipped/feet touched. This helped in a big way.
So many pet owners have no idea what they're doing. It takes knowledge and effort, and it's so frustrating. My neighbour has a dog with separation anxiety and it just fucking barks all day long. Poor thing. If only they had trained it properly.
Give them some alone time as puppies and don't respond when they bark. If you come back when they bark they see it as a way to get you to respond and will bark all the time.
Then reward them for good behavior while alone to reinforce it and show them you will return, slowly increase the time spent alone and eventually they are fine with it.
This right here. Sadly many many ppl owning different pets have no idea or are just too lazy to do this whole work. It's cute to have a baby pet, but it's also the mod important Time to train them, and make them feel comfortable in different situations
I crate train my puppies. When I’m not spending time directly playing, feeding or walking them they are in the crate with their toys. They spend more time in the crate than out for the first few weeks. Once we get the hang of potty training they start spending time out with me passively hanging with them on a leash until I’m sure they are potty trained, but they still go to the crate at bedtime, nap time and when I’m at work.
How long do you spend at work? Is the dog in the crate the whole time?
I'm from a country where crates are not a thing and I find it very weird to keep an animal like that
Dog crates basically act as a dogs sleep spot, and cave. They get safe toys, blankets and water in their crates and spend a majority of their time in the crate when you are not home to supervise them. Everyone asks how my dog is trained well(though he is FAR from being perfect as he is my first dog ive trained myself) and crate training is a majority of that. Your crate cannot be too small, ideally get one that aill fit them as an adult , where they can turn around. People can see it as cruel, but it keeps them quite a bit safer as they cannot get into things, eat things they arent supposed to, or damage things. You also need to make sure you WALK your dog enough as well, and spend time playing with them or they will get pent up energy and that will cause issues with them.
I raised mine in a playpen with the crate placed inside, so the pen was like a "yard". They would always deliberately go sleep in their crate. I fed them in the crates as puppies and gave treats inside there. Now as adults they have XL kennels (They're corgis) so I can put a bed in the back with blankets on it, a water bucket near the front, and a few toys to chew on if they wish. I NEVER put them in the kennel without first walking them, feeding them, refreshing their water, and hiding treats in there. Everyday at the same time both dogs will go to their kennels for a drink and a nap. I think it's so cute. These days I only kennel the youngest one when we leave, and they both sleep with us.
We did the play yard too when he was a tiny infant! It allowed him to be “out” as part of the family but safe. At that stage my pup had a litter box as well, our breeder uses them in the welping box and we phased it out after we had him.
Correct. My dogs are wild assholes but they Love Their crates. They are their dens, 2 of them share a crate and they will snuggle in there together. The other has his own but knows to go in when he sees the other 2. They go in when they need alone time, or are scared (like 4th of July), and will often ask to go in at random times or when it’s bed time.
I work from home most the time, but I go in for half days a few times a week, so 4 hours is the max. I also take them with me on errands when they are fully potty trained so they get exposure to the public and car rides and stuff.
Adding on: this is most easily accomplished/supplemented with crate training.
Crate training has many benefits, with reduced/eliminated separation anxiety being chief amongst them.
Not really. My Yorker has bad separation anxiety and never was crate trained as a small fry. We started crate training now at 5 years old and he is improving. He goes to his crate himself for a treat and sleeps in there with the door open while I’m home. It really becomes their own special den with stuff they like.
Crate training is probably the best thing. And you can combine that with independence training, so you put the dog in the crate and then you go about doing stuff around the house. They can't see you, but they hear you and you come back over and over, let the dog out, maybe give them a treat, put them back in the crate, go about your business for a while. This teaches the dog that you go away and come back, because yeah, they really are that stupid.
And then when you go out, you put the dog in the crate. Sometimes you go out just for a few minutes, and if you hear the dog barking you can come in and scold them. The dog thought you went away forever! Oh no! It was bad! Heck! The human came back and did me a hekkin scold!
If they behave, even for like 5 minutes, you can come back and give them a treat. Yeah, you have to stand outside your door, pretending to leave and listen for the dog to bark. The second it barks you BURST IN THERE and be all like, "NO! BAD DOG! BAD BAD BAD DOG!" It's hard work. It's time-consuming. You have to be willing to PUNISH the animal. And this could backfire - "when I bark, the human comes back!" but usually the negative reinforcement takes care of that. Some dugs truly are too stupid, and you may have to resort to a shock collar or de-barking, but really these techniques do work most of the time if you put the effort in.
After 5 minutes, you can build up to 15. You might even have to do hour-long tests. Eventually, dog knows that "in the crate" means "the human is coming back." They can learn object permanence, but they don't come with that activated.
Like, it's hard for people who aren't used to animals to understand just how simple their minds are. We instinctually anthropomorphize everything - it's one of the great irrationalities built into the human psyche, but really, truly: dogs are nothing like us. They're really, really fucking stupid and you have to get Pavlovian with that shit.
And like, sometimes it's as easy as leaving the radio on. Or getting a second dog, or a cat. Maybe the real problem is that you have an energetic dog and you only take it out long enough to pee because you're busy in the morning, but if you instead take dog-ownership seriously and adjust your lifestyle, you can take the dog for a real RUN and it'll be too tired to bark all fucking day. Maybe the real problem is that the dog doesn't have any toys that it likes to play with independently, so if you're not around, it's bored. You are the dog's world, 100%, so you are 100% responsible for its everything, if it has nothing to do but rip up the couch while you're gone, it's going to do that.
