Raising a Calm, Confident Puppy and the Roots of Fear, Phobia and Anxiety.
A dog can have a biological predisposition to fear, it does not need to be conditioned by a traumatic event. Moreover, a dogs behaviour can be hugely affected in the womb and before reaching you after 8 weeks.
(So book a pre - ownership consult before getting a dog if it’s not too late).
During the critical period (0-16 weeks) the greatest amount of rewiring of a puppy’s brain can occur, in fact with environmental enrichment the brain gets heavier and bigger and its DNA altered permanently with the ability to pass it on to future generation’s.
(The Human ‘socialisation’ window effectively ends at 12 weeks and the Canine one 16 weeks however for some breeds its possible its over by 8 weeks.)
Therefore to mitigate predisposed behaviour problems a rich, gradual, calm, predictable, positive, socialisation period is critical. Moreover, an enriched environment improves memory and cognitive processes and increases exploratory activity which is a sign of a more secure dog. Dogs who are more secure and less anxious and have had more experiences have more memories stored in the hippocampus to draw on and thus a better ability to cope with any trauma later in life.
Therefore by the end of your pup’s first 12 week (at least 12 weeks for humans, and 16 weeks for dogs and environment), when the major re-wiring is complete, you want your pup to have positively experienced as much of the world they are going to live in with you and the correct way to behave in that world…
That being said there is still plenty that NEEDS to be done after 16 weeks too so don’t stop there, especially if your dogs experience prior to that was limited. There is also lots we can do to improve the life and behaviour of a dog who has had a less than ideal start however what a dog has not had a gradual positive experience of at the close of the critical window, they are likely to struggle with somewhat for the rest of their lives.
For a 35-page paper into the the research and clinical trials and thus the importance of the perinatal period (Pregnancy) through to the end of the sensitive window at 16 weeks and how it affects behaviour and health in adulthood please click here.
To crack on helping your dog accomplish a variety of experiences that could become problems in the future, please check out these exercises.
Note they must be gradual positive experiences not just experiences or aversive conditioning is likely to take place. I.e don’t meet 100 people in once go and think thats people done as that would be sensitising not desensitising.
PUPPY STARTER EXERCISES
- TERRY RYAN
Care and handling of the puppy
1. Collar Check
Check two fingers.
2. Play Vet
Put pup on table, touch with instrument, praise give treat, take off table, ignore pup.
Put back on table, use instruments, praise treat, take pup off and ignore pup. Repeat, take turns.
3. Pick up, Put down.
Pick pup up, full body support. When pup is calm and still, put pup down. (Careful wriggling pups are easy to drop.)
4. Dress Up
Dress pup up in different items. Praise, treat. Ignore when not dressing up.
5. Grooming
Brush pup with a soft brush, immediately give a lick of peanut butter or similar for each stroke.
6. Massage and T Touch
Play relaxing music, calmly use your fingers to move puppies skin clockwise for one and a quarter circles then move to another spot. Do all over the body but not the spine. (Ask to be shown if in doubt.)
7. Good vibrations
Let pup investigate a hairdryer, unplugged on floor. Sprinkle food on it. If all ok, next time plug in with air directed away. See if pup will investigate, if okay owner holds pup and touches her gently with hair dryer but no air.
Slowly build up. Also consider the same with a vacuum, bicycle, scooter, mop etc
8. Nail clipper
Hold pup and manipulate each paw. If pup pulls back, wo with the pull, not against it until pup settles. Once settled other family member / me approach with nail clippers. Make clipper sound and treat. Build up to touch nails, don’t actually clip at this point.
9. Feet wiping
Take a wet cloth, start with hind legs and wipe. If pup struggles hold cloth still on feet until pup is calm. Put peanut butter on a toy as a distraction.
10. Dry bath
Put an inch of water into half of divide sink or two tubs. Put puppy in dry half. Wash pups face with warm damp cloth. Make noise with water. Open dog shampoo let pup sniff it.
11. Hose pressure washer example
Family relationships with the puppy
1. Gotcha
Get close to the puppy, gently reach out, grab the collar, treat let go.
2. Hands and Bowls
Put food in the bowl, put the bowl down and hold the bowl while the pup eats.
Add food to the bowl whilst pup eats.
3. Pick up, Put down.
Pick pup up, full body support. When pup is calm and still, put pup down. (Careful wriggling pups are easy to drop.)
4. Rub those gums.
Rub gums. Notice the healthy natural colour.
Press gums, notice goes from white back to reddish in a couple of seconds.
5. Eye contact
Lure toy to face for eye contact. Say pup’s name, touch the pup, and play game.
(Step 2 see eye contact.)
6. Give back nicely
Play with the toy until your pup is interested. Then hold the toy dead against your side. Pup will go through an extinction burst trying everything to get it. Just ignore them. As soon as your pup releases the toy nicely start the game again, or trade with other toy/ food. Then give other toy back.
7. Take the treat gently.
Hold treat for pup. Only release when the pup takes it gently. Or place the treat on a metal spoon, thumb covering the treat until pup learns to take it gently.
8. Call between family (Step 2 recall)
Each family member has a bag of treats and toys. Get the pup fired up whilst backing away. When the pup arrives say ‘good’ and give toy or treat. Swop and let other family members get attention and Pup to come to the. Only say come if the pup is running dead on towards you otherwise say nothing.
Good House Manners
1. Pee on Cue
At the point your dog pee’s or ideally a second before give a cue such as ‘Pee’ or ‘Do your business.’ Wait for your dog to finish and praise, perhaps play a game afterwards. Avoid going straight inside and being boring afterwards or you’ll find your dog avoids going.
To help get your dog pee in a specific place pour some wee there or place some treats in a circle to encourage them to poo there.
2. Good toy / bad toy
Place allowed toys and not allowed toys on the floor. If the pup chooses an allowed toy, praise and play game. If the pup chooses not allowed toy like a shoe or hair brush ignore. You can also spray not allowed toys with a bitter apple spray or alike as a deterrent.
*Rope toys dampened and frozen can be good for teething pups.
Tug games can provide a constructive outlet for competitive play but ensure structured start and end point.
3. Stay for clean up (Pre requisite sit and stay.)
Practice dog sit and stay whilst you pick up poo like object with poo bag.
4. Stay for door open and closing (Pre requisite sit and stay.)
Ask for sit and stay. Open door if dog gets up close door. If dog stays sat wait and the permit pup to come through as the reward.
5. Car ride.
Put pup in car. Go for short ride, treat, play relaxing music, do massage T touch. Reward dog for being calm and still.
(It is a legal requirement for dogs to be strapped in, in cars.)
6. Go to Vet
Go to vet. Treats, games, build positive association.
7. Visit friend’s houses
Visit friends. Let pup have a positive overnight stay with a friend.
8. Door Bell-
Choose what you want. If you want your dog to ignore door bell. Ring door/ record sound. When it goes off stay really calm and ignore. Build up to people coming to door. Praise your dog for staying calm/ ignoring.
You may need/ want to build this to a separate alternative cue for example door bell means Lie down, stay and watch me, whilst you walk and open door. Door bell means come to you sit and make eye contact. See sheets on sit and eye contact.
Ryan T (1995) Coaching People to Train Their Dogs. Legacy Canine Behavior and Training, Inc. USA.