Super Dogs Are Made Not Born
By Joyce O’Kelley
Today almost everyone involved with dogs has heard of the work of Scott and Fuller. Perhaps they have attempted to read the studies, and like many people stumbled over the scienti c language and technical charts and graphs in an attempt to understand.
Many have read Pfaffenberger’s book, or at least are familiar with its contents on the critical socialization periods in a dog’s life.
However, when it comes to “tearing” the books apart and discarding the excess verbiage to get to the salient points, many are at a loss.
This is not meant to imply that these books are not excellent works. Pfaffenberger gives much valuable information.
However, his book was not written as a textbook. It was written to be informative, yet “readable.”
In order to nd the information on socialization we must rst read through anecdotes of his life and then glean the bits and pieces of information from each chapter.
The studies of Scott and Fuller should be the “Bible” of the conscientious breeder. But, again, they do not always discuss their ndings in the language of the average dog owner.
Add to these facts that additional studies have been conducted which shed new light on the critical periods, and in some cases even alter some of the thoughts expressed in the earlier works, and add additional critical periods in the life of a pup.
Just what are the critical periods in the life of a dog? What must a breeder do and not do in order to help a pup develop his aptitudes to the highest possible potential?
What can a breeder do to assure a sound out-going temperament, while helping the pup develop con dence without being aggressively dominant?
Where does the responsibility of a breeder begin and end? It isn’t enough to select a stud and bitch for their sound genetic qualities and tem- perament. Super dogs are not bred. They are carefully molded each step of the way through the established critical periods.
Scientific studies have shown a dog’s innate temperament and trainability can be altered by the type of environment provided. While we can’t change the aptitudes the dog has inherited, we can take these aptitudes and with careful han- dling turn almost any pup into a super working dog and super companion.
Hopefully this article will provide some of the answers for the breeder. Each of the critical periods is explained in everyday language. What must be done and what must not be done is spelled out in detail, along with the reasons why.
The one prevailing thought the breeder must adhere to is the fact that the outlines periods are not the “ nal word.” It offers an average time frame for the “average” pup.
Some pups will follow the outline exactly, while others may be ahead of the schedule or slightly behind.
The actions and reactions of a pup during each period are described to give the reader something to look for to alert him to the fact that the pup is entering that particular critical period. Hopefully it will help him deter- mine when to put into practice each “Do” and “Do Not” on the list.
If the breeder follows this guideline in raising a litter, he or she is going to be one busy person! I recently raised a litter of ten puppies and followed the outline with care. It meant many hours above and beyond feeding and changing newspapers. It also meant the help of generous friends.
Each pup was socialized individually on a daily basis and each pup received obedience training on a daily basis. It meant rotat- ing pups in various pens and even rotating them to different homes and different environments (that’s where generous friends come in handy!).
Following the guideline was not complicated, but it was very exhausting! However, the results made it all worthwhile and very rewarding. The pups were all placed in their new homes between 10 and 12 weeks of age.
Each new owner continued the training at a formal obedience class for puppies. This was achieved through a con- tract which gave the new owners an opportunity to receive up to $85 of the sale price of each puppy back as it proceeded through the various stages of training.
Three of the pups quali ed in obedience matches with above average scores at the tender age of 16 weeks! While by accepted standards they weren’t even old enough to enter obedience training, much less trials, they were and are outstanding pup- pies, well on their way to becoming truly super dogs!
First Critical Period
(Birth through 3 weeks)
Basic Needs: Food, sleep, warmth,
massage
Do
Provide warm whelping Box
His body thermostat is not suf ciently developed, so he has no control over his temperature. You must assure the whelping room remains warm.
Minimum of handling, and leave to their mother’s care
Mentally the pup is insulated from his environment. There is very little differ- ence in his brain waves awake or asleep. Since the environment has no effect on his mental development at this age, leave him alone except for attending to his physical comfort.
Do Not
Attempt to train
Studies proved a pup is unable to learn anything except by long repetitions of up to 80 times. Then can only retain the stimulus for a few seconds.
New Actions and Reactions
The pup has re ex responses only to hunger, cold, touch, and even elimina- tion which is created by the mother’s massage and lapping. Pups will “pig pile” for warmth. Pup whines and cries. Swings his head from side to side. Can crawl forward and backward, but does not venture out of the nest. Eyes will open between 10 and 19 days of age, however, he cannot see. Does not follow moving objects and does not startle at rapid movements. Around 18 days, he may get up on wobbly feet and walk.
Second Critical Period
(4th Week)
Basic Needs
Food, sleep, warmth, his mother, canine socialization with his littermates, socializa- tion with humans on limited basis, unaltered environment.
Do
Provide gentle handling by humans
An attachment to humans is beginning to form, however, due to importance of this particular period, handling should be by adults in your own immediate family. Not by strangers or children.
Do Not
Remove from the litter
If removed from the litter the pup will lose his ability for socially adjusting to dogs, and will probably remain as maladjusted “people” dog for the rest of his life.
Wean
Weaning will create an emotional upset that will be unsurmountable. If due to mammary problems or other unforeseen circumstances the pup must be weaned or removed from the litter, it should be done before the 21st day or after the 28th.
Allow negative events to happen
During this period negative events can bring the inborn characteristic of ner- vousness to light. Negative happenings can create shyness and other unwanted qualities in a puppy. Once these qualities have developed they will be dif cult if not impossible to erase.
New Actions and Reactions
All senses are functioning. The pup can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. (You will notice a loud noise or fast movement will cause the pup to startle.) Studies have
shown profound changes are now occurring in the brain waves.
The pup stops all neonatal behavior, such as crawling and swinging the head from side to side. The pup whines much less. He doesn’t sleep as much. He will leave the next area for a considerable time by himself or with another puppy, but will not travel very far away.
Additional comments
This is perhaps the most critical of all the periods. Before this time the pup was insulated from the environment emotionally, but now suddenly he can see and hear and he discovers the world to be a very scary place lled with strange noises, sudden movements, and contrasting shades of dark and light.
Unless this period is handled with care he can become so emotionally upset it will remain with him for life. For this reason any changes in his environment should occur either before or after this period.
This is de nitely not the time to move his whelping box to a different location,
or to introduce him to the neighbor’s children. However, common sense should be used. I knew one breeder who adhered to the established
critical periods and during this week would seal off the whelping room, disconnect his doorbell, his telephone, and refuse to even enter the room
for fear of upsetting the pups with a strange noise. While the pups do need a care- fully controlled environment, they also need contact with humans (preferably their breeder or other responsible adults).
While you certainly wouldn’t want to go into the room and drop a metal feeding pan, or allow a screaming youngster to enter the area, you do not have to go overboard. Use your common sense in going about the daily routines
Third Critical Period
(5th through 7th week)
Do
Begin personal attention and some training by fth week
The pup is beginning to form attachments to people, as he is now able to
recognize people. By giving him personal attention away from the litter and his mother, he learns that
he is an individual.
Since he is probably experiencing the beginning stages of the “social
pecking order” within his litter, the personal attention will help to counterbalance the
dominance expressed over him by some of the pups.
Training is begun in simple form, because the best time to teach him runs from 21 to 49 days. He is learning, whether you teach him or not. If he forms bad habits, it could be stumbling block to later learning. By starting now, you are helping “learn to learn."
Have regular socialization times established
Pfaffenberger studies proved regularity rather than length of time or frequency of intervals of human socialization is very important.
Begin housebreaking
At this age puppies will begin to wander out of their nest to evacuate. This natural tendency to want a clean “den” makes housebreaking easy at this age. Area used should be heavily lined with papers.
Continue with individual socialization during 6th and 7th week
This will help to even further establish the fact that the puppy is an individual, and will help build his con dence in himself.
Wean and discipline
Begin feeding puppies form dish, but do not remove the mother. She should
continue to have access to the pups and to nurse them in between feedings
if she’s willing.
Her presence is important during this time as she will begin disciplining the pups. Do allow her to discipline the pups.
Many people are shocked when their bitch turns on the pups with a snarl and a snap or bite on the muzzle, and will even correct her for doing so. But, this is important to teach the pup submissive postures.
He is learning to be a dog, and during his lifetime, assuming submissive postures will save him from being challenged by every aggressive, dominant dog that comes along. Most pups need to be taken down a peg or two at this age. Their teeth are sharp, and they get carried away in their play. If the mother is removed, then you must supply the discipline.
Do Not
Remove from littermates.
Again, the puppy is learning to separate people and dogs. He is learning he is a canine, and he is learning to get along with other dogs (learning greeting pat- terns, submissive and dominant gestures, and all important play gestures). If he is separated from littermates during this period, he will show less interest in dog activities when he is grown, and will probably pick ghts with every strange dog he meets. If removed from the litter at the beginning of this period, he is usually very aggressive as an adult, especially if human attention replaces the dog atten- tion. He will be confused over his identity, and become so “people oriented” that even his sexual desires will be expressed towards humans instead of canines. He will be very dif cult to breed to another canine as an adult.
