Discipline? Taboo? Not in My Lifetime

Being on the receiving end of discipline in my household isn't a bad thing. Mum and Dad are very clear about what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior in our daily life. Here are some facts explained by my Mum. She isn't an expert, but this is fairly common sense.

1. Effective discipline and Cruelty are two entirely different things.
   
2. Discipline does not require the use of force, beatings, rolled up newspapers or harsh curse words.
3. A dog is like a human child. They need to know what is right and wrong. They should be rewarded when a behavior is desired, and corrected when an unwanted behavior has happened.
   
4. Discipline through corrections must be acted on the spot immediately when a bad behavior is witnessed. Any correction dispensed after the mistake is pointless. Dogs live in the moment, and do not relate consequences to behaviors committed 5 mins ago.
   
5. When giving out corrections, a stern glare, a quick vocal "hey", a firm finger touch to the side of the neck/under the chin, or a more severe 'check' on the prong collar is sufficient.
   
6. The ultimate correction given out in my house is the roll-over or pin down.
   
7. A dog that is only praised and given treats when it does something good, but does not receive any negative reinforcement when doing something bad, will most likely turn out to be a brat. Brats are not tolerated in my home.
   
8. A lot of humans spoil their dogs because they have the misconception that discipline is a bad thing, and if a dog is disciplined, it'd break the dog's spirit, or the dog might hate the parent, or it might damage the bond between parent and dog. This is not the case, when the parents are well-informed about what discipline is, or how to dispense discipline in a healthy way.
9. It is crucial that during corrections, the parent must remain calm, fair, assertive and firm, but not impatient, angry, emotional or fed-up. Sometimes, Mum or Dad don't utter a single word when they correct me. All they need to do is project the energy and I understand.
   
10. In Asia, and in many other parts of the world, discipline is meted out regularly when necessary, in a fair and correct way, so that children understand what the world expects of them, how they should be, and they in turn grow up to be balanced human beings, not selfish, or unbalanced but caring and generous. Dogs and puppies are just the same.
    
11. There is a Chinese saying, "Spare the rod, spoil the child". Of course, they don't mean to beat the child with a rod to show discipline, but sometimes, a light spanking may be needed for very naughty actions. Mummy's been spanked many times when she was growing up, she told me that she was a very naughty child.
    

Here are some actions that I've done that are considered unacceptable, and the consequences that come with it. The consequence from either Mummy or Daddy is the same, even before I came to the home, they had agreed that they will be a united front, no discrepancies.

1. Going in through the door before parent -> I get called back out, and have to wait till parent goes through, and then I enter.
2. Putting front paws on parent when they are eating -> I get told "Down" in a single word, calm tone, and I have to be in a "Down" position until I am freed.
   
3. Jumping down from the back of the SUV before I am allowed to -> I am told to get back up, and have to wait for a "Free" command.
4. Answering back "Ruff Ruff" when told to do something and then I run around in defiance -> Parent goes and grabs me, puts me in a "Down" position, with their palm holding me down on my neck (pin-down). Parent squats over me and won't let me move until I calm down. Then I hear "Free" and then I can move again.
5. Playbiting too roughly, and my teeth accidentally touch parent's skin -> Parent says "No Bite" in a low growling voice, their hands holding my muzzle tight and looking me in the eye. Play stops. Normally I only play rough with Dad, I never play wrestle with Mum. She's the Alpha bitch in my household.
   
6. Jumping onto the couch or bed without being invited -> Parent says "Off" and I have to get off. If I jump up again, I will be put in a pin-down.

There are some techniques that Mum and Dad will employ to remind me I am their puppy-dogson, and they are my pack leaders.

1. I am not allowed to start eating my meals until Mum says "Free".
2. When Mum says "Out", I must drop any toy or thing in my mouth while in the middle of playing.
3. When told to "Leave it", I have to ignore anything Mum is tempting me with, even while we are playing. She takes it, teases me with it, and puts it around me, but I'm not allowed to even look at it. When she says "Free", then we resume our games. If I disobey, Mum says "No, Leave it" and she takes the toy away, no more game.
   
4. She does these mental practices with me. She tells me to move from my current position, and makes me go lie somewhere else. She makes me give up my toy in the peak of playing. She stands over my things. She makes me wait. She touches me all over my body, including the insides of my ears, tip of my tail, buttocks, feet, flicks my nails, presses down on my paw pads firmly.
   
5. She puts me in a "Stand" command, and then touch me all over to de-sensitize me.
6. When I am in my crate, about to get out, I am not allowed to step out, until parent says "Free".
   

All these methods are working because I am a good boy. Mum and Dad are continuously working with me everyday, to ensure that I will be a good boy forever. They read books, learn from experts, and open their minds to new approaches that make sense. It is all about evolving to make ourselves better. Thank you Mummy and Daddy.