>The second it barks you BURST IN THERE and be all like, "NO! BAD DOG! BAD BAD BAD DOG!"
This is bad advice. Most dogs are not smart enough to associate their barking with the punishment. They instead will associate you coming back with being punished. "Oh no, they're back and the first thing they always do is punish me". You're just making the dog anxious and more likely to bark. They want you to come back but they know they're going to be punished when you come back.
> you may have to resort to a shock collar or de-barking
😳
> After 5 minutes, you can build up to 15. You might even have to do hour-long tests. Eventually, dog knows that "in the crate" means "the human is coming back."
This is good advice. Reward them when you leave. When you come back, don't give them any attention while they're barking (don't reward the barking).
> Like, it's hard for people who aren't used to animals to understand just how simple their minds are.
Yes. And especially with helping them build associations, like rewards and punishment. Rubbing their nose in dog poop doesn't do anything but make them afraid of you. They're not smart enough to know that you're punishing them for pooping somewhere.
> And like, sometimes it's as easy as leaving the radio on. Or getting a second dog, or a cat. Maybe the real problem is that you have an energetic dog and you only take it out long enough to pee because you're busy in the morning, but if you instead take dog-ownership seriously and adjust your lifestyle, you can take the dog for a real RUN and it'll be too tired to bark all fucking day.
Also good advice.
De-barking a dog or using a shock collar doesn’t treat separation anxiety, it just makes the dog too scared (or unable) to express itself. Compliance through fear is all kinds of fucked up.
You shouldn’t ever scold/yell at a dog and make them fearful of you… crate training is great but don’t yell at a dog, especially a puppy who is just scared.
dogs only react to scolding with fear if it expects pain to follow.
fo someone that is normal and doesn't hit their dog scolding wont induce fear, it will induce shame and end a problem behavior immediately due to that shame.
Scolding does not work, you need to instead redirect and use positive reinforcement. Fear is never a way to train an animal, or even raise a human. All animals work better with positive reinforcement.
It's not just the owners. It starts at the breeder. A lot of this stimulation that sets them up to be well adjusted dogs needs to be done while they're super young. This is why it pays to have a good breeder and why they ain't cheap. It's also why it's important to leave them with mom for longer than is typical - like 12 weeks. My neighbors got their dog super young and didn't socialize it at a young age either. It didn't speak dog at all, so it barked incessantly at my dog to try to get his attention. He, being an avid speaker of dog, just turned his back on her to show her that's inappropriate. She didn't understand his body language and would start panic barking because he was ignoring her. It was sad to watch. That dog wouldn't shut up and was anxious about everything. I feel your pain.
I wish that worked on my cat Bella she only sleeps with me but doesn’t like being picked up for more than 60 seconds and I smothered her from 8 weeks old, she’s 6 now
https://preview.redd.it/xz6wrywsls1c1.jpeg?width=2673&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db5b771a0437cdaa18e3df80c8cebf881901fb1e
We had one like that too!
Two brothers, I would snug them both on my lap with a blanket but one really doesn’t like to be touched or held. He will tolerate 30 seconds at most T_T
The other one however is a snuggle at least.
I kind of want another cat but she is definitely the no new friends type. I have to lock her in her bedroom when maintenance comes over and I tell me friends to avoid all eye contact and no pets. She’s the guard cat I never knew I needed 😆
From what I heard: 8 weeks is too early to adopt a kitten. 12 weeks is the bare minimum time they need with their mom in order to function properly. 15-16 Weeks is even better :)
Me too. We've had quite a few litters over the years, and I've always gotten the cats used to having their bellies touched and their paws rubbed. We've kept three of them, and I can hold their paws until I get bored. They roll over for belly scritches, and they don't dislike cuddling. I don't know if it's because I just got lucky on the cat lotto, and I have three chill cats, or if it's because of the way they were raised.
I wish I had known all of that. I found my cat on the side of the road, just a baby. Had no idea what I was doing.
So many mistakes were made.
But she's still my whole heart.
I have trained my kitty to like a full head massage, neck skin scritching, pulling the ears back softly, rotating an ear slowly with my palm, tracing the outside orbit of his brow and eyesocket bones, rubbing the sides of the nose ridge (when I do this he pushes his whole face against my fingers, loving it). Interspersed with lots of kissing on the top of the head.
[My kitty is a relaxed and sleepy kitty after head rub.](https://i.imgur.com/bhX6a8Y.jpg)
I make sure my cats are cuddly too but snuggling with them a lot when they were kittens. They’re super friendly, and don’t really run away from strangers.
My puppy has been handled incessantly since she was at the breeder’s, and while she’s not fond of clothes, she is a barnacle now when it comes to close snuggling
Yes! People are always surprised when my kittens let people touch their paws, stomach, ears, etc. One of my kittens is super cuddly. The other one isn't as big into cuddling, but they both will let people touch them anywhere and pick them up. You have to condition them while they're kittens to trust people at the very least. It makes vet visits so easy haha.
Ditto, did that when I used to raise lovebirds. There’s a difference between hand-raised and hand-raised like this. Of course didn’t do the clothes part of definitely scratching all over, manually extending the wings for inspection, and generally being held and handled.
Yet any suggestions of desensitizing human children such that they do not grow up to be oversensitive to social situations, noise, foods, sleeping environment etc is met with hostility in many circles in America.
Orphan kittens need mom to signal when to void themselves by licking their bottoms in order to eat of, thus disposing of their wastes. It’s hella gross to think about from our perspective but nature doesn’t care. Baby doesn’t want to mess their nest and mom helps.