Completely remove his mother before the end of the 7th week. Even though weaning has been completed, she should have access to her pups to clean, play with, and discipline them.
Pups removed from their mother completely during this period are often noisy and nervous for the rest of their life.
New Actions and Reactions
The social litter order is established during this period. The pups begin play ghting as well as actual ghting, primarily over food. By seven weeks the pup has an adult brain; he only lacks experience. Pup can recognize different people. He responds to voices.
Additional comments
If you must remove from the mother, you can do it by the 5th week, but you must leave with the litter, and you must supply the discipline. Unless it is absolutely essential, it is advisable to let the mother remain.
Not is the time to begin introducing your pup to the average noises of a busy household. By the 5th week he has become accustomed to his environment and is well adjusted. Using metal food dishes is advantageous, as the pup associated clang- ing noises with something pleasant.
You can begin setting the dishes down with a clang, and use a spoon to stir the contents in a clanging, banging noise.
This assures you will not have a pup who shrinks at the sounds of pots and pans banging in the kitchen, or other accidentally dropped objects.
You can begin soft handclapping as you sit in the whelping area, praising and loving the pups when they run to you, and then advance to louder clapping and other noises. The vacuum cleaner can be introduced rst from the other room, and then slowly brought into the whelping room.
The pups will learn to accept it much better while still with their littermates.
This is also the time to begin the introduction to lead
breaking. Each pup should
be tted with a buckle collar. A small length (single strand so that it cannot become caught) of lightweight rope, or even a
shoestring, can be attached to each collar.
It should not be so long as to hang down between the pup’s legs and snag and trip him as he walks.
The pups will pull and tug on each other’s short line, thereby accustoming them to the feel and weight of something around their neck, and light tugs on the collar. During your individual attention sessions, this is an excellent time to place the pup up on a table and gently examine his teeth, his testicles (if a male, of course!), and begin foot caressing. By handling the feet and gently strok- ing them, the pup becomes accustomed to his feed being touched. As you progress, introduce the nail trimmers and cut just the tip of each tiny nail. Brushing can also be introduced at this time.
Fourth Critical Period
(8th through 12th week)
Basic Needs
Human socialization, mother substitute, training
Do
Avoid frightening or painful new experiences
Studies have shown that prior to eight weeks of age a pup will continue to approach a person, even though that person frightened or hurt him the previous day. Upon reaching the eighth week and being frightened, he will remember and will be afraid of the person and try to avoid contact with them.
The eighth week is a period of fear for the pup, and you should avoid trips to the vet for vac- cines (although this is usually the week most pups are taken for their rst trip), exposing the pup to new situations that may be frightening.
As you can see, this rules out one of the most common prac- tices of transferring the pup to a new home during this time—unless the new owners have been thoroughly “grilled” and will avoid any unpleasant experiences for the pup.
This is also the time many breeds have their ears cropped—again it should be done prior to the 8th week, or closer to the 10th week of life. Studies have also shown that once a puppy passes this stage in his life, his devotion to humans is so great (if he has been properly social- ized) that even though they may reject him and attempt to frighten him, he will still approach and creep submissively to their feet!
Remove from littermates and mother in uence, or rotate (rotation explained under additional comments
Leaving the pup with the mother can become very confusing, and actually be damaging to his emotional development. During this period she will begin actively rejecting the puppy which can be quite a blow to his newly gained con dence. Leaving the pup with the mother can also cause him to remain dependent on her, which again, will be damaging to his emotional develop- ment.
Since she is rejecting him, he will not nd the security he needs. Any- time following the 8th week is an ideal time to place the pup in his new home (provided the new owners are willing to follow through with the remainder of the critical periods).
He will naturally become attached to the person who becomes his substitute mother. His instinct of following (the beginning of the pack instinct) comes into being early in this period and he will naturally look up to his human pack leader. It is important to separate or rotate the pups from or with littermates to keep them from becoming bullies or cowards.
The pup must remain with the litter long enough to develop a competitive attitude, but leaving him too long will have the opposite effect and injure his emotional growth. If he is left, he is likely to remain a bully or a coward for life. If the dog is removed from the litter and m other and raised with other dogs in the family, for some reason he is not affected in the same way. So don’t be afraid to place in homes that already have a dog.
Provide love and attention
The pup’s ability to form a strong bond of affection and devotion is greater during this period than at any other time in his life. That doesn’t mean he must be fussed over constantly or “coddled.” But to help achieve his bond to humans, he needs good care, and individual times of play and petting.
Provide supervised play with children
A dog does not see all humans as one species of animal—a child is totally dif- ferent from an adult, and a young adult is completely different from an elderly person. He must meet all types of individuals. Children and adults, as well as other animals in the family or neighborhood, should not be allowed to scare or hurt the puppy, (accidentally or on purpose), so they must be watched care- fully. If you do not have children, then “borrow” them from the neighborhood. Introduce one child, then gradually add several children. Do not allow the puppy to pull or chew on the child. Have the child offer him a toy, or if neces- sary, correct the puppy gently.
Provide supervised socialization with as many different types of people as possible.
His introduction to people during this period will determine his later sociabil- ity and emotional outlook towards humans. His fondness (or fear) of people will permanently affect how he accepts training and directions. If he is properly socialized, it is possible to even overcome the inherited breed characteristics of independence, aggressiveness, and aloofness. The importance of closely super- vising all contact with people during this time cannot be emphasized strongly enough. You must make sure nothing occurs to cause negative conditioning.
Expose the big, wide, world after the 8th week.
The pup should gradually be introduced to the “outside” world. He should be taken in the yard, taken for walks, taken for short automobile rides, and intro- duced to strange new objects. Even the common household garbage can be a frightening experience, unless you’ve been properly introduced! He should see and smell everything within his reach. He should learn that bicycles are not to be feared, nor washing machine noises, or automobile sounds and motion, or doorbells and telephones—and a hundred other new and exciting and funny things that make up his strange new world.
Begin Gentle but rm discipline
During this period he is capable of accepting and understanding discipline. By dis- cipline, we mean learning that all-important word “NO,” which in reality should be the only negative word he learns. He can accept mild corrections for failure to obey the “NO” command. (Puppy corrections will be covered in detail later.)
Complete your housebreaking
During this period he is capable of going through the night without having an accident and he can progress from paper training to outdoor training. It should be done only in a positive manner. His desire to be clean in his bed area, as well as his desire to please will make housebreaking a snap at this time.
Begin his simple obedience training (response to sit, stand, down, come)
His developing pack instinct will keep his total attention on you, the leader, at this time and make training so simple you will vow to begin training every additional pup you acquire at this tender age! Even more important, what he learns during this time will remain with him for life, and become a basic part of his complete personality and his acceptance of training throughout his life. His leash breaking should be completed during this period. Progressing from the short line on the collar to an actual training lead.
Be positive and constructive
Again, what he is learning during this period will shape his entire attitude towards training and life in general. Everything related to training should be done in a positive manner. During training sessions forget the word “NO.” He will be praised for correct behavior and will receive “nothing” for incor- rect behavior. We merely replace him gently in position, and praise when he responds. The word “NO” can only be employed in training when the pup is attempting to bite.
Work individually out of sight and hearing of mother and littermates, in a distraction free area.
By working separately you are still stressing that he is an individual and help- ing to build his con dence even more. In addition, you are also helping him understand he can be a co-worker with you. He must be away from his litter- mates and mother and in an area that is free of distractions so that his attention is focused only on you. He can be trained with distractions, but the results will be much more spectacular if distractions are not available.
Begin teaching him to fetch
If you are planning to enter this pup in obedience competition now is the time to begin retrieving! Actually the fetch test is used by Guide Dogs for the Blind to determine how willing a pup is going to be to work for man. They consider this test extremely important and have found that pups who do not fetch will- ingly never become reliable guide dogs.
Do Not
Restrain
The only restraints should be the crate or other necessary fencing to keep the pup in his kennel or bed area. The pup should not be tied outside or left tied anywhere during this time.
Isolate from humans
Tests proved that a puppy who is isolated from humans during this period remains maladjusted for life. They also proved to be incapable of becoming companions to humans as well as incapable of training. Your daily training sessions will provide ample contact with humans—but this can create what is known as a single-person socialization—a dog who accepts one person, but is terrified or aggressive to other people. For this reason, again the importance of introducing him to other people is stressed.
New Actions and Reactions
Extreme competition now begins in the litter, creating bullies and timid, cowardly pups. The pup can now learn by association chains. Show him what to do, and he will learn to do it. The natural pack instinct develops and he will willingly follow a human leader if the opportunity is provided. He is learning at an accelerated pace. Because environmental in uences create such a big impression on him, this is the best time for man to step in and mold the puppy into exactly the kind of dog he wants. He will never again be as “pliable” as he is during this period. His body sensitivity is increasing rapidly, and it is important to avoid physical punishment or accidental painful events.
