First, I like to think that it is almost never the dog's problem with regard to unwanted behavior as much as it is humans having unrealistic expectations or a lack of understanding of innate canine behavior. There has been a lot of hype as to the Coton being "the perfect companion". Not so! Many Cotons bark a lot. They are frequently suspicious of strangers and can be territorial. Some dig... a lot. Some Cotons are stubbornly difficult to housebreak. They are dogs after all. And do not make the mistake of thinking of dogs as having emotions or motivations the way people do. They are not out for revenge, operating out of spite or trying to be uncooperative in order to "get your goat". A puppy learning to adapt to the world of humans is like a visitor on an alien planet. They need to learn the language, find out what the limits are and deal with their "flight or fight" response at the same time. The key will be to ignore as much negative behavior as possible while reinforcing positive behavior with affection, a little food treat and/or verbal praise. Associate your dog's name with positive commands and praise and avoid coupling it with "no!", or any other negative verbalizations. When you do correct your dog, remember to immediately praise it when it has behaved appropriately. For example, your dog has grabbed something off the coffee table it is not supposed to have, and you command it to "drop" or say "no". As soon as the dog drops the item, praise it using his or her name. So often we find ourselves intervening with an inappropriate behavior without following up with reinforcement when the proper behavior is exhibited. Providing your dog with the opportunity to please you and earn your approval is the basis for a rewarding, positive relationship.
Cotons are members of the Bichon family and although bright, are a little slow to mature. Because they are intelligent, they can form habits early, so it is important that your breeder has started socialization and training rather than allowing the puppy to sit in a pen most of the time. Do not hesitate to ask specific questions of a breeder as to what activities and practices they follow to encourage social development in their puppies. A site with a ton of information is: http://www.bichonfriseusa.com/index.htm#Educational%20mark. One of my favorites is: http://www.bichonfriseusa.com/articles/socializationshy.htm. (you may need to cut and paste into your browser).
My new favorite book on training is The Dog Listener, by Jan Fennell. She does a great job of explaining dog's behavior from the dog's perspective, and better yet how to communicate at the dog's level in ways it understands. She stresses that it is possible and preferable to teach the dog that you are alpha, or the one in charge, and not the dog. This takes the stress off the dog so that it does not have to defend you or the territory it inhabits, which is often the explanation for aggressive or unruly behavior. Cesar Milan, who has a wonderful show on National Geographic Channel, is another who totally understands that most dogs need structure of some kind. Do not expect the dog to meet your needs if you do not provide it with what it needs. You want to have a calm, obedient dog and once you have that, you can spoil it within reason. Relieve your dog of the pressure and obligation of being a pack leader by being "calm and assertive" yourself. http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/about/ (My previous favorite book was Owner's Guide to Better Behavior in Dogs by William E. Campbell. He has a great website too, http://www.webtrail.com/petbehavior. Campbell talks about dogs and their natural reactions and impulses so that the reader develops an understanding of how dogs operate and why they exhibit certain behaviors. He then discusses basic conditioning techniques and how to deal with many problem behaviors. Another good book is Culture Clash, by Jean Donaldson).
The following are some insights gleaned from a variety of sources and personal experience that I have found helpful.
Cotons, as members of the Bichon family, are not easy to housetrain. Hopefully your breeder will have started the process and can offer some tips. The answer to this question is obviously not a simple one. Much of what you do will depend upon your living situation, schedule, ability to supervise, etc. Crate training is usually the most often recommended technique and there is a lot of information on the internet regarding this method. My advice is to make your first days with your puppy really count. (The greater the number of missed opportunities to reinforce the housebreaking plan, the more difficult and lengthy the job becomes). Puppies and dogs have a little biological clock that adjusts to the schedule you present them with, as long as it is consistent. They will expect to eat at a regular time, nap, exercise, eat and nap some more! With regard to housebreaking, I believe the mistakes made in the house that go unobserved, and therefore not reacted to, will determine how long the housebreaking will take. In other words, if you do not see your puppy piddling in the corner, and find a puddle after the 5 second limit for maintaining your puppy's attention, you cannot expect to point it out and speak harshly to the pup, because he or she will not know what you are talking about. Are you saying he shouldn't pee? He shouldn't go in that corner (for whatever reason)? He should not be looking at you? What? He has gotten away with "going" in the house and the more times this happens, the longer it will take to train him. On the other hand, if you catch him or her in the act, you can say "wrong", or "out", and scoop him out in the middle of the act, take him to "the spot", and promptly reinforce him for being outside to complete the job. (Praise, pet, a little romp or small treat). Try to use single words for commands as much as possible, avoiding the word "no", as this will save your pup a lot of confusion. For the first few weeks, monitor the puppy closely so you can read the signs and scoot it outside or crate or otherwise confine it. The normal instinct of a dog is not to soil its den. The crate should be of a size that is comfortable but will not allow it to pee or poop and then go lie in another corner away from the deed. I also do not use puppy pads if possible as it first allows the puppy or dog to believe it is okay to go in the house, and later is confusing when that is no longer allowed. A good link for housebreaking advice: http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/training/common/housebreaking.html.
