TIPS FOR RAISING PUPPIES

CHEWING
First, promote the desired behavior. It is much easier to teach the puppy to chew a limited of objects than NOT chew thousands of objects around the house. Encourage proper chewing by frequently playing with the toys, scenting toys with a small smear of food, and teaching to fetch. Every time the puppy puts its mouth on a toy, praise him enthusiastically. During the first year, keep everything out of reach. If it can't be put up, make it taste bad. A small amount of ChewGuard or Bitter Apple is a very effective deterrent. Should you catch him in the act of chewing, give a firm startling "NO!" and then offer a chew toy. Follow with praise when the pup mouths it.

AS FOR PUNISHMENT
No puppy should ever be struck with the hand. THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON EVERY PUPPY SHOULD LEARN IS THAT THE HAND IS A FRIEND!  He will have hands reaching for him/her thousands of times throughout his life. We do not want any aniexty associated with hand movement that might result in biting. The best way to show the puppy that a behavior is not acceptable is to give a loud, startling, verbal reprimand every time it occurs. The response should only be given during the undesired behavior and should stop as soon as the behavior stops.

JUMPING ON PEOPLE
Jumping up on people is the most common problem of unruliness exhibited by puppies. It can be a very easy problem to correct if all the family members are consistent in handling it. First, teach the puppy to greet people by sitting. A helpful exercise is to hold a piece of kibble at nose level and call the puppy. When he gets to the food, slowly raise it over his head and ask him to sit. Praise and reward a correct response. Back up several feet and repeat. This teaches the puppy to come when called, sit on command, and sit when he comes up to a person. The best correction for a jumper is a firm "NO" followed by a loud noise (clap your hands or keep a can containing 6 to 8 nickels on hand as a "shake can". This will startle the puppy and will get the attention of even the most active puppy. Wait three to five second, then praise the puppy for having its paws firmly on the ground.

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HOUSETRAINING
by Wayne Hunthausen, DVM and Gary Landsberg, DVM

        By taking the right approach, housetraining your puppy can be a relatively simple task.  A successful plan includes supervision, confinement, encouragement and patience.  With these elements, most pups can be trained to eliminate outdoors in a relatively short period of time. 

Getting the message across
The first step is to teach the pet where you want it to eliminate.  In order to accomplish this, you must accompany your pet every time it goes outdoors.  Choose a specific location with easy access.  The area will soon become a familiar spot for elimination as the pup recognizes the odor from previous excursions.  Mildly praise any sniffing or other pre-elimination behaviors and consider associating a unique training command such as “potty time” or “hurry up” with the act of eliminating.  As soon as the puppy eliminates praise it heartily, offer a tasty food reward, or even start a play session (whatever it takes to show it how pleased you are).  The puppy will soon learn what is expected of it whenever it goes outside and hears the special command.  As you begin housetraining, try your best to get the pet outdoors every one to two hours.  As it grows older and gets the hang of things, you can wait longer between outings. 

Scheduling
Controlling the puppy’s feeding schedule will provide some control over it’s elimination schedule.  Most will eliminate within a somewhat predictable time after eating, usually within the first hour.  Because of this, it is best to avoid feeding a large meal just prior to confinement.  Food should be offered two or three times each day at the same times, and should be available for no longer than 30 minutes. The last meal should be finished three to five hours prior to bedtime. Besides taking the pet out after eating, it is also important to take it outdoors after playing, drinking, and sleeping.  By scheduling feeding times, play sessions, confinement periods, and trips outside to the “toilet” area, it should be possible to get your puppy onto a relatively predictable elimination schedule. 

Preventing mistakes
This brings us to the most challenging part of the housetraining process which is preventing the pup from eliminating indoors.  Until the pet is housetrained, you will need to provide constant supervision.  You shouldn’t consider the puppy housetrained until it has gone for at least four to eight consecutive weeks without eliminating anywhere in the home.  Until this has been accomplished, the pup should be within eyesight of a family member 100% of the time.  A leash can be a handy tool to keep the pet nearby when you are preoccupied and it might wander away.  When you are unable to provide constant supervision because you’re busy, sleeping or away from home, the pup must be confined in a relatively small, safe area.   Always be sure to take it out to eliminate just prior to confinement.