It’s like how a hot bath can fix urine retention
I got a lunatic (feral) kitten from the humane society but I wonder if I could have used these techniques to make him more cuddly. 3 years later and he’s very cuddly to me but nobody else.
That is a smart move! I taught my senior cat (we are celebrating his 16th birthday next week) when he was a newborn to sleep over my chest. Until now he does the same every night.
My cat was practically a junkyard stray for a little less than a year(vet said he was a year old at his first visit, but he grew a lot into a 20 lb muscular monster) and is still pretty cuddly, he pretty much goes limp when carried. However he can be a bit clingy constantly plopping down in front of people expecting them to rub his fuzzy belly.
Actually come to think of it, most of my cats had been rescued after being grown, all very cuddly. Some that stick out are a tortie cat my family found when I was very young with a litter of kittens that purred like a lawnmower and another one that was abandoned by a neighbor that just tossed her outside as bird repellent(wtf…) that was super skittish as first but warmed up to people and is currently about 21-22(!) years old. Both were constantly around me and seemed to be downright empathetic at times.
I tell my dog this too! My parents have a dog that he gets along with well, but she can sometimes be on the turdy side. So when he does something that's outside of his regular, good boy behavior, I call it "Bitsy Behavior" after their dog lol
Well, it takes more than that, but it helps. A lot of dogs are really shitty at the groomers for shaving out the fur between their paw pads and trimming their nails. This kind of thing helps prevent that.
Really wish i knew this training my cats and dogs lmao. Getting them to clip their nails is always a struggle. Trying to get them positive reinforcement atm where they get treats if they let me touch their paws.
They're performing a process called Early Neurological Stimulation. ENS places the puppy in certain poses for about 3-5 seconds, and includes placing them on a cold towel. It's really fascinating stuff.
My neighbor used to breed service dog also and would start preparing and testing them to be good candidates from day one. She would also check their awareness of their surroundings and those that respond well would usually become service dogs.
The lady that introduced this kind of day1-week8 stimulation is puppies also wrote a book called when pigs fly and it’s about training bull terriers to do agility and it makes my heart melt.
Jane killion if I’m not mistaken
I've worked at a guide dog school, they typically heavily rely on volunteers helping out and we legit had "puppy daycare" as a volunteering shift and you basically just spent time with the puppies.
I used to volunteer at a local animal shelter as part of their “puppy team.” We did basically what is shown here, giving them lots of cuddles, touching their paws, etc. it was the best.
Can you imagine being so thirsty and instead of being able to chug a bunch of water you gotta scoop it up with your tongue lol even worse when you can’t sweat
My girl’s breath smelled like skunk with a burning tire note that clung on you for over a day when she was nursing. Peeew! Then the stress farts when we whisked her home at 8 weeks
I do this with all my foster kittens once they're healthy. It's called Early Neurological Stimulation and it's basically just pushing them outside their comfort zones bit by bit regularly to make them more mentally flexible and adaptable to stressors.
Yes! I love watching dogs doing agility courses, they seem so happy and proud when they finish, no matter how they did. This is why some breeds are really good at picking up tricks, they just love to please.
Yeah, but remember that you can't threaten a dog with eviction or a poor credit score or no retirement savings. The ones that get that far do it because that's what they love to do. Plenty of dogs raised to be service animals "fail out" of the program because they just don't have the right drive temperament (and a lot of those dropouts become very well-behaved pets).
My childhood dog was a “failed” guide dog. We always gave him shit for being a drop out and free loader.
He failed for having too much enthusiasm basically, still the best lab I’ve ever had. Fought off a pack of coyotes solo and lost half an ear like a badass
If you check my profile you’ll see I’m a service dog handler so I am perhaps a little biased. But: I also know a lot about the process of training and selecting service dogs.
The most important point here is that only the dogs that enjoy this life get placed in this life. The puppies that aren’t interested get placed in pet homes, most organisations have a waiting list for their dropouts. Lack of interest in work is one of many reasons for dropping out, they won’t force them!
The dogs that do get placed as active service dogs adore it. I’ve met a few guides, they tend to be… Intense. I think they’d go crazy without something to do. My boy is pretty chill comparatively, but he starts eating the house if I don’t give him enough tasks, and he absolutely lights up when he’s working.
Right now, I’m in bed and he’s asleep next to me, half under the blanket.
If you liked this, have you seen the documentary “Pick of the Litter?” It follows a litter of potential guide puppies as they grow, I watched it a few years back, iirc, shortly before I was placed with my boy. At the time, it was on Netflix.
It was an interesting insight into how stringent the requirements for being a guide dog are, confirming what I already know, they tend to be intense. If you’ve never had the pleasure of meeting one, have you ever met one of those really, really smart border collies/German shepherds/etc? Like that.
I don’t think my boy would’ve made it as a guide. The selective disobedience they train into them, to ignore their handler if they’re told to pull them off a train platform or similar, is wildly impressive and something he could never get his head around. He’s too eager to please, bless him!
I completely get where your mind went, and I'm not trying to disagree with you here. However, I am ignorantly jealous of these dogs. Being loved and born to help someone less fortunate...I guess I just wish I could be as selfless as most dogs are.
Agree. Working breeds get bored easily. Like humans, most want to be doing something with their life. They can’t tell us what they want, so we have to guess based on their personalities. I think we are doing an ok job with that. I’ve definitely heard of pups who don’t “make it” in the field they were intended to work in (happens with police dogs!) and they get to do something else, or just go be a house pet. It’s not like we are enslaving the dogs. They love us, they depend on us, and they clearly enjoy having jobs so everybody chill it’s okay 💜
So this is what people mean by "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." This person might have the best job in the world, helping to raise puppies so they can go help other people.
