Nikki the Heidewachtel 1 year

I loved dogs as a little boy and wanted to have one when I grow up. By now I am ‘big’ and Nikki the Heidewachtel is already one year old. Time to look back on last year.

The first weeks

The first few weeks Nikki was with us were very disappointing. I was warned beforehand that it could be tough, but apparently that wasn’t enough. Among other things, the crate was a thing. From day one we tried to make her comfortable in the crate, no forcing, lots of treats and a nice place. Still it didn’t work out, every time she had to go into the crate she would screech and roar. Sometimes up to more than an hour. And if it stopped for a moment you could still hear it, that sound creeps into your head. Still, keep ignoring the dog, because this is the only thing that works to get the dog used to the crate.

The other problem was that Nikki was not going to sleep outside the crate. So this came down to the fact that she was always busy and only wanted to play. Which meant continuous biting of the carpet, running after the cats and other mischief. Because she didn’t get her sleep she was actually very tired all the time. On advice, we put her in the crate for two hours after each half hour of play, so she had to go to sleep. Only after a few weeks until she came back from doggie daycare with an overused leg did she start sleeping outside the crate. Lucky break.

What made the first few weeks even harder was that I had read through so many books and online articles that I wanted to do everything exactly “by the book. I was going crazy from having to do so many exercises. I started walking outside with different surfaces with her so she could get used to aluminum foil, wooden boards, different heights and more. Attention exercises, name exercises and other exercises were done a few times a day. I had made a whole schedule at one point because I couldn’t remember. But well, the book said so. Eventually it made me so tense that I threw everything aside and let the whole parenting thing run its course. That helped, most of it went by itself after that! Every month you saw the progression which led to the dog she is now at a year.

Tips that helped us

During her upbringing, a few things stuck with me that I think helped Nikki become a stable and neat dog.

• Consequence: A hunter told me about this before Nikki came to us. If you ask something of the dog, the dog should always follow up. So once she doesn’t carry something out right away you can’t let it go. She has to do it. This is golden, this way she learns that she is not the boss and can just make everything.
• Between 4 and 12 months do not let the dog run loose: This way she can’t create annoying situations by accidentally running across a major road, or running away from you to other dogs. Also, if your dog runs towards a child who is afraid of dogs, it is not pleasant. After 12 months the dog can be off-leash more often, provided you have trained well. A 10-meter long leash is a good alternative during that period. Many dog owners will disagree with me, but for us this has worked out fine.
• Give your dog love, cuddle enough and most of all, let yourself be heard when your dog does something right: If your dog does mischief, don’t start petting your dog after 2 seconds. The dog sees this as a reward and the behavior will become more extreme. I see so many times when a dog does something wrong and then the owner says it’s not allowed, but the dog then goes to give a big hug anyway. This works against you. Does your pup neatly in the basket lie while you do not ask for it, reward this then.
• Take your dog everywhere you go, especially during the first year: Really let him or her get used to everything. This way you will have a fearful dog less quickly. If your dog is afraid of something, such as a pole (yes, this really happens), encourage your dog to go there and figure it out. Never punish barking for fear.
• Dog Care and Training: Nikki has been going to doggie daycare one day every week since she was 12 weeks old. Good for socialization and dealing with other dogs. Dog training is also important, especially for the bond between you and dog.

Nikki with 12 months

Nikki, like many other dogs for their owners, is the sweetest dog in the world. She is stable, listens very well to everything I ask of her. She still has some trouble listening sometimes when children or other dogs walk by, they are just too much fun. I can reach her food and open her mouth to check. She prefers to lay with us on the couch on her own rug (also as I write this). During the day she likes to sleep, but if you ask her to go for a walk with you she will never refuse.

The start was not easy, but Nikki has now made my life more complete.