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BASIC TRAINING FOR PUPPIES

Often when we adopt a new puppy, we have a vision of the type of relationship we hope for. Based in part on past experiences, or on what we have read about or witnessed with friends, we can easily put more pressure on ourselves and on the pup than is wise. Patience is a key virtue in nurturing a relationship, to keep us relaxed and moving forward step-by-step. With patience we can stay in touch with the bigger picture, realizing that the foundations of a healthy relationship are laid over a broad period of time. No relationship of any real depth matures overnight—human or canine; trusting in the process will give us a calmness and flexibility in the face of challenges that arise naturally from time to time.

—Dogs & Devotion

Retreatants at New Skete often comment on how impressed they are with the behavior of our dogs and the gentle and friendly way in which the dogs receive them. Since we include our shepherds in as many daily activities as possible, they are a highly visible part of our life, and guests encounter them frequently throughout the day. Such contact makes it imperative for the dogs to be easygoing and obedient, totally lacking in aggressive outbursts or skittish, freaky behavior. The best way to develop this behavioral soundness is to start early on by constantly exposing the dogs to everyday situations in a controlled manner, using basic training.

A typical example: At dinner there are often a half dozen dogs calmly on down-stays around the dining room table, not begging for food but simply happy to be there. During the meal, they either watch quietly or fall asleep, and often people forget they are there. If occasionally one dog should break her down-stay when her guardian gets up to collect dishes or serve food, the monk quietly corrects her and puts her back in her original stay position. Rarely is anything more required.In this type of atmosphere, even a young pup can learn to stay for an entire meal. Initially, to prevent her from wandering around, a pup’s guardian simply keeps her on a leash next to him, with one foot on the lead. If the puppy tries to get up during the meal, the monk corrects her gently by pushing her back down with a quick no. Experiencing this consistently over a period of several days and seeing the example of the older dogs, most pups quickly learn to relax and not fight the tether. Then, in the following months, the puppies can gradually learn the down-stay away from the table.

At the conclusion of the meal, the dogs wait for grace to be sung and an “Okay” that releases them from their down-stays before they walk over to their guardians. Each monk typically responds with an affectionate pat on the head and some soft, reassuring praise.

Apparently guests see something remarkable in all of this. On one recent occasion, a retreatant remarked, “Brothers, how do you get them to do it? What’s your secret? I have only one dog, and Max would never be able to lie still for an entire meal. I’m amazed.”

An Overview of Puppy Training at New Skete

There is no secret about how our dogs are able to stay so relaxed during meals and other community functions: quite simply, we train them, steadily and progressively. Since monasteries are by nature quiet, reflective spots, the chaos brought on by an unruly pack of dogs would be completely out of place. For a group of dogs to fit into this environment, they must be properly trained. This process is most successful when it begins early, as soon as a puppy starts living in the monastery. An eight-week-old pup has had little chance to develop bad habits.

Initially, besides house-training and the preliminary handling procedures, we begin a gentle introduction to some basic obedience exercises: sit, stay, come, let’s go (precursor to heel), and down (see chapters eleven and fourteen). The training gradually becomes more structured and challenging as the months go on. When we start working with a pup, we keep the two to three daily sessions very brief, under five minutes each. The tone of the lesson is intentionally relaxed and pleasant. There is no fixed timetable for the puppy to “succeed,” no pressure on the pup (or handler) to get everything right all at once. We also take advantage of repeated natural training opportunities that come up in daily life, such as sitting before the door or holding a stay before feeding, which can be done in as little as thirty seconds.

Our goal is to introduce each exercise in as simple and as natural a way as possible. To avoid unnecessary stress, we begin with noncompulsive methods that condition the pups to respond correctly to commands. For example, in addition to using the aforementioned food-dish exercise to accomplish a sit, we also randomly raise our fingers from the pup’s eye level to above her head to create the same effect, or we pass the pup’s favorite toy from eye level to the ground to get her to follow willingly into a down (see chapter eleven). Repeating these exercises often while rewarding the correct behavior with reassuring praise quickly puts the pup at ease with moving into these positions, making it relatively simple for her to learn the more structured commands later on. During each session we keep our gestures animated and lively to maintain the pup’s interest, and we break up the various exercises with short moments of eye contact. We always conclude training with a short play session that is fun for the puppy.

Over the course of a month, these daily sessions prepare the puppy for more disciplined training as she enters the juvenile stage, the phase when she starts “testing her wings.” By now, the pup will be comfortable with the lead and will respond positively to quick, attention-getting leash checks that can gradually allow the training sessions to become more structured and challenging. Though we are careful to keep the training enjoyable and the pup highly motivated, we leave no room for doubt as to who the alpha figure is; if a correction must be made, it is done swiftly, with just enough force as is necessary to change the behavior. Then we immediately reinforce the correct behavior with sincere praise. Eventually, through brief ten-minute training sessions, we work on each of the obedience exercises. By quickly shifting from one exercise to another, we maintain the pup’s attention and avoid boredom—the chief malady of all obedience training.

Again, we cannot overemphasize the fact that as the puppy displays a growing understanding of each exercise we use it repeatedly in practical situations throughout the day: down-stays in the living and dining rooms, sit-stays to greet guests, long down-stays at night in the bedroom, and so on. Training needs this practical focus. In turn, it enables the pup to spend greater blocks of time with the monk who is caring for her.

When puppy training is combined with proper management—daily exercise, frequent socializing, balanced diet, and regular grooming—it allows the pup to fit smoothly into the life of our community. The easiest way to lose enthusiasm for a puppy would be to fail to provide her with the practical skills necessary to mature into a friend and companion. If a puppy is not taught how to behave in a calm, relaxed manner, she inevitably becomes an energy drain and a burden, and it is likely that her guardian would end up spending less and less time with her. The real point of obedience training is to allow the young dog an optimal amount of inclusion in her guardian’s life, with the pupbeing calm and under control. Pups are always happiest when they are with those who have the responsibility of caring for them.

That is the “secret” of how we raise and train our puppies. Following this program, our six-month-old puppies are well-socialized, have a solid foundation in the basic obedience exercises, and perform these tasks happily and reliably in everyday life. What’s more, there is nothing extraordinary or exceptional about this.

Training Your Puppy in Basic Obedience

There is no reason this same sort of program cannot be applied successfully to your relationship with your puppy. Though training is not “easy,” it is within the capabilities of owners who set their minds to it. You must combine behaviorally sound principles with actual training of your pup in regular practice, preferably both at home and at a weekly KPT class, which will foster important socialization skills. While it is true that the quality of puppy classes varies widely (from those that are simple socializing sessions with no real training to those run by dedicated professionals who not only socialize the dogs but help with preliminary obedience), in general the positives far outweigh the negatives. If a more structured class is available in your area, we strongly recommend it (usually courses begin at twelve to sixteen weeks of age), in addition to following the guidelines described in this book. Our methods coincide with many puppy programs, and the overall benefits are well worth it. Besides basic puppy obedience and valuable socializing experiences with other pups and people, a structured class will give you important feedback on how you are handling your pup. A professional can spot mistakes in the way you are training that you might not be aware of. Also, seeing other owners work with their pups and exchanging ideas and experiences are great ways to gain a proper perspective on your pup’s behavior. It is very good for morale.

If a KPT class is not available in your area, you can carefully implement the program described in the following sections on your own. Begin working with your pup several times daily, no more than ten minutes each session. Before you start, read through the exercises several times and mentally visualize them in sequence. You cannot train your pup with a leash in one hand and a book in the other. Imagine the session beforehand: think about the brisk pace, the animated tone of your voice, the attention-getting checks on the leash, the sincere praise you will offer when your pup responds to you correctly. If you are not confident in how to proceed prior to the actual training session, you will project indecision and awkwardness—cues for the puppy to start acting unruly and unfocused, heightening your sense of frustration. When you clearly understand what you are going to do beforehand, and anticipate mistakes the pup might make as well as your responses to them, you will communicate a greater sense of presence and leadership that will help to focus your pup.

In the following sections, we assume that you have worked with your puppy for several weeks on the preliminary exercises described in chapters eleven and fourteen, and that your pup is nowcomfortable walking informally on a leash. The exercises that follow are intended for puppies between three and five months. They serve as a preliminary introduction to the training that we have already described at length in How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend.

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LESSONS FROM THE PACK: BECOMING PACK LEADER

Now we can apply some basic principles of wolf-pack life to the way you handle your puppy. By using certain exercises, we can mimic the natural integration of pups into a pack. Remember that puppies learn their proper place through constant contact with their mothers and the other pack members. Body language, proper physical dominance, and eye contact teach puppies the meaning of leadership and their role as followers. They are happiest when this is clear and consistent. Since every puppy needs a leader, the success of your relationship rests on your being a benevolent alpha figure to your pup. Start right away; leadership is much easier to establish with a twelve-week-old, twenty-five-pound puppy than with a sixty-pound adolescent.

We will concentrate first on physical contact. New owners often try to get pups to behave by explaining what is expected, by reasoning with them. They forget that puppies have no verbal skills, and when the pups fail to respond to spoken instructions, the owners become impatient and exasperated. Only later, through training, does a pup learn the meaning of specific words and commands. You will be a much more effective leader if you concentrate less on what you say and more on what you do.

Our first series of handling exercises focuses on teaching a puppy to be calm and relaxed when handled. Before advancing to obedience training, your pup must first be calm enough to pay attention to you. This may seem self-evident, but the majority of dogs brought to us for obedience training completely lack attentiveness. Their owners cannot get their focus. The dogs arrive unruly—dominant—and in human-dog relationships, that always spells trouble. To avoid this, you must train your pup to focus on you right from the start. Genuine leadership presumes attention, and when you get it, you will be close to becoming the alpha in your pup’s life.The following exercises are designed to establish you as leader in your puppy’s eyes and can begin a week or so after you obtain him.byteaching him to be calm and to hold still while you are handling him, you will show your puppy that you are the dominant figure in the relationship, and that you are a benevolent leader, worthy of his trust.*

Exercise One: Restraint

First, sit down on the ground with your pup comfortably placed between your knees or legs, facing away from you. Put your right hand over his chest and your left hand under his muzzle. This is a basic exercise in restraint. If he accepts this handling calmly, praise him in a soft, reassuring voice and gently massage him. If he squirms and fights to get free, hold him firmly and put him right back in position, saying in a firm voice, “No, stay!” As soon as he settles, resume massaging him, gently petting him from the top of his head down the back of his neck. Any additional struggling can be handled in the same way, with a quick shake that, though startling, does not hurt him. Make sure your hold is firm, since the message you want to give your pup is one of control, with no indecision. Do this for several minutes per session. We find that most puppies come to accept this handling during the first or second session and to see it as very pleasant. This also forms the basis for the stay command later on.

Exercise Two: Examining Mouth and Ears

When you are able to restrain your pup in a calm, relaxed manner, move on to the second exercise, which includes examining his mouth and ears. Throughout his life, it will be necessary at times to give your pup medicine, take inappropriate objects from his mouth, clean his ears, and check his teeth. Puppies who are not sensitized to this when they are young can grow very defensive about being examined when they are older, and may even bite. To prevent this from happening, you need to familiarize your puppy with examinations now, while he is still easy to handle.

Begin by practicing the calming exercise we have described. Allow your pup to relax his head in your hand as you massage him and then gently begin wrapping your dominant hand around his muzzle from underneath, gradually getting him used to the sensation. This may take a little time there is no need to rush things. Be gentle, and when he accepts the hold, praise him encouragingly as you manipulate his head from side to side. If he becomes restless, go right back to the calming exercise to settle him.

Once he allows you to hold his muzzle and move his head around in a calm and relaxed way, you are ready to open his mouth and take a quick look inside. To do this, put your dominant hand under his muzzle and your other hand over it, and lift his lip briefly. Praise and pet him. Then, to open his mouth fully, place the fingers of each hand between his jaws and carefully pull them apart. Take a quick peek and then release, giving him plenty of praise. Be brief at first, since your pup will not be used to this maneuver and may initially dislike it. After several episodes, however, he will accept it without protest. If you find your pup tries to mouth or nip at your hand, clasp his muzzle lightly and give him a swift shake, accompanying this with a firm no. Open your palm for him to lick, and if he does so, praise him cheerfully. This exercise is particularly useful for gaining control over your pup’s mouth and inhibiting the oral, nippy behavior common in puppies.

With your pup still relaxed, begin to examine the ears, first by massaging around their base with your fingers, then working over the surface of the ears themselves. This conditions your pup to having his ears touched and is invaluable for grooming sessions. Puppies should have their ears thoroughly cleaned once a week to prevent infections.

Exercise Three: Full-Body Massage and Repositioning

The third handling exercise, a logical extension of the previous two, involves examining your puppy’s whole body and moving him safely when he is in a reclining position. This is a valuable skill to have if your dog is injured or if you need to move him while he is resting. We know of a number of biting incidents that occurred when an owner tried to get his dog to move while the dog was sleeping. Conditioning your puppy ahead of time is a sensible way of preventing such accidents.

Start in the relaxed position of exercise one. To make your pup lie down, grasp both front legs and move them out from under him, gently taking him into a down position as you praise him. Move your hands around his neck and back, massaging him in a soothing manner, making sure that he is totally relaxed before proceeding any further.

When you sense he is completely at ease, kneel beside him, roll him over so he is lying on his side, and continue with your massage. Talk to him in a calm, reassuring way. If he starts to struggle, push firmly against his shoulder and say, “No, stay!” Then follow immediately with praise when he settles. At most, your correction should be a quick, gentle pin by the scruff, enough to let him know that you are in control. Continue lightly massaging his entire body with your fingers, paying particular attention to the feet and tail areas, which will help accustom your pup to having his nails clipped and temperature taken. Use eye contact to reinforce the connection whith your pup, giving a firm glance when he is restless, and a kind, affectionate look when he is relaxed and accepting.

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READING YOUR DOG

Though dogs have no capacity to communicate with words, they do have a rich language of their own that uses sight, sound, and smell to eloquently express their intentions and emotional states. Your ability to understand this language and its particular social setting is the cornerstone of a good relationship with your dog. The apt expression “reading your dog” means really understanding what she is saying to you and not just what you think it might be. By taking into account the dynamic interaction of various forms of body language, you can avoid problems that occur in the human-dog relationship when owners misinterpret their dogs’ intentions and moods.

