Q: I cannot get my cocker spaniel puppy to sit properly to the “sit” command; she just keeps wagging her tail and lifting up her bottom.
She is four months old now and this issue is preventing me from moving on with her training. She will not stay either when I walk away. Should I tether her or is there a better way?
A: The days of forcing dogs to stay by tethering passed many decades ago. She sounds as if she is one happy little puppy that really wants to please, and you need to find a way of using that enthusiasm to your advantage. I had similar issues with my first sucessful cocker spaniel, a tiny black bitch whom I bred – in fact, I never did achieve a first sit and stay with her. In later life her steadiness deteriorated and I often wonder if I had taught her to sit still as a puppy whether she would have remained steady for life.
So that’s it, you’ve finally got your new puppy. It’s fully vaccinated, raring to go and ready to start its…
Think very carefully about this because taking a puppy from its mother, brothers and sisters is going to be a stressful enough time in its life.
To then leave it for long periods without company isn’t going to help matters – it is bound to get dreadfully bored and this will almost certainly affect its psychological development.
On a more practical note you should also remember that a puppy will need feeding about 3-4 times a day so leaving it any longer than, say, four hours is not a good idea.
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