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Getting started with your puppy: |
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Developmental Stages Of Puppy Behavior Although feeding time is important, it is also vital to include petting, talking and playing, in order to help your puppy build good "people-skills." Well-socialized mothers are more likely to have well-socialized puppies. Puppies "feed" off of their mothers calm or fearful attitude toward people. Puppies are usually weaned at six or seven weeks, but are still learning important skills as their mother gradually leaves them more and more. Ideally, puppies should stay with their littermates (or other role-model dogs) for at least 12 weeks. Puppies separated from their littermates too early often don't develop appropriate "social skills," such as learning how to send and receive signals, what an "inhibited bite" means, how far to go in play wrestling and so forth. Play is important to help puppies increase their physical coordination, social skills and learning limits. Interacting with their mother and littermates helps them learn "how to be a dog" and is also a way to explore ranking ("who is in charge"). Skills not acquired during the first eight weeks may be lost forever. While these stages are important and fairly consistent, a dog's mind remains receptive to new experiences and lessons well beyond puppy-hood. Most dogs are still puppies, in mind and body, through the first two years. The following chart provides general guidelines for the stages of development. 0 - 2 weeks = Neonatal Most influenced by their mother. Touch and taste present at birth. 2 - 4 weeks = Transitional Most influenced by their mother and littermates. Eyes open, teeth erupt, hearing and smell developing. Beginning to stand, walk a little, wag, bark. By four or five weeks, sight is well-developed. 3 - 12 weeks = Socialization During this period, puppies need opportunities to meet other dogs and people. By four to six weeks they are most influenced by their littermates and are learning about being a dog. From four to 12 weeks they are most influenced by their littermates and people. They are also learning to play, including social skills, inhibited bite, social structure/ranking and physical coordination. By three to five weeks they are becoming aware of their surroundings, companions (dogs and people) and relationships, including play. By five to seven weeks they are developing curiosity and exploring new experiences. They need positive "people" experiences during this time. By seven to nine weeks they are refining their physical skills/coordination (including housetraining) and full use of senses. By eight to ten weeks they experience real fear -- when puppies can be alarmed by normal objects and experiences and need positive training. By nine to 12 weeks they are refining reactions, social skills (appropriate interactions) with littermates and are exploring the environment, spaces and objects. Beginning to focus on people. This is a good time to begin training. 3 - 6 months = Ranking Most influenced by "littermates" (playmates now include those of other species). Beginning to see and use ranking (dominant and submissive) within the pack, including humans. Teething (and associated chewing). At four months they experience another fear stage. 6 - 18 months = Adolescence Most influenced by human and dog "pack" members. At seven to nine months they go through a second chewing phase -- part of exploring territory. Heightened exploration of dominance, including challenging humans. If not spayed or neutered, beginnings of sexual behavior. |
| VACCINATIONS All puppies need to be vaccinated against disease according to the schedule provided by your veterinarian. Your veterinarian may provide routine vaccinations for canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus, coronavirus, parainfluenza, Bordetella, Lyme disease and rabies. Remember, most vaccines must be given over a period of time and require multiple veterinary visits. So check with your veterinarian and get ready for a happy, rewarding friendship with your pet. Distemper A highly contagious, often fatal virus that affects a dog's respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous system. Generally this virus spreads as an airborne infection, so vaccination is the only effective control. Adenovirus (Also know as infection hepatitis) A viral disease that affects the liver and cells lining the blood vessels, causing high fever, thirst, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, liver damage, and hemorrhage. Coronavirus A highly contagious viral infection of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, high fever and dehydration. Leptospirosis An extremely contagious disease that spreads through contact with nasal secretions, urine or saliva of infected animals, and can affect humans as well. The ailment causes inflamed kidneys, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Liver damage can also occur. Parvovirus A common and deadly viral infection whose symptoms include diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Parvovirus can kill puppies very quickly. Parinfluenza This virus is one of a number of infectious agents that cause what is often called "kennel cough." The disease is highly contagious and attacks the respiratory system. Rabies A fatal infection of the central nervous system that affects all mammals, especially raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes, domestic dogs and cats, and humans. Since rabies poses a serious public health threat, it is imperative that your puppy be vaccinated. Most states require it. Newborn puppies receive disease-fighting antibodies from their mother's milk. These antibodies normally last only six to sixteen weeks, however. After that, your puppy needs vaccinations to help protect him from disease. Puppy Proofing Before you bring your new puppy home.....prepare by puppy proofing your home. Look for narrow areas where your pup could become trapped. Keep small objects, thumbtacks for example, off the floor. Check for potentially poisonious houseplants. |