For example, one of the complaints we receive from puppy owners involves submissive urination, demonstrated by a puppy who runs up to her guardian and excitedly greets her by urinating on the floor. This behavior is common in puppies, a natural outgrowth from when their mothers cleaned them by rolling them over to lick their genitals and anus. As puppies mature, submissive urination becomes a reflexive sign of their acceptance of dominance and authority. If you observe a young pup greeting an older, more dominant dog in a similar manner (crouching low, wagging tail tucked underneath, excitedly licking at the elder’s muzzle as she leaves several drops of urine on the ground), you will never see the older dog punish the pup. The expression of submission is received gracefully, with an attitude of dominant composure by the older dog as she stands erect, holding her tail high. She understands the sign completely.

Unfortunately, many owners misunderstand its significance and treat it as either a behavioral disorder or a housebreaking problem. We recall a frustrated owner who asked us, “Is she just a masochistic puppy? Doesn’t she understand? Every time I come home she piddles at my feet. I spank her, tell her how naughty she is, that she’s to do this outside, but it only gets worse. Now all I have to do is enter the house and she pees. Why doesn’t she understand?”

The man did not realize what his pup’s behavior expressed. By misinterpreting submissive urination as neurotic, cowardly behavior, and by punishing her with scolding and spanking, he had set the stage for a serious, long-lasting behavior problem. Punishment was the worst possible response to her behavior; it deepened the issue by making her even more submissive, since her body language had already acknowledged his authority. The proper response to this problem is outlined in chapter seventeen.

Expecting your dog to rise to the level of human thought and communication will lead only to frustration. Instead, learn to read her by taking what you know about dogs and stepping into her world, trying to view life from her perspective. This may require a different way of thinking than you are accustomed to.

Try a simple exercise: Imagine looking out of the eyes of your ten-week-old puppy. Do not attempt to verbalize; simply imagine being the dog. Now look up at the big human being next to you (yourself). With the increasing abilities you have as a dog to interpret human body language, what do you “read”? How do you react? Look closely at the eyes, the face, the body. Is the stance imposing and towering, or inviting? Consider the voice—you do not understand the words, but what is the tone? Is it cheerful and pleasant, or harsh and abrupt? Does it sound whiny or anemic? Now look around the room from a dog’s perspective. Observe the pair of leather shoes by the door, the large potted plant, the various pieces of furniture, and the inviting electric cords plugged into the sockets at puppy eye level. With your olfactory powers of incredible sensitivity, what is of greatest interest?

The point of this “pup’s-eye view” exercise is to till the soil of your imagination responsibly, to help you sense, in some small way, what things are like from a pup’s perspective. A good companion and trainer can enter imaginatively into the dog’s reality, interpret it correctly, and then adjust various handling procedures to fit that knowledge. Captain Max von Stephanitz, the founding father of the German shepherd dog breed, was very perceptive in this regard:

The trainer must himself be a psychologist; he must learn to read the soul of the dog, and his own, too. He must observe himself closely so that he shall not only be prevented from underestimating the dog in human arrogance, but also that he may be able to give the dog suggestions and help in an intelligent way. Whoever can find the answer to the question “How shall I say this to my dog?” has won the game and can develop from his animal whatever he likes.

When you approach your dog in this way, the experience is surprisingly multidimensional. Not only does your dog become trained but you become skilled as well, and the ongoing knowledge you acquire from your dog’s behavior has the potential to teach you as much about yourself as it does about your dog. An often neglected aspect of the training process is how your dog becomes a mirror, reflecting you back to yourself, helping you achieve greater self-awareness by drawing out greater degrees of patience, sensitivity, and emotional self-control. This is the heart of training.

In How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend, we spoke of inseeing and its importance in your relationship with your dog. Inseeing is getting inside your dog’s psyche, putting yourself at her center, where she is a unique, individual creature, and understanding her from that perspective. This is possible only when you genuinely want to know what your dog is saying. To get inside a dog’s head, to understand her from her point of view, you must continually watch, look, and listen, since a dog communicates through her body movements and vocalizations. Inseeing is not a romantic projection of human thoughts and feelings; it takes into account the whole dog by reading what the major centers of communication—ears, eyes, mouth, tail, and body carriage—are saying.

In this chapter, we will examine the significance of these centers of communication and the different meanings associated with various gestures. Your friendship with your dog will mature into real and compassionate understanding when you learn to blend intuition with science in a serious grasp of canine communication and behavior.

Canine Communication

Besides becoming a keen observer of domestic dogs, you can also acquire an authentic sensitivity to a dog’s language by paying careful attention to the lessons available from a natural tutor: the wolf and its pack. Scientific evidence strongly suggests that domestic dogs are closely related to wolves, either as direct descendants of several species or as cousins, possessing a common ancestry in some earlier, unknown canid that is now extinct. Either way, studies performed on communication and social behavior in wolves are enormously illuminating for what they teach us about dogs, since the meaning of various postures and vocalizations are generally consistent throughout the canine family. Despite the fact that artificial selection and domestication have emphasized certain characteristics while suppressing others (for example, by promoting pendulous ears or by the unfortunate practice of tail docking and ear cropping in some breeds), all of the behavior patterns we observe in dogs are also present in wolves. Thus, in the following discussion, we gratefully acknowledge the research in canine communication and behavior carried out by wildlife biologists, ethologists, and animal behaviorists, and we include references to wolves where relevant.

Communication, simply stated, is the passing of information from one individual to another. In canines, this involves hearing, vision, and smell. As we have seen, puppies are born with inherited reflexes that are the basis of instincts—natural behavior patterns that are the means of communication. In the initial phases of life, a young puppy is limited both physically and behaviorally in how she expresses herself. As the brain develops and the pup has the opportunity of interacting with her mother and littermates, however, she becomes more and more capable of expressing a variety of different moods and emotions. These abilities continue to develop long into adulthood.

Vocal Communication

A dog, like a wolf, generally vocalizes in one of several ways, each apparently tied to various body postures that communicate different meanings and moods: whimpering and whining, growling, barking, yelping, and howling, all in a wide variety of tones.

The first vocalizations that puppies make are mewing sounds that indicate need (e.g., for food or warmth). Pups also make high-pitched grunts and squeaks when they nurse. As they grow older, the mewing sound changes into a whine, which carries over into adulthood as an expression of greeting, submission, or desire. Whining is more characteristic of dogs than of wolves (which whine only when expressing submission), and this is probably due to unintentional reinforcement by owners. Young puppies learn quickly what whining will do when their owners continually reinforce this behavior to get them to stop. A classic illustration of this is the puppy who whines the first night she is separated from her littermates. The owner, feeling sorry for her, takes her into bed and lets her sleep there. The puppy learns a fateful lesson in communication, and her whining quickly becomes generalized to any situation of want.

A growl communicates threat and antagonism. It is a warning and may be accompanied with a snarl (i.e., baring of teeth). Young canine puppies growl when they play, thereby learning proper canine etiquette; as they mature, the growl is usually serious. With wolves, it is used by a more dominant wolf over a subordinate and is usually enough to elicit submission. Dogs can utilize the growl in the same way, and if it is directed toward an owner, it signifies the dog’s attempt to assume dominance. An example of this might be an owner getting too close to her pup when she is eating. The puppy may utter a low growl as if to say, “Stay away!” If the owner backs off, the pup easily begins applying this behavior to other situations that challenge the person’s position of authority.

Most domestic dogs bark much more frequently than wolves, probably as a result of selective breeding. Since an early goal of domestication was to have dogs guard and warn, it is clear why they were bred for their barking ability. Wolves, being hunters that do not wish to alert potential prey, bark only in specific situations, such as a warning to other pack members or to the pups that a stranger is approaching. The bark is a short, quiet woof and is generally not repeated.

Domestic dogs bark anytime they are excited. Barks are short and sharp, and the tonal quality reflects meaning. High barks are associated with greetings, such as your puppy’s excited welcome when you come home; when prolonged and frantic, these vocalizations will accompany pain and/or stress and are described as yelps. Warning barks are deeper and alert you that something is up, such as the preliminary bark of the watchdog. The aggressive bark is deeper still and communicates threat. It alternates with growling to send an unmistakable message.

Howling is more common in wolves than in dogs and is their major form of vocalization. It is a prolonged tone, lasting from two to eleven seconds, and may fluctuate over a wide range of notes. Each wolf’s howl is distinct, which seems to suggest that individual wolves can be identified by their vocalizations. Specialists feel that wolves howl for a number of reasons: to reassemble the pack after they have been scattered during a hunt, to advertise territory, or simply to perform a collective celebratory rite. Wolves howl both alone and in chorus, and when they howl together they avoid unison, apparently preferring chord tones.

Dogs howl much less frequently than wolves, though the sound is normal in northern breeds such as huskies and malamutes, as well as in hounds. In our kennel work, we notice that many huskies and malamutes howl shortly after their owners leave them, presumably as an expression of loneliness, and we have periodically experienced the howling of our shepherds, most frequently while we ourselves are singing. Evidently the harmonies they hear encourage them to join in with their own notes.

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THE FOUNDATIONS OF TRAINING

The first months of puppy rearing pass so quickly that before you know it your puppy is practically full-grown. From adoption to six months of age, your pup will grow to three-quarters of his adult size and pass through a series of developmental stages that will have a strong effect on his future behavior. Do not let this growth catch you off guard. Understanding how this period of development unfolds will allow you to anticipate your pup’s behavior and plan effective training methods. You must learn to harmonize your handling of your pup with the particular stage of growth he has reached, thus giving him the best chance of maturing into a happy, well-adjusted companion.

The Socialization Period Concludes

As we have seen, most people adopt their pups between seven and ten weeks, in the middle of the socialization period. Because of this timing, new owners often notice their pups manifesting fear and avoidance shortly after being brought home, usually in connection with new experiences. This fear/avoidance period (eight to ten weeks) is a normal part of socialization and is indirectly responsible for puppies’ bonding quickly with new owners. A puppy who experiences this touch of insecurity tends to seek the presence and security of his owner; he gladly follows you around and stays by your side.

Through this close contact the puppy’s self-confidence grows steadily, so that when he enters the final two weeks of the socialization period (ten to twelve weeks) he acts like a little adult. This is a particularly enjoyable time to spend with your pup. He learns quickly yet still looks upon you as the central figure in his life. Occasions of fearfulness are infrequent. Even though the pup appears to be well-adjusted, it is important not to adopt a careless, laissez-faire attitude with him. Within the parameters of safety, you should continue intensive socializing: invite friends and neighbors to your house to meet your puppy. Be sure to plan these encounters ahead of time so that your friends will know what to do. A good practice is to set up a greeting routine that your pup will quickly become accustomed to. When the doorbell rings, bring your puppy to the door on a leash, so that he is under control. After you open the door and greet your friend, have the person crouch down to meet your puppy, praising him in a pleasant voice. It is much easier for pups to approach a crouching figure than a person who is towering over them. Make sure your guest makes no sudden movements toward the pup that could be frightening.

Also, take the puppy on short car trips around the neighborhood to get him accustomed to the car. Use a portable crate (or have a friend stay in the backseat with him), and keep the trips short enough so that he does not get sick. If you follow up each excursion with praise and a session of play, he will learn to associate the car with a pleasant experience. Pups who are conditioned to riding in the car early in life become quitecomfortable as adults and rarely have difficulties with motion sickness.

If you can walk him safely (remember, until your pup is fully immunized you must be careful about exposing him to other dogs and areas where animals defecate), let him explore the area around your house while on-leash, and take him to meet people in the neighborhood, especially children. We cannot overemphasize the importance of socialization: providing your pup with as many new experiences as possible should be a major priority for you at this time in his life. This also includes conditioning to a wide variety of common household appliances: electric blender, dishwasher, garage-door opener, waste-disposal system, and vacuum cleaner. Keep the initial exposures gentle, switching on the appliance when your pup is well away from it and letting him make a gradual approach. Do not force or drag him. Instead, let your pup get accustomed to the noise and movement in his own time.

These daily episodes of socializing build his self-confidence and foster a healthy attitude toward life. Also, if you have not already started to teach your pup basic obedience exercises (see chapter fifteen), now is the time. Although a puppy at this age has a short attention span and requires plenty of patience, he is quite capable of learning and will benefit from short training sessions that are kept positive and nonpunitive.The above holds true for city pups as well, though it is easy to imagine how socializing a puppy under these circumstances can be a real challenge. Since urban apartment dwellers most likely will not be walking their puppies in public until at least sixteen weeks of age, they must provide safe alternative social experiences. Why sixteen weeks? Because many city veterinarians worry about the risks of allowing puppies to interact before they have completed their full cycle of vaccinations. The primary concern is canine parvovirus, a potentially lethal disease that is contracted when an unprotected puppy comes in contact with infected feces or with other contaminated organic material such as soil, where the virus can survive for more than a year. With the high population of dogs in our cities, the parvovirus threat on the street is very real. An even greater risk, however, is that of an undersocialized pup being euthanized or surrendered because he exhibits serious behavior problems related to lack of socializing. Since the critical socialization period ends at fourteen weeks, it is vital that newly adopted puppies be thoroughly socialized from the day they come into your life. Quite literally their lives may depend on it.

Fortunately, city owners are not without viable options to safely accomplish this. For clients living in apartments without private yards, we recommend several procedures to ensure proper socializing without jeopardizing a puppy’s health. As part of your daily routine, take your pup on walks around the neighborhood, using a large tote bag in which the pup can be comfortably carried. Small and medium-size breeds have no difficulty fitting in these kinds of carryalls throughout puppyhood, and large breeds can be easily carried until they are between ten and twelve weeks of age. Toting your pup around prevents him from coming into contact with urine and feces while also exposing him to the sights and sounds of city life. Urban puppies have to get used to honking horns, jackhammers, sirens, and busy traffic, as well as to large crowds of people walking along sidewalks. Often if an owner is sitting with a puppy on a park bench, people will ask to meet or pet the pup. These experiences will provide your dog with controlled exposure to the world and will nurture his normal development.