Your puppy will be the cutest puppy in the whole world. Surely nothing this cute could cause much trouble by being spoiled! It deserves it just by being cute! Wrong! It is very important in any dog/owner relationship, that the owner be the one in control. If not, there are a variety of behavioral problems that may result. Cotons are smart and sneaky. They will not hesitate to use their charm or to be covert in order to get what they desire. Seriously, if a dog thinks that it has the upper hand, he might also think it is okay to be territorial, to nip at a stranger, to jump on people, (actually a dominant act which may seem funny until it is someone you don't know so well or want to impress), or simply to run after the neighbor's cat toward the street despite your calling out "come" or "no". It is very important to have your pet respond to you in an obedient manner for reasons of safety, respect, and for the betterment of the relationship between you and your dog. In addition, there is a period of time when puppies are more open to learning and perhaps learn quicker, than as adults. It is a lot easier to teach and socialize them properly when they are young, than to try to undo problem behaviors later on. Also, allowing a dog to have table scraps or to beg when you are snacking is a twofold problem. It is disorderly behavior and can cause control problems but it also causes problems with your ability to provide a healthy diet for your pet. The way for a dog to get proper, balanced nutrition is for him to eat premium dry dog food or a carefully researched raw diet. If you feed "people" food and your dog does not eat his dog food, then you are responsible for potential health problems later. Remember, your dog is not a person... it lives in the moment. If you consistently set limits with the dog's well-being in mind, he will adjust and not resent you for it!
Clicker training is a means of shaping behavior with only positive reinforcement; not harsh voices, pulling, tugging, or forcing. The sound of the clicker is used at the exact moment the desired behavior is exhibited, and the dog learns quickly what it is he is supposed to do to earn a treat, praise, or affection. I love clicker training and it has been very successful in my training of puppies and dogs for obedience and for the show ring. It is fun for me and the dogs. There is a lot of information on the internet on this subject. I recommend the website of Mary Woodward & Susan Greenholt and the Greenwood Dog Training School, web address: http://www.clickerlessons.com/; and the article offered by "the Dog Owner's Guide", an internet magazine with LOTS of information on many, many dog-related subjects. Their link is: http://www.canismajor.com/dog/clktrt.html.
Good question. No matter the breed, some dogs bark more than others. There are lots of products that are supposed to aid you with this problem, including bark collars, high pitched sound machines, muzzles, and even debarking surgery. These are usually not successful and can be cruel. The first thing is to establish respect for you as owner and master. This does not have to mean strict discipline and a cowering pet. You want your dog to respond to you. Barking is often the result of a "bossy, spoiled dog" used to receiving petting and praise regardless of behavior. General conditioning in anticipation of training or management of problem behavior is to insist that your dog do something, such as sit or lie down, before affection, praise or a treat is offered, and that means every single time! This is done gently but consistently by all members of the family. Prolonged petting or fondling must be curtailed. The most important thing to remember is that whenever you attend to a behavior, even saying "no", you are reinforcing that behavior in some way.
The next step is to observe when it is that the barking occurs and what the motivation is. If the dog barks when a guest arrives at the house, then he must be conditioned to sit or lay down quietly when the doorbell rings. This involves having someone, generally a stranger to the dog, approach the house and ring the bell. The dog is praised/treated when he sits. Again, training involves the praise and reinforcement of sitting quietly. Working in 5-10 min. increments each day, the evidence of success is when a stranger can ring the bell, be greeted and enter the home with the dog sitting quietly. The guest would also be encouraged to enter without acknowledging the dog (including no eye contact) until the dog is released from his "sit" and can greet the guest without jumping up. Obviously this will take time and commitment, but the process of conditioning can be used for a variety of behaviors. Another approach is to distract the dog, with a sound other than your voice, such that the dog does not know where the source of the sound is. Keep it up until the barking stops. Sometimes I throw a tennis ball or other object into the grass nearby in a way that perplexes the dog since he doesn't know the source of the movement. Often this is enough to distract him from the original stimulus. (I have heard that shaking the empty Coke can with the pennies in it serves the same purpose, but I would think the dog would quickly figure out who is shaking that can).