A wire or plastic crate provides an excellent area in which to confine the pet when it cannot be observed, but it has some limitations.  It should not be used for longer than the pet can physically control elimination or for more than four to five hours during the day on a continuous schedule.  Most puppies will quickly adapt to the crate if you make training fun.  Feeding in the crate, tossing toys inside for the pup to chase and hiding treats in there for it to find should all help the pet look forward to being in the crate.  If the pet is home alone each day for long periods, it should be confined to a larger area such as a small room or exercise pen. The area should provide enough space for the pet to eliminate if necessary but still be able to rest several feet away from a mess.  Paper can be placed at the sites where the pet is likely to eliminate so that it can be more easily cleaned.  You may want to spend some time in the area playing with the pet or simply reading or doing paperwork nearby as the pet rests there, because it’s important to associate good things with the confinement area, rather than making it solely an isolation area.

Returning to the scene of the crime
To help prevent the pet from returning to previously soiled areas, urine and fecal odor must be removed with an effective commercial product.  Areas of carpeting where the pet has urinated should be saturated with the cleaning product, since merely spraying the surface is not as effective.  If the pet has begun a habit of eliminating in certain areas of the home, access to these areas can be denied by closing doors to the rooms, utilizing baby gates, or moving furniture over the soiled areas.  The pet can be taught to avoid an area by using an environmental correction, such as a motion alarm, to help teach it to stay away.  Most pets prefer to avoid eliminating in areas where they eat or play.  Feeding or placing water bowls, bedding and toys in previously soiled areas can help discourage elimination at those spots.

Keep your cool
No puppy has ever been housetrained without making a mistake or two.  Be prepared for the inevitable.  It doesn’t help to become frustrated and harshly discipline the pet.  Punishment is the least effective and most overused approach to housetraining.  A correction should involve nothing more than a mild, startling distraction and should only be used if you catch the pet in the act of eliminating indoors.  A quick stomp of the foot, a loud handclap, a sharp tap on a tabletop, a tug on the leash or an abrupt “No,” given with enough intensity to interrupt the behavior without frightening the pet, is all that is necessary.  The pup should immediately be taken to its elimination area outdoors to finish.  A correction that occurs more that a few seconds after the puppy eliminates is useless because it will not understand why it is being corrected.  If the punishment is too harsh, it may learn not to eliminate in front of you, even outdoors, and you run the risk of ruining your bond with the pet.  And don’t even think about rubbing the pet’s nose in a mess.  There’s absolutely nothing the pet will learn from this, except to be afraid of you.  

Some pets will squat and urinate as they greet family members.  They should never be scolded.  This problem is typically due to either nervousness or excitement and scolding will always make the problem worse.

 In summary
As you can see, housetraining is fairly simple.  You just need to teach the desired behavior, control the food schedule, supervise and confine as necessary.   With a little patience and a consistent approach, your puppy will be housetrained before you realize it.

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Early Social Investment Pays Major Dividends      
                      by Wayne Hunthausen, DVM

If you want your puppy to develop into a social, friendly companion you need to pay particularly careful attention to how it is raised during the first few months of life.  You can help insure a desirable adult temperament by being aware of sensitive periods in the puppy’s life, teaching it about its environment at the first opportunity, and by providing a rich social environment.  We’re going to explore the stages of puppy development so you can understand the importance of each, and what you can do to raise the best puppy you can imagine.

Prenatal Period  
The influence of the environment may actually come into play prior to birth.  In fact, studies have shown that when pregnant rats are subjected to stimuli that maintain a constant state of fear, the offspring show a higher incidence of fearful behaviors, decreased learning and poor reproductive behavior of the offspring when they become adults.  It is suspected that maternal stress during late pregnancy may change hormonal secretion in fetal males, effecting behavioral development.  It’s not unlikely that excessive stress on the bitch can also have harmful effects on her pups and should be avoided, especially during the third trimester of the pregnancy.  On the other hand, providing her with a friendly environment that encourages positive social contact is likely to promote desirable emotional development of her offspring.   