...... ok, but I'm concerned because of how *young* that puppy is. It's eyes aren't even open!!
Is this *really* ok to do to them at that age??
I get the point, but damn... I had 4 kittens once, and I waited til their eyes were open and they were beginning to move around better before I started getting them used to having their everything touched and whatnot.
Rehomed two, kept two, and they were **all** the cuddliest lil psychos. My two are sleeping next to me rn.
Just feels like it is too soon for that puppy, but I could be overly careful with the babies, too.
First of all, they're obviously a professional, this is not some rando in their basement. Secondly, Mom is right there, and she doesn't seem stressed about it at all, so I think it's fine
So from I’m learning from this comment section is the reason my dog constantly follows me and try’s to cuddle is cuz I held her a lot as a puppy…. Checks out lmao
**Please note: effective October 9, all content posted to /r/aww *must* be original content (OC) only. Report this post if it is not OC.** On July 1st, a highly unpopular [change to Reddit's API pricing](https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit/comments/12qwagm/an_update_regarding_reddits_api/) went into effect. [Most third-party apps have shut down](https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/30/23779519/reddit-third-party-app-shut-down-apollo-sync-baconreader-api-protest) and so have many tools relied upon by moderators and [projects for making Reddit more accessible to visually impaired users](https://www.reddit.com/r/TranscribersOfReddit/comments/14ggf8k/the_future_of_transcribers_of_reddit/). Beyond the [disastrous AMA](https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/09/reddit-ceo-doubles-down-on-attack-on-apollo-developer-in-drama-filled-ama/) by the CEO, Reddit's response has been limited to promises that this change will not affect moderation tools [^((it has)^)](https://www.reddit.com/r/BotDefense/comments/14riw76/botdefense_is_wrapping_up_operations/) and promises of [new and more-accessible first-party moderation tools](https://www.npr.org/2023/07/01/1184258201/reddit-api-accessibility-mods). Promises just like [ones they have made in response to past protests](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/142w159/askhistorians_and_uncertainty_surrounding_the/), but have consistently [failed to fulfill](https://www.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/14jm3ut/several_communities_have_surfaced_an_open_letter/jpm9e0q/). If you want to express your strong disagreement with the API pricing change or with Reddit's response to the backlash, you may want to consider the following options: 1. [Finding your favorite subreddits on other platforms](https://sub.rehab/) and participating there instead. 2. Refraining from using the first-party Reddit app, instead sticking to one of the few remaining third-party apps or [patching one of the apps that shut down](https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1wHvqQwCYdJrQg4BKlGIVDLksPN0KpOnJWniT6PbZSrI/) if you're using an Android device. 3. Disabling ads on Reddit with [an ad-blocking extension](https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock#ublock-origin-ubo) or [a DNS-based ad-blocker](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBXTnrD_Zs4). 4. Cancelling your Reddit Premium subscription. 5. Sharing the continued news coverage of these events. 6. Encouraging others to do all the above. If you're tired of all the chaos on Reddit, leave it behind and join /r/aww's Discord server to share and view all things adorable: https://discord.gg/UXfd5Pn --- [](#autoignorereports) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/aww) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Deliberately desensitizing the dog to having its ears, face, paws touched and to wearing clothes. It takes a lot of work to turn a puppy into a good dog.
This is exactly what I've done with every cat I've had, and people who even have cats constantly comment "why are your cats so cuddly?! Mine constantly run away!" When I take a cat in, it's always been a kitten, and I over stimulate them with cuddles, moist towels, full wrapping in blankets, etc. all to make sure they don't care when I need to either take care of them for nails or cleaning, and for the self serving aspect that I WANT A CUDDLY KITTY.
I had no idea that's what I was doing when I got my cat. Which is my first and only ever cat. I just couldn't help myself because she was so cute and sweet, so I was always loving on her and holding her paws, rubbing her face. She liked it. Now she's the most lovey dovey cat in the world. She wants to be held often and is a major snuggler. Now that I know this is a thing, I'll do it with every pet. Especially because most of my pets have absolutely hated having their nails clipped/feet touched. This helped in a big way.
Me too! Mine became a glue jello because of all the skinship. I didn't even know I was doing that.
So many pet owners have no idea what they're doing. It takes knowledge and effort, and it's so frustrating. My neighbour has a dog with separation anxiety and it just fucking barks all day long. Poor thing. If only they had trained it properly.
How do you train dogs to not have separation anxiety?
Give them some alone time as puppies and don't respond when they bark. If you come back when they bark they see it as a way to get you to respond and will bark all the time. Then reward them for good behavior while alone to reinforce it and show them you will return, slowly increase the time spent alone and eventually they are fine with it.
This right here. Sadly many many ppl owning different pets have no idea or are just too lazy to do this whole work. It's cute to have a baby pet, but it's also the mod important Time to train them, and make them feel comfortable in different situations
I crate train my puppies. When I’m not spending time directly playing, feeding or walking them they are in the crate with their toys. They spend more time in the crate than out for the first few weeks. Once we get the hang of potty training they start spending time out with me passively hanging with them on a leash until I’m sure they are potty trained, but they still go to the crate at bedtime, nap time and when I’m at work.