Barking due to separation anxiety is another issue. Try making a tape with your voice, perhaps reading a book for an hour or two. Put the tape in another room and make very little fuss or commotion when getting ready to leave home. The puppy may think you are close by and settle down much quicker than otherwise. Be sure the puppy has toys and chew things to occupy his time while you are gone. (You may try playing the tape when you are home to further establish the connection). Practice leaving the house for a few minutes and praising your pup for being quiet as you come back in, gradually increasing the time increment. Still, do not make a big deal of coming home. You may want to ignore the pup until he's quiet. Another theory involves teaching the dog the command "bark" when he barks. When he barks on command, teach him the "quiet" command when he stops. He now knows that "quiet" means not barking. Use "quiet" once clearly, then if he doesn't stop, use "time out" in a crate for 10 minutes or so. Practice daily.
The proper term for poop eating is "coprophragia". I include this because it is not an uncommon behavior and it can be very disturbing to a new puppy owner. Canines are scavengers by nature and had to make due with whatever they could find when food was scarce. Also, mother dogs clean the puppies and consume urine and feces for the first few weeks of the puppy's life. (I definitely avoid doggy kisses during this time). It is the nutrition aspect that most intrigues me though. It is believed by many that no matter what dog food we feed, especially grain-based products, the dogs are not able to digest it well. Thus, the stool may be similar enough to the original that they don't mind ingesting it a second time. I guess this comforts me a little, because I always have fed the best food I can get, and it does look very similar in stool form to the initial product. Anyway, probiotic supplements aid the dog's digestion and I found a great vendor at a recent show who talked to me about probiotics. (I was complaining that I often had loose stools with puppies, and sometimes adults, and the fecal check was negative). If they digest better, maybe the stool would not be so intriguing? The vendor was Nature's Farmacy (naturesfarmacy.com) and I would recommend them to anyone interested in homeopathy and nutritional supplements. So far, so good. Solid Gold makes a product (S.E.P. [stop eating poop]) that is sprinkled on the food and causes the stool to be unpalatable. Several people have told me it works. Also, Adolf's meat tenderizer or pumpkin added to your dog's food is said to help but I haven't tried it.
There is an excellent site by Carol Byrnes that deals with all sorts of behavior that she has given permission to link to. The "new puppy owner blues" is a great article and provides a good initiation to the world of dog training. I recommend referring back to this article, and her others, every once in awhile so that if an bad habit is forming, it can be inhibited before it becomes firmly established. Her Diamonds in the Ruff website is: http://www.diamondsintheruff.com/behavior.html
The first thing to do is figure out why your dog is biting. Is it still a puppy and using its mouth to grab the way we use hands? Then try to distract it when this happens; give it something "legal" to chew on. If the puppy is particularly persistent, you can yell out in pain dramatically, then walk away and ignore the pup for a few minutes, or pinch its foot if things become really desperate. Do not grab its mouth as that may reinforce the desire to bite back. Usually the mother trains the puppy in bite inhibition during the pup's 8 to 10th week. This is a good reason not to pick up your puppy too early, especially if you have children.
Sometimes a barking problem or even nipping can indicate insecurity. If your dog is shy or fearful, then it is inclined to be defensive and needs to go through a socialization and training program. Check with your local kennel club to see what classes may be offered. The key to a fearful dog is not to pressure it into situations it will be uncomfortable in. Let it come to you. Let it choose when it is ready to meet a stranger. Offer opportunities to play with a friendly dog or dogs with passive natures. Call in a consultant if need be. You are setting the stage for years to come.
If your dog is food defensive, then you need to train it to allow you to take its treat or toy away without resistance. Say "Drop" or "Give" and have the dog release its food or object. When successful, praise and give it back. Do this consistently for awhile. It is important that you are established as alpha in the pack, (although humans aren't really "alphas" to dogs), because this can cause problems later with a child or other dog.
If your dog is being territorial or defensive of you or your property, then the problem is a little more complicated. He is doing what many dogs do naturally. (I say "he" as this is usually a male behavior although many females can be protective/possessive also). As much as possible, restrict your dog's opportunities to "mark" or exhibit dominant behavior. Work on obedience training on a consistent basis. Have strangers enter the yard or come to the door and totally ignore the dog while your dog is on lead, and reinforce him for obedience and passivity. Having the dog sit on command, no matter what the situation, can be extremely important. Ultimately what works best is to require the performance of a command before any treat, attention, or other interaction. Be consistent...establish yourself as alpha. You won't believe the change. Don't give up. There is a lot more on training on the internet. Do some research and keep trying new things. The reward will be a sense of security and an even greater bond with your pet.
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Phyllis Blaha
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