I turned 27 this weekend. I got an air fryer for my birthday (adulting is cool) and finished off my Inuyasha DVD collection. I spent it with great friends at my most favourite place, the cottage. I was spoiled with good memories lots of laughs, drinks and a sunburn. Today however is another special day as we celebrate the one year of our pup Riker joining our family. It’s his first gotcha day!! Today was emotional as I reflected on his journey from 9 weeks old to a year and 3 months. Having a puppy is truly like having a baby. There is ups and downs, wins and fails, learning curves, eating, accidents, both physical and potty training. They need constant supervision and a safe space to thrive. I have personally owned 3 dogs before owning Riker. Family dogs if you will. One a collie Shepard, 2 a red nose pit bull, 3 a German Shepard husky. All with their challenges and perks to training and owning. Riker is a Norwegian Elkhound, a rare breed in Canada. He is also one of the most stubborn breeds I have ever worked with, that being said. He is also the most rewarding. As a puppy he was the easiest to train. When he reached 6 months it is normal for his breed to regress in training. It is important to understand 2 things with this breed. 1) they do not respond to harsh punishment. And will most likely become more reactive. Ignoring bad behaviour or simply redirecting the behaviour with high value treats or toys is the best way to see behaviours you want to see and lessen behaviours you don’t want to see. Number 2) socialization from a young age is SO important. Norwegian Elkhounds are very protective of their humans and their space. They can be very skeptical of new humans and animals. That being said they have a high prey drive but socialization of small animals from a young age can help combat that. & Can also help with leash reactivity and being too territorial. The best advice I can give with any breed is consistency and patience.