Another safe socializing exercise for pups in cities involves using the lobby area of your apartment building for random encounters with all sorts of people. With your pup on a leash, you can walk him around the lobby, letting him investigate and mingle naturally with the whole environment. Simply offering your pup the opportunity to see people coming in and out of the building has a very beneficial effect. If people come over to greet or admire your dog, introduce your puppy to them, taking care not to allow him to jump up. After the adjustment of the first several days, you can invite friends and relatives over to meet your puppy. This step is extremely important if a large number of your pup’s social experiences prior to sixteen weeks of age will occur in your apartment.

Finally, puppy classes are widely available for socialization purposes, although the safety of these has been called into question. Some veterinarians caution their clients not to participate until their pup’s vaccinations are complete. In a roundtable discussion sponsored by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) and printed in the December 2009 issue of Veterinary Medicine, four veterinarians with expertise in animal behavior weighed in on the risks versus the benefits of puppy classes. Without exception, each of these experts underscored the importance of early socializing in puppy development, the minimal safety risks associated with attending puppy classes before the full cycle of vaccinations has been completed, and the absolute benefits to puppies in participating. The veterinarians believed that getting puppies properly socialized was paramount, even with the potential health risks of puppy classes. They discussed the safety protocols that most puppy classes have in place—such as requiring vaccinations (i.e., those appropriate for the age of each puppy), health certificates, and good hygiene, and not allowing ill puppies to attend class—and they reported the few, if any, instances of serious sickness they had witnessed as a result of puppy classes. They alsoencouraged socialization dates in safe areas with adult dogs who are known to be healthy and who are friendly with puppies, as well as car rides that can expose pups to a broad number of sights and sounds. The experts discouraged visiting dog parks and walking on sidewalks until a pup’s vaccinations are completed at sixteen weeks of age.

The Juvenile Period (12 Weeks to Sexual Maturity)

The juvenile period of development corresponds to that time in the wild when wolf puppies make their first excursions away from the nest area, showing a new curiosity about their surrounding environment. They become increasingly independent, and existing behavior patterns are refined as the pups grow in strength and skill. Prior to this, the pups have stayed within twenty yards of the nest, and their primary focus has been their mother. Now that changes: the nest is abandoned and the pups are taken to “rendezvous” sites, where they stay while the pack is hunting elsewhere. At these sites, which can be as large as a half acre, they become adventuresome and begin learning how to hunt, practicing on field mice and other small animals. Their running skills improve steadily, and their gait progresses from awkward bunny-hopping to a smoother, more coordinated trot. This results in greater stamina and higher activity levels. Social behavior also matures: by fourteen weeks the dominance order of the litter is fixed and the pups have developed a keen sense of their rank and status within the pack. Over the following months their permanent teeth will come in, and they will be introduced gradually to adult life—hunting with the pack around ten months of age, when their bodies have grown strong enough.

These same behavioral changes occur in the life of your puppy, though they can make for trying times in a domestic context. Many owners are quite unprepared for the challenge of these months, when puppy behavior fluctuates dramatically. Beginning at thirteen weeks, a pup will show more pronounced expressions of independence: the dog who only last week was your shadow, who seemed well on his way to being trained, now begins to ignore you when you call, and during training and play sessions you have to work extra hard to keep his attention. His rapid growth produces a corresponding increase in activity that makes him highly excitable and difficult to manage. While he does need plenty of exercise, for most owners this translates into walks with lots of pulling and lunging. Bad habits develop quickly. When guests come to the house, the juvenile pup turns into a juvenile delinquent, jumping up and making himself a pest, continually demanding attention. It is also common for pups of this age to become very mouthy, so that by the teething period (four to six months), they are chewing on everything, people included. To top things off, your puppy will probably go through a second fear period, when his behavior will swing from being independent and bratty (twelve to fourteen weeks) to periodically cautious and fearful (sixteen to twenty-four weeks), even of things with which he had formerly been comfortable.

Patience alone is not sufficient to get through these months. Now, more than ever, your pupneeds the guiding, stabilizing presence of a competent and understanding pack leader (see chapter fourteen). Take an active role in this process. Preliminary training, appropriate discipline, and a reassuring attitude are all key elements in helping your pup through this challenging period of his life. Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make with your pup is to put off this early training under the mistaken assumption that training should occur after six months. This common misunderstanding is responsible for all sorts of unnecessary behavior problems. When owners fail to begin puppy training as soon as they adopt their pup, the dog begins to train himself. After several months of the pup doing as he pleases, “untraining” will most likely involve sterner techniques that, while effective, could have been avoided had puppy training begun immediately. To illustrate this, we bring you the case of Rory.

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HOUSE-TRAINING AND PRELIMINARY OBEDIENCE EXERCISES

During the first days, your most pressing task is to see that your puppy acquires proper elimination habits. Nothing is so tiresome as a dog who has not learned to use her designated area for elimination: in fact, statistics show that more puppies are abandoned every year because of house-training problems than for any other reason. You should harbor no illusions about this—starting off house-training correctly is one of the pillars of a healthy relationship with your pup, and it is your responsibility to follow sensible guidelines to establish good habits.

Fortunately, there are natural instincts in dogs that, when combined with understanding and consistency on your part, make house-training a relatively straightforward process. Dogs who are raised properly as young puppies have an innate tendency to keep their den areas clean. As we have seen, pups instinctively move away from the nest to eliminate. In doing this, they naturally create “scent posts,” or places where they will consistently eliminate. Whenever dogs urinate or defecate, scent chemicals called pheromones are also passed with the waste. When pups smell these on subsequent occasions, it triggers an eliminative reflex that disposes them to repeat the process. Besides being a necessary bodily function, this activity also develops into a form of social communication with other dogs. A pup defines her territory by leaving these scent marks for herself and other canines to sniff out. When your puppy smells her own mark, she repeats the “marking” and makes a habit of using the same area for elimination.

Understanding this allows us to devise a preventive, humane, and effective approach to house-training, outlined below, that avoids the common mistakes new owners make and is in harmony with a pup’s natural instincts. Successful house-training depends on several things: sound behavioral principles; a balanced, nutritious diet that produces firm stools; and faithful attention paid by you. The following guidelines will provide you with an integrated program to house-train an eight-to ten-week-old puppy in one to three weeks and help you prepare for the time when your dog can be trusted alone in your house.

Using a Crate

We are decidedly in favor of crate-training puppies. Though many of our clients are initially horrified at the prospect of using such “barbaric, medieval devices” to stuff their puppies into, once they come to understand a crate from a dog’s perspective, their attitude changes.

All canines are den animals; they naturally seek out spots for rest that are sheltered and secure. This is why family dogs often lie under dining room tables, beneath beds, or in dark closets: they are simply following a deep-seated den instinct.

By using a crate, you provide your pup with her own den and capitalize on her innatetendency to keep this area clean. This is why house-training with a crate is so sensible. A puppy kept in her den for a reasonable length of time (no more than three hours at a stretch during the day) will refrain from soiling and will learn to hold herself until you let her out. Consistently doing this helps your pup quickly acquire a regular schedule for elimination.

Crates come in different sizes. We prefer using airline shipping crates because they are safe and form a denlike atmosphere that is more naturally calming to puppies with a tendency toward separation anxiety. Open wire crates, while convenient because they can fold up, are less denlike, and pups might catch a dewclaw on the wire. In terms of size, use a crate that has enough room for your pup to stand up and turn around. Anything larger than that invites problems. To a puppy, a large crate is like having a master bedroom with a bathroom: she can easily sleep in one end and piddle in the other. However, if you have a pup who is going to grow quickly, you’ll soon need the larger version; spending money on several different crates during puppyhood can be costly, so what do you do? The solution is to purchase a “crate divider” at your local pet store so that you can temporarily reduce the size of the crate until you need the extra space.

There are other benefits to crating. A crate prevents a young pup from getting into mischief when you cannot watch her and confines her chewing to objects you have provided. Also, it is ideal for transporting your puppy by car, keeping her safe from sudden stops and swerves, as well as providing safekeeping whenever you stay at motels. Crates are also convenient when your pup has to stay with a pet-sitter, since inevitably there will be occasions when you will not be able to be with her. Having a crate simplifies these situations and provides your puppy with a familiar spot where she will always be comfortable.

Introducing Your Pup to a Crate

As with all things in puppyhood, it is important to work gradually. Go out of your way to make her first experience with the crate a pleasant one. Begin by placing an old blanket over the floor of the crate. Never force a puppy in, shut the door, and leave during the first session. Instead, allow your pup to explore around the object. Then place several pieces of kibble inside as your puppy watches. If she goes into the crate after the food, praise her enthusiastically. If not, try luring her in with a scented object or high-value treat such as a bully stick.* If even that fails, gently lift the pup up and place her inside the crate, without shutting the door. You can pet the pup if she needs reassurance. Next, call your dog out and praise her when she comes to you. Repeat this for several minutes. Assuming that your pup shows no signs of disturbance, try closing the door for a minute. Conclude the session by opening the door and praising her.

The next time you feed your pup, do so inside the crate, luring her in with her bowl, then closing the door. When she finishes, your dog may start whining and barking to get out. This should be discouraged by firmly striking the front of the door with your hand and saying no in a deep voice. Wait for your pup to be quiet for fiveminutes before opening the door and escorting her out to her soiling area to eliminate.

As your puppy becomes comfortable with the crate, you can increase the time that she spends there. You should realize, however, that it is important not to overuse it. Your pup should not live in her crate; she should live with you. Let her spend periods of time there when she cannot be watched; when she is resting, eating, or traveling; and while she is being house-trained, since during this time staying in the crate will teach her to hold herself. Used this way, a crate is an important aid in your pup’s adjustment to her new life.

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A NEW BEGINNING

The day you go to get your new puppy always has a bit of magic about it. It is a day of anticipation and excitement, dreams and possibilities, hopes and aspirations. Puppies have a way of reducing even the most serious adult to spontaneous displays of childlike delight. This is part of their charm. A puppy touches something very deep in us, and when we first hold one in our arms it is easy to be swept away with blind enthusiasm. Who would suspect the challenge that awaits us?

Nevertheless, a puppy’s “magic” is deceiving. Whether this day is truly blessed remains to be seen, and so we offer a word of caution: enthusiasm that is not grounded in reality—not supported by knowledge and understanding—has a way of fizzling when ordinary problems develop. Once the puppy passes the novelty stage, once he becomes a familiar part of your household, the true nature of the relationship becomes apparent, and second thoughts may arise. New owners can quickly lose interest. Always keep in mind that a sustained relationship requires a more substantial foundation than mere enthusiasm.

Beyond the joy and emotion of getting a puppy—beyond the good feelings this new bundle of life inspires in us—lies a deeper, more profound reality that should be the anchor of any relationship with a dog: adoption. Adopting a puppy means bringing him into the heart of your home, and developing a healthy relationship demands plenty of hard work and dedication from you—especially now, at the beginning. The day you adopt a puppy begins a new phase in his existence, one rooted in his earliest experiences yet now poised to take fresh expression in your life. How he develops now depends largely on you. The puppy is no longer the breeder’s, no longer his mother’s. Today he becomes your puppy, a new member of your family, and this means you become parent, companion, pack leader—the puppy’s closest friend.

If this sounds sentimental or idealistic to you, think again. Canines are among the most sociable species in the animal kingdom. Whereas a wolf pup is naturally integrated into the wider pack with his brothers and sisters, your pup does not have that possibility. Instead, he adapts himself by establishing his closest social bonds with you and those you live with, treating all of you as his fellow pack members. It is now up to you to teach your pup his proper role in your pack family, a process that begins the moment you adopt him.

As we have seen over and over again, a puppy builds on previous experiences, and this is especially true of his first few days in your home. Good habits start from the beginning. Planning ahead, taking the time and energy necessary to help your pup make a smooth transition to his new home, increases the probability that his good behavior will continue to develop into maturity. The opposite is also true. High amounts of stress, careless house-training procedures, pampering, and improper discipline, to name just a few potential problems, can get the relationship off to a rocky start and lead to serious problems later on. Since it is reasonable to assume that this puppy will be an intimate part of your life for the next ten to fifteen years, you should put serious thought and effort into these first few days in order to establish a sound framework for the future.

With this in mind, let us take a detailed look at your pup’s first few days with you. During this time, the guiding principle should be to minimize unnecessarily stressful experiences and to establish a natural rhythm to which your puppy can easily adjust. Since there is so much to remember, having a clear set of guidelines will help bring order and understanding to a potentially chaotic period and reduce stress for you and your puppy. The following suggestions will get you and your dog off to a good start, one that you will appreciate in the months and years to come. “In my beginning is my end.”

At the Breeder’s

A puppy should be adopted only when someone can stay with him most of the time during the first week to promote house-training and socialization. This may mean sacrificing a week of vacation; however, the long-term benefits make it worthwhile. Speak with the breeder in advance and arrange to pick up your puppy on the morning of the first day of a long weekend or planned vacation. This will allow the puppy to spend most of the first day with you and will hasten his adjustment to both you and your home.

Ask your breeder not to give the puppy food or water on the morning of pickup. Most do this routinely, but it is best to confirm. Fasting will not harm the pup and reduces the likelihood that he will get carsick and vomit on the way home. Also, we advise that you bring at least one other adult with you, since it is difficult to drive and watch the puppy at the same time. If you have a long trip ahead of you, you might consider carrying a crate in the car; however, if you do this, you should have the breeder expose the pup to a crate several days beforehand.

If your puppy has already been selected for you, you will naturally want to spend some time with him when you arrive at the breeder’s. When you first meet your pup, sit or crouch down to his level and start playing with him. We like clients to take ten or fifteen minutes to make friends with the pup before we start answering particular questions and going over the necessary paperwork. This gives the new owners’ initial excitement and anticipation a chance to subside and helps everyone pay closer attention to instructions during the interview.

New owners ordinarily have lots of questions for the breeder, so it is wise to make a list of them beforehand. In addition to specific questions about the way the puppy was raised and the type of personality he possesses (in the litter as well as by himself), you should ask how he scored on his Puppy Aptitude Test (see appendix). The results will suggest specific guidelines for handling your particular pup andwill help you avoid management errors during the first weeks.