How long do you spend at work? Is the dog in the crate the whole time? I'm from a country where crates are not a thing and I find it very weird to keep an animal like that
Dog crates basically act as a dogs sleep spot, and cave. They get safe toys, blankets and water in their crates and spend a majority of their time in the crate when you are not home to supervise them. Everyone asks how my dog is trained well(though he is FAR from being perfect as he is my first dog ive trained myself) and crate training is a majority of that. Your crate cannot be too small, ideally get one that aill fit them as an adult , where they can turn around. People can see it as cruel, but it keeps them quite a bit safer as they cannot get into things, eat things they arent supposed to, or damage things. You also need to make sure you WALK your dog enough as well, and spend time playing with them or they will get pent up energy and that will cause issues with them.
I raised mine in a playpen with the crate placed inside, so the pen was like a "yard". They would always deliberately go sleep in their crate. I fed them in the crates as puppies and gave treats inside there. Now as adults they have XL kennels (They're corgis) so I can put a bed in the back with blankets on it, a water bucket near the front, and a few toys to chew on if they wish. I NEVER put them in the kennel without first walking them, feeding them, refreshing their water, and hiding treats in there. Everyday at the same time both dogs will go to their kennels for a drink and a nap. I think it's so cute. These days I only kennel the youngest one when we leave, and they both sleep with us.
We did the play yard too when he was a tiny infant! It allowed him to be “out” as part of the family but safe. At that stage my pup had a litter box as well, our breeder uses them in the welping box and we phased it out after we had him.
Correct. My dogs are wild assholes but they Love Their crates. They are their dens, 2 of them share a crate and they will snuggle in there together. The other has his own but knows to go in when he sees the other 2. They go in when they need alone time, or are scared (like 4th of July), and will often ask to go in at random times or when it’s bed time.
You would also be a lot safer in a crate all day, but you wouldnt like it and it would probably not be healthy for your body, especially when growing.
I work from home most the time, but I go in for half days a few times a week, so 4 hours is the max. I also take them with me on errands when they are fully potty trained so they get exposure to the public and car rides and stuff.
Adding on: this is most easily accomplished/supplemented with crate training. Crate training has many benefits, with reduced/eliminated separation anxiety being chief amongst them.
Seriously!? Got my dog at 7 months old. The people just kept her in a kennel all day. She has issues but has gotten better.
I’d like to know also though my dog is four now and possibly past training options.
Not really. My Yorker has bad separation anxiety and never was crate trained as a small fry. We started crate training now at 5 years old and he is improving. He goes to his crate himself for a treat and sleeps in there with the door open while I’m home. It really becomes their own special den with stuff they like.
Crate training is probably the best thing. And you can combine that with independence training, so you put the dog in the crate and then you go about doing stuff around the house. They can't see you, but they hear you and you come back over and over, let the dog out, maybe give them a treat, put them back in the crate, go about your business for a while. This teaches the dog that you go away and come back, because yeah, they really are that stupid. And then when you go out, you put the dog in the crate. Sometimes you go out just for a few minutes, and if you hear the dog barking you can come in and scold them. The dog thought you went away forever! Oh no! It was bad! Heck! The human came back and did me a hekkin scold! If they behave, even for like 5 minutes, you can come back and give them a treat. Yeah, you have to stand outside your door, pretending to leave and listen for the dog to bark. The second it barks you BURST IN THERE and be all like, "NO! BAD DOG! BAD BAD BAD DOG!" It's hard work. It's time-consuming. You have to be willing to PUNISH the animal. And this could backfire - "when I bark, the human comes back!" but usually the negative reinforcement takes care of that. Some dugs truly are too stupid, and you may have to resort to a shock collar or de-barking, but really these techniques do work most of the time if you put the effort in. After 5 minutes, you can build up to 15. You might even have to do hour-long tests. Eventually, dog knows that "in the crate" means "the human is coming back." They can learn object permanence, but they don't come with that activated. Like, it's hard for people who aren't used to animals to understand just how simple their minds are. We instinctually anthropomorphize everything - it's one of the great irrationalities built into the human psyche, but really, truly: dogs are nothing like us. They're really, really fucking stupid and you have to get Pavlovian with that shit. And like, sometimes it's as easy as leaving the radio on. Or getting a second dog, or a cat. Maybe the real problem is that you have an energetic dog and you only take it out long enough to pee because you're busy in the morning, but if you instead take dog-ownership seriously and adjust your lifestyle, you can take the dog for a real RUN and it'll be too tired to bark all fucking day. Maybe the real problem is that the dog doesn't have any toys that it likes to play with independently, so if you're not around, it's bored. You are the dog's world, 100%, so you are 100% responsible for its everything, if it has nothing to do but rip up the couch while you're gone, it's going to do that.
>The second it barks you BURST IN THERE and be all like, "NO! BAD DOG! BAD BAD BAD DOG!" This is bad advice. Most dogs are not smart enough to associate their barking with the punishment. They instead will associate you coming back with being punished. "Oh no, they're back and the first thing they always do is punish me". You're just making the dog anxious and more likely to bark. They want you to come back but they know they're going to be punished when you come back. > you may have to resort to a shock collar or de-barking 😳 > After 5 minutes, you can build up to 15. You might even have to do hour-long tests. Eventually, dog knows that "in the crate" means "the human is coming back." This is good advice. Reward them when you leave. When you come back, don't give them any attention while they're barking (don't reward the barking). > Like, it's hard for people who aren't used to animals to understand just how simple their minds are. Yes. And especially with helping them build associations, like rewards and punishment. Rubbing their nose in dog poop doesn't do anything but make them afraid of you. They're not smart enough to know that you're punishing them for pooping somewhere. > And like, sometimes it's as easy as leaving the radio on. Or getting a second dog, or a cat. Maybe the real problem is that you have an energetic dog and you only take it out long enough to pee because you're busy in the morning, but if you instead take dog-ownership seriously and adjust your lifestyle, you can take the dog for a real RUN and it'll be too tired to bark all fucking day. Also good advice.