Additional Comments
As you can see this is another extremely critical period in molding your puppy. From my own personal experience, I would never purchase a puppy over seven weeks of age, unless I knew the breeder was strictly adhering to the training and socialization in the various periods—however, I would never sell a pup of my own breeding until they were at least 11 to 12 weeks of age. I know that most people are not willing to put in the time to cover all the “Do” and “Do Nots,” and I would want to make sure that this pup had the best possible start in life to counterbalance the many new, strange, and frightening as well as negative in uences he is bound to encounter in the course of his life. Although most of the studies stress puppies should be placed in new homes at the end of the seventh week of life, because this is when the permanent bonds of affection begin, you can keep the pup without detrimental effects if you are willing to devote the time and energy necessary. The pups should be watched closely during this period for signs of domination.
If one pup continuously dominates another pup, then it is time to being your rotation of pups. In a few litters, no one pup is ever totally dominant—meaning there are times when he’s the guy on top and other times when the pup he was just dominating
is now dominating him.
With these litters it is not necessary to provide separate housing. But if a dominance pattern is developing then you must set up enough pens or crates (or whatever you are using) to accommodate the pups in pairs.
Let’s assume you have six pups in your litter. Today you might pair puppy A and B in one pen, puppies C and D in another, and puppies E and F in a third pen. Tomorrow you would rotate these pups, placing puppies A and F together, B/D, and C/E.
The next day you would again rotate, place A and E, and so on. In this way, a dominant pup is never left with the one he is dominating for more than a day. Likewise, a submis- sive pup-to-pup A may be dominant to pup D and so on.
It is very rare for one pup to be dominant over every other pup in the litter, just as it is rare for one pup to be the underdog and be submissive to the entire litter.
This way each pup gets his opportunity to be the dominant one, and he also learns he is not the “king of the mountain” as there are times when he must submit to another pup.
In addition to rotating to counterbalance the pup’s place in the world, you must hold daily train- ing sessions and individual attention, and it must be done out of sight and hearing of the rest of the litter or the mother.
In this way the pup can successfully be kept for longer periods before placing him in his new home, and still emerge a con dent, sociable pup, with a positive attitude towards training. All pups tend to “mirror” their human families.
If the family is noisy and active, then chances are the pup is going to be noisy and slightly hyper. Conversely if the pup is raised in a quiet, calm atmosphere, he is probably going to be the same type of dog. It is important when placing your pups in a new home that the owners understand if they want a pup that is gentle and loving as an adult, then they must treat it gently and lovingly.
If the pup is always greeted, when the owners return home, with excited cries
of “Hello puppy! What a good puppy, blah, blah, blah!” the pup is going to overly excited each time his family returns—which leads to jumping and running wildly through the house. While the pup should certainly be greeted, it should be done quietly, with gentleness and loving attention.
The pup should be placed into a sit prior to being petted—which will end forever the problem of jumping up, and will teach the pup sitting quietly earns the welcome reward of petting and praise.
Fifth Critical Period
(13 through 16 weeks)
Basic Needs
Training, Love, Discipline, socialization to humans and canines.
Do
Begin serious training
The pup is ready to undergo formal obedi- ence training during this period. Disciplined behavior can be expected and enforced now. While training is still done in a positive manner, mild corrections can be introduced. Caution is advised as the pups attitude towards training can become very negative. The method of training should be positive and gentle, but rm.
Avoid negative commands
Withholding praise can be just as effective as negative commands (such as “shame,bad dog, no” and other negative sounding words). Praise for correct behavior and ignoring the pup for incorrect responses to commands will keep his attitude positive. All praise should be delivered with real feeling, rather than a monotone of “good dog.”
Begin providing slight distractions
When introducing a new exercise, the pup should be trained in a distraction free area. However, the exercises taught in the last period can now be performed with mild dis- tractions at rst, and building up to expect- ing obedience no matter what distractions may be in the area.
Do Not
Wait until after 16 weeks of age to train
Studies have proved if a puppy goes beyond that 16th week of life without some form of training having begun, he may never reach his full potential. He will still be capable of learning, and may even be a top performing dog.
But,if he turns out to be really good, just think what a SUPER DOG he could have been if his training had been started at the proper age! The studies of Pfaffenberger also point out that a dog who begins training after 16 weeks of age will never make up for anything lost through neglect in earlier training.
Leave with littermates
Even though you have been rotating the pups, now is the time to completely separate all littermates. Leaving him with his litter beyond 16 weeks is going to make him a very “dog oriented” dog.
His ability to form a close bond with humans will be limited, and his attachment to his new owners may never become strong. If he has been left with the litter, and dominance patterns allowed to develop up until this age, he will probably be a bully or coward for life, and will be very dif cult to train.
By 16 weeks all of his emotions are developed, and what he is at this age (whether it is hyper, calm, aggressive, or shy) will remain xed for life.
New Actions and Reactions
The ight instinct develops. The pup cuts his teeth, and his apron strings. He will wander from the nest (and refuse to be caught). He gets into increasing mischief. His brain is fully developed. He will begin to try to assert his dominance over human pack members.
Additional Comments
Since the
ight instinct begins to develop during this period,
it is imperative
that the puppy learn the recall before this age. He
must have obedience to that command so ingrained in
his mind, that he is unaware he has any option
except
to come when called.
Since this is the age of getting into mischief, he must be retrained to avoid injuring himself and to keep the breeder or new owner from deciding he is too much of a “monster” to keep! He is cutting teeth, and will chew everything in sight. He must be given plenty of chewable items of his own, and con- ned when he cannot be supervised.
Please
note: the last sentence of the following paragraph
is edited by Ray Carlisle
He will begin asserting dominance in subtle ways,
such as chewing on your hands and feet, grabbing
pants legs, or refusing to obey even when he knows
the command well. This must be dealt with
immediately, as it occurs, and rmly (not
cruelly).
He must understand while he can dominate other dogs, and while he can be very con dent around humans, he can never be the dominant one over his owner. That throughout his life, his owner is at the top of the social ladder (the pack leader).
The Juvenile Period
This period is a little more dif cult to pinpoint due to the different rate of speed with which dogs mature.
But, somewhere between that fourth and seventh month of life, the dog is going to enter into what is commonly called “fear of new situ-
ations” periods.
One day your pup will be working like a
dream and be a well- adjusted dog, and
suddenly the next day his training
seems to have gone to pot,
and he becomes fearful of almost
everything that is new to his
environment. This
is a very dif cult period for the
dog.
While the common belief is still prevalent that you should not begin training a dog until it reaches six months of age, this is the worst possible time to introduce a dog to a training class. He is going through a fear period and nothing could be more of a “new situation” than a training class to a dog who has never been exposed to large numbers of dogs, large numbers of people, plus noise and confusion.
Dog shows and trials are set up to admit pups only when they reach six months of age. If you plan to show, then make sure your pup is exposed to matches and training classes prior to this period, so that it is not a new situation to him when he reaches the “proper age.”
This period can last well into
maturity, and if an event occurs that
frightens the pup badly, it may
permanently stay with him. So be
cautious in handling him during
this time. Don’t insist that he make
friends with your long, lost “Uncle
Harry” if he appears afraid. Take him
with you when you visit new places, but
if he appears fear- ful, let him stay
in the car, or keep him where you can
observe him at all times, so that you
can reassure him if needed.
What makes this period even more dif cult is the fact that many pups are reaching sexual maturity, which again alters their personality. This is a time when once again the pup is going to try to assume what he considers to be his rightful place as “pack leader.” You must be rm in insisting that you will retain this position, while at the same time avoid a real trauma which is going to remain with him if he is in the “fear of new situations” period.
If the pup has been raised according to the charts on the preceding pages, you are going to have fewer problems with the sexual maturity than you would have with a pup that has been raised permissively.
According to Dr. Michael Fox, “When permis- sively raised pups reach sexual maturity they may become even more dif cult to handle, showing extreme indifference to their owners and violent aggression when disciplined or forcibly restrained. Humane destruction is the fate of many such dogs; owners who wanted to raise their pet permissively should have chosen a more sub- missive and social breed or have had it castrated early in life to reduce the chances of sex-related aggression and dominance ghting that is associated with maturity.”
As stated at the beginning of this article, raising a litter of puppies properly is dif cult enough, but multiplying that by six or ten or even twelve means devoting full time to the task. But, the rewards are great, especially when your new puppy owners call you to state, “I never knew owning a puppy was such a joy. Other dogs I’ve owned were pests, but this one is so good, and so obedient, I can hardly believe it!”
If it is true that puppies respond so readily to obedience training then why haven’t people recognized this in the past? Why do so many trainers today still insist on waiting until a dog reaches six months of age (or older) before beginning actual training? And why are there so many who announce, “I doesn’t work. I tried it and I ruined my puppy,” when they give it a try? Why did it fail?
There are many reasons, but let’s look primarily at the two most common. Many years ago, before the advent of distemper vaccines, people who took puppies out “into the world” at an early age were exposing them to almost certain death from this dread disease. By waiting until the puppy was older he stood a lesser risk of contracting distemper. Through repeated exposure as h e grow older his “natural” immunity became stronger. Although older dogs can contract distemper, it is not as prevalent as it is among puppies. As the years passed, waiting until a dog reached “maturity” was a common practice, before showing or training began.