Make sure that you get a written record of the immunizations and wormings your puppy has received. If your pup is purebred, you should be given a copy of his pedigree and the AKC registration slip. Though you may have a particular type of dog food in mind for your pup, it is always best to continue feeding the brand that the puppy is currently eating for several more days, gradually changing to the new brand. Sudden shifts in diet add stress and can lead to diarrhea or loss of appetite. If you do not plan to use the brand chosen by the breeder, ask if he can give you several days’ supply to help with the weaning process.

The Ride Home

Keep the ride home as relaxed and low-key as possible, allowing whoever accompanied you to do the driving. Unless you are using a dog crate, cover your lap and the seating area next to you with a towel or old bedsheet in case the puppy gets carsick. Let the pup ride in either location, and keep one hand in gentle contact with him. It is best to avoid any kind of coddling or doting behavior, especially if the pup starts to whine, since this only reinforces whining as an attention-getting behavior. A certain amount of whimpering is to be expected; if things get too noisy, try putting the pup on the floor between your feet: the vibrations of the car often have a calming effect. Do not punish the pup for whining or vomiting. On the way home, stop periodically and let the puppy stretch his legs, but stay away from any area that is frequented by other dogs, since your pup is not yet fully vaccinated and is vulnerable to contagious diseases.

Introduction to the House

When you arrive home, first take the puppy outdoors to the spot you have chosen for his soiling area and wait for him to eliminate. Normally after a car ride the puppy will have to relieve himself, and when he does so, be sure to praise him enthusiastically. Then bring the puppy into the house and allow him to walk around and explore, keeping an eye on him from a distance. Do not be surprised if the pup seems a little disoriented at first. Even the most outgoing puppy will experience strain or confusion in a strange environment, separated from his littermates. Be calm and reassuring, and allow the pup to adjust at his own pace.

If, while exploring, the puppy shows interest in chewing something inappropriate, gently distract him by focusing his attention on a squeak toy or meat-scented nylon bone. Do not discipline the pup at this time. Should your dog not seem interested in the toy or bone, entice him with some play-inducing gestures such as quick clapping or rubbing your hands along the floor. If he starts to follow you around the house, encourage him. Tap the side of your leg (or jingle keys if the pup is used to them) and call his name as you walk, praising him as he comes along and investigates the different rooms. During these first days, whenever your pup begins to focus his attention on you—either to follow or simply tolook up at you—say his name in a cheerful, pleasant tone that encourages him to hold eye contact. These simple dominance exercises quickly teach your pup his name while presenting you as his leader in a way that builds confidence and trust. Conclude the session by crouching down and playing with him on his level for a while.

Keep the introduction to your household quiet and unforced, allowing the process of bonding to develop in a relaxed and gradual manner. For the first few days, it is important not to overwhelm the puppy with visitors who are curious about the new arrival. Don’t introduce your pup to friends and relatives until you are certain he has made a smooth transition, usually after two or three days. Then you may initiate a variety of important socializing experiences, described later.

Usually puppies are not interested in eating as soon as they get home, since everything is unfamiliar. Hold off feeding your puppy for at least a couple of hours until he has begun to settle down. Then offer him some food, and when he has finished eating, take him out to his soiling area and wait for him to eliminate. Puppies typically have to urinate and/or defecate following eating and drinking, waking (short naps included), vigorous play, and chewing a bone. If the pup has not eliminated after ten to fifteen minutes, take him back into the house for several minutes and then try again. Repeat this procedure as necessary. When he does finish, praise the puppy and again bring him into the house. He should now be ready for a nap.

Young puppies require plenty of sleep and should have several naps during the day. Choose an area that is safe for the pup when he cannot be supervised and that is not isolated from family activity. Usually the best location for this is the kitchen, since it is large enough for the dog to move around in and can be easily blocked off with one or two gates. Make sure the area is puppy-proofed for anything that could be dangerous, such as electric cords, small and chewable objects (rubber galoshes, shoes, etc.), and anything made of wood. We also recommend adding a shipping crate to serve as the pup’s den during the day. As described in the next chapter, throughout the early stages of house-training you will be keeping your pup alternately in either of these two confined areas. For this first nap, leave the door of the crate open (you can tie it so that it does not shut if the pup knocks into it) and place comfortable bedding or fake fur in the crate itself. Puppies will naturally seek the security of the den atmosphere on their own. Do not be concerned if the pup initially starts to whine in his confined area; wait for him to relax and fall asleep and then periodically check on him to see when he wakes. At that time, take the puppy out to his soiling area and let him eliminate.

During these first few days, you will need to pick the puppy up from time to time to help him get around; young puppies are rarely conditioned to a leash at the breeder’s, and it may take at least several days for the dog to be relaxed with the lead. While you should encourage a pup to walk on his own whenever possible, unfamiliar experiences such as going up stairs may initially require some help. There is a right and a wrong way to pick up your puppy.

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FIRST THINGS FIRST

If you choose to go with a breeder, you may have to wait a while before getting your puppy. Often the pups you see during preliminary visits are already spoken for, and your dog will come from a future breeding. This is just as well, for you can use this time for preparation and learning. Your breeder can recommend books on the breed as well as on general dog care and training, such as this one. You should also look for books on your own, choosing those that cover puppy behavior and training. Different approaches provide different insights, and no one book can ever give the last word on training.

During the waiting period, you may find it helpful to observe some local KPT (Kindergarten Puppy Training) and obedience classes to get a feel for what is involved in these types of training. Without the distraction of a puppy of your own, you can learn a lot just by watching different owners and their dogs and listening to the trainers. At local obedience trials you can see the actual results of conscientious obedience training. A well-trained dog at work is certainly a beautiful sight, and it is worthwhile to see for yourself the successful and harmonious interaction of dog and trainer. Check with local obedience clubs for the dates of trials taking place in your area, and make it a point to attend one for some firsthand experience.

Preparation

When you hear that your puppy will soon be ready to come home, you should make some specific preparations. Before you actually pick up your new dog, gather the household members together to discuss future responsibilities for the pup. Make sure that everyone is clear about how the puppy is to be managed, since owner consistency is one of the biggest factors in a smooth adjustment to the home. The separation of your puppy from her littermates will be stressful; everything familiar will be gone. Conflicting signals from different members of the household will only compound this distress. Consistent handling will prevent confusion and give the puppy a clear set of expectations right from the start.

To accomplish this, you should set up some basic ground rules: How many times a day will the pup be fed, walked, and played with? Who will do this? Where will the dog eliminate? Which rooms of the house will the pup be allowed into, and where will she be kept when she cannot be supervised? Where will she sleep? It is best to resolve all of these issues before the arrival of the puppy.

If there are young children in the house, discuss with them their role in welcoming the new pup to her home. Both before and after adopting a pup, owners must educate their children in proper behavior. Kids have a tendency to maul puppies and to contribute to stress by squealing, roughhousing, hugging, kissing, and teasing. Explain to them that it will take severaldays for the puppy to get used to her home, and that during that time they will have to be calm and quiet around their new friend.

It is best to plan on having the puppy arrive during a vacation, when someone can be with her most of the time for the first week or two. Most puppies are adopted either just prior to or during the fear period (eight to ten weeks), when a close bond with a new owner can most naturally develop. Take advantage of this. It is never wise to leave a new puppy alone for large blocks of time when you first adopt her, since the stress of such abandonment can lead to serious problems.

Naming

It is best to decide on a name for your puppy prior to her arrival in your house. Why not spend some time considering the different possibilities and including everyone in the decision making? Though picking a name is enjoyable, do not take it lightly, since the name is the doorway to communication with your pup. It not only reflects a dog’s individuality but reveals the way you look at her.

This is worth serious consideration. Many people do not realize when choosing a name that dogs are not people. A dog does not understand a name the way we do. She does not identify herself with it or take her self-identity from it. She recognizes the particular sound we have imposed on her only as a call to attention, having learned to associate it with our desire for attentiveness. A dog, then, makes no judgment regarding her name. Thus its poetic qualities or psychological associations are important only for us, in serving as a sign of our mental and emotional bond with our dog.

Instead of choosing human names for our pups, we should select those that speak to a dog as a dog yet respect her own dignity and uniqueness. Otherwise we can easily fall into the trap of giving her human status. The dog becomes one of us, a “Fred,” an “Oscar,” or a “Betty,” and we end up anthropomorphizing our pets, forgetting how differently they see things.

The chief rule is to pick a name that is easy for the pup to understand and for you to pronounce. In general, we suggest short, two-syllable names that end in a long vowel sound or a soft A (for example, Nero, Anka, Ola, Ivy), because they are clear and easy for the pup to distinguish. This allows the puppy to tune in to you quickly and is essential later on when you are teaching obedience, especially the recall.

Naturally, you should avoid names that rhyme with or sound like obedience commands. Also, do not select a name more than three syllables long—complex and exotic monikers can be clumsy or confusing and often must be repeated. Similarly, we find excessively sweet or joke names totally inappropriate for a dog. Dogs are remarkably intuitive; they sense when they are being made fun of or when they are the objects of suffocating sentimentality. When you choose a name that wears well and reflects common sense, you and your pup will be the better for it.Though you should avoid the temptation to go out and spend a fortune on equipment for your new pup, it is still a good idea to have a number of essential items on hand before you bring your puppy home. These include food and water bowls, collars and a leash, grooming tools, a shipping crate (our preference) or metal cage, a deodorizer/cleaner, and toys. Do not wait until you already have the puppy to acquire these items, since you will need them right from the start. Try a pet-supply store or mail-order catalog as opposed to a department or hardware store—the former’s products are usually sturdier and of better quality.

Food and Water Bowls We recommend tip-proof bowls, either in heavy ceramic or stainless steel. Make sure the bowls are big enough for the puppy to use when he grows up. Beware of cheap plastic or metal bowls—if the puppy starts chewing on them, they can splinter or develop jagged edges. Remember that certain breeds with long, floppy ears (like hounds and spaniels) do best with a specially tapered bowl that prevents the ears from resting in it as the pup eats or drinks.

Collars and Leash Most puppies grow quickly. By the time they are adults, medium-to large-size dogs have outgrown at least two collars and two leashes, so keep your initial purchases simple. We suggest two collars to start with: a flat nylon or rounded leather collar to hold an identification tag and dog license (in case your puppy gets lost), and an appropriately sized martingale limited slip collar. Martingale collars have two loops: the smaller is the governing loop that tightens the larger one when a puppy tries to slip out of the collar or resist leash-walking. In principle, this works like a prong collar, applying limited, even pressure around the pup’s neck. If you need more control later, as the puppy matures, you can move to a snap-around nylon training collar or a Good Dog modified prong collar (see below).

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FINDING YOUR PUPPY

Once you decide on a particular breed, you should explore all reasonable sources for obtaining your new pup. Locate the quality breeders in your area, but also be aware of breed-rescue groups and animal shelters as possible sources for a good pup. Both breeders and rescuers can offer good reasons for why you might want to get a puppy from them, so it is wise to keep an open mind, particularly in the planning stages. Also, while the Internet can be a valuable tool to expand your search, it is always preferable to adopt your puppy by personal contact, so that you can see the context from which the puppy is coming to you. You should also understand that puppy mills often sell dogs online with slick, enticing websites that disguise their true “pedigree” by posing as small family breeders. Be wary. Don’t be deceived by cute photographs designed to tug at your heartstrings and lead you to make an impulsive purchase. Buying from such disreputable sources only perpetuates the cycle of abuse. And, more personally, a problematic pup can be a huge drain on your time, money, and emotions. To help you avoid these issues and make a responsible choice, we have laid out the following guidelines.

Finding a Good Breeder

Although you may have avoided pet stores and puppy mills, you should also be aware that someone who hangs out a shingle saying BREEDER OF PREMIUM… should not necessarily be believed at face value. It makes sense to deal only with breeders who have established reputations for high-quality dogs and client satisfaction. In addition to checking with local veterinarians and trainers, you can contact the AKC or the national club of the breed you are interested in for a list of registered breeders in your area. As we have mentioned, another good way to make personal connections with breeders (at the same time as seeing the dogs they have bred) is to attend an official dog show. While breeders won’t be able to spend a lot of time with you at the actual event, you can get a general impression and find out how to follow up afterward.

Be methodical in this process. While we’re not suggesting you have a skeptical, adversarial attitude, we believe it is wise to get as broad a perspective as possible before settling on a particular breeder. Visit several breeders and meet as many of their adult dogs as possible. Compare the various dogs to each other and weigh the different conditions in which they are kept. What strikes you about the dogs’ appearance and temperament? Do they seem well-socialized and healthy? In speaking with breeders, you should try to get an idea of how long they’ve been breeding, how many dogs they care for, and how many litters they average a year. Breeders must have a good understanding of the potential health issues of the breed and be able to explain what they’ve done to prevent such problems in their lines. For example, a German shepherd breeder should speak honestly about hip and elbow dysplasia, and should breed only dogs who are free of either condition.

If there are puppies on the premises, it is quite normal for you to be shown the litter. However, do not expect to handle the pups, for the conscientious breeder will be aware of the risks of transmitting diseases before the dogs are fully vaccinated. Instead, observe the pups in their pens and ask how they are being raised and what sort of socializing they receive. The breeder should also be able to discuss vaccinations and worming scheduling and explain what sort of food the pups eat and why. You can expect healthy pups to appear curious and lively, with glossy coats and clear eyes. Be wary of breeders whose kennels are a mess. Central to the overall quality of any breeding program is the cleanliness of the kennel. Filthy conditions often mean unhealthy dogs, and puppies who are vulnerable to infectious diseases such as parvovirus and coccidiosis. There also might be behavioral side effects, such as coprophagy and house-training problems. So remember, a dirty, disorganized kennel not only reflects badly on the breeder but could spell future health and behavioral issues as well.

When all is said and done, you should expect that a good breeder

will be able to show you a clean environment, healthy puppies, and adult breeding dogs with sound temperaments.

will be knowledgeable and sensitive to health and behavioral issues within the breed and will always use only OFA-certified breeding animals.*

will place pups in their new homes between eight and ten weeks of age.

will belong to his or her national breed club (for example, the German Shepherd Dog Club of America) and likely be involved in showing dogs in obedience, conformation, and/or field trials.

will provide you with a signed contract that explains mutual responsibilities.

will allow you to return a puppy if a veterinary examination reveals a problem (usually within forty-eight hours of purchase), and will have a sales policy that gives you the right to return a puppy with a serious genetic health problem or genetically unsound temperament within the first year.