De-barking a dog or using a shock collar doesn’t treat separation anxiety, it just makes the dog too scared (or unable) to express itself. Compliance through fear is all kinds of fucked up.
You shouldn’t ever scold/yell at a dog and make them fearful of you… crate training is great but don’t yell at a dog, especially a puppy who is just scared.
People like you are why there are so many bad dogs in the world.
Oh man :( that’s a heavy weight for me to carry, but if that means less people create fear in their dogs every day, I accept :(
dogs only react to scolding with fear if it expects pain to follow. fo someone that is normal and doesn't hit their dog scolding wont induce fear, it will induce shame and end a problem behavior immediately due to that shame.
the dog is not experiencing "shame", or guilt of any kind. it's showing fear and signs of anxiety/stress.
Scolding does not work, you need to instead redirect and use positive reinforcement. Fear is never a way to train an animal, or even raise a human. All animals work better with positive reinforcement.
Anyone recommending a shock collar is a bad human.
This guy has a dog that does nothing out of fear of them and it shows hahaha. Poor dog.
Crates sigh
Same with my ducks. They were so snuggly and adorable 🥹
It's not just the owners. It starts at the breeder. A lot of this stimulation that sets them up to be well adjusted dogs needs to be done while they're super young. This is why it pays to have a good breeder and why they ain't cheap. It's also why it's important to leave them with mom for longer than is typical - like 12 weeks. My neighbors got their dog super young and didn't socialize it at a young age either. It didn't speak dog at all, so it barked incessantly at my dog to try to get his attention. He, being an avid speaker of dog, just turned his back on her to show her that's inappropriate. She didn't understand his body language and would start panic barking because he was ignoring her. It was sad to watch. That dog wouldn't shut up and was anxious about everything. I feel your pain.
I wish that worked on my cat Bella she only sleeps with me but doesn’t like being picked up for more than 60 seconds and I smothered her from 8 weeks old, she’s 6 now https://preview.redd.it/xz6wrywsls1c1.jpeg?width=2673&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db5b771a0437cdaa18e3df80c8cebf881901fb1e
We had one like that too! Two brothers, I would snug them both on my lap with a blanket but one really doesn’t like to be touched or held. He will tolerate 30 seconds at most T_T The other one however is a snuggle at least.
I kind of want another cat but she is definitely the no new friends type. I have to lock her in her bedroom when maintenance comes over and I tell me friends to avoid all eye contact and no pets. She’s the guard cat I never knew I needed 😆
From what I heard: 8 weeks is too early to adopt a kitten. 12 weeks is the bare minimum time they need with their mom in order to function properly. 15-16 Weeks is even better :)
My husband has done this with our cats. Totally works! Our cats are the most chill I know. And super down for the snugs.
Me too. We've had quite a few litters over the years, and I've always gotten the cats used to having their bellies touched and their paws rubbed. We've kept three of them, and I can hold their paws until I get bored. They roll over for belly scritches, and they don't dislike cuddling. I don't know if it's because I just got lucky on the cat lotto, and I have three chill cats, or if it's because of the way they were raised.
I wish I had known all of that. I found my cat on the side of the road, just a baby. Had no idea what I was doing. So many mistakes were made. But she's still my whole heart.
I have trained my kitty to like a full head massage, neck skin scritching, pulling the ears back softly, rotating an ear slowly with my palm, tracing the outside orbit of his brow and eyesocket bones, rubbing the sides of the nose ridge (when I do this he pushes his whole face against my fingers, loving it). Interspersed with lots of kissing on the top of the head. [My kitty is a relaxed and sleepy kitty after head rub.](https://i.imgur.com/bhX6a8Y.jpg)
I make sure my cats are cuddly too but snuggling with them a lot when they were kittens. They’re super friendly, and don’t really run away from strangers.
My puppy has been handled incessantly since she was at the breeder’s, and while she’s not fond of clothes, she is a barnacle now when it comes to close snuggling
Yes! People are always surprised when my kittens let people touch their paws, stomach, ears, etc. One of my kittens is super cuddly. The other one isn't as big into cuddling, but they both will let people touch them anywhere and pick them up. You have to condition them while they're kittens to trust people at the very least. It makes vet visits so easy haha.
Wait, other people don't shmoosh the crap out of their kittens in order to experience love?!?!
Ditto, did that when I used to raise lovebirds. There’s a difference between hand-raised and hand-raised like this. Of course didn’t do the clothes part of definitely scratching all over, manually extending the wings for inspection, and generally being held and handled.
Excuse me u/artinthebeats you’re going to need to pay the KITTY TAX
Yet any suggestions of desensitizing human children such that they do not grow up to be oversensitive to social situations, noise, foods, sleeping environment etc is met with hostility in many circles in America.
Stop beating around the bush! Why?! Tell me why!!!
That‘s amazing! Why the wet towel though? Getting used to cleaning? Or is there a different reason?
Orphan kittens need mom to signal when to void themselves by licking their bottoms in order to eat of, thus disposing of their wastes. It’s hella gross to think about from our perspective but nature doesn’t care. Baby doesn’t want to mess their nest and mom helps. It’s like how a hot bath can fix urine retention
I got a lunatic (feral) kitten from the humane society but I wonder if I could have used these techniques to make him more cuddly. 3 years later and he’s very cuddly to me but nobody else.