After the discovery and widespread use of distemper vaccines, it was slowly forgotten why the “Year” or “six” month rule came about—but because it had been in existence so long it persisted. When questioned as to why, and at a loss for an answer, the reason gradually changed to include: “You must wait until a puppy matures, he can’t learn before then.” “A puppy must be allowed to be a puppy; you can’t expect them to act like adults.” “Puppies can’t learn because they can’t remember.” “Their attention span is too short.” And on, and on, and on.
But perhaps the only excuse that had an ounce of truth in it was the one offered by those who had tried and failed and ended up with a “ruined” puppy. How was he ruined? He became a nervous, cowed, unsure specimen in the ring, when and if he ever reached a ring. And it was true.
Why? Because the harsh methods called for punishment, scolding, and extremely harsh corrections, widely accepted when obe- dience was introduced to this country cannot be used on a puppy. Even when the methods began to change, getting away from pain as a teaching tool, they still relied primarily on correcting a dog into each position. Even before the dog had a basic idea of what he was expected to do, he was rmly corrected. This is still true today. The average trainer and training book, for instance, still rely heavily on teaching the sit via the “push/pull” method.
A rm upward tug on the leash while pushing or slapping the dog’s rear. The dog, in the beginning, hasn’t the foggiest idea of what is expected. He hears the command and he is jerked and shoved. No one has shown him what was expected, yet he is being severely corrected. Eventually he learns, because with this method he cannot escape the sitting action. His head is snapped up and his rear forced down, and he sits. He learns to avoid the pain after awhile
by associating the word “sit” with the fact that the pain will quickly follow—so he beats the trainer and quickly lowers his rear. So, if he learns to sit, what is wrong with the method? If the dog is a dominant, outgoing sort his pride may be momen- tarily injured, but he will get over it. But what happens when it is used on a shy or inhibited type of dog? He too learns to sit, but obedience has become a fearful, or at the least dreaded, experience. He obeys, but in a dejected, unhappy manner.
Look at many dogs in the obedience ring
today. Although there are some who
perform so happily it is a joy to see,
there are many, many more who work
with
tail tucked, apprehensive and jumpy, or
just plain cowed.
Their unhappy manner plainly states, “I will do the exercises, but I will do them only because I am going to have my neck jerked, my rear hit, and be yelled at if I don’t.” This, of course, is not the only reason dogs work this way in the ring (which I will discuss later), but it is the primary reason.
While an older dog can accept these
methods using punishment (he learned
long
ago his owner was not always the most
consistent in the world—and as soon as
the training session is over he can
pretty much do as he pleases) even
though it is clear he doesn’t like
them, a puppy cannot.
A puppy is a submissive creature. In the wild he remains submissive to all adult members of the pack until he reaches a point when he ventures off with his littermates to form a new pack and nds his own place in
the social order (usually already developed as part of the “pecking order” established when they were in the fourth and fth critical periods). If he should happen to remain with his mother and become part of the established pack, he remains submis- sive for a long time until he nally reaches a point where he is subordinate to some members, dominant over others, and submissive to the leader gures—and someday he might possibly hike his position to the top and become leader.
A puppy learns quickly to submit to survive. A puppy who fights back is not going to last very long, so he readily gives in to a bigger, stronger, dominant looking individual (canine or human).
If we attempt to train a young puppy using the methods so widely accepted today, he immediately submits, not just polite submission, but total submission. If he is jerked along on a leash in the same manner used to train older dogs he not only stops walking, but rolls over on his back (belly up or total submission) and is scolded, hit, or jerked repeatedly, he will often urinate; the nal act of submission. He becomes so frightened he cannot perform. The fear clouds his mind.
He neither hears nor comprehends what is going on about him. His mind is consumed with thoughts of survival. The more he is corrected, the harder he tries to submit. If the puppy has inherited aggressive tendencies, and has met with success in attempts to dominate his littermates, he may ght back as he attempts in his baby way to show his human “tormentor” he is not a coward. This will include vicious little snarls and lunges at the hand with pinpoint teeth.
An experienced trainer will quickly snap the little beast up with the leash (in a classic stringing up position) or will quickly grasp him by the scruff of the neck and give him a thorough shaking; being a puppy he will quickly recognize he has met his master and when released will submit. If the tormenting continues (jerking, tugging, loud command, and scolding) he will probably do one of two things. His puppy nature will take over and he will do as the average pup; submit even harder, or he will reach a point where it is “do or die” and will attack as savagely as his baby strength can muster. Now we have created a fear biter, or a cringing coward. We have “ruined” our puppy.
Why Persist?
Then why persist in trying? Why not wait until the pup reaches the accepted age of six months?
Look back at the critical period chart. You will see that a puppy’s brain is fully developed at seven weeks of age. All he lacks is experience (learning) to make him act as an adult. And whether we like it or not, whether we teach him or not, he is going to gain experience. He is going to ll that little puppy brains with many new experiences.
He is going to learn, and each new experience is going to reduce his ability to change his way of performing.
Let’s take a quick look at the results of those scienti c studies again. Fuller, Easler, and Banks (1950) in their study of the development of learning, concluded that around 18 to 19 days of age a puppy could form associations as rapidly as an adult!
Before this time the puppy could not remember what he had been shown (taught), and therefore in reality could not learn anything that would be retained for any period of time.
The importance of early
training for puppies
becomes increasingly clear
when we read further into
these scienti c words and
discover that there is
actually a critical period
for learning! Scott and
Marston (1950) clari ed
this as the time
immediately after
the onset of learning
ability.
Why? Because a dog learns through variation and habit formation. To state it simply, when a dog rst encounters a new problem he will try to solve it in what he considers the most direct manner. If this doesn’t work, he will try another method, and if this doesn’t work, he will try yet another. (Variation).
Once he hits on the correct solution (at least correct for him—even though there might have been an easier more simple way) the next time he is faced with the same problem he is not going to repeat each of the incorrect actions he took the first time to try to solve it. Chances are he is going to immediately try the behavior which provided the solution in the first place.
If it succeeds again, then he will no longer try a variety of solutions; the behavior used to solve that particular problem becomes fixed in his mind and limits any further learning ability. He will cease to try new, variable ways and there we have fixed actions (or habit formation).
Once the dog has learned how to do something, it is very dif cult to teach him to do it in a different manner. It can be done with determination and patience (which is clearly illustrated by the number of older dogs which are capable of learning the obedience routines) but even though he learns a new way you can never erase the old habits and they are liable to crop up at any later time in life.
Conversely, if a dog repeatedly tries to solve a problem and never meets with suc- cess, no matter how many different ways he tries, the motivation to try fades and the dog nally gives up and will refuse to try again. How does this relate to obedi- ence training? Let’s use the recall as a classic example, and throw in a common bit of misbehavior as an additional problem: digging under fences to escape.
Hypothetical Puppy
Let’s assume our hypothetical puppy was purchased at eight weeks of age. He enters his new home and quickly accepts his substitute mommy (the human) as his leader. He readily follows her around the house and outside, because his allelomi- metic behavior (doing what other members of the group are doing) has developed. Although he is going through traumatic times (housebreaking, etc.) let’s skip those and follow his development to approximately 12 weeks of age.
Housebreaking has been going very badly. The owner is tired of puddles in the middle of the oor and telltale stains and so our hero has been unceremoniously dumped into the backyard (it is fenced) each day and left to his own amusements. He doesn’t really mind because by this time he is becoming increasingly indepen- dent. He likes to wander and explore; besides the back yard sure beats all that yell- ing and screaming and having his nose rubbed in those awful puddles.
The nextdoor neighbors have recently purchased a puppy and are going through the rigors of puppyhood as well. Their new friend doesn’t have the liberty of a fenced back yard so he has been tied to a 25 ft. length of heavy chain. He voices his disapproval at being restrained and howls attract our independent friend. At rst he cautiously peers through the fencing, prepared to run if need be. But the chained puppy shows no hostility, merely keeps up a steady howling. Our friend joins in by barking, which momentarily halts the neighboring howls. Our friend becomes more determined to investigate his new friend; becomes braver and begins pawing and/or leaping at the fence—after all, the shortest line between two points must be straight over. He’s not quite tall enough or agile enough and all he manages to do is catch
his paw momentarily. It hurts and he howls. He won’t try that again! He sits and cocks his head and surveys the situation. He begins running back and forth along the fence. Surely there must be a way to reach his howling friend, who is now cau- tiously and curiously eyeing him as well. His friend creeps rather hesitantly forward in a submissive greeting pattern and comes within a foot of the fence.
The chain will stretch no further and the two spend a few minutes sizing each other up before going through typical play movements. The heads go down, the rear up, and tail wags and the tongue hangs crazily from the side of the mouth as each tries to gure out how to get together. The feet move back and forth in little pawing motions—a typical play gesture.
The paws touch as our chained friend stretches as far as his foot will reach. That’s more like it! Contact at last. The two claw clumsily at each other and the dirt around the fence begins to shift. They paw harder.
