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Puppy Development
In order to understand why your puppy doesn’t listen to you at times, you need to understand each stage of development a puppy goes through as it matures. Let’s take a look at the different stages, but before we do, keep in mind that these stages are generalizations each dog will progress at its own pace.
Stage 1: The Transitional Stage2-3 Weeks The Transitional stage generally lasts from age two to three weeks, and it’s during this time that your puppy’s eyes will open, and he’ll slowly start to respond to light and movement and sounds around him. He’ll become a little more mobile during this period, trying to get his feet underneath him and crawling around in the box (or wherever home is.) He’ll start to recognize mom and his littermates, and any objects you might place in the box.
Stage 2: The Almost Ready To Meet The World Stage3-4 Weeks The Almost ready to meet the world stage lasts from 3 to about 4 weeks, and your puppy undergoes rapid sensory development during this time. Fully alert to his environment, he’ll begin to recognize you and other family members. It’s best to avoid loud noises or sudden changes during this period negative events can have a serious impact on his personality and development right now. Puppies learn how to be a dog during this time, so it’s essential that they stay with mom and littermates.
Stage 3: The Overlap Stage4-7 Weeks From 3-4 weeks your puppy begins the most critical social development period of his life he learns social interaction with his littermates, learns how to play and learns bite inhibition.
He’ll also learn discipline at this point Mom will begin weaning the pups around this time, and will start teaching them basic manners, including accepting her as the leader of the pack. You can begin to introduce food to the pups starting around the 4th week transition gradually as Mom weans them.
Continue handling the pups daily, but don’t separate them from either Mom or litter mates for more than about 10 minutes per day. Puppies that are removed from the nest too early frequently are nervous, more prone to barking and biting and have a more difficult time with socialization and training. Puppies need to be left with Mom and siblings until at least 7 weeks of age - and preferably a little longer - for optimum social development.
Experts say that the best time in a puppy’s life to learn social skills is between 3 and 16 weeks of age that’s the window of opportunity you have to make sure your puppy grows up to be a well-adjusted dog. It’s extremely important to leave your puppy with Mom and his littermates during as much of this period as possible. Don’t discipline for play fighting, housebreaking mistakes or mouthing that’s all normal behavior for a puppy at this stage.
Stage 4: The “I’m Afraid of Everything” Stage8 Weeks to 3 Months The “I’m Afraid of Everything” Stage lasts from about 8 weeks to 3 months, and is characterized by rapid learning as well as a “fearful period” that usually pops up at around 8 to 10 weeks. Not all dogs experience this, but most do, and they’ll appear terrified over things that they took in stride before. This is not a good time to engage in harsh discipline (not that you ever should anyway!), loud voices or traumatic events. At this time your puppy’s bladder and bowels are starting to come under much better control, and he’s capable of sleeping through the night. (At last, you can get some rest!) You can begin teaching simple commands like: come, sit, stay, down, etc. Leash training can begin. It’s important not to isolate your puppy from human contact at this time, as he’ll continue to learn behaviors and manners that will affect him in later years.
Stage 5: The Juvenile Stage3 Months to 4 Months The Juvenile stage typically lasts from 3 to 4 months of age, and it’s during this time your puppy is most like a toddler. He’ll be a little more independent - he might start ignoring the commands he’s only recently learned just like a child does when they’re trying to exert their new-found independence. As in “I don’t have to listen to you!” Firm and gentle reinforcement of commands and training is what’s required here.
He might start biting you play biting or even a real attempt to challenge your authority. A sharp “No!” or “No bite!” command, followed by several minutes of ignoring him, should take care of this problem.
Continue to play with him and handle him on a daily basis, but don’t play games like tug of war or wrestling with him. He may perceive tug of war as a game of dominance especially if he wins. And wrestling is another game that can rapidly get out of hand. As your puppy’s strength grows, he’s going to want to play-fight to see who’s stronger even if you win, the message your puppy receives is that it’s ok to fight with you. And that’s not ok!
Stage 6: The Brat Stage 4-6 Months The Brat Stage starts at about 4 months and runs until about 6 months, and it’s during this time your puppy will demonstrate even more independence and willfulness. You may see a decline in his urge to please you expect to see more “testing the limits” type of behaviors. He’ll be going through a teething cycle during this time, and will also be looking for things to chew on to relieve the pain and pressure. Frozen doggie bones can help sooth him during this period.
He may try to assert his new “dominance” over other family members, especially children. Continue his training in obedience and basic commands, but make sure to never let him off his leash during this time unless you’re in a confined area. Many times pups at this age will ignore commands to return or come to their owners, which can be a dangerous, even fatal, breakdown in your dog’s response to you. If you turn him loose in a public place, and he bolts, the chances of injury or even death can result so don’t take the chance.