Most important, however, the breeder will be interested in you. Good breeders understand the importance of positive relationships with their clients and will not place their puppies with just anyone. They are concerned that the pups go to good homes, and they will spend time planning matchups based on personal interviews and detailed application forms. For this reason, reputable breeders generally prefer to select puppies for their client instead of relying on the client’s choice, which can be overly emotional and misguided. Not only has the breeder been living with the puppies for two months and thus gotten to know them well but his or herexperience in placement is usually more objective and will serve the client’s needs better.

Adopting a puppy from a breeder is much more than a standard business transaction. The pup you take home with you is a living creature who will have a profound effect on your life, so it pays to be careful. If you find a breeder who fits the profile described above, you have an excellent chance of getting a puppy you can live and work with successfully.

Obtaining Your Puppy Through Breed Rescue

Another excellent option for obtaining a purebred puppy is by contacting a breed-rescue organization. Most AKC-recognized breeds have such groups that are dedicated to finding good homes for the dogs they care for and are relatively easy to find on the Internet. If you take the time to do your research and are willing to wait as long as it takes for an appropriate pup to become available, you can increase the likelihood of bringing a wonderful dog into your life. Reputable breed-rescue groups provide a vital service in rehoming purebreds who, for whatever reason, are given up for adoption. Perhaps the original owners had an unavoidable change in life circumstances, such as relocation or death. Other cases are more tragic, as when a dog has been abandoned by an owner who simply didn’t have the knowledge or patience to deal with a treatable health or behavior issue. No matter the background, once the rescue organization deems the individual dog or puppy “adoptable” and he or she has been neutered or spayed, the animal goes into a temporary foster home. Depending on the skills of the foster parent, this often includes training and rehabilitation work that will increase the chances of permanent rehoming.

Don’t be surprised or put off by extensive questioning about your ability to care for the dog. Reputable breed rescues are run by people who love their chosen breed. They are not in this for the money and simply want to ensure that the adoption is mutually beneficial and that the dog doesn’t get “recycled.” Sometimes rescuers will ask to visit your home to check out your living circumstances. For your part, you have the right to confirm that the rescue organization has 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, all pertinent health records, a basic understanding of the breed, and some sort of temperament evaluation that indicates why they believe the dog is a good match for you. Usually they will also have a clause in the contract stipulating that should the adoption not work out, the dog will be returned.

Something to be aware of: often the dogs at breed rescues are either older pups, at least five or six months of age, or older adult dogs. For some people this is ideal, as often the pup is house-trained. Then again, some prefer to raise the pup themselves and not inherit other people’s mistakes. Young pups are placed almost as quickly as they come in, so ask to be put on a waiting list—that way you’ll be contacted as soon as a pup becomes available. But you may have to be patient if you want a puppy younger than twelve weeks.

For the client who may not be able to afford the price of a good breeder and who can wait for an appropriate pup, breed rescue is a very worthy means of adopting

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DECIDING TO ADOPT A PUPPY

To form a healthy bond with someone requires that we take into consideration the genuine needs and possibilities of the other. This is true not only of people but of dogs. Certainly dogs should not be thought of as human, but they still have a unique value of their own. Many people fail to recognize that having a dog involves what any true relationship requires. We are most successful at adopting and raising a puppy when we build on a clear-sighted respect for the kind of creature a dog is; then we can understand and accept the responsibilities of caring for one properly. Such an attitude flies in the face of the me mentality, a one-dimensional mind-set that fails to respect a dog in its integrity as a dog and instead sees it only in terms of one’s own wants and desires.

So before you rush out to adopt a pup, we recommend that you step back for a moment to challenge yourself and your family on the seriousness of this step. Play devil’s advocate! Examine your motives. Why do you want a dog? What type of owner will you be? What are you prepared to give your dog in return for the pleasure of her company? Far better to raise the issue of responsibility and care before you get a pup than to learn of your mistake later, when you have a twelve-week-old puppy who is suddenly making demands on you… at 3:00 in the morning!

The One-dimensional Owner

Recently we received a call from a married couple inquiring whether we could find a new home for their five-month-old German shepherd puppy, Wolf, whom they were no longer able to keep. Though we explained that we did not offer that type of service, we asked them why they were giving up on their puppy. Embarrassed, the husband said he and his wife lived in a suburb of a large city and had adopted their pup after several local burglaries convinced them that a watchdog would be desirable. They had gone to a reputable breeder and had obtained a bright, affectionate puppy who they assumed would easily meet their needs. “Yet,” the man confessed, “we had no idea what we bargained for.” This was their first dog.

Being professional people, they had to be away from the apartment at least nine hours a day. In itself, this wasn’t a problem, since Wolf had been successfully house-trained in a matter of days, and they had arranged for a dog-walker to take him out for half an hour at midday.

“Then what is the problem?” we asked.

“He won’t leave us alone,” the man replied.

Having Wolf around, he complained, was like adding four more hours to an already hectic day. When he and his wife got home from work, they wanted to relax and be with each other, yet Wolf’s need for attention made that quite impossible. “I mean, he has to be fed, walked, played with…. It’s worse than having a kid.”

“And all that licking,” the wife chimed in on the other line. “It’s disgusting! He simply won’t settle down and be a good boy. The two of us are even starting to get into arguments because of the dog, and the neighbors are complaining about his barking and whining during the day. It’s just a pain having him around. I mean, who needs it?”

What the couple discovered too late was that they did not need a dog but a high-tech alarm system. They never really wanted a dog in the first place; they only thought they did. They were unwilling to accept (because they never dreamed of it!) the real demands a puppy would make on their lives, specifically his need for love and companionship. During our conversation it became obvious that it had never occurred to them to try to see things from Wolf’s perspective, to consider his needs in the relationship. Wolf was bought for protection, period. When it became clear that Wolf’s needs exceeded what they were willing to give—that Wolf was becoming a pain, an inconvenience—their solution was to get rid of him.

This is a frequent scenario that appears in many different disguises. Though nobody intentionally obtains a dog only to keep it for several months, things can easily turn out this way. Sometimes this is caused by the onset of a specific problem behavior in the dog; at other times it is merely the result of the owner’s fading interest. The common thread in so many failed owner-dog relationships is the belated discovery that having a dog is not what the owners thought it would be. Cold reality clashes with their one-dimensional expectations, and so they bypass the responsibility by opting for the easier solution: giving up the dog.

Who Should Have a Dog?

When it comes to dogs, romanticism abounds! Certainly one of the effects television has had on our culture is to create highly idealized images of what a dog should be like. Rin Tin Tin, Lassie, Bullet, Benji, and Big Red are all presented as ideal companions who require no training and are faithfully devoted to attending to their owners’ every need. They never have soiling “accidents,” they do not need to be taken out for walks, and they are always obedient. They mind their own business when they are not wanted and are always ready to give love and affection whenit is asked of them. What could be easier or more wonderful?

The truth is that the Hollywood dog exists only in the movies. What we never hear about is the long and difficult training process these dogs go through to perform the amazing on-screen tricks and stunts, and the patience, love, and perseverance required on the part of their trainers! If you expect your puppy to rise effortlessly to the standards set by Lassie, you will be sorely disappointed.

Many people are simply unprepared for the changes that will take place in their lives once they adopt a puppy. In fact, our experience has taught us that anyone who thinks he or she wants a dog should postpone the decision until after thinking the matter through completely.

Not everyone should have a dog. Because of a variety of circumstances, many people simply do not have the time or ability to care for a puppy or even an adult dog. A pup will take us outside of ourselves and our own little world. Ordinary personal decisions that previously concerned only you or your family will now always have to take into account the presence of the puppy. Free time that was once for yourself alone must now be shared with your pup. How do you feel about that?

Caring for a dog is a lot of hard work. Canis familiaris, the pet dog, cannot attend to herself. From the moment of her adoption until the day of her death (which, barring accident or illness, can be fifteen years or more), she is a highly dependent creature who will count on you for all the essentials of canine living: food, water, shelter, exercise, training, and periodic veterinary care. But beyond these, the principal need a puppy has throughout her life is social. She requires an owner who is a companion in the fullest sense of the word. Can you see yourself or your family in such a role?

From this perspective, the old injunction is as relevant as ever: Know thyself! People who are willing to look at themselves honestly and who try to find a dog who blends in with their lifestyle and living environment stand the best chance of developing a healthy, long-term relationship with their puppy. Any normal puppy has a unique personality; he will naturally and actively seek out a relationship. Though there are a number of legitimate practical reasons for getting a pup (working, sport, show, breeding, protection, etc.), none of them should ever exclude or override the chief one: the desire for companionship and therefore the willingness to accept the obligations this entails. Taking the time to consider the choice realistically and listing the demands and responsibilities beforehand will bring rewarding results for both puppy and you.

So You Really Want a Dog?

Frequently visitors to our monastery are interested in obtaining one of our shepherds. On just such an occasion, after meeting many of our dogs and talking at length with one of the monks, a woman asked what she should do next in order to get a puppy. We explained that there would be a waiting period and that she would first have to fill out a puppy application form .This is a detailed application that we use to help match prospective customers with individual puppies. As she looked over the form, the woman expressed amazement, saying, “My heavens, you’d think I was adopting a child!”

This is precisely the point. Though a puppy is not a child, the decision to adopt one involves a similar sort of seriousness. It is entirely appropriate for breeders to question potential clients thoroughly, since their answers will help indicate what sort of puppy is best suited for them. Any conscientious breeder feels a personal sense of responsibility for the pups she has bred; her interest is less in selling them than in placing them in the right homes (that is, right for the owner and right for the puppy). Thus, if we prefer to use the term adopting a puppy instead of buying one, it is only because it puts the emphasis squarely where it belongs: bringing another member into your family.

All canids live naturally in packs, the immediate members of their social circle. With domestic dogs, those human beings with whom they live are considered fellow pack members, even if the “pack” involves only one other individual. There is nothing sentimental in regarding a new puppy as an additional member of your family: this is how he will view you.

That’s why it’s important that your choice be more than just a hit-or-miss proposition. It should involve serious thought and planning. Personal circumstances and those of the dog also must be considered. Dealing as we do with a large variety of dogs and people, we have files of case histories that repeatedly demonstrate the effects of poor selection on the human-dog relationship. Making a smart decision regarding a puppy is more complicated than most people imagine.

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TESTING THE PUPPIES

By the time the puppies are six weeks old, much of our attention is devoted to the critical issue of placement: where are they going and why? Puppy placement should never be arbitrary. Rather, it should be the result of careful consideration and planning, something that evolves out of a respect for puppy and person alike. Different pups are suited to different circumstances, and it is important for a breeder to come to an accurate appraisal of each dog’s possibilities.

You will want to consult your breeder regarding placement procedures. At New Skete we evaluate puppies in several ways. First, since we take notes on each litter from birth and are fully aware of the genetic background, we have a sizable amount of information on each pup by the time he is six and a half weeks old. His development is looked at in detail, and a general impression is formed about his adaptability to various circumstances.

We also interview many of our clients well in advance of the time they will receive their puppy. This allows us to reach a mutual agreement on the type of dog that will be best for them, as well as to measure how serious they are about certain responsibilities. Unfortunately clients are not always realistic about puppies’ true needs. For example, people often say they want a Schutzhund puppy, with no real understanding of what that means. Schutzhund is a highly challenging form of training that involves competence in three separate areas: tracking, obedience, and protection. It requires a high level of dedication and knowledge on the part of an owner and should never be undertaken without the support of a reputable club and qualified trainer. Because of its demanding nature, puppies suited for this type of work must be more confident, more competitive, more alert, and much more aggressive than the normal companion puppy. A novice handler could get far more than he bargained for by purchasing a Schutzhund puppy without a serious commitment to the sport. In the wrong hands, a strong, dominating puppy could easily develop into an overly aggressive dog with serious behavioral problems.

We strongly encourage personal interviews before the adoption of a puppy. By understanding what you are really looking for in a dog, the breeder can work more effectively to provide you with an appropriate puppy—one with whom you will be truly satisfied.

Puppy Aptitude Testing

We also administer puppy aptitude tests to each pup at seven weeks. Over the past three decades, there has been a growing appreciation among breeders of the value these tests have in determining what situations best suit each puppy. The test is intended to guide the placement process by identifying general personality traits. As an aptitude test, it allows us to evaluatepuppies on the basis of sociability, dominance, and obedience potential.

Such evaluation is nothing new. It goes back hundreds of years to cultures in which dogs were used for specific tasks: herding and guarding sheep, hunting, transporting, protecting, rescuing, even pulling carts and boats. In our mechanized and technological society it is difficult for us to appreciate the vital importance dogs once had for people’s survival. Working dogs were critical to the economic well-being of their owners, and farmers and breeders had to learn by experience how to spot puppies best suited for various tasks, as well as how to cull those who lacked promise. People had to acquire a breeder’s intuition in order to perpetuate and develop the breeding lines they were using. Puppy evaluation has long been at the heart of selective breeding and the establishment of purebred dogs.

We have used the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (see appendix) successfully for many years, finding it an invaluable aid for placing puppies in homes where they will thrive. Though no one test can ever be considered infallible, when combined with all of the previous information accumulated on each litter, the Volhard test gives a clear picture of puppy personality and potential that makes the likelihood of successful placement high.

Testing Anka’s Litter

Fifty days after the puppies are born, Debbie Collins, a friend who is unacquainted with Anka’s litter, comes to the monastery to test the pups. We always have someone do the testing who is a complete stranger to the litter, in a location the pups are unaccustomed to. This prevents biased results, since the purpose of the test is to obtain an accurate picture of each puppy’s raw temperament. Puppies will behave differently in various circumstances, but we can accurately chart a pup’s true temperament by observing her reactions during a broad spectrum of new experiences and minor stresses.

The best time to test puppies is as close to the forty-ninth day as possible. Once they are seven weeks old, EEG readings indicate that neurological development has reached adult levels, thus allowing us to obtain a true reading of their behavioral tendencies. If testing is done earlier, results will be inconclusive because neurological development is still too immature; if done later, between eight and ten weeks, pups will be in the fear period, making assessments of temperament subject to serious misinterpretation.

