Good dog!

Yesterday, John Lee got a little more freedom: time out of the x-pen without a leash, albeit in a restricted area. If he started to get into something he shouldn't have, I corrected him and he stopped and didn't try it again, even if he was still curious. Today, a week after I brought him home, we are hanging out upstairs, supervised but without being confined to the x-pen.

I think oftentimes dogs wind up being seen as problems by their owners for things that the owners directly cause, or for normal, instinctual behavior that isn't well managed.

Behavior that is unacceptable to humans such as getting into the trash or swiping food from kitchen counters has two components that are important to recognize. First, there is enabling: by leaving food on the counter or having a trash can that is easily broken into by a dog, we enable the bad behavior. Second, there is reinforcing: not closely supervising the dog while he's learning the ropes allows him to get away with the behavior and be rewarded for it. Avoid enabling and reinforcing and you'll stop most problems before they start.

With John Lee (and any other dog new to us), gaining the freedom that the other dogs in the home have is a gradual process. I want him to succeed every step of the way, so I only give him as much as I think he can deal with and I'm right there telling him what's OK and what is unacceptable. And let me tell you: John Lee is very responsive to that. Yesterday he started to put his mouth on a wicker basket, I corrected him, and he stopped. We had that outcome because I didn't turn him loose unsupervised. He did go back to the basket, but he only sniffed at it - perhaps a little longingly - and moved on. Good dog : )