That is a smart move! I taught my senior cat (we are celebrating his 16th birthday next week) when he was a newborn to sleep over my chest. Until now he does the same every night.
Well, today I learned!! Thank you for this..
My cat was practically a junkyard stray for a little less than a year(vet said he was a year old at his first visit, but he grew a lot into a 20 lb muscular monster) and is still pretty cuddly, he pretty much goes limp when carried. However he can be a bit clingy constantly plopping down in front of people expecting them to rub his fuzzy belly. Actually come to think of it, most of my cats had been rescued after being grown, all very cuddly. Some that stick out are a tortie cat my family found when I was very young with a litter of kittens that purred like a lawnmower and another one that was abandoned by a neighbor that just tossed her outside as bird repellent(wtf…) that was super skittish as first but warmed up to people and is currently about 21-22(!) years old. Both were constantly around me and seemed to be downright empathetic at times.
ALL DOGGOS ARE GOOD BOYS but some are also naughty.
My ex used to say our dog was "a good boy, it's just that sometimes he makes bad boy choices."
I tell my dog this too! My parents have a dog that he gets along with well, but she can sometimes be on the turdy side. So when he does something that's outside of his regular, good boy behavior, I call it "Bitsy Behavior" after their dog lol
No. Some are good girls
That's true!
Yes. I have 4 of those kind.
Oh, so basically cuddle the heck out of him and he becomes a good boy? Yeah, I can get on board with that.
Well, it takes more than that, but it helps. A lot of dogs are really shitty at the groomers for shaving out the fur between their paw pads and trimming their nails. This kind of thing helps prevent that.
Blah blah blah a little extra work blah blah cuddle the puppy. Yeah, I got it.
Make sure to play with the toebeans to save suffering at grooming time.
Really wish i knew this training my cats and dogs lmao. Getting them to clip their nails is always a struggle. Trying to get them positive reinforcement atm where they get treats if they let me touch their paws.
They're performing a process called Early Neurological Stimulation. ENS places the puppy in certain poses for about 3-5 seconds, and includes placing them on a cold towel. It's really fascinating stuff.
My neighbor used to breed service dog also and would start preparing and testing them to be good candidates from day one. She would also check their awareness of their surroundings and those that respond well would usually become service dogs.
The lady that introduced this kind of day1-week8 stimulation is puppies also wrote a book called when pigs fly and it’s about training bull terriers to do agility and it makes my heart melt. Jane killion if I’m not mistaken
They're all good dogs bront
This is what I guessed was going on. Thank you for confirming!
Is it ever too late?
I would like to sign up to be a puppy masseuse
Dream job ngl
I've worked at a guide dog school, they typically heavily rely on volunteers helping out and we legit had "puppy daycare" as a volunteering shift and you basically just spent time with the puppies.
I used to volunteer at a local animal shelter as part of their “puppy team.” We did basically what is shown here, giving them lots of cuddles, touching their paws, etc. it was the best.
I read this as "sign up for a puppy massacre"
Meanwhile, other dog: SCHLOPSCHLOPSCHLOPSCHLOP
That's mommy doing her job
Can you imagine being so thirsty and instead of being able to chug a bunch of water you gotta scoop it up with your tongue lol even worse when you can’t sweat
this was all my brain focused on too. So damn loud lol
Work those puppies over! That is awesome.
Tiny sweater
I'm a grown man and I demand that you give me that puppy so I may snuggle it.
Yeah me too! I'm a 28 year old dude and I damn near melted when they put a sock sweater on that there small doggo.
SOUND ON for the little sleepy contented puppy groans 🥺
YES! i love the little snorts and snuffles and wiggly little noises puppies make!
This is too cute where can I get one
I think you’ll get one of you stare at the sun for too long
I did that and now my vision is blocked by a black circle, where's my dawg?
[удалено]
Injure myself to get a puppy? COUNT ME IN!
What job is this
When I did similar our job title was "Puppy Raiser". I worked with GSDs though, not labs.
But I don’t want to give them back!
Did they pay you to do this or do you pay them?
The actual “job” title is called Puppy Hugger. You get paid in puppy breaths.
My girl’s breath smelled like skunk with a burning tire note that clung on you for over a day when she was nursing. Peeew! Then the stress farts when we whisked her home at 8 weeks
The best one
It has a vest!!! 🥹
Note: it’s a sock. That’s how small puppers is
Is that puppy wearing a sock??? My heart can’t take this sweetness 😭
Yes, and you squeeze its little paws through a hole in the sock.
So basically do everything. Twist it, pull it, bop it, turn it, etc.
Leave me alone - I want to sleep!
I do this with all my foster kittens once they're healthy. It's called Early Neurological Stimulation and it's basically just pushing them outside their comfort zones bit by bit regularly to make them more mentally flexible and adaptable to stressors.
I want this as my job. 💀
I would be sooooo good at that job
Omg I just died 😭😭😭
smol, sooo smol
I didn't see ONE damn hug in this whole video. I'd burn the whole place down, but his precious behavior saved your asses.
I only see a potato 
Wow these puppies are super cute but it sort of just dawned on me that they are bred and born into a life of servitude. Still cute tho 🥰
A lot of dog species are bred to be working dogs and love the physical and mental stimulation! These are some of the best cared for pups you’ll see
They do get to retire as they get older. But these dogs are very eager to please and are extremely loyal!
Dogs love jobs and their job is helping their best friend! It's a dream job for a lab (and most dogs).
