Temperament and Puppy Development III

In the first two parts of this article, I explained the natural instincts of a dog, often referred to as “drives.” I covered the imprinting of basic fundamentals needed to become a successful working dog, regardless of whether you are working in obedience, agility, protection or conformation. In this part, I will focus on increasing training and continuing the development of those drives needed for success. At eight weeks of age, our pups are completely weaned. They are totally separated from their mom, and I begin to separate them from their littermates. If pups are allowed too much time to interact with their littermates, an unhealthy bond can occur. A pup that is submissive (ranking begins at about five weeks of age), may remain submissive their entire life if kept in with the same dogs for an extended period. However, if we separate the pups and allow the submissive ones to develop confidence and find their place in life, they too may become top performers. It is extremely important to continue socializing these young pups. Get them out to different locations and around as many people as possible. Some breeders refuse to allow their pups into different locations or around different dogs until they have completed their series of shots for fear of catching a deadly disease. I too, have this concern. However, when I weigh the risk of catching an illness that can usually be cured, to altering temperament issues that are almost never cured, it is an easy choice for me. I advise consulting with your veterinarian before making the final decision. Our training field is behind our house. So, all of my dogs are around 40 other dogs each week. Even the ones that never set a foot on the training field are in contact with the dogs that do. It would be almost impossible to keep my pups from being exposed to something. Also, I am proud to say that in the nine years we’ve trained at this location, we haven’t had one incident of illness reported from any pup or adult. Many of the breeders in our club will begin to bring pups out to the field at five- or six-weeks-old. We have a place for them to stay confined and still be close enough to see and hear what is going on. At eight weeks of age, I begin to expose the pups to as many other sports as possible. If you plan on participating in weight pulling events, this is the time to begin exposure to the equipment and to actual pulling. One method is to begin with a 1-liter plastic soda bottle. Fill it about one-third full with small rocks and attach it to a make-shift harness, allowing the pup to play while pulling the bottle. This begins the skill of pulling and gets them used to a noise that follows them. If you have properly exposed them to noise as I noted in my past articles, this should be an easy task. Slowly increase the weight about every two to three weeks. Don’t try too much; it will do more harm than good. I increase my work with tracking at this age. I will do this using one of two methods. One method is to do an exercise called “runaways.” Runaways are done by having someone hold your dog while you run away from the dog --- first to a spot where they can see you, and later to a hidden spot. The person holding the dog then allows the dog to lead them to you. Once the dog gets to you, you reward the dog with a hug and a favorite toy/ball/tug/treat. The other method is the “footstep method.” The footstep method involves laying a track and baiting it with a treat, like hotdogs. I quarter the hotdogs and slice them about the width of a nickel, placing one bite into the heel of every step. I start by laying three short tracks. The first one is about 30 feet; the second one is longer, about 40 feet; and the last one is about 20 feet. These three tracks provide them with a warm up, allows for a harder track, and gives them a good motivational track. Tracking distances can increase based on the ability of the dog. However, I continue to lay the tracks in groups of threes. I also continue my work with a rag on a string. If you are interested in lure coursing or straight racing, a plastic bag on a string should be introduced at around eight weeks of age. At ten weeks of age, I continue the rag work, but I advance to a “flirt pole.” A flirt pole is a rag or sack on a string, attached to a 23” – 24” pole. The pole gives you more movement, and allows you to provide a bigger fight once the dog bites the rag. I believe in playing rough with my pups. Regardless of whether it’s a Malinois, Rottweiler, or Basenji, I treat them all the same. I play rough, but I have a toy or tug suitable for them to bite. So when they get rough, it’s not my clothes or arm that takes the bite. I begin rough play at around nine or ten weeks of age, and gradually increase the play as they get older. Playing rough does not make a stable dog aggressive if you do it correctly. At 12 weeks of age, I want most of the basic skills in place. I want a dog that understands basic obedience, basic agility, and tracking/trailing to a fairly high degree of accuracy. I want a dog that understands the retrieval games and is excited about playing them. If I have exposed the dog to livestock, I want to see a smile when we get around sheep. I don’t expect a trial-worthy dog; I am looking for a dog that is ready to work and shows tons of enthusiasm when I ask them to work. From this point, I will be looking for the dog’s true love. Usually the dog will get really excited doing one activity more than the others. I will continue to work on as many activities as I feel the dog can handle, but I will pay more attention to the ones he seems to like best. I may require his attention in one activity prior to him getting to do his favorite. For instance, I may require some obedience drills before I allow him to do his favorite agility obstacle. By 16 weeks of age, we should have all the imprinting done. This is about the time teething begins for most dogs. Sometimes it becomes difficult to hold their attention while they are teething, and if you are doing any type of rag or tug work, expect the bite to fade. Don’t stop your training, just adjust to the situation. You should continue to offer the rag or tug, just be quite a bit easier. Chances are, if you had a good bite before teething, you will have a good bite again in a few months. Please don’t forget the socialization! You have one chance to prevent about 85% of all major behavior problems. Don’t miss the boat! From 4 to 12 weeks of age is the prime time for socialization to strangers. In a 1961 experiment conducted by Freedman, King, and Elliot, it was determined that a puppy which was introduced to a stranger for the first time at four weeks of age, would go to him almost immediately. If the pup did not see a stranger until seven weeks of age, it took an average of two days. A 14-week-old puppy was so fearful of strangers that he never went to the stranger on his own. So, if you are too busy to do the socialization, you are probably too busy to breed a litter or own a puppy.

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Temperament and Puppy Development III