Scheduling can
get out of control
By Jan Penton
Columnist
This morning has been absolutely gorgeous. To have weather that’s actually comfortable this
time of year in the Deep South is a huge blessing. When I met my pool friends this morning the
water was a little chilly, and we loved it. I attended my gabby class this morning, and we got our
workout and chat time in.
I heard a new idea from one of my pool buddies. I always thought of keeping Winnie confined as
punishment instead of a way to help her cope so I let her have the run of the house while I was
away. My friend puts her puppy in a crate of sorts with a door open. She said that it gives a pup
a sense of calm and order.
When I returned home I found Winnie upset and my natural inclination was and has been to
comfort her and hold her when she settles enough for me to pick her up. I decided to read about
puppy training and the crate idea. According to the experts, I have been doing a few things
wrong. Isn’t that the way of it even with kids? Maybe the experts are wrong, but I’m willing to
give change a try.
The consensus seems to be that it’s a bad idea to make a big deal out of leaving or coming
home. Usually I try to give Winnie plenty of attention and a little outside time before I go, which
is good standard practice, but I don’t see how I can be nonchalant about returning when she is
so upset.
According to an article I found at thepuppyacademy.com, “Making it a big deal with lots of pets,
attention, and kisses right before you leave them and then when you see them again can build
up anticipation and anxiety in a pup, which make it much more difficult for them to settle when
alone. It is important to show a puppy that your coming and going is really no big deal by being
as calm as possible so your puppy remains worry-free and relaxed the whole time.”
I can see that these suggestions may help, but it is really going to be hard to dial down the
activity when I return from an outing. She runs and barks for several minutes, and I thought I
was doing the right thing by being excited with her and giving her plenty of attention. If I thought
she would outgrow this phase on her own I wouldn’t even try it, but I think it’s time to incorporate
a new technique.
Somehow I didn’t realize that helping my new puppy adjust would be quite this challenging, but
all good things take a little effort. I found an online puppy site about schedules. They had a
puppy schedule like a child in school with potty break, playtime, and snack time recurring all day
long. Winnie has a schedule for walks and meals, but they were taking this thing to the next
level!