The dirt begins to y and suddenly they are digging furiously. The two have found a new, fun game they can play together. As the dirt continues to y, our unchained friend discovers he can stick his nose under the fence. Great fun! The two mouth and chew at each other and in silly puppy manner begin digging furiously again. The hole grows larger and before we know it, success!!! Our hero is through and the two spend several happy minutes romping in the grass before they are discovered.
The owners appear. Our chained friend is dragged away as the 12-week-old puppy is called. He readily runs to the house and is helped through the hole where he gives a silly grin and waits for his patting to begin. What’s this? A swat on the head; on the rear; dragged to the hole, shoved against the fence and a sound spanking as his face is repeatedly shoved in the dirt.
So what happens the next time our friend is let out in the yard? Does he remember the beating for digging? Not at all, as far as he is concerned that beating occurred because he responded to the word “come”.
Digging on the other hand was fun— plus he got to be with his new friend. So now he knows exactly how to go about it. He doesn’t race up and down the fence, he doesn’t jump up (that hurt, remember), he quickly digs another hole and spends happy minutes with the chained pup. Only this time when he is called he makes a mad dash for the street (the neighbor’s yard is not fenced); he’s not about to endure a repeat of yesterday. The ight instinct has developed, and if ever his instincts told him to take ight, now’s the time!
He quickly learns he is much faster than his human friends, and from that day forth it becomes a fun game—catch me if you can. He knows their cries of “Puppy come” are all a trick. Puppy comes means scolding and hitting if you’re caught. So what have they produced?
A puppy who tried a simple variety of ways to reach a desired object. When he hit upon a successful method his trial and error ways vanished,
as
he
learned
digging
means
reaching
his
goal
(his
friend
and
freedom)
and
he
has
also
learned
the
command
“come”
does
not
have
to
be
obeyed.
When
it
was
given,
his
owners
had
no
way
of
enforcing
it,
they
can’t
catch
him—and
furthermore
he
has
learned
to
distrust
his
owners.
They
used
very
appealing
tones
that
rst
time
to
get
him
to
come,
but
when
he
responded
by
happily
racing
to
them,
he
was
spanked.
He
has
learned
“come”
means
punishment,
and
anyone
would
be
stupid
to
fall
for
that
again.
He’s certainly not stupid. He learned how to escape and run away in just one short lesson. If he lives long enough he could become a truly smart dog. His repeated success each time he tries to escape soon leads to xed habits. No matter how many times the hole is lled and blocked, no matter how many times he is caught and punished (after the fact), he is motivated to keep trying because
he always succeeds. Even when there is no reason to escape, he makes a beeline for the fence, digs a hole and away he goes out of habit.
Now let’s look at a littermate of our friend. He too was purchased at eight weeks and lives in a typical pet home; housebreaking isn’t going too smoothly. He too is placed in the back yard to save soiled oors—but there is a major exception. His owner wants to be a good dog owner; she wants an obedient dog, and she is concerned for his safety. The yard next door houses a gigantic All-American with a very nasty attitude.
He loves to bark ferociously at any moving object and has been known to kill small animals when they got within his reach. Fortunately he is tied to a strong chain. Aware of this danger, our small friend is watched from the window. The dirt around the fence is inviting, and the moment those small feet begin to dig the owner leaps out the door and yells, “NO!” She snatches him up and brings him back inside.
Each time he is put out to relieve himself, he is watched and is always reprimanded if he attempts to dig under the fence. He is fascinated by the bark- ing dog on the other side and tries to climb the fence; quickly earning himself a strong “NO” and a swat on his backside.
Concerned over his repeated attempts to escape and other small behavior problems creeping into their life, the owner purchases a book on obedience training and begins back yard sessions. The book said the dog must be on leash, so all training is done with a leash. Each time he is told to come, because
the
leash
is
attached.
The
book
(fortunately)
is
a
modern
book
which
relies
primar-
ily
on
praise
as
a
teaching
tool,
so
our
young
friend
is
praised
each
time
he
is
tugged
into
his
owner.
He
doesn’t
really
care
for
the
tugging,
but
it’s
fun
once
you
get
there.
He
quickly
learns
to
race
to
the
owner
before
the
tugging
begins—which
earns
him
a
hearty
laugh
and
a
big
hug.
This is fun! All attempts at fence digging and climbing are thwarted, and as our friend grows he learns digging and climbing are unrewarding; they do not succeed in gaining anything, and so the motivation to try ebbs, and even- tually is gone. His owner is spending time with him in the training sessions and he gains con dence as he understands his social position; he understands he is a member of the pack, and as a member one must follow the leader.
His training continues until the day when the recall is attempted off-lead. He doesn’t even think about running away. He knows the only response he can give to the word “come” is to hurry to his owner—after all, that’s the only thing he has ever been allowed to do. He hurries in and receives his praise as usual, which he enjoys immensely.
What Have We?
So what have we produced? A puppy who tried a variety of ways to reach a goal and failed each time. His motivation to keep trying ended after repeated failure. The ight instinct has developed in him as well, but there is no reason to ee from his owner. He is treated with kindness and praise. The response to the word “come” has become a xed action (a habit) because he has never heard the word without the owner assuring that his response was correct, and therefore he is unaware he can do anything but come. He is motivated by keeping responding to praise.
While our rst puppy can still be taught to come, we can never erase the memory of his earlier learning (his bad habits) i.e.: if he runs fast enough and far enough he does not have to respond.
Habits
By never allowing bad habits to develop, we never have to worry about our puppy not responding correctly. By assuring that each command we gave met with suc- cess, and that the success was an action we desired, the behavior patterns become xed habits to our dog, and his motivation to try different patterns of behavior (variation) are reduced almost to zero.
As Scott, Stewart, and DeGhett (1974) state, “...learning itself is a group of organiza- tional processes. In a typical learning sequence a young animal confronted with a problem will at rst attempt many different solutions. Finding one that is successful, he quickly reduces his behavior to a stereotyped habit, and thereafter shows little or no improvement. Once the behavior is organized it is dif cult to change.”
If further proof against waiting until six months of age to begin training is needed, let’s look again at the Critical Period Chart. You will see six months is a very bad time to introduce a puppy to new experiences—especially painful or traumatic ones. Often, dogs who have been trained with kindness still respond in an unhappy manner in the obedience ring (as we stated earlier). The owner is puzzled. He has never abused his dog. He praised him enthusiastically and all corrections were gentle if used at all—why then does he look so scared and dejected in the ring?
Chances are he entered a training class between the age of six and ten months of age. This is the worst possible time to enter a training class for the rst time. As the chart indicates, this is the time when most puppies enter what is commonly called the “fear of new situations period”. The training class is lled with barking, lunging dogs, shouted orders, unusual smells. A choke collar and leash are supplied and as all these frightening sights and scents descend upon the pup he is jerked this way and that. Even if the methods used do not require forceful jerking and pushing, the pup is still overwhelmed with this strange new situation lled with more people and dogs than he knew existed. The trauma of the situation can remain with him for the rest of his life if it is handled improperly and even though his training pro- ceeds with kindness, he will forever fear the environment which reminds him of a training class, i.e.: the show ring.
Although AKC rules do not allow a dog to be shown until it reaches six months of age, again this can be such a trauma to the pup that he never becomes the outgoing show specimen you thought you had. If he is to lead a life of shows, training classes, and trials, the importance of introducing these elements to him at a very early age cannot be stressed enough. The rules do not allow you to bring unentered dogs to shows, but matches provide the same atmosphere. Training classes also provide
this type of environment, and even if the training class in your area does not allow training for dogs under six months of age, most will allow you to bring along a new puppy and sit on the sidelines with him.
Home Training
More and more training groups are beginning to accept the idea of puppy training, but if yours still stubbornly clings to the old-fashioned notions, then begin your own training program at home.
Take your puppy out often to acquaint him with strange new experiences and strive to make each one a positive experience. Take him to the shopping centers, training sites, and matches. If unentered dogs are not allowed on match grounds, enter him in the breed ring (so he’s not a show specimen—who cares, he’s at least getting the exposure he needs. If this irritates other exhibitors, it will just have to be; better
to irritate a few complaining specimens than end up with a puppy who is fearful). The main point is do not wait until the fear period has begun before introducing all these things. If introduced early, by the time he enters that period of fear, training and show situations will no longer be “new situations”.
He will be a young “vet- eran”. He will be able to breeze through this period as it pertains to training and showing, because he is familiar with all that goes on. If he should show fear at any time during this age, of the training class or match rings, then discontinue training class or match rings, then discontinue training and showing until he has adjusted and the fear period is past. Reassure him with praise and gentleness when anything new is introduced during the fear period, so that he learns he has nothing to fear. You, his leader, are always at hand to make him feel con dent and unafraid.
How can you train him at home when there are so few books on actual obedience training for puppies and when there are no classes which offer special training for young puppies. Many offer Kindergarten Puppy Training today, but this deals primarily with socialization and a few simple behavioral responses. These classes are great, but the puppy is capable of so much more at this age.