We conduct the test late in the morning, well after the pups have eaten, during a period when they are lively. The exam takes approximately ten minutes, and each pup is tested individually, going through all the phases in one session. To assist the tester, one of the monks watches from a hidden location and records the puppies’ responses.*

Yola is the first pup to take the test. The initial phase evaluates social attraction, testing the degree to which a puppy is willing to approach a stranger. Once Yola has been placed in the room, Debbie crouches down several feet away from her and begins clapping her hands gentlyThough Yola’s tail initially goes down, she approaches readily, and when she reaches Debbie, she circles back and forth between her legs, squirming affectionately as she is petted. This is a submissive reaction, indicating a certain lack of self-confidence that is blended with a gentle disposition toward humans. The other pups are bouncier, coming readily to Debbie with their tails wagging high and licking at her hands. Sunny even jumps and paws at Debbie’s leg, displaying a more dominant, self-confident nature. None of the pups bites at her hands.After several seconds, Debbie stands up and begins the “following” exercise, which measures the pup’s sociability as well as her willingness to accept leadership. As Debbie walks away, Yola pauses a moment, then continues after Debbie with her tail wagging gently, though she does not get underfoot. She stays behind Debbie and follows her around the room, suggesting a willingness to accept Debbie’s leadership. Kairos and Oka score about the same, while both Kipper and Sunny end up getting underfoot, a sign that could spell dominance with their future owners.

The next two phases, the restraint and social dominance tests, are given in succession and measure puppies’ tendencies toward dominance or submission, as well as their willingness to forgive. Debbie crouches down and rolls Yola over on her back, looking at her calmly. Yola remains passive, offering no resistance, and licks Debbie’s hand several times. After thirty seconds, Yola is placed upright on all fours and is stroked gently from the top of her head down to her back. During the petting, Yola licks at Debbie’s face once and seems to melt. This series of reactions shows a high degree of submissiveness and sensitivity, and suggests that Yola will be a dog who is quick to forgive after being disciplined. Her response differs from that of the other pups, who offer more initial resistance on the restraint test, struggling to escape for at least fifteen seconds before they settle. Except for Sunny. Sunny struggles and squirms to get freefor the duration, tossing his head back and forth in protest as he is held to the ground. When time is called, Debbie lets out a sigh of relief, and Sunny immediately rights himself and walks away. He comes back quickly, however, and as Debbie pets him, he jumps up toward her and starts pawing at her arm. Sunny’s response to the restraint test shows a high orientation toward dominance, and though he was forgiving after it, he was also somewhat pushy. The other pups did not show this characteristic; they simply allowed themselves to be stroked, cuddling up to Debbie to lick her face.

In the final phase of the temperament section of the test—elevation dominance—the puppy is evaluated in a situation in which she has no control. Cradling Yola with both of her hands under the rib cage, Debbie lifts her up and holds her in midair for thirty seconds. Yola shows no signs of struggle; she is passive, fully accepting of the handling. The other pups score exactly the same, even Sunny. Not one manifests any inclination to struggle, a sign that they will be easy to handle when placed in a situation such as a veterinarian’s office or a professional groomer’s parlor.

At this point, the tone of the exam shifts to obedience aptitude. The first test is a retrieval exercise and demonstrates a puppy’s willingness to work with a human being. Debbie takes a crumpled piece of paper and jiggles it playfully in front of Yola. She then tosses the paper about four feet away. Yola goes to investigate it, sniffs it for several seconds, and then returns to Debbie without having picked up the paper. This indicates a modest aptitude for obedience, since she did investigate and show some interest but did not bring the paper back. The other pups do, though not in identical ways. Kipper and Kairos trot over to the paper immediately, pick it up, and return with it to Debbie, who praises them enthusiastically. When Oka gets it, she meanders around the room, showing a little independence, but after about thirty seconds she brings it to Debbie, who is still clapping her hands and calling her. Sunny’s response is the most precocious. Running after the paper, he picks it up in his mouth and shakes it vigorously back and forth. He paces sideways for several moments, then shakes it some more and brings it back to Debbie, who praises him. All the puppies’ reactions show various degrees of obedience potential, with Oka’s response being the weakest. Her delay in bringing the paper back suggests a bit of independence that we do not see in the other pups.

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OPENING UP TO THE WORLD

Twenty-two days have passed. Thus far, the only world the puppies have known has been a small, circular nest that has stood in for the ordinary den found in the wild. For the infant pup, the nest provides the stable, confined environment required for all of his primary needs to be met.

Until now, that is.

For the past several days, the pups have been much more animated in the nest, almost restless, indicating their growing sense of confinement. With Anka spending longer periods away from them, they start pawing at the sides of the nest in an effort to follow her. This morning, Sunny finally resolves to overcome the barrier. Slowly inching his way up the side, enough to place his front paws on top of the edge, he peers over and spots Anka snoozing on her dog bed nearby. He yips impatiently but in vain; Anka ignores his calls. This is just the incentive he needs. With fearless determination and daring, he stubbornly attempts to scale the side. Hoisting himself up, his rear legs pumping wildly against the wall of the nest, he manages to clear the top, only to tumble down onto the hard floor of the whelping room. This unexpected drop elicits a series of high-pitched shrieks that rouse Anka to his aid. Licking him reassuringly, she settles down next to him and lets him nurse. Meanwhile, the commotion rouses the other pups, who now peek over the edge of the nest. They quickly become a chorus of screaming, impatient siblings. It is only a matter of time before each of them will join his or her brother.

Sunny’s venture out of the nest occurs near the beginning of the all-important socialization period—nine weeks of intensive exposure to life during which the puppies’ personalities blossom. Practically overnight their behavior changes. Their growing abilities of perception and movement, which we began to see in the transitional period, suddenly become coordinated. Clearly, they have reached a milestone in their growth. Though still requiring plenty of sleep, the pups are more energetic and awake for longer periods. They now become animated and curious. Their play with one another includes the barking and tail wagging we identify with adult behavior. Though still immature, the brain and central nervous system have developed enough for the pups to interact seriously with their surroundings. Now they begin to learn quickly!What Is Socialization?

By socialization we mean two things: first, the positive adjustment a puppy makes to the many aspects of her life, whether this includes other dogs, people, places, or objects; second, what we do to foster this. A puppy is extremely sensitive to socializing experiences between three and twelve weeks, when the effects are permanent, for better or worse. Previously the puppy was psychologically isolated from her environment, protected by the lack of sensory development. Now that has changed. She is vulnerable in a new way.

Naturally the pups are not aware of this. At the beginning of this stage, their basic orientation is one of openness. Their senses are receiving an abundance of stimuli whereby they gain an immediate perception of their surroundings. Everything is new and interesting, and the pups start to show real curiosity. They are ready to form their first genuinely social relationships with their mother and littermates.

Because of this positive thrust toward life and growth, we keep the pups’ environment stable and capitalize on this natural inquisitiveness with a proper blend of new experiences. The mother should still spend the majority of her time with the pups. Since they are in the process of adjusting to their newly found senses, we do not overwhelm them with excessive stimulation and noise during the first week and a half of this period. At this time, though they are naturally disposed to investigate their small world, too much stimulation can cause fearfulness. Normal fear and avoidance of new experiences arise naturally later in the period, once the brain and central nervous system have matured to their adult levels. This is commonly referred to as the fear/avoidance period and is discussed later in the book.In the wild, this natural rhythm of attachment and avoidance initially bonds a pup to its pack, then later makes it wary of strange animals and new, potentially dangerous circumstances. It is a survival mechanism that instinctively keeps puppies away from predators. During the first twelve weeks of life, the only social contacts a wolf pup has are with its mother, littermates, and immediate pack members. This keeps the pupsafe and reinforces attachments to the pack, and thus creates a greater pack solidarity and security. In domestic dogs, the pattern is the same: attachment, then displays of avoidance.

Ideally a pup is raised with a variety of the right kinds of social experiences, first with his mother and littermates and subsequently with the wider world. Since domestic dogs are expected to behave in ways that are socially acceptable to humans, a puppy needs plenty of human contact and exposure to all sorts of common, everyday things. This lays the foundation for a positive attitude toward new people and new experiences and teaches the puppy that human beings and their world are part of his pack. If deprived of these contacts, a pup will develop fearful reactions to people and grow up socially maladjusted and emotionally disturbed. At that point, reconditioning, even if possible, is extremely difficult (and very expensive).

This explains why adult wolves are almost impossible to domesticate. While there have been numerous accounts of wolf pups that were raised and socialized by humans into trusted companions, adult wolves are extremely resistant to being tamed. Lacking any exposure to humans during the critical period of socialization, they have no basis for making the connection. Quite understandably, when an adult wolf is faced with the prospect of an encounter with a human being, its tendency will be either flight or, when cornered, displays of aggression.

In Understanding Your Dog, Eberhard Trumler, a noted ethologist in Germany, recounts the story of how he deliberately raised a litter of dingoes (Australian wild dogs) in such a way that they had no contact with human beings between their third and seventh weeks of life. Except for the presence of other pack members, they were raised by their parents just as they would be in the wild. The results were predictable. They developed into shy, wild dogs who avoided any contact with humans and would hide whenever Trumler entered their yard. Since one of Trumler’s purposes was to observe the behavior of dingoes in an essentially natural setting, the deprivation was inconsequential. The animals acted as they normally would in the wild. Similar deprivation for domestic dogs, however, has more serious consequences.

When Scott and Fuller raised a number of litters in large, open fields, they found that pups raised without human contact would show fearful reactions to humans at five weeks but could readjust in two weeks’ time if handled often. Puppies first exposed to human contact at twelve weeks, however, immediately reacted very fearfully and fled from the researchers. They behaved essentially like wild animals and were socially irretrievable. They had missed the vital contact during the critical period.

A practical application of this discovery was made by Clarence Pfaffenberger at Guide Dogs for the Blind (San Rafael, California) during the 1950s and 1960s. Operating a breeding program specifically designed to produce qualified guide dogs and working closely with John Paul Scott, he confirmed the necessity of regular socialization if pups were to have any hope of becoming successful guide dogs. Pups needed repeated human contact to acquire the emotional stabilitynecessary for such work. Without it, the dogs not only became unsuited for guide work but made poor companions as well. The implications for all breeders were self-evident.

Pfaffenberger also found that the initial benefits of socialization could be lost if puppies were left in the kennel too long after the conclusion of personality testing at twelve weeks. If a properly socialized pup spent three additional weeks in the kennel without deliberate socialization and then was placed in her new home, chances were high (70 percent) that she would be unable to take responsibility for her blind owner as an adult guide dog. Pups placed in homes immediately after the testing, however, had a 90 percent success rate.

These examples underscore the importance of what happens in the life of your puppy before you obtain her, as well as the absolute importance of socialization throughout her life. Socialization accustoms the puppy to a wide variety of new and potentially frightening experiences. The rhythm of first being afraid and then recovering and getting used to the new experience is one of the more valuable lessons that a puppy learns during this period. The pup bounces back and becomes more able to deal with potentially unsettling things later in life.

We believe that we can use this information to distinguish two phases within the period as a whole. The first centers on a pup’s interaction with other dogs and takes place between roughly four and six weeks. During this time, though human contact should not be absent, it is not the main focus. Major changes in behavior occur as a result of the puppies’ interactions with one another and with their mother. This period flows into the second phase, when the pups begin to focus on socializing with people. This interval extends from five to twelve weeks, thus allowing for a week’s overlap when the pups require both forms of social exposure. These two phases highlight the basic social adjustments most puppies need to make if they are to live happy, balanced lives.

An Interesting Exception: A Litter of One

As should now be apparent, we cannot emphasize enough how socialization is a vital process for any pup’s adjustment to the world, a stable foundation on which future development greatly depends. What happens, then, in the rare instance when only one puppy is born in the litter? Should we expect such a pup to be at an extreme disadvantage in its growth and development? Not necessarily. While a single puppy presents a challenge, the breeder can ensure that the playing field is leveled by compensating with frequent handling and plentiful exposure to other dogs.

For example, we recall when this happened years ago with a puppy from one of our shepherds. We nicknamed the pup Lit (short for litter) and began right away supplementing the attention she received from her mother with plenty of additional handling and stimulation. After the first several weeks, whichever monk was working the kennels during the day would take her with him in a satchel as he did cleaning chores, and as Lit grew we reinforced this by letting her interact with puppies from anotherlitter as well as with older, puppy-wise shepherds of the breeding program who understood how to safely relate with her. We also socialized her with visitors to the monastery, especially women and children, since most of Lit’s initial human encounters were with men. By the time Lit left for her new home, she was a thoroughly socialized, self-possessed pup who had also learned some important limits from older dogs.

Had we not done this and instead left her isolated, to be cared for solely by her mother, she would have been seriously undersocialized. She wouldn’t have understood how to react with other dogs and would likely have been a strange combination of pushy and fearful, with a strong tendency to overuse her mouth whenever she was frustrated. The prognosis for such a pup would have been bleak indeed.

Phase One: Socialization with Dogs (4–6 Weeks)

To make these ideas clear, let us return to Anka and her pups. Once the pups start getting out of the nest, we remove it and leave them on the floor, with Anka’s comfortable dog bed in the corner to sleep on. As they move around now much more freely, they begin to eliminate on their own, away from the bed, on newspapers that cover the floor. Their instinctive aversion to messing where they sleep is connected with their mother’s earlier meticulous care of the nest.

Wildlife biologists observe the same behavior in the wild with wolves: three-week-old pups emerge from their den and start playing with one another in front of the entrance. As they do so, they urinate and defecate on their own, gradually learning to pick spots away from the den. By six to seven weeks, the pups select particular scent posts—areas where they will consistently relieve themselves. The movement away from the nest, coinciding with the ability to eliminate by themselves, reveals the natural tendency of both wolves and dogs to keep their sleeping areas clean. Knowing this will help later on when you begin house-training your puppy.

This is why a filthy, disorganized breeding kennel not only reflects badly on the breeder but could spell future health and behavioral problems for your dog as well. When soiled papers are not picked up regularly, the pups wrestle and stomp in their own feces and lose their natural aversion to soiling where they play or sleep. They also quite likely will begin eating their own excrement. This may lead to health problems as well as habitual stool eating (coprophagy) as adults. Thus, kennel cleanliness is essential for proper socialization and should be an important consideration in determining where you adopt your new puppy.