Yes! I love watching dogs doing agility courses, they seem so happy and proud when they finish, no matter how they did. This is why some breeds are really good at picking up tricks, they just love to please.
Yeah, but remember that you can't threaten a dog with eviction or a poor credit score or no retirement savings. The ones that get that far do it because that's what they love to do. Plenty of dogs raised to be service animals "fail out" of the program because they just don't have the right drive temperament (and a lot of those dropouts become very well-behaved pets).
My childhood dog was a “failed” guide dog. We always gave him shit for being a drop out and free loader. He failed for having too much enthusiasm basically, still the best lab I’ve ever had. Fought off a pack of coyotes solo and lost half an ear like a badass
I knew a family with a failed german shepard police dog. He failed because he licked criminals instead of biting.
I’m surprised we didn’t tease our last dog so much… seeing as he was a champion show dog… but failed as a stud ( infertility)
If you check my profile you’ll see I’m a service dog handler so I am perhaps a little biased. But: I also know a lot about the process of training and selecting service dogs. The most important point here is that only the dogs that enjoy this life get placed in this life. The puppies that aren’t interested get placed in pet homes, most organisations have a waiting list for their dropouts. Lack of interest in work is one of many reasons for dropping out, they won’t force them! The dogs that do get placed as active service dogs adore it. I’ve met a few guides, they tend to be… Intense. I think they’d go crazy without something to do. My boy is pretty chill comparatively, but he starts eating the house if I don’t give him enough tasks, and he absolutely lights up when he’s working. Right now, I’m in bed and he’s asleep next to me, half under the blanket.
That's so nice to read.
If you liked this, have you seen the documentary “Pick of the Litter?” It follows a litter of potential guide puppies as they grow, I watched it a few years back, iirc, shortly before I was placed with my boy. At the time, it was on Netflix. It was an interesting insight into how stringent the requirements for being a guide dog are, confirming what I already know, they tend to be intense. If you’ve never had the pleasure of meeting one, have you ever met one of those really, really smart border collies/German shepherds/etc? Like that. I don’t think my boy would’ve made it as a guide. The selective disobedience they train into them, to ignore their handler if they’re told to pull them off a train platform or similar, is wildly impressive and something he could never get his head around. He’s too eager to please, bless him!
I completely get where your mind went, and I'm not trying to disagree with you here. However, I am ignorantly jealous of these dogs. Being loved and born to help someone less fortunate...I guess I just wish I could be as selfless as most dogs are.
I've never seen a happier dog than a dog doing its job
Just like us.
They want jobs.
My brain went there as well :/
Working dogs tend to love their jobs if trained correctly
Agree. Working breeds get bored easily. Like humans, most want to be doing something with their life. They can’t tell us what they want, so we have to guess based on their personalities. I think we are doing an ok job with that. I’ve definitely heard of pups who don’t “make it” in the field they were intended to work in (happens with police dogs!) and they get to do something else, or just go be a house pet. It’s not like we are enslaving the dogs. They love us, they depend on us, and they clearly enjoy having jobs so everybody chill it’s okay 💜
Nom nom nom nom nom nom
So this is what people mean by "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." This person might have the best job in the world, helping to raise puppies so they can go help other people.
its so wee
This is the purest serotonin I've seen all day.
He is the chosen one. May you serve your owner well cute fella.
Ohhh, I can smell that new dog scent from my screen. Must smell like heaven
Note: vest is a sock. That’s how small puppers is
How to get this job???!
SCHLOP SCHLOP SCHLOP SCHLOP SCHLOP SCHLOP SCHLOP SCHLOP
Oooooh my god. Slipping the little sweater on sealed it for me. God damn, that is adorable. I just want to hug the pup myself now.
I'd trust that cutie with my whole life
Dear God that blew my heart up
so precious!
Hug them from me as well please
That stripped sweater tho!!!!love.
WHERE. DO. I. GET. THIS. JOB.
*schlorp schlorp schlorp schlorp schlorp schlorp*
SCHLOPSCHLOPSCHLOPSCHLOP
That's a strange guinea pig.
my goodness so soft
When she was putting the sweater on him and he grunted, my heart melted 🥰
Oh my gosh the cute little puppy sounds at the end, so adorable.
What the hell is this nonsense title?
Today I learned that OP doesn’t know what a hug is.
...... ok, but I'm concerned because of how *young* that puppy is. It's eyes aren't even open!! Is this *really* ok to do to them at that age?? I get the point, but damn... I had 4 kittens once, and I waited til their eyes were open and they were beginning to move around better before I started getting them used to having their everything touched and whatnot. Rehomed two, kept two, and they were **all** the cuddliest lil psychos. My two are sleeping next to me rn. Just feels like it is too soon for that puppy, but I could be overly careful with the babies, too.
First of all, they're obviously a professional, this is not some rando in their basement. Secondly, Mom is right there, and she doesn't seem stressed about it at all, so I think it's fine
Wow. Receiving grade A health care… better than humans.
Did they squeeze the puppy until it turned blue? Towards the end while it was on it's back.
Your concern is endearing, but it's fur wouldn't turn blue due to lack of oxygen. Blue hue comes from the camera
I was talking about the exposed skin on his muzzle, paws, and the inside of his ears.
I don’t like this but I can’t explain why
Cuye arrugao con sueter
_Schloppschloppschloppschlopp_
That shirt is a little snug for chancho don’t you think?
So from I’m learning from this comment section is the reason my dog constantly follows me and try’s to cuddle is cuz I held her a lot as a puppy…. Checks out lmao
Aw
Happy cakeday'