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Is Y our Dog Adaptable?
What the heck is adaptable?!
Have you ever seen a dog that was comfortable no matter where he was or what was going on around
him? Or maybe you've seen the opposite: the dog who flips out if his routine changes (if his dinner is
delivered 30 minutes later than normal, for instance), or a dog who must have this toy or that bed or
whatever. The slightest change in environment or schedule really throws the dog for a loop. This month's
newsletter will talk about adaptability: what it is, why your dog should be adaptable, and how to teach
it.
Let's start off with a definition of adaptable, as it applies to your dog. Ike, the service dog in-training
who just graduated to the next level of training, was a picture of adaptability. That dog was happy all
the time, with anyone, wherever he was. An adaptable dog is comfortable, confident, and content -wherever he is. He doesn't need this and that, he isn't defined by a specific routine, he's able to go with
the flow, as they say. If a dog needs to have a specific routine to "keep him happy," he's probably not
adaptable. A dog who needs to be walked a specific route to avoid stressing him out probably isn't
adaptable.
Next, why the heck does a dog need to be adaptable? The more adaptable your dog is, the happier he
is. He's not pacing by the door if you're 15 minutes late getting home from work. He can travel with you
on vacation and not be flipped out by staying in a hotel. He views change as natural, not as something
that must be endured. I was at a dog behavior conference recently and heard a speaker say this: "I know
that if my husband and I died tragically tomorrow, my dogs could all be re-homed quickly and easily, and
would be happy with their new digs." Wow, that's a pretty powerful statement. Something all of us owe
our dogs is the ability to be adaptable.
Now you know what adaptability is and why it's important for your dog to be adaptable, now let's talk
about how to teach your dog. To some degree, adaptability (sometimes called flexibility) is genetic.
Some dogs are naturally more laid-back than others. They're born that way. But: there's a lot you can
do to develop flexibility and adaptability in your dog.
PUPPIES
If you've got a puppy, you're in luck! Flexibility's a lot easier to teach from the beginning! When I say
puppy, I mean a dog who's less than 18 weeks old. Dogs older than 18 weeks can learn adaptability, but
it's just so much easier to teach when the dog is younger. This next sentence is a little blasphemous for
me, so let me just spit it out, then I'll explain it: Throw routine out the window when you're raising your
pup. That was actually painful for me to type, as it completely goes against everything I teach in Puppy
Charm School. So let me explain
You're keeping your puppy on a consistent and predictable house training schedule. The house rules
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(sit to be petted, for example) will never change. But all the variables like: feeding time, walking
routines, crating schedule, and playtimes should change daily. You don't want your puppy to walk up to
you at the computer and bump you with his nose to remind you that it's time to feed him dinner. One day
your pup will get fed at 4:00p, another day dinner time might be 5:00p, and on the weekend, he might
get fed at 6:00p. There's no set time or pattern.
Introduce your puppy to different people and different houses very early. Ike spent the night at
someone's house one night a week. He grew up thinking that all the other puppies did it. (All the service
pups did, in fact, to teach them adaptability!) When Ike was needed for a charity function, sometimes I
would handle him, other times someone else would take Ike for the entire day. Sometimes he'd be gone
the entire weekend! And very often he'd stay at someone else's house each night! Ike learned very early
that being in a new house with new people wasn't really all that new. It was just the way he grew up.
Ike's turn-in to Hero Dogs was much less stressful for him (and for me!) because we'd given Ike the skill of
adaptability.
DOGS
Even if your dog is older than 18 weeks, you can still help your dog learn to be flexible. Make your
changes slowly - don't throw them at him all at once. Change your feeding time by 15 minutes one day.
Take him on a different route for his walk. Take him for his walk at a different time (making sure his
bathroom habits are your top priority!). If your dog isn't comfortable when he's off his home turf, take
him to a friend's house (a quiet destination, without lots of noise or activity). Bring lots of good, tasty
treats (think: cooked chicken breast) and feed your dog bits of the chicken while you're there. Keep your
visit short and sweet -- maybe 15 minutes for the initial outing. Pick another destination and have
another short, but fantastic, visit. Continue to expand your dog's world a little bit at a time.
Don't rush it! Avoid pushing your dog too far too fast. Slow and steady will win this race (as cliche as that
sounds, it really is true!). If your dog has a favorite trick that he really likes to do (not one that YOU
really like him to do), ask him to do it. My dogs all like the opportunity to "speak." So if they're feeling a
bit tense, the opportunity to bark a little really thrills 'em!
If you slowly expand your dog's horizons, you'll both be able to enjoy hanging with one another. And
neither of you will be married to a set-in-stone routine. You'll be able to live spontaneously and have
more fun together!
P.S. I'm usually a mess immediately following a turn-in day for our service dogs. Ike's turn-in day was
last Sunday. I handled this turn-in much better -- due in large part to Ike's adaptability. Ike's going to be
just as happy back with Hero Dogs as he was here with our family. And for that I'm thankful. Knowing that
Ike is sleeping soundly makes it easier for me to sleep soundly, even though we're not in the same house
anymore. [Go get 'em, my Boggy Doggy -- you're going to be a terrific partner for someone!]
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