What should his training consist of? How should you go about it? The two major points in puppy training are patience and consistency. Consistency is vital if bad habits (behaviors you do not want) are to be erased completely before they rear their ugly heads. If the pup is never allowed to do anything we don’t want him to do as an adult, and if the pup is only allowed to respond to a given command by obeying that command, the need for patience is easily seen. To be this consistent you will be a very busy puppy owner!
Everything must proceed on a positive scale if we are to retain his happy, outgoing nature and build his con dence to the point where he is unafraid and would gladly try anything we suggest, because he knows we will let nothing hurt or frighten him. Punishment is completely out of the picture (whether we’re housebreaking or teaching obedience exercises) if we are striving to mold a super puppy. If punish- ment is out, then how can we stop bad or unwanted behavior? By giving him an accepted behavior in it’s place, and with one little command word, “NO”. We will also use minor corrections that he can easily comprehend (notice, the word is cor- rection, not punishment).
The
command
word,
“NO”,
should
be
the
only
negative
word
a
pup
ever
hears.
There
is
no
need
for
harsh
scolding,
rolled
up
newspapers,
foot
stomping,
or
any
other
frightening
words
or
movements.
He
will
quickly
learn
“NO”
implies
he
must
cease
whatever
he
is
doing
immediately.
By
repeating
“NO”
each
time
incor-
rect
behavior
appears
(in
other
words
by
being
consistent
and
never
allowing
the
incorrect
behavior
to
be
carried
out
in
full)
and
by
giving
him
something
positive
and
constructive
to
do
in
place
of
the
unwanted
behavior,
he
is
going
to
become
a
very
con
dent
pup.
He
will
know
exactly
what
he
is
allowed
to
do
and
what
he
is
not
allowed
to
do,
and
because
we
are
using
a
positive
approach
with
the
nega-
tive
word
(our
praise
and
giving
him
a
different
behavior
which
is
acceptable)
the
good
behavior
becomes
a
xed
action
(a
habit)
while
the
unwanted
behavior
ceases
because
he
never
succeeds.
Does this mean a puppy must become an automaton? Far from it. We praise any posi- tive action he does spontaneously, we praise for correct response to our commands, and he continues to learn new and bigger things as his world broadens and his person- ality develops—a personality we enjoy because we have “created” it to match our own.
How
do
we
administer
a
correction
if
our
verbal
“NO”
isn’t
heeded?
We
copy
his
mother
and
use
the
muzzle
correction.
If
we
repeatedly
tell
the
puppy
“NO”
and
his
response
is
to
momentarily
halt
the
unwanted
behavior,
but
immediately
resume
the
moment
our
back
is
turned
(such
as
chewing
furniture,
etc.),
he
will
learn
“NO”
by
itself
is
not
effective.
It
sounds
negative
and
for
the
moment
interrupts
his
behavior,
but
he
quickly
discovers
if
he
resumes
chewing
the
chair
leg
nothing
hap-
pens
except
a
repeat
of
the
word—eventually
the
word
becomes
totally
ineffective.
We
prevent
this
from
happening
by
resorting
to
the
muzzle
correction
at
the
rst
attempts
to
repeat
the
bad
behavior.
This
is
accomplished
by
grasping
his
muzzle
(do
not
squeeze
it),
giving
it
a
rm
shake,
and
repeating
the
word,
“NO”.
We
release
the
muzzle
and
we
instantly
provide
something
he
can
chew,
one
of
his
own
special
toys,
and
we
praise
him
enthusiastically.
His mother would do the same if he were still with the litter. Unwanted behavior would be met with a growl and a bite on the muzzle as she grabs and holds for a moment. Puppies respect this correction, knowing she means business, and they seldom repeat the unwanted behavior. Mother is very forgiving and within seconds will again be licking and loving her baby. We don’t bite and we don’t lick, but we can give the human equivalent; we grasp the muzzle, shake it, and vocalize “NO” and then we forgive and love. We go a step beyond his mother and give him some- thing he can do. We substitute wanted behavior for unwanted.
We
also
praise
him
when
he
is
being
good
(rather
than
just
paying
attention
to
him
when
he
is
being
bad)—if
we
pass
him
in
the
living
room
and
he
is
chewing
on
one
of
his
own
toys,
we
praise
him.
We
praise
him
for
any
behavior
we
want
to
encourage.
If
we
approach
the
puppy
and
he
sits
(or
even
if
he
remains
standing)
we
praise
him.
If
we
approach
and
he
jumps
up
in
his
exuberance
to
say
“hello”,
we
command
“NO”,
place
him
in
the
sit
and
then
praise
him.
An
extended
right
hand
(held
just
over
his
head)
accompanied
by
“NO”
usually
halts
the
jumping
action.
(And
no,
he
doesn’t
later
confuse
it
with
the
down
signal—the
down
signal
is
an
upraised
arm
and
hand.)
Appropriate Substitutes
For every “NO” we must substitute an acceptable behavior and praise immediately. What are some of the appropriate substitutes? A favorite toy can be substituted for chewing on hands, feet, clothes or furniture. Sitting is a substitute for jumping, the recall a substitute for barking—which usually brings a puzzled look from the average pet owner. You should allow the puppy to bark when he hears a strange noise, but after one or two barks teach him to immediately come to you as soon as he hears something unusual, after he has sounded the alarm. By calling him each time he barks and praising him (and insisting that he remain with you), he quickly learns barking an alert is acceptable, but he must then cease and run to nd you, and receive his praise for being such a good “watch dog”.
A down position (on the oor) is an acceptable substitute for climbing on furni- ture—or decide upon any behavior you want to replace the bad one. Whatever you choose you must consistently enforce your requirements and give your praise until each action becomes a xed habit. In this way you will mold your puppy to your lifestyle and your desires, and he will not only be a very capable “working” dog, but a real pleasure; a welcome companion who knows exactly what is expected of him. This requires cooperation from each and every member of the family in order to succeed. It requires close adult supervision of all activities with children.
By the time your puppy reaches the age of independence (anywhere from eleven to seventeen weeks), the muzzle correction may become ineffective, then we move on to the only other correction we will ever use: the collar correction. When the pup does not respond to the word “NO” by immediate cessation of the unwanted behav- ior, grasp his collar and give a rm upward tug with immediate release of all pres- sure as you repeat the command “NO”. The tug should not be so rm it lifts his feet off the oor. Immediately substitute the acceptable behavior and praise him.
You may also nd rebellion in a dominant pup at this age, in the form of snapping at you (when corrected) or growling or what appears to be “playful” mouthing of your hands or feet. He is showing you, in subtle ways, that he is a pretender to the throne—he wants to be the leader. Use the collar correction and the down position
as your substitute (it is a submissive position) to let him know you are still capable of being the leader. Praise him quietly.
Lead Breaking
On
the
chart
you
will
note
some
training
is
suggested
at
ve
to
seven
weeks
of
age.
We’re
not
ready
(yet)
to
begin
our
obedience
exercises,
but
there
is
a
lot
to
be
accomplished
during
this
period.
You
can
begin
with
lead
breaking.
Whether
you
are
working
with
one
pup
or
a
litter,
each
should
be
tted
with
a
buckle
collar.
It
should
be
lightweight,
of
nylon
or
leather,
and
when
buckled
in
the
last
hole
should
be
loose
enough
to
allow
about
one
inch
of
play.
(The
training
collar—choke
collar—is
not
used
until
the
pup
reaches
the
age
of
growing
independence
when
rmer
corrections
sometimes
become
necessary.
If
the
pup
continues
to
respond
to
commands
and
corrections
made
with
the
buckle
collar
there
is
no
need
to
ever
resort
to
a
training
collar.)
By
leaving
this
much
space
you
will
have
room
to
insert
a
couple
of
ngers
yet
the
collar
will
still
be
comfortable
for
the
pup
without
slip-
ping
over
his
head.
As
he
grows
you
can
adjust
to
the
next
hole
and
so
on.
On the same day you attach the collar, attach a “handle”. The handle should be a lightweight piece of single strand rope (a strong shoelace is ne) and should be cut off so that it does not hang below his elbows. By cutting it this length and leaving it single strand, he will not trip or get his foot caught (as he would in a double loop), or have to walk in a clumsy fashion to keep from stepping on the line. By attaching it to the collar the pup will ignore this new feeling around his neck (the collar) as he concentrates on the “handle”, grabbing it and chewing it and tugging himself around. Other pups in the litter will quickly spy the handle and as they pull and tug each other around the whelping room with this fun game, they are effectively lead breaking each other.
If you are working with a single pup, reach down and give a playful tug each time you pass his way, and praise him when he responds by glancing in your direction. Leave the handle attached (replacing it if necessary if it is chewed through) until you begin the actual leash work.
Examination
You can also begin teaching him to accept examination in a quiet, mannerly fash- ion. Each day (as part of your individual socialization) place him on a table. At rst just set him there and pet and praise him. Advance to gentle examination of his teeth, his ears, his testicles (if a male) and pose him if you are planning on a show career. Begin foot caressing. Gently pet and stroke his feet, lifting each one and praising. Later introduce the nail clippers by touching his nails and praising and still later snipping just the tip of each tiny nail. You will probably nd he will accept this easily in a sitting position, but if you desire you can lay him on his back and rub his tummy, therefore, all four feet are easily reached. This works very well for small breeds of dogs. My Cairn Terrier is perfectly content to lay on her back as her nails are trimmed. This method was used when she was a baby, and even though she is now approaching eight years of age, she enjoys a good tummy rub as part of the nail trimming procedure.
