President Puppy


Posted on Apr 17, 2009
By Julia Szabo

Amidst the excitement about the arrival at the White House of Bo, the new First Dog, a black-and-white Portuguese Water Dog, experts are offering valuable advice to help ensure that the presidential pup grows up to be a well-adjusted dog worthy of his new, high-profile position.
 
According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, early experiences will indelibly affect the kind of adult dog Bo will become - and the next 100 days will prove critical in Bo's development.
 
Just like President Obama, Bo has his work cut out for him. The First Dog must learn housetraining basics, which objects are chew toys and which are valuable furnishings, and how to greet people politely by sitting instead of jumping on them. Bo needs to be exposed to a wide variety of people and situations that he'll be expected to handle with aplomb for the rest of this life. This process is called socialization, and it's how all puppies learn, through positive experiences, that unfamiliar people and experiences are nothing to be afraid of.
 
The ideal stage for socialization is between 6 and 14 weeks of age, but the process should continue through Bo's first year and beyond, with routine refresher courses, since practice makes perfect - and as America's most high-profile dog, Bo will need to be on his best behavior at all times.
 
"Bo should be exposed in a gradual and non-frightening way to all of the things a Presidential dog will be expected to cope with as an adult," says Dr. E. Kathryn Meyer, president of AVSAB. So, in addition to socialization, it's important to introduce potentially scary things - like helicopters, crowds, reporters with microphones, and the high-powered flash of photographers' cameras - so that Bo learns not to be frightened by them. Associating these situations with good things, like dog treats, dog toys, and play, will help Bo make the transition from puppy to Presidential Pooch with confidence and ease.
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