A Gentle Weaning

During the fourth week, the puppies grow so rapidly that their requirements for food increase beyond Anka’s ability to produce. Anka becomes more and more impatient with their constant demands. She is reluctant to let the pups nurse and avoids them by escaping into the outside holding pen, where they have not yet learned to follow. If confined with them, she no longer lies down but moves constantly and snaps when they try to nurse from her. When she finally relents,she remains upright, forcing the pups to nurse standing up. But not for long. After several minutes she ends the session and moves away, leaving the pups yipping and barking as they stubbornly follow her for more.

Because their sharp little teeth have begun to emerge, Anka’s ability to let them nurse for long periods of time diminishes. It is simply too uncomfortable for her. This is a sign that it is time to wean the pups. During the next several days, we will introduce the pups to semisolid blends of cottage cheese and high-quality canned meat, gradually working up to moistened puppy kibble (dry puppy food). The weaning process should occur gently, giving the pups time to get accustomed to a new diet as well as to prolonged absences by their mother. To grant Anka some relief, we place an elevated platform in the whelping room that allows her to retreat from her pups while still remaining with them. Three-to four-week-old pups still require the stabilizing and secure presence of their mother. Since they are being bombarded with an abundance of new experiences and stimuli, abrupt separations would be harmful.

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LIGHT SHINES IN DARKNESS

On the twelfth day after birth, the first major change becomes visible in one of the puppies. Kairos, Anka’s second male, begins to open his eyes. This signals the start of the transitional period of development, a week when many of the pup’s sensory capacities begin to function. Contrary to what you might expect, this is no small accomplishment. A puppy’s eyes do not open all at once. Instead, this is a gradual process that may take well over twenty-four hours to complete. At first, his eyes seem like dark little slits, begging to be pried open. Then, slowly, as if he is waking from a deep sleep, they become more visible, their grayish-blue, semiopaque color giving them an unworldly appearance. It is only after about five weeks that they will become clear and distinctive, reaching their adult coloration.

By the fifteenth day, all of the puppies in the litter have their eyes wide open, and a parallel increase in activity occurs. They crawl around the nest and continually bump into one another. Despite the fact that their eyes are open, the pups still do not see very well. Shining a penlight into Kairos’s left eye causes the pupil to contract; quick gestures in front of him, however, evoke no reaction, and a sudden movement directly toward him does not make him blink. It is not until about twenty-eight days that a pup is able to begin clearly distinguishing forms, though occasionally we have seen puppies become startled by quick, threatening movements as early as the seventeenth day, apparently due to the darting of shadows. Thus, during this time we take care not to make sudden moves that could frighten the pups.

The process of eye opening is symbolic of everything that happens during this stage—a steady, gradual transformation. It is the first clear sign of the passage from the insulated newborn stage to the fully social existence of an adult. This is why we call this period transitional. It is a week of dramatic change. By the end of this stage, the pups will have received, albeit at an immature level, all the basic tools of life: sight, hearing, walking, the ability to eliminate by themselves,chewing, and a more refined sense of smell. Because of this, the pups will become much more sensitive to their environment than they were before.

For example, during the neonatal period, puppies have no sense of place. If you remove one and put him in a different room, alone, at the same temperature as the nest and on a comfortable surface, the pup will show no sign of distress, provided he is not hungry. Now, however, since Anka’s puppies are becoming aware of one another and of their nest, when we repeat this same experiment with Kipper, we see a marked change. After poking his head around for several moments, he suddenly begins to whimper and show signs of distress. The whimper then turns into a wail. Clearly he has no taste for being alone!

Once their eyes are fully open, the puppies begin investigating the small world of the nest. Looking at them now, we see that they are trying out life for the first time. They start to crawl backward as well as forward, and quickly move on to the first clumsy attempts at walking. This reflects the basic pattern of a puppy’s becoming aware of himself and his surroundings.At the daily weighing session on the sixteenth day, Oka and Sunny are the first to try walking. As they attempt to stand on the scale, they shake the platform precariously and are unable to maintain their balance. This, however, is just the beginning. Their efforts continue when they are returned to the nest. Standing up ever so tentatively, wobbling from side to side, Sunny finally takes two brave steps forward only to flop over onto a sleeping Kipper, creating a very cranky outburst. Quickly crawling backward, Sunny barks indignantly in a comically high pitchand tries to stand once again. Meanwhile, Oka is a little less adventurous. She simply attempts to remain standing without falling over. Lacking the confidence to actually try walking, she finally crouches back down, crawls over to the other pups, and falls asleep. Throughout all this, Anka looks on from outside the nest with what seems to be mild amusement.

The seed of example has been planted. The following day, all of the pups except Yola are beginning to give walking a try, basically following the same pattern. Together, they are like a group of youngsters learning how to ride bicycles for the first time. They have little coordination and make numerous false starts, but their proficiency improves daily. By the end of a week they will be able to walk around the nest without much trouble at all.

About this time we notice something else: the puppies are beginning to sniff around the nest. The refinement of the sense of smell that has been occurring since birth stimulates their curiosity, and they are soon snuffling one another, the newspapers, and Anka. If we pick them up and hold them close to our faces, they sniff and try to suckle the skin, awkwardly probing our cheeks. To reinforce this contact, we put an old cotton sock or unwashed cotton T-shirt into the nest so that the pups will be continuously exposed to human scent as they grow.

Given the fact that the olfactory area of adult dogs is fourteen times larger than a human’s and that their overall ability to smell is estimated conservatively at one hundred times more sensitive, we can begin to realize the role scent plays in a dog’s understanding of the world. While we depend more on our eyes for information, dogs rely on their noses, learning much about their environment from the currents of air that pass their way.

Connected with this rise in inquisitiveness is the emergence of the upper canine teeth, which can be felt around the eighteenth and nineteenth days. Not only does this development set the stage for a transition to more solid foods, but it is likely that the pressure of the incoming teeth prompts puppies to begin exploring one another. As Sunny’s upper teeth start to emerge on the nineteenth day, he begins to chew and suck on the other puppies’ ears, paws, and muzzles. This happens in slow motion and is accompanied by the first signs of tail wagging. Like a chain reaction, the other pups begin to reciprocate. Thus the first real sessions of play begin.

Hearing is the last sensory faculty to develop, with the ears opening at about twenty days. Beginning with the seventeenth day, we check for this by periodically clapping our hands over each pup’s head. The noise elicits no response until the twentieth day. Then Oka and Kipper both react to it, especially Oka, who yips a little and starts moving backward—an understandable expression of alarm. She recovers quickly, however, taking several steps forward with an inquisitive look on her face as she mutters under her breath.

When testing to see if they can hear, we are careful not to clap too loudly, because what the pups experience for the first time can leave a strong fear imprint. Emerging from a silent world into one of sound should happen as naturally as possible to allow the pups to adjust without excessive trauma.

The type of mild-stress handling that we expose the puppies to during this week follows the same principle. Our purpose is to stimulate the puppy, not traumatize him. We find two exercises especially beneficial. In the first, an elevation exercise, we hold the pup in midair until he begins to squirm and protest. We then draw him close and stroke him gently to allow him to settle down. In the second, a dominance exercise, we place the pup on a soft surface, roll him onto his back, and hold him there for ten to fifteen seconds. Once the pup begins to struggle and squeal (and most do!), we turn him upright again and stroke him gently. After a week of this, the puppies associate gentle petting with the end ofstress. It also helps dispose the pups to human presence and handling, which we will increase in the upcoming weeks.

One final observation: during the transitional period we begin a weekly grooming session that teaches the puppies how to be handled and touched—ears are cleaned, nails clipped, and the fur lightly brushed. At first, the novelty of the handling causes some minor protestations from the pups, but after a few sessions they come to enjoy it. We continue this practice at least once a week until the puppies are placed in their new homes. As you can imagine, this type of handling can make all the difference in your early attempts to pick up and groom your puppy.

In this week of transition the newborns become more recognizably puppies both in the way they look and in how they act. They now stand poised for the move into social existence. Yet this phase is transitional not only for the pups but for Anka, whose behavior reflects a change of role. Before, she was in the nest continuously, jealously guarding and caring for her whelps; now she modifies her vigilance by spending time outside the nest, resting while her pups are asleep. She also wants to play. In the first two weeks, even the sight of her much-loved tennis ball could not coax her away from the pups; at this point, a little bored, she eagerly jumps up at the gate to greet her guardian, trying to get him to play and take her for a walk. She has no worry about leaving her pups briefly. This is the beginning of her natural disengagement from them, which will continue for the next several weeks until they are on their own.

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MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

We are now standing next to Anka’s nest, pausing a moment from kennel chores to observe her nursing her pups. They are two days old. A heat lamp glares down over Anka, ensuring that the room temperature is kept warm and constant. She is lying with her underside fully exposed, and the puppies are lined up next to one another in an orderly fashion, each on a teat, each kneading gently with his or her paws to stimulate the milk flow. They look like little sausages attached to her side, their smooth black coats giving off a sheen under the light. Anka pants heavily as they suckle; she is unconcerned by our presence, her gaze fixed on a solid white wall that borders the nest.

Minutes pass.

Finally the calm is broken as Anka shifts herself and stands up. As the pups lose their hold on her teats, they roll off to the side, helplessly landing on their backs, squealing at the sudden disruption. This lasts for only a moment. Quickly they right themselves, and after a few seconds of crawling, they fall fast asleep next to one another. Anka, meanwhile, lies down on the opposite end of the nest and looks up at us.

After the excitement of her whelping only two days before, the quietness of the following days might easily lull us into overlooking the critical importance of this time, when the principal activity of the litter is the alternating rhythm of sleep and nursing. In this quiet, however, a great deal occurs that will provide the essential foundation for the future development of the litter.

Entering a world they can neither see nor hear, newborn pups exist in a sensory desert, necessarily well insulated from harsh disturbances. They are entirely dependent on their mother; without her (or the equivalent careby humans) the pups will die. Anka knows this. During the first days she is continuously in the nest, leaving it only to eliminate. As mother, she is a portrait of concentrated, faithful attention to every detail of the puppies’ lives, reflecting her profound awareness of just how vulnerable they are at this stage. It is a vulnerability that she is prepared to defend with her life.

An example: While the puppies are asleep, Anka remains awake in the nest, occupying herself with a rawhide bone. Suddenly her ears stand erect and she begins to growl tentatively. Strange voices drift into the kennel from outside. At once, she is out of the nest and flying through the kennel hatch into her outdoor pen, ferociously barking out her alarm. As she paces back and forth, her hackles are fully raised and her tail stands straight up. She appears, through this natural illusion, substantially larger-than-life to the strangers, tourists who have inadvertently wandered too close to the kennel building. Quickly they hurry off in the other direction, convinced of her seriousness. Anka, however, continues the warning, her bark echoing throughout the monastery grounds for several minutes. It is only when she is satisfied that the danger has passed that she returns to the nest and the sleeping pups huddled in the corner, oblivious to all the commotion.

The fact that the puppies lie clustered together should not be interpreted as evidence of neonatal sociability. It is simply a way to conserve heat. Newborn pups have poor control over their body temperature, so they tend to gravitate to the warmest area of the nest. As soon as the first pup, Sunny, awakes, he begins a restless search for a nipple by inconsiderately piling over the others, ignoring their presence. His stirring causes a chain reaction of mad maneuvering, each pup struggling to reach one of Anka’s teats. The scene confirms that the pups have no direct awareness of one another; their behavior is confined largely to reflex actions that they have been equipped with at birth, such as sucking, crawling, attraction to warmth, and distress vocalizations arising from pain, hunger, or cold.

Development

Conventional wisdom, reflected most authoritatively by Scott and Fuller, portrays the newborn as an essentially tactile creature, incapable of any real learning, and relying exclusively on the sense of touch for getting nourishment. Other astute observers, however, such as author and veterinarian Michael Fox, have demonstrated that this view needs to be broadened in several respects. First, it has been shown that a newborn puppy also possesses a well-developed sense of smell. In a cleverly conceived experiment, Fox coated a nursing mother’s teats with aniseed oil, a rather unpleasant-smelling substance, and then let the newborn pups nurse. Twenty-four hours later these pups would crawl toward a Q-tip dipped in aniseed oil and held close to their noses. Other pups who had not received this previous exposure while nursing recoiled sharply from the odor.

In addition, neonatal behavior reveals a capacity for the simple learning necessary for survival. A newborn puppy will instinctively begin a burrowing motion with her muzzle when shefirst contacts something warm. This helps her find her mother’s teat, which can sometimes be hidden beneath her hair. In watching Yola behave this way shortly after she was born, and then again several days later, we see that there is quite a difference. While at first she was awkward and clumsy, after three days she is quite adept at it. Proficiency clearly improves with time.

Over several days she also develops strength and assurance in nursing. It is interesting to feel the difference in sucking ability of a pup shortly after birth and then again after many days. We did this with Yola by letting her nurse briefly on our fingers. Initially, after birth, the pressure was a little weak, unsure. When we repeated the exercise a few days later, the pressure was surprisingly strong and forceful. This is evidence of an elementary learning that will form the basis for later, more complex learning.Regardless of how one interprets infant behavior and what constitutes true learning, the fact remains that the pups’ brain, motor, and sensory capacities are all immature during this period. The pups exist in a naturally protected environment where they possess only the basic abilities necessary for their survival. None of the behavior we most commonly associate with dogs is present: no barking, tail wagging, walking, or playing. In fact, the most dominant impression we receive of newborn pups is their need for sleep. During the neonatal period puppies spend about 90 percent of their time sleeping, waking only to nurse or to be cleansed by their mother.

This abundance of sleep is an absolute requirement. It is vital to the development of the central nervous system and the brain. When measured with an electroencephalograph (EEG) during the first three weeks of life, a pup’s brain waves will be the same whether the pup is awake or asleep. This indicates how immature the brain is at this period. In particular, the reticular formation—the section of the brain that controls sleep and wakefulness—has not yet developed sufficiently to keep the puppy awake for any significant amount of time. It is only after the third week that a marked change begins to register on the EEG, showing a clear differentiation between wakefulness and sleepand only after four weeks that pups are able to stay awake for any sustained period. Early in this initial phase, it is the quietness of sleep, combined with regular nourishment, warmth, and elementary movement, that establishes the proper climate wherein the brain and central nervous system may mature.