He’ll now begin to go through the hormonal changes brought about by his growing sexual maturity, and you may see signs of rebelliousness. (Think adolescent teen-age boy!) If you haven’t already, you should have him neutered during this time. (Or spayed if you have a female.)
Stage 7: The Young Adult Stage6-18 Months The Young Adulthood stage lasts from 6 months to about 18 months, and is usually a great time in your dog’s life - he’s young, he’s exuberant, he’s full of beans and yet he’s learning all the things he needs to become a full-fledged adult dog.
Be realistic in your expectations of your dog at this time just because he’s approaching his full growth and may look like an adult, he’s not as seasoned and experienced as you might expect. Gradually increase the scope of activities for your dog, as well as the training. You can start more advanced training during this period, such as herding or agility training, if that’s something both of you are interested in. Otherwise, extend his activities to include more people and other animals allow him to interact with non-threatening or non-aggressive dogs.
Congratulations! You’ve raised your puppy through the 7 stages of childhood, er, I mean puppyhood, and now you have a grown-up, adult dog! Almost feels like you’ve raised a kid, doesn’t it?
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Pug Vaccines| | The goal of the veterinary community is to prevent disease and suffering in out pets, in certain cases they can do more harm than good. There are several other problems that can rarely occur with pugs when vacinations are given such as acute anaphylaxis with hives and swelling, autoimmune reactions and even death. The Canine Health Foundation is in the middle of a several year study on canine vaccines. Even when their research is done, there may still be questions on the right way to vaccinate. So what is a concerned Pug owner to do? Most authorities basically agree on puppy vaccines. Puppies can start around 8 weeks of age with a distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza and parvo vaccine (DHPP). No leptospirosis in puppies under 9 weeks. My own personal experience is that Pugs don't do well with lepto vaccine anyway, so I don't use it in my pugs at all. Repeat the vaccine 4 and 8 weeks later, so you end up around 16 weeks of age. If you use the high titer Parvo vaccines, your puppy should have immunity by this point. We give the injectiable Bordetella vaccine and recomend it to other pug owners as well. Rabies vaccines vary by state but many are licensed for 3 years and up. Since you don't want to overstress the system, you should usually wait until 5 months to give the first rabies vaccine. It is good for 1 year. There are many other vaccines on the market and more in the works, but the key is to customize the vaccine protocol to your dog and your area. The veterinary associations call this establishing "core" vaccines. Not all vaccines need to be given to every dog. When your puppy passes 1 year of age, most agree you should booster the DHPP,rabies, and Bordetella if your dog is at risk. Should you have a blood test, called a titer, taken that measures the potential immunity in the blood? The test is currently expensive but a new in-clinic test is coming out. Is it accurate? Do high titers mean your dog will not get sick if exposed to a disease? We don't know. It is clear that if we all stop vaccinating all dogs, some very bad diseases will increase in frequency. You must discuss your unique case with your vet. Remember that the majority of dogs do not have adverse reactions when vaccinated. You must weigh the potential risks of vaccinating with your location and your dog's risk of exposure to disease. You should monitor your dog carefully following vaccinations and report any problems to your vet. If your dog has a mild reaction, consider premedicating him with antihistamines and/or steroids before the next vaccine and consider separating the vaccines by several weeks. |
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How to Stop Unwanted Barking Humans are tremendously vocal creatures. Despite our own talkative tendencies, we tend not to appreciate "excessive" vocalizations from our dogs. Rest assured, your dog does not feel her barking is excessive. When she barks, she is trying to communicate with you. Learning why she barks is the key to stop your dog from barking. Depending on the reason for barking and your own training skill level, you may need to consult with a qualified trainer/behaviorist to assist you with the training. Why Do Dogs Bark? Just as there are many reasons humans speak, dog barking occurs for a number of reasons. Here are a few of the most common: Distance decreasing: Distance decreasing barking can also be considered attention-seeking barking. The dog is barking to communicate with the owner - "pay attention to me!" Boredom: Evaluate your dog's lifestyle. How much physical exercise is she getting? How much social stimulation through appropriate play with other dogs? How much play does she get with you? Is she getting adequate mental stimulation in the form of both training and problem solving? If your dog is barking because of boredom, consider more physical exercise, more positive training, and introduce new toys and games for environmental enrichment (consider Buster Cubes, Kong toys, kibble hunts, Nina Ottosson toys, marrow bones, chew toys, bully sticks, antlers