Monday, December 14, 2009

Reading Material...

Ok, so as you all know, when I got the puppy manual I was supposed to leave it alone and focus on my finals right? Well, if any of you know me at all, you know that didn't happen, haha. I didn't even last 2 minutes before I cracked it open. Well, I finished it in a day or two, it wasn't that long. I also had plenty of time to study for finals so no worries there. Also, over the course of finals season I received a book to read on how to raise a good puppy from the puppy guy Larry. This book was/is very informative and I have actually learned some pretty interesting stuff about puppies and how their little brains work lol.

Anyways, my main thing I wanted to discuss was the lack of stuff in the puppy manual. Now, don't get me wrong, its an awesome manual, I was just hoping to see more specific things. Not that there wasn't a bunch of stuff, because there was, I was just expecting to see a lot more you know. For example, there is a section that has some of the commands we will teach the puppy, however it doesn't say how to teach them. This is some of the stuff I really wanted to know lol. I assume they will teach me all of this in time but I'm just one of those people that has to read up as much as I can on stuff before I actually do it. Also, I noticed that some of the commands they teach, such as the 'finds' aren't in the manual. This might just be due to the manual being old because I have seen some discrepancies in the program vs. the manual. Such as sitting the puppy at all up curbs, they do this now, however it has different instructions in the manual. So anyways, thats my beef lol. I want to know everything and its all just not happening fast enough for me haha. Especially now that I only have one final left, and no plans until a day or two before Christmas... I'm going to go crazy with boredom. Maybe I can just go and intrude at GDTx and bother everyone there until someone snatches a dog off the street to give me just to make me shut up. Well, we'll see haha. I'm hosting for them Wednesday for lunch so that will get me in there to bother some folks lol.

Anyways, let me know what you think... For all you other raisers, were your manuals like mine or did they have a bunch of stuff in them? Not trying to spy or anything haha, I swear.




The above image is a clip art of a dog laying on its stomach reading a book.

8 comments:

Coreena said...

Well.... GDB's manual is very descriptive of basically everything the raisers need to know and will do. It was great and I loved having it to read over and over again, a year before we got a puppy and years into raising. JLAD has a manual but it isn't anywhere near informative or descriptive. CST's manual is a couple pages stapled together. Most of it is for the prison program so doesn't apply and it doesn't list commands, how to teach them or what is expected of the dogs. I'm happy I raised for GDB first and wish I could again, in part, because of their wonderful manual! At least with JLAD and CST I don't need to look in a manual for most things, it still would be nice!

Natalie said...

Oh well that sounds kind of terrible lol. I'm not worried about not getting the info, I know it will come with time. LIke, papers and stuff we get from training sessions. I have already added some papers I have gotten to the manual, my problem is I just want it all now haha... I'm kind of impatient in that way... I don't like only getting parts lol.

Lisa and pups said...

Well, KSDS' manual is a huge 3 ring binder and had a lot of information in it - but we didn't get it early, we got it with the puppy and after going through puppy class. They recently revamped it to make it more up to date. They go through it every year or two and do that. So, I think it might be time for another one. It's a good way to make sure even the seasoned puppy raisers read the manual!

We get to sit our puppies at curbs and doors too - it's fun to see it begin to click in their brains! You'll be such a good puppy raiser. Can't wait till you get your puppy.

Rebecca, Ely and Joe said...

SEGDI has a big, very detailed manual for all their raisers. It covers pretty much all you need to know about puppy raising, from beginning to end. It also has a good bit on common puppy health issues, which I have found very helpful through the years. When I first started raising, I read and read the manual, if I had any questions my AC’s were always helpful, along with very helpful puppy raisers in my group. I am now able to pass on my knowledge that they taught me to new raisers. One of the trainers recommended a book to me before I started raising. It was very helpful since I had never had a puppy before, it is called Mother Knows Best by Carol Lea Benjamin.

Ro said...

Hehe you remind me of me. The day I looked into GDB, I spent the entire day on the website, then I downloaded all the podcasts. Then I joined an email list of GDB grads and raisers lol. At my home visit today, I think he was atad relived that I already knew so much hehe. I like being an informed consumer. You are going to be such a good raiser. Maybe we'll both find out when we get our dogs soon!

Erin said...

I'll start with GDF there manual changed and updated Many,many,many times during the three years I was with them, and I'm pretty sure when I get back they'll be more changes!! So helpful..? Not much.
WSD - NOT HELPFUL AT ALL. If I could I would rewrite the whole thing, but I can't so it is what it is.What really helped me through my first yera, was my blog, other puppy raisers, and me just scoring the web for info. A great puppy site is: Dog Star Daily So much great information about just puppies in general that I don't believe will hinder anything you learn with GDTx :)
I plan to refer my future foster families to that site myself. Anyway I hope that helps some,I remember the agony of waiting! I have a 6 month wait now, and I don't know how I'm going to do it. (This coming from a girl who is currently fostering.)

Beth and Alfie said...

Hang in there, Natalie! :-) I'm like you, always wanting to read up & be super-prepared... I like to research things and think I'm ready, & then the puppy comes along with his own ideas & issues not covered in any manual or book!! But to be honest, there will be lots of things that are easier for them to "show" than "tell" (on your walks & stuff). The GDTx folks are also really terrific about being available all the time by phone & email for all your questions, which is great (I usually have a lot!) You'll do an awesome job. :-)

Natalie said...

Thanks everyone... Sorry for all the stuff/mini rant.. lol. You know me, just paranoid about EVERYTHING! I always say to anyone who asks me what I want to do when I'm done with school " I don't want to do anything but school, I just want to learn all my life " haha.. I am just that type of person I guess... If I don't know everything right now, I go crazy... Darrell calls it being a control freak... I don't think I'm a freak so thats not fair hahaha.

Thanks again everyone.. ya'll keep me sane.