Teach your puppy to accept a dental tool in his mouth. Purchase a tooth scaler and at rst just touch it to the teeth while praising. Later begin a gentle scraping motion so that he learns to accept the feel of the scaler against his teeth. In this way you
will be able to remove tartar accumulations as he ages, without the expensive procedure at the vet’s office which requires anesthesia.
Practice pilling. Open the mouth and insert an index nger in the manner you would use if you were giving a pill. This makes heartworm pills and other medica- tions a snap when the time arrives.
Brush him. If he is a breed that will require clipping, introduce him to the noise of clippers and blow dryers by just turning them on and letting the motors run while you examine, poke, probe, and praise. Later hold the clippers near his face, his feet, etc., as the motor runs.
The
beginning
steps
of
retrieving
are
easy
at
this
age.
Puppies
love
to
run
and
chase.
Start
with
a
moveable
object—a
rolling
ball,
and
praise
any
interest
he
shows.
If
he
picks
it
up
make
a
big
fuss
over
him—don’t
worry
if
he
doesn’t
bring
it
back.
Go
to
him,
take
it
gently
from
his
mouth
and
roll
it
again.
Begin
bouncing
it
and
when
he
is
happily
chasing
a
bouncing
ball
introduce
all
the
other
items
he’ll
be
required
to
handle
later:
wooden
dumbbells,
metal
and
leather
scent
articles;
don’t
forget
cotton
gloves.
Remember
we’re
molding
a
super
dog!
Open
and
Utility
work
will
be
a
snap
for
this
fellow.
He’s
done
it
all
his
life!
And
he’s
learned
it’s
fun!
No
force,
no
scolding,
no
corrections,
no
frustration
for
you
or
him.
It’s important that these retrieving sessions are free from other distractions—just you and your pup and the item to be retrieved. It should begin in the house, not outside where there are too many interesting sights and sounds. When he is happily chasing after each item thrown and picking it up, begin patting the oor and coax- ing him back to you (you should be sitting or kneeling on his level). Even one step in your direction (or just a glance) earns lots of praise. If he continues to run around the room, happily mouthing the object and tossing it about, sit perfectly still. Don’t call, coax or even move. Sit with your hands extended in your lap.
After several moments the average pup discovers this game isn’t much fun alone and will head in your direction with the object still in his mouth. When he gets there don’t grab for the article. Sometimes it may take quite a while before he decides to come near (but remember, we promised we’d be patient!). Just sit still, play coy. Let him beg you. Again the average puppy will be prancing all around you, nudging you with the article, or extending a paw and tapping your hand, and occasionally wonder of wonders, will drop the article into your outstretched hands!
If this occurs, praise him enthusiastically and toss it out again. If he continues to prance about but shows no inclination of trying to get you to take it to resume the game, take his collar in your hand and praise him. Gently remove the article from his mouth and toss it out again. Build upon these movements until he is racing to you each time he gets the item. As with all puppy work, this doesn’t take long at all. Many puppies will master it in a couple of days.
As stated earlier, puppies love to mouth and chew and all will respond to this game. If his toys are made of items he will be expected to retrieve later (leather, metal, cloth, etc.) and are used each time he plays with you, he learns to really love the game and will never object to retrieving metal or cloth which often happens when metal scent articles and cotton gloves are introduced to an older dog.
By working with your puppy on the table for examination and grooming, between the age of ve to seven weeks, by the time you begin the passive control exercises at eight weeks, table work will be “old hat”. He is entering a fear period somewhere between eight and ten weeks of age, and traumatic new experiences should be avoided. Our previous work assures this is not new, and our patience, gentleness and praise assure it is not traumatic.
We do not use harsh words, scolding, or even “NO” in our training sessions. He will be praised as we show and tell him what to do. We do not use corrections. Incor- rect responses are ignored—we simply withhold praise and immediately place him in position again and then praise. And we repeat the passive exercises over and over until each action becomes a xed habit in response to our command.
Exercises at 8 weeks
How
do
we
begin
teaching
the
exercises
at
eight
weeks?
We
place
him
on
the
table,
on
our
left
side,
just
as
we’ve
done
every
day
for
the
past
month.
We
face
him
in
the
same
direction
we
are
facing,
and
we
begin
brushing
him,
or
examining
him,
something
familiar
he
already
knows—and
then
we
introduce
the
sit.
We
don’t
jerk
on
his
collar
and
we
don’t
push
on
his
hips.
We
sit
him
by
gently
inserting
our
right
hand
(palm
up)
in
his
collar,
on
top
of
his
neck
with
our
ngers
pointing
towards
his
tail.
We
place
our
left
palm
on
his
shoulders.
We
give
the
sit
command
and
at
the
same
moment
slide
our
left
hand
along
his
back,
over
his
rear,
down
his
legs
until
we
reach
his
hocks.
We
apply
gentle
backward
pressure
on
his
collar
at
the
same
moment
we
apply
gentle
forward
pressure
above
his
hocks.
This is done rapidly—and the end result is he sits on our left hand. We remove the left hand and we stroke his back gently and praise him, “Good sit”. Our hand remains in the collar but all pressure is relaxed. We keep him sitting for a count of twelve, praising him repeatedly, and then we immediately stand him by turning the collar so that our right hand is under his chin. If we turned the collar correctly our palm will now be facing down. We place our left hand just behind his right front leg (palm down).
We
give
the
command
“Stand”
as
we
gently
pull
forward
on
his
collar
and
slide
our
left
hand
along
his
tummy
until
we
touch
his
back
leg.
This
should
bring
him
into
a
stand.
If
not,
apply
slight
upward
pressure
with
your
left
hand—but
keep
it
gentle.
Keep
the
right
hand
in
the
collar,
but
turn
the
left
hand
over
(palm
is
now
up)
and
apply
little
tickly
touches
(very,
very
light)
with
the
tips
of
your
ngers
and
praise
him,
“Good
stand”.
Continue
praising
and
applying
the
“whisper”
like
touches
to
his
tummy
and
count
to
12.
Once
again
turn
the
collar
in
position
for
the
sit,
place
the
left
hand
on
his
shoulders
and
go
through
the
steps
for
sit
once
more.
It’s simple, gentle, totally positive. If he breaks the position we simply reposition him. We repeat the sit/stand sequence several times and then resume our table examina- tion. The table examination and exercises will take less than ve minutes of your time.
Over
the
next
weeks
increase
the
count
and
as
your
pup
begins
to
respond
by
spon-
taneously
starting
to
go
through
the
required
motions,
gradually
discontinue
any
unnecessary
steps.
If
he
is
sitting
before
your
hand
reaches
the
hocks,
just
place
it
on
his
shoulder.
If
he
sits
with
slight
pressure
on
the
collar,
try
just
inserting
your
hand
and
eliminating
the
pressure.
Gradually discontinue inserting the hand until he responds to the command alone. It doesn’t take long. The average eight week old will master “sit” in less than a week. I have had puppies sitting on command after two ses- sions. Stand will take considerably longer. It is not an easy exercise to master.
After several days of the sit/stand exercises, if all is going well, we add the “down” to our training sessions on the table. When the pup is seated on our left side, we place our left arm over his shoulder and our left hand behind his left front leg. We place our right hand behind his right front leg. Our palms should be facing the back of his legs.
Then we begin caressing his legs in an up and down motion—we talk to him softly, telling him what a fine pup he is. He is mesmerized by the soft, caressing tone of our voice, just as the gentle stroking relaxes him to the point of “collapse”. On one of those down strokes we gently slide his feet out from under him (making sure not to grab his legs with our thumbs and fingers) and at the same moment, in the same soft, caressing voice, we command, “Down”. We can apply gentle pressure with our left arm on his shoulders if necessary.
Most important is to keep the same soft tone rather than snap him out of his reverie by using a demanding, loud voice. Our praise should be quiet and gentle and we should continue stroking his legs, holding the down for a count of 12 initially.
To get him out of the down (so that we can repeat it again) we begin teaching him his rst utility exercise—the sit from a down position. This is accomplished by inserting our left hand (palm down) just behind his right front leg and our right hand (palm up) under his chin. We bring the right palm up to the chin in a sweep- ing motion (the hand signal), give the command “sit” and apply gentle upward pres- sure with the left and right hand.
Don’t slide your left hand under his tummy—it will make him stand. Keep it in the position described above and be very gentle.
Praise him! Although many trainers neglect the sit from a down until the dog has completed Novice work, it is rapidly learned. The pup learns this command and signal long before he learns to stand or down on his own.