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Socialising the New Puppy Socialising the New Puppy Socialisation of the new puppy is important if it is to make a sociably acceptable dog. Research has shown that it is best for a puppy to be settled into a new home before 10 weeks old and an important age for adaptation to strange sounds and sights is prior to 16 weeks old. Puppies will frequently not have completed the course of vaccinations for immunity against infectious diseases until near this age, so it is necessary to balance the puppies need for education and socialisation against the necessity of safeguarding it from disease. From an early age the puppy must be taught to accept handling, not only by its owners, but by visitors to the household. The puppy should be placed in a sitting position before being patted. It should be conditioned to allowing the ears, teeth and feet etc. to be handled and examined - all this will make future visits to the veterinary surgeon less traumatic for the dog, owner and vet. It is important that the puppy learns to accept having food removed from its mouth and its feed bowl touched while it is eating as this reduce the chances of aggression over food.The puppy should be scolded if it shows resentment at having the food touched, and lavishly praised and given the food again if it allows it to be handled. It is of utmost importance that the puppy is never teased with food. Many dogs accompany owners on car trips, but even if it is not intended that your dog will be a regular traveller in the family car it is still necessary to familiarise it with car travel. There will be times, such as trips to the vet, when the dog will be a passenger in the car and a frightened or excited dog can be a dangerous distraction to the driver. The puppies first car trip should not be undertaken after it has had a meal as puppies frequently suffer from motion sickness. Initially, car trips should be short drives around the block with a passenger to help control the puppy. The puppy should be encouraged to sit or lie on the rear seat. Once the puppy has had its vaccinations it should be introduced to the wide world. For their own safety, and also to comply with the law, dogs should never be on the street unless on a lead. The dog should walk on a loose lead on the owner's left side with the dog's head level with the owners left leg. If the dog surges ahead the lead should be given a gentle tug at the same time as the command "heel" is given, and the dog should be returned back to the correct position and praised. The young dog should be taken into busy areas where people will stop to pat it and it will be subjected to the hustle and bustle of crowds and traffic. Dog training classes are held in most areas and are an excellent and inexpensive method of learning to train your dog to be a pleasant and manageable companion. Many veterinarians are conducting puppy preschool sessions which may be an excellent way to socialise the puppy as well as for owners to gain advise on diet and training. |
| EXCESSIVE BARKING EXCESSIVE BARKING An irate friend described her neighbor's dog as "a bark machine." My friend continued, "no matter how many times they tell the dog to be quiet, it keeps barking. It's driving the neighborhood crazy." It's a fact of life that dogs will bark. Some barking is for a purpose. Other barking is a behavior problem. Barking that is a behavior problem may result from loneliness or boredom. From what my friend told me, it appears that loneliness is probably the problem. This dog is housed outside and left alone for long periods of time. When it barks, its owners call to it to stop barking and scold it. In so doing, they are providing the attention the dog seeks. It has discovered that if it barks, the owners respond and the dog considers it a barking game. When loneliness is the cause of incessant barking, giving the dog more attention may solve the problem. In a family situation, encourage family members to take turns playing with the dog and taking it for walks. When the dog is left alone, provide toys for it to amuse itself. Sometimes more attention won't solve the problem. If a dog has developed a habit of barking, fill some cans with pebbles. When the dog barks, throw a can near it and say "quiet" in a firm voice. The purpose of throwing a can is not to hit the dog, but to startle it. If the barking resumes, throw another can and say "quiet." Remove the cans as quickly and unobtrusively as possible so the dog does not consider them a toy. As the dog catches on, your verbal command "quiet" should stop the barking. If the cans do not work, use a squirt gun and squirt the dog's legs and back accompanied by a firm "quiet" command. Please remember any action to deter a dog from barking must be made while the dog is barking. After-the-fact corrective action only confuses a dog. Use a strong, firm voice. Avoid yelling, which can be stressful to a dog. Dogs housed inside who are left alone may suffer from separation anxiety. Some may show their fear and resentment by barking. The ideal way to prevent this problem is to train a puppy to be left alone. Similar training can be applied to an older dog, but more time and patience may be required. Put the puppy in a room by itself. Say "quiet" and leave the room. If the puppy barks, return, say "quiet" and leave again. If the puppy is quiet for a brief period, return and praise it. Extend your time away from the puppy and, upon returning, praise it for being quiet. With an older dog, leaving the house or apartment may be necessary because the dog may pick up your scent and is sensitive to familiar noises. Some dogs bark to protect their territory and a "bark/reward" cycle may be established. A dog barks at a letter carrier when the mail is delivered. The dog is "rewarded" when the letter carrier leaves. This bark/reward may lead the dog to bark at other service people, neighbors and passersby. For some households this can become a problem. The bark/reward cycle should be broken. If possible, introduce the dog to people who come to the home regularly. Short conversations with delivery or service people, with the dog present, may solve the problem. Another solution is a firm "no" or "quiet" when the dog begins barking. If the dog responds by being quiet, praise it briefly. Remember, you have to be present when the dog is barking to give the "quiet" command. An example of barking for an identifiable purpose is a dog's bark in an invitation to play. This is accompanied by body language tail-wagging, crouching with the head lowered and hindquarters raised. The dog usually stops barking when its invitation is answered and play begins. If the invitation goes unanswered, the dog gives up and generally stops barking. A dog may bark to threaten intruders. This is usually a more menacing bark and may be accompanied by growling. The hair on the dog's back and tail may stand on end. Depending upon the situation, you may need to remove the dog to a more secure location or quietly reassure it. A dog will also bark to warn other dogs or people of danger. This is usually a deep, repeated bark. The dog's tail is motionless and lowered to the ground. The forelimbs may be widely spaced on the ground. The barking generally continues until the source of danger is removed or the dog is taken to safety. Sometimes pain or illness triggers barking. If a well-behaved dog in its usual environment begins barking or creating other forms of vocalization, a trip to the veterinarian may be in order. A final thought Enlisting the cooperation of each family member is important in controlling a dog's barking, as well as in all other aspects of training. Verbal commands and expectations for your dog's behavior must be consistent if you are to be effective |
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