“Gross immaturity” characterizes what newborn puppies call to mind; they have an appearance entirely unique to this time in their lives. The shepherd pups born to Anka bear no resemblance at all to the familiar image we possess of a noble German shepherd. At six to eight inches from their pug noses to the tips of their tails, they have rounded, oversize heads, barrel-shaped chests, and short, stumpy legs. Their ears are quite small and seem stuck to the sides of their heads. Their eyes are closed tight. If you did not know better, you could easily mistake them for members of a different species!

Even the ability to eliminate is a reflex completely controlled by the mother, since newborn pups are unable to urinate or defecate on their own. During the first three weeks of life, they require the regular stimulation of their anal and genital areas by the mother’s tongue to eliminate bodily waste, which the mother licks up immediately. This keeps the nest completely clean and guards against the serious health risk of waste buildup. Such behavior may have another important function. Wildlife biologist L. David Mech, in his study on the wolf, points out that this activity may also establish the postural and psychological beginnings of submission in a pup. Although Mech was speaking specifically of the wolf, we have observed the importance of this in our own shepherds. Living as they do in a semi–pack environment, younger, more submissive dogs often assume the identical posture of a pup when submitting to an older, more dominant pack member. They roll over on their backs and expose their undersides while the other dog proceeds to investigate and sniff the anal-genital region. This posture defuses the threat perceived by the submissive dog and establishes pack hierarchy.All of these details form the background for the later growth of each pup. Overall, we can now see that a pup’s early development lays the foundation for the future, despite the obvious immaturity of a puppy at this stage. It is a simple fact: life is growth. And even now, so early in life, the individuality we spoke of begins to showthrough. In keeping daily records of weight gain, we notice that Sunny and Oka are putting on the most weight and appear to nurse the most vigorously. In the nest they are the two who consistently manage to nose out the others when competing for a teat. These are preliminary signs of dominance that we will pay attention to throughout their puppyhood. Also, because of the growth differences within the litter, sometimes we find it necessary to place the slower-growing puppies on the mother’s teats for longer periods without the presence of the more dominant pups. It is a gentle way of trying to level the playing field a bit.

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THE MYSTERY OF DEVELOPMENT

A puppy’s life clearly displays what characterizes the whole of life: the mystery of development. The entire universe, it seems, is in a continuous process of growth that extends from before the first moments of each individual existence to the end of life and beyond. Nothing is excluded from this movement, though our own consciousness of its breadth can be dulled by the chaotic pace of modern living. Too often we take this journey for granted, carelessly letting it pass unacknowledged. With our busy lives, we can easily grow insensitive to the basic wonder of life, leaving us spiritually impoverished and unhappy. This is perhaps why animals (particularly our dogs) are so important to us and why we benefit from their companionship: they root us in life.

Part of the joy in raising a puppy is the very concrete way it puts us in touch with the process of existence and the natural world around us. Watching the pup grow takes us outside ourselves and helps reestablish our own capacity for appreciation and wonder. But even more than this, we believe that paying attention to how a puppy matures is important for his health and vitality. Studies have shown conclusively that the first sixteen weeks of a dog’s life are significant in determining his later behavior as an adult. Negligence by a breeder or new owner during this time can scar a puppy for life. Thus, if you hope to raise a puppy who will be a trusted companion and friend for the next ten to fifteen years, the best foundation you can lay for yourself and your dog is to understand thoroughly how he grows during this time of early change and development. In this way you will be able to provide every available aid to help him grow to his potential.

A Miniature Adult?

A while ago we were speaking with a gentleman who had come to us for help with his rambunctious three-and-a-half-month-old golden retriever puppy. As we sat talking about his difficulties in adjusting to his new pup, the conversation kept returning to his former golden, a calm, well-trained dog who had died several months earlier at the age of twelve. The man’s eyes filled with tears as he recalled this dog, explaining how he had obtained her at seven months and how quickly she had picked up house-training, learned her obedience exercises, and adapted to the rhythm of his daily routine. Then he pointed to his new pup, Argus, now wildly jumping up for attention at his side and nipping at his hands. Without trying to hide his frustration, he launched into a detailed account of the trials of the first month and a half, the disappointments and irritations he had experienced, and his growing fear that Argus was simply a deficient representative of the breed. He was ready to give up.

As we listened to the man, it became clear that he was overlooking a very important point. All of the problems that he was having with Argus were being measured against the stability and maturity of his first dog, one he had obtained after a good deal of her development had already taken place. In fact, the pup who was now giving him so much trouble appeared to us to be a normal, energetic dog who was simply being mismanaged and misunderstood. When we asked the owner about the circumstances in which he obtained the first dog, he replied that she was sold to him by a man whose sudden job transfer had required that he and his family move to Europe. Regrettably, they were unable to take the puppy with them. But from our client’s description it was clear that the family had been very conscientious in raising their puppy, providing a sound basis for the relationship that had then developed with this man. When we pointed this out, he was surprised. He had assumed that she was simply a “good dog.” Not having shared with this first golden retriever the initial months of growth so critical to adult behavior, he did not appreciate how dynamic an organism a young puppy is. As a result, he was now transferring a mistaken set of expectations onto Argus based on what would be normal for an older, properly socialized dog. He was treating Argus as a miniature adult instead of as a fourteen-week-old puppy.

The Development of Individuality

It is not uncommon for puppy owners to have misconceptions about early growth. Because they have not had a breeder’s experience in observing young puppies’ development, they usually have only a vague grasp of how the process occurs, which can lead to the type of misunderstanding displayed by Argus’s owner. To help prepare yourself for the proper reception and intelligent raising of a new puppy, you must take the time to examine the growth process in detail, thus gaining some necessary insight into an otherwise obscure period.

The birth of a litter signals a new opportunity to observe ever more deeply a remarkable series of events—those moments that mark the passage of a totally dependent puppy into a fully mature dog, capable of true companionship. If you have the good fortune of such companionship, you will no doubt understand how life-enhancing it is. What you may not realize, however, is that the seeds of your dog’s capacity for relationship are planted very early in his life, well before he has been placed in your home. The development of a puppy is not an automatic process that occurs precisely the same way in each dog. Rather, it is a dynamic unfolding of life that, while following general patterns, reflects the subtle and ultimately mysterious interaction of three factors: type of breed, genetic makeup, and environmental influences. The results of this blending produce a wide variety of canine personalities. This is why raising puppies defies routine: each puppy is unique; each is an individual.

This insight is at the heart of what has become one of the most authoritative studies on dog behavior, Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog, by John L. Fuller and John Paul Scott. When these men began their research in Bar Harbor, Maine, on the effects of heredity on human behavior, they chose the dog as the subject of their work precisely because, like human beings, dogs show a high level of individuality. The researchers believed that by studying the parallel development of dogs they could make valuable observations for child rearing, thus allowing for psychologically better-adjusted, healthier members of society. Their study helped distinguish the important relationships among genetics, early experience, and adult behavior. In the process, it illuminated how a dog becomes an individual, unique creature, and provided a more comprehensive and accurate view of canine behavior than had existed previously.

The complete results of the research, exhaustive and quite technical, go well beyond the scope of this book. Yet one finding in particular is important to single out because of its profound effect on our understanding of development and on the way conscientious breeders raise their puppies. It also provides a helpful framework in understanding how a pup grows. Over the course of the seventeen-year study, Scott and Fuller followed in detail the development of litter after litter of pups. In analyzing their data, they discovered that puppies pass through four clearly identifiable stages on the way to their full adult personalities. Each of these periods begins with natural changes in the pups’ social relationships, identified by the way the puppies relate to their environment. Taking into account the slight variations present from individual to individual, Scott and Fuller noted the following stages: the neonatal period, from birth until the opening of the eyes at about thirteen days; the transitional period, from the time the eyes open until the opening of the ears at twenty days; the socialization period, which extends from approximately three to twelve weeks; and the juvenile period, lasting from this point until sexual maturity, which may occur from six months to a year or more.

In addition, in trying to determine why some dogs matured into happy, sociable pets while others did not, the researchers found that the timing of early experiences played a vital role in the development and shaping of behavior. Events that occurred at a certain stage of a puppy’s life affected his development more than if the same incidents had happened at other times. This suggested to Scott and Fuller the presence of critical periods—special times when “a small amount of experience will produce a great effect on later behavior.” Though somewhat ambiguous as to precisely how many of these periods there are, the researchers singled out the period between three and twelve weeks as the most important, the “critical period of socialization,” when a puppy has certain experiences that exert the maximum influence on his future personality and temperament. Through correct socializing at the critical period, puppies could be conditioned naturally to behave as friendly, people-oriented pets.

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Monk as Midwife

We are going on a walk with one of the monks and his monastery shepherd, a daily, routine occurrence here that now has special significance. It is the fifty-ninth day of Anka’s pregnancy. On this crystal clear March afternoon, the sun lights up the ordinarily dark woods surrounding the monastery. Anka has been restless all day. Taking her into the woods for a brief walk provides a promise of marvels to come, the first link in an intricate chain of events leading up to her labor. Now nature conspires to display signs hinting that gestation is nearing full term. It is important for the monk to notice these, for although the average span of gestation is sixty-three days, it is not unusual for a shepherd to begin labor as early as the fifty-eighth day after her first breeding. Throughout this time, Anka’s body has been talking to her in new and different ways, and on this walk, its natural eloquence becomes an open invitation for us to witness the first promptings of new life.

As she runs along the trail, her swollen abdomen gently sways from side to side, and her wagging tail allows us a glimpse of an overly enlarged vulva. From a few feet ahead of us on the path, she repeatedly looks back as if for reassurance, carefully avoiding the remnant patches of snow that have not yet thawed. The woods are as restless as Anka. The wind sweeps through the trees, gently ushering her back and forth along the trail. Her quick, clipped panting is absorbed in the quiet commotion. Even the trees sense something is up.

Usually on such walks Anka is beside herself with curiosity. From the time she leaves with her monk-guardian, she immerses herself in a feast of scents, darting from moss-covered tree stumps to low-lying wild junipers to old stone hedgerows, through which heaven knows how many animals of the woods have passed. She stops frequently to listen, then quietly moves forward and glides over the leaves that cover the path, occasionally startling a group of pheasants or wild turkeys, which then take to the air in a blaze of chaos. With intense delight she pursues, leaping in short bursts of energy.

Nevertheless, at the voice of her guardian, she quickly gives up the chase. This comes from plenty of training and a quality of bonding thatoverrides her prey instinct. A simple utterance of her name draws her back to the trail, and she is soon preoccupied with wrestling a stick from a dead tree, eagerly providing herself with something to play with for the remainder of the walk.

Today, however, is different.

Anka seems to be lost in herself in a very unusual way. Today, she lacks any of the casual playfulness so naturally present on ordinary walks. She displays impatience, constant circular pacing, rounded eyes, and a nervous, panting tongue. She stops only to mark, a frequent need now that there is constant uterine pressure on her bladder. As she reaches a spring-fed pond, she pauses momentarily to drink and then is off again, glancing quickly at the small shrubs that line the path.

Suddenly bolting ahead, she disappears around a group of pines. As we near the trees, we hear frantic pawing beneath a large, low-hanging evergreen. The branches move slightly, and dead leaves, pine needles, and dirt come flying out from beneath the tree, where Anka is improvising a nest. In her instinctively maternal way, she is preparing a natural den, a kind of cave. What makes this behavior remarkable is that none of it has been taught. Anka is a maiden bitch, only two years of age the week before. She is simply responding to a deep, instinctual knowing.

Were this den in the wild, it would have been more carefully planned. In studies of wolves, researchers have often found excavated dens in elevated areas such as cut banks or vacated caves—sites that provide a clear frontal view of the surrounding area. In fact, it is not uncommon for wolves to remodel vacant fox dens or even abandoned beaver lodges. The preferred soil is dry and sandy. Most dens are located near rivers, lakes, springs, or other sources of water, owing to the mother’s constant need for hydration. Usually the entrance hole is one to two feet in diameter and linked to an inner chamber by an upwardly sloping tunnel, up to ten feet in length. Often the female wolf will stay close to the site a full three weeks before she is due.

All of this is evoked by Anka’s digging.

As we pause to observe her for some time, she finally settles comfortably on her side inwhat is now a smooth, slightly depressed circle. Barely visible from where we stand, she peeks out from beneath the branches. Her look, alert and expectant, indicates that she is rather pleased with herself. It is clear, however, that all of this is merely preliminary, for there have been no uterine contractions, no intense licking of the vaginal folds, no rapid lowering of her body temperature—the sure signs of the onset of labor. Nonetheless, it is obvious that the process is moving irrevocably toward the final stages of gestation and birth. Just before the walk, her temperature had fallen to 100.5°F, a sign that labor is still a little while away. At the beginning of labor, her body temperature will drop at least another full degree, to between 98 and 99.5, though the temperature can fluctuate up and down several days prior to the actual birth. Still, paying attention to Anka’s state of mind gives us solid clues that labor is near. We can see that she is aware of the mystery that is occurring within her. Responding to all sorts of natural cues, Anka is consenting to it, allowing it to culminate in its own time. Now she is ready to go back to the puppy kennel.

Here at New Skete, we have reserved a separate building for the whelping and raising of litters. There are six individual whelping rooms—this helps us to maintain a controlled environment that is clean, dry, and protected. Over the past week, Anka has been left for short periods each day in her ten-foot-square whelping room, allowing her to become familiar and relaxed within it. It is important that she feel at ease and secure in the room, enabling her to focus entirely on the whelping. At New Skete, we use a plastic wading pool for the nest because it is durable and easy to clean, and has high sides that keep the pups safely confined.

Returning from the walk, Anka drinks more water and then climbs into the whelping nest and relaxes atop several layers of newspaper. Panting heavily and stretching out so that her abdomen is exposed, she manages to rest for a time. Then we offer her a bowl of food.

Ordinarily, from twelve to twenty-four hours prior to whelping, dogs are not inclined to eat. Anka, however, has never been known to spurn a meal, even early on in pregnancy when this would have been expected. She still has a voracious appetite and gulps down the food without hesitation.