Again discontinue all unnecessary help as soon as the pup is responding—BUT, never be afraid to regress and place him in position if he fails to respond to one command! We are not going to become ineffective nags; all commands will be responded to immediately—either voluntarily, or we will place him in position. Remember: we are not correcting him into position with collar jerks in the passive exercises.
Leash Work
Leash work begins when he is accustomed to his collar and “handle”. We attach the leash, take him outside (carry him if necessary) and we play the waiting game. We do nothing. That’s right. Nothing. If he begins to walk, we follow. And we praise him when he walks. If he just sits, we just stand and wait. No tugs, no pulling, no force. When he has learned to move freely on leash, and has discovered the out- doors to be a fun place to run and explore, we introduce leash control.
You have another important point to remember now. You are working with a very small, lightweight puppy. When the instructions tell you to tug, it means a very gentle, quick, tiny tug. It does not mean a forceful correction such as the type often used on stubborn adult dogs. We do not want to frighten the puppy, nor hurt the puppy—we want to send him an effective message, telegraphed down the lead. Do not use force that would jerk his feet off the ground, spin him around, make him yelp, or do anything other than glance your direction and cease pulling. To do oth- erwise will cause the pup to respond in an intimidated, fearful way. So keep smil- ing, and do it properly!
To introduce lead control we go outside with our pup as usual, and we stand still. Today we aren’t going to follow him immediately. Let him move around. When he reaches the end of the leash and it grows taut, give a gentle, quick tug and immedi- ately release all pressure and praise!
No commands, just tug, release and praise. We want him to learn pulling is undesirable, but we don’t want him to realize we are correcting. Because there is no command, only praise, he does not associate the tug with us. He “thinks” he caused it. If this is repeated each time the leash grows taut, he quickly learns just how long six feet is. He learns pulling is slightly unpleasant, and he learns when he comes back within the confines of the leash boundary he is praised. After several moments, if he has stopped pulling, move along and follow him—or let him follow you. As you walk, if the leash grows taut, correct in the same manner and praise.
Over the next few days begin to teach him the left side position. This too is accom- plished in a positive manner by constantly turning your body position so that he remains on the left, and praising him when he is there (either of his own accord, or because we turned). By the time he has learned leash control we can begin utilizing the passive table exercises he has mastered, outside.
Let’s back up a moment. Why did we start on the table? Two reasons: rst is the fact we don’t want to be a threatening gure, towering over him. By putting him on the table we are much less threatening, because he is almost as tall as we are.
Second is the fact he feels just a little insecure when he is rst placed on the table. He won’t be a wiggly, playful fellow (as he usually is) because he senses he might fall—therefore he looks to you, for you are his security. He knows you have never hurt him. He leans against you, his attention focused on the one who is reassuring him with praise and petting. We need this focusing of attention before we can begin training. We are gentle, we are praising, and we are not so tall and threaten- ing, so he gains con dence as he learns, and soon feels perfectly at ease on the table. When he is sitting on command on the table (when all help other than the right hand in the collar has ceased), and when he is responding to the leash control lessons, we begin our actual heeling.
Outside
Still using a buckle collar, we attach the lead and take him outside. Give the sit com- mand (be prepared to bend over and insert the right hand in the collar as a gentle reminder). So far he has associated “sit” with being on the table, and he may not under- stand the command in a new situation. Help him if necessary, be gentle, and praise lavishly. When he is seated, gather up the excess leash in your right hand, taking care that he has about two feet of slack. Grasp the slack portion with your left hand.
Give his name, the command “heel” and step off walking. Praise him. If he hesi- tates, bend down on his level and encourage him to follow. He has already learned a taut lead caused a correction, now we are merely shortening his boundary. Instead of six feet of slack, he has only two. If the lease grows taut, we give a quick tug/ release of pressure (without a command) and we praise him immediately, “Good heel!” We continue to praise as long as the leash is slack. (Don’t worry about the exact heel position yet, that comes a little later.) If he lags behind as though appre- hensive or unsure of what is expected do not tug! We coax him up with joyful hand clapping, vocal encouragement and if necessary we stop and tickle him under the chin and tell him what a ne pup he is. When he takes a step we praise and encour- age him more. Corrective tugs are only used for forging or heeling wide. Again, he will not associate the corrections with you. He will assume it is his fault (just as he would assume it was his fault if he were tied to a tree and raced to the end of the line only to be jerked back. He doesn’t blame the tree. He blames himself, and then
is more cautious in the future). He will quickly learn that two foot boundary just as he did the six foot boundary.
When he is working well at two feet (no longer making the lead taut) we shorten the boundary to one foot of slack. This will put him in the proper heel position. We continue to praise with “Good heel” when he is there on his own so that he learns this is the behavior we desire. And we continue to praise (without an extra com- mand) when we correct for a taut leash.
This same principle is applied to each new exercise we teach. In the beginning we show him exactly what we want. In the passive exercises we place him in position. In active exercises we offer vocal encouragement and tiny corrective tugs without com- mands, accompanied by praise. And we smile a lot as our super puppy takes shape.
When he has mastered the one foot boundary at heel, we toss that lead over our shoulder and we begin working him “without hands”. When we are sure he under- stands (and we are sure when corrective tugs are no longer needed), we are ready to advance to off-lead.
This will come much sooner than you expected. Most puppies who begin their table work at ve weeks and their obedience exercises at eight weeks are working reliably off-lead by the time they are sixteen weeks of age. Many are ready by fourteen weeks. (Don’t let this statement create frustration if your pup is not ready in that time frame. Remember, all pups are individuals—we are not after speed. We are after total reliability and a happy worker.)
If we have taught the recall before the ight instinct is developed, and have enforced it every time the command “come” has been issued, our pup will be unaware he has an option. He will come because that’s all he’s ever been allowed to do. The recall training should begin as soon as the pup is leash broken.
Sky Is The Limit
Just
what
can
we
hope
to
accomplish?
How
far
can
we
go
with
our
puppy
train-
ing?
The
sky
is
the
limit!
You
can
start
his
training;
lay
the
foundation
for
any
tasks
you
wish
him
to
do
as
an
adult.
While
most
trainers
insist
the
dog
must
learn
the
beginner’s
routine
before
pushing
on
to
Novice,
then
learn
the
Novice
routine
before
attempting
Open,
and
totally
omit
Utility
until
the
dog
has
his
CDX—if
the
obedience
ring
is
your
goal,
the
puppy
is
the
place
to
start.
Instead
of
learning each
level
after
attaining
the
previous
title
(CD,
CDX,
UDT),
our
pup
has
“learned
to
learn”.
Therefore,
he
is
capable
of
learning
more,
and
more,
and
more.
We
can
teach
the
very
young
puppy
the
utility
routine
just
as
easily
as
we
can
teach
the
beginner
or
Novice
work.
That
doesn’t
mean
we
teach
jumping
at
full
height;
that
doesn’t
mean
drop
on
recall.
What
it
does
mean
is
we
can
teach
jumping
over
a
tiny
height,
just
to
learn
the
command
and
the
act
of
jumping;
not
striving
for
height
and
perfection.
Retrieving
a
dumbbell
over
a
four,
six
or
eight
inch
board
erected
in
a
hallway
becomes
an
exciting,
fun
game
for
all
puppies.
We
discussed
earlier
teaching
retrieving
as
a
fun
game;
retrieving
of
gloves
and
metal
articles
as
well
as
wood.
Once
sit
is
mastered
beside
the
handler
and
at
a
distance,
the
send-a-way
becomes
a
snap,
when
it
is
combined
with
racing
out
to
grab
a
white
hanky
or
paper
towel.
It’s
fun
because
it
becomes
a
game
as
you
try
to
beat
him
to
the
object.
He
hardly
notices
when
you
suddenly
stop
accompanying
him—because
that
praise
and
urging
him
onward
are
still
present—and
the
game
still
ends
the
same
as
you
command,
“Puppy
sit!”
Once down is mastered we don’t need to stop with “down” beside the pup. We venture out and give down in front, later down in a distance, and then we begin dropping him as he races about the yard in play.
He is learning to drop while he is in motion and while he is away from our side; a separate exercise from the drop on recall, yet already learned and merely waiting to be put together as a routine when we wish to enter Open competition.
A puppy delights in using his nose.
We start out tossing favored toys to be caught, then tossed into tall grass so that he learns to use his nose to nd them, and we help him every step of the way until we have a puppy capable of scent discrimina- tion or tracking. We teach hand signals along with voice commands, alternating until he responds to both equally as well. We teach the utility stand for examina- tion—we can extend the time he must hold it later when we need it.
We teach him to take directions (in preparation for directed retrieve and jump- ing) by leaving him in a sit stay and facing him we toss out a toy to our far right or far left and then direct him to it with a wave of the hand.
A fun game that can be altered for directed jumping—or we can play “drop the hanky” and teach him to race back in the direction we indicate to retrieve it (a basic beginning for the old “seek back” and the updated directed retrieve). This then is the difference between an obedience trained dog and a super puppy and the only way we can achieve this is to begin at the optimum age of five weeks; introducing desirable behavior as we prevent formation of bad habits, and making his environment a fun, exciting adventure of learning every day of his life.
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