Developmental Periods  
The behavioral development of dogs has been well documented and can be divided into five phases:  the neonatal, transitional, socialization and juvenile periods, followed by adulthood.   During the very early periods of development, the puppy is very sensitive to its environment.  At this time a minimal amount of experience can have a maximum effect.  The most sensitive periods include the neonatal period (first 2  weeks of life), the transitional period (3^rd and 4^th weeks of life) and the socialization period (5^th through 12^th weeks).  The beginning and end of each phase of development is not rigidly fixed and probably varies somewhat from individual to individual.  

Periods of Canine Behavioral Development

1.       The neonatal period            (Weeks 1-2)

2.       The transitional period        (Weeks 3-4)

3.       The socialization period      (Weeks 5-12)

4.       The juvenile period             (Week 12 through puberty)

5.       Adulthood                          (Following puberty)

Neonatal Period  
During the first two weeks of its life, the newborn puppy’s nervous system is minimally developed.  Its ability to respond to the environment is extremely limited and much of its time is spent sleeping.  Newborn behavior is mainly limited to interactions with the mother involving care-seeking behaviors such as teat-seeking, suckling and awkward movement using the front legs.  Perception of odor, pain and touch is present, but not perception of visual or auditory stimuli.  Reflexes are comparatively slow and motor functions and movement are extremely limited.  Being unable to hear or see, neonatal puppies are effectively shielded from most psychological effects of the environment.  Vocalizations are limited to distress calls and the young pups are completely dependent on the mother for survival. They are unable to control their body temperature, urinate, or defecate without help.  Mild handling at this age is likely good for emotional development of the pup and prepares it for stresses later in life.  Daily weighing of young puppies is an excellent way to monitor growth and health, while providing physical stimulation.

Transitional Period
Toward the end of the second week, the pup enters the transitional stage of its neurological and behavioral development.  This is a relatively rapid period of development during which the senses mature.  It lasts approximately two weeks.  During this period, the puppy goes from a condition of complete dependence upon its mother to one of relative independence.  Recognizable, though rudimentary, adult behavior patterns appear at this time.  At the beginning of this period, the eyes and ears open and a startle response to sound becomes evident.  By day sixteen, the puppy can localize sound and begin to follow moving objects, although vision is poor.

Reflexes and motor capabilities develop and the pup begins walking.  By the end of the transitional stage, the pup’s pain perception is also fully developed.  Many of the patterns of adult social behavior and their accompanying emotions slowly become apparent at this time.  Gently exposing the pups to all types of stimuli for short periods each day during this time is likely to enhance development.  This may be accomplished by allowing them to crawl or walk on surfaces with differing textures and temperatures.  Objects of varying shapes can be set up for the pup to navigate around in order to promote visual acuity and motor skills.  Providing a variety of noise stimuli at low decibels and varied frequencies may facilitate auditory development.  Whistles, rattles, music, recordings of environmental noises, and the human voice can be used to provide a variety of auditory stimulation.  

Socialization Period  
Around the end of the fourth week, the pup enters the socialization period, which takes place from the end of the fourth through the twelfth weeks of life.  While the previous periods involved changes in basic sensory and motor capacities, this period is one of rapid development of social behavior patterns.  At the beginning, the puppy begins to respond to the sight or sound of persons or other animals at a distance.  All sensory systems become fully functional during this period and learning capacity becomes more developed.  Teeth erupt and the pup begins taking solid food for the first time.  Weaning begins around four to five weeks of age and is typically finished by seven to ten weeks of age.  By eight to nine weeks of age, puppies are attracted by the odors of urine and feces to specific areas for elimination  This is an ideal time to begin housetraining.

The behavior of puppies during the early socialization period is characterized by a willingness to approach novel objects and, in particular, moving stimuli.  Investigative behavior becomes apparent and puppies begin exploring away from the nest area.  Social following, signaling and early signs of pack behavior emerge.  During this time, there is a marked increase in interaction with littermates, the mother and the environment.  In regard to behavior and temperament development, this is absolutely the most important period in a dog’s life.  It is a time during which relationships are easiest to initiate.  This period is critical in determining all primary adult, social relationships.  A  small amount of experience during at this time can have a major effect on later behavior.  How comfortable and confident the puppy will be in interacting with members of the same and other species is directly related to the quality and quantity of social experiences it has during this time.

Besides being a time for development of social relationships, this also appears to be a period of extreme sensitivity to psychological trauma.  The sensitivity necessary to facilitate the formation of social relationships also seems to make the puppy vulnerable to psychological trauma.  Fear responses are evident at this time.  Startle reactions to sound and sudden movement become much more pronounced.  With time, the puppies learn to discriminate between dangerous situations and those that are nonthreatening.  Toward the end of this period, social interaction gradually shifts away from the mother and the relationship with littermates strengthens.  Frequent, gentle handling is important in order to decrease the fear response shown to humans.  Whatever happens here sets a general pattern that affects almost everything in later life because, by the end of this period, the puppy has formed patterns of response to the major elements of its environment. 

Juvenile Period  
This period encompasses the time from the end of the socialization period to the onset of sexual maturity (about 6 to 12 month of age).  By this time, the puppy’s ability to learn has become fully developed, and there is a gradual improvement in social and motor skills.  General activity increases and a significant amount of time is spent in exploration.  The onset of puberty marks the end of this period and the beginning of adulthood.  It has been my observation that some dogs go through an additional sensitive period around this time, during which they are especially sensitive to environmental and social stimuli.  This sensitivity is manifested as a vulnerability to novel or mildly aversive stimuli.  These animals appear to regress socially and exhibit varying degrees of timidity.  It is important to carefully control social situations to prevent problems, bolster confidence and maintain acceptable social behavior.  Harsh punishment at this time, especially in response to fear aggression, can irreparably harm the pet.

Effects of Isolation on Behavioral Development  
Should a puppy be isolated from other dogs during the socialization period, there is a high probability that it will encounter problems interacting with other dogs when it’s older.  It may be frightened or aggressive in the presence of other dogs.  Puppies isolated from other dogs from early life have been reported to be very subordinate, less competitive, more withdrawn, and fearful of novel objects.  They are less likely to exhibit acceptable social behavior, play behavior and successful breeding.  Adopting a puppy before seven weeks of age is not desirable because this can deprive it of needed socialization with its littermates.  Pups that grow up without adequate, early social interaction with other dogs are also less likely to exhibit acceptable social interaction with other species, including humans. This is a risk for hand-raised orphan puppies.

Puppies that have been completely isolated from all human contact between four to twelve weeks of age tend to be fearful of humans and are virtually untrainable.  The effects of this deprivation may be partially or wholly irreversible.  Puppies adopted after twelve weeks of age from a situation where they received minimal human contact generally make poor pets. They are likely to exhibit fearfulness, aggression and are difficult to train.  They may also show exceptionally high levels of activity and a reduction in the intensity of social contacts. 

Puppies reared in a restricted environment with limited auditory and visual stimuli during the socialization period may respond poorly in new situations and have difficulty learning. 

Providing for Optimum Socialization  
Socialization with all types of people in a wide variety of situations is important so that the puppy will behave appropriately in a variety of settings when it gets older.  Food is an excellent tool to help facilitate the socialization of your pet.  You should the puppy out into the world armed with small biscuit treats or a bag of its puppy kibble.  Whenever the pet meets someone new and shows no sign of withdrawal or anxiety, you should request it to sit and give it a treat.  As the pup gets the hang of this game, it should be encouraged to approach people it meets along the way.  You can then give each person a treat to give to the pup. The same approach should be used at home.

Socialization should also be done with other animals, but exposure to other dogs should be limited until the vaccination series has been completed.  The ideal dog with which to socialize the puppy would be a healthy, vaccinated pet that does not leave its fenced-in yard, is frequently tested and treated for internal and external parasites, and has a social, nonaggressive personality.

Socialization before 12-14 weeks of age is critical, but continued socialization throughout the first year of life is also very important.  Puppy classes and obedience classes provide excellent opportunities for continued social learning.  You can begin training your puppy as early as 8 weeks of age, but group classes are best avoided until there has been time for adequate response to vaccination.  Your veterinarian can advise you about this.

Learning about the World  
Since pups don’t arrive with ready knowledge about our world, we need to take the time to gently educate them about it and build confidence.  Puppies that mature in a limited environment may have difficulty handling new situations, so it is essential that you begin teaching at an early age.  They need to learn about noisy vacuum sweepers, car rides, bicycles, motorcycles and more.  If a puppy doesn’t get an early opportunity to learn about all the things that will be a part of its environment, it may grow up to be a fearful, anxious adult.  Problems can usually be prevented through repeated exposure to various situations, provided there is nothing unpleasant associated with them.  Regular and frequent exposure of your puppy to a variety of sights, sounds, odors and circumstances can help prevent timidity and build confidence.  For example, anxiety associated with car rides can usually be overcome by repeated, short car rides, when no disagreeable events occur during the ride.  The puppy should be exposed to any stimuli that it might encounter at a later age, such as the sound of traffic, vacuum sweepers, alarm clocks, children playing, sirens, airplanes, bathing, elevators.  Whenever the pup is calm, occasionally give it a mock veterinary exam by looking in its mouth, checking its ears and handling different parts of its body.  If you pet will require frequent grooming, be sure to introduce it to gentle brushing very early.  Dinner time is usually a great time to do this because the pup is likely to be distracted while eating.

If the pet seems to be exceptionally cautious when first introduced to new situations or stimuli, it is best to back off and repeat with a milder exposure.  Food rewards can be given for non-fearful responses.  The puppy can then be gradually “built up” to more intense exposure.  Never console the pet or give rewards while it is exhibiting fearful behavior, since you can actually reward the very response you are trying to eliminate.  Tape recordings of a variety of environmental sounds are available if you find it impractical to expose your puppy to sufficient stimuli in your own neighborhood.   

Early Obedience Training - The Easy Way!  
Don’t wait until you pup is older to begin obedience training. You’ll want to start right away, since young puppies learn very quickly.   It’s better to start out by teaching them what you want right away, rather than leaving the curriculum up to them.  A relatively small amount of time each day is all that’s required to teach the puppy to come and sit on command using food-lure-reward training.   To teach it to come and sit, start by standing two feet away from the puppy, show it a piece of food held between your thumb and forefinger, and wiggle your fingers to lure it to you.  As the pup approaches, say its name and the word “come.”  When the pup reaches the food, slowly and deliberately move it over the top of its head.  As the pup moves its head back to follow the food, it will move into a sitting position.  When it does this, say “Sit.”  Give the food as a reward for a correct response.  As the puppy learns the command responses, the food should gradually be withdrawn.

Teaching the pet to obey simple commands at a very early age can have many important benefits.   It can help you establish leadership, gain control of the pup and serve as a tool for socializing.  Teaching the “Come-sit” command decreases jumping-up behaviors because the pup learns to approach and greet by sitting.  It also decreases hand-shyness when meeting new people by associating an outstretched hand with a food reward.  Requiring the dog to sit before it gets anything it desires also helps define a leadership role for you.

In summation, the social care and education provided for the puppy during the first three months of its life is extremely important.  We must make certain that our young pups are not only receive appropriate medical and nutritional care, but we must also provide for their social needs. 

Fostering Normal Social Development of Puppies

·      Provide a low stress environment for the mother and early, mild stimulation for the puppies

·      Keep puppies with their mothers and littermates for the first seven weeks of life

·      Place puppies in their new homes around seven to eight weeks of age

·      Gradually and gently expose the young puppy to as many different people, animals, locations and situations as possible during early development

·      Teach the you puppy to accept all types of handling at an early age

·     Start training with simple commands at eight to nine weeks of age

·      Households with no children (especially potential parents and grandparents), should socialize their puppies with children to minimize the chance of problems when children become part of the family

·      Continue socialization throughout the first year of life with both people and other anima 

·      Never use any type of physical punishment

READING LIST  
1.  Ackerman L, Landsberg G, Hunthausen W (Eds.):  DOG BEHAVIOR AND TRAINING:  Veterinary advice for owners. (1996) TFH Publications, Neptune, NJ 
2.   Bohnenkamp G.  Help! My Dog Has an Attitude, (1994) Perfect Paws, Inc., PO Box 717, Belmont, CA 94002  
3.   Dunbar, Ian.  Doctor Dunbar’s Good Little Dog Book. (1992) James and Kenneth Publishers. 2140 Shattuck Ave. #2406, Berkeley, CA 94704  
4.   Scott JP, Fuller JL. (1965). Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog, Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago Ill  
5.  Landsberg GL, Hunthausen WL, Ackerman L.  (1996).  Handbook of Behaviour Problems of The Dog And Cat, Butterworth-Heinemann.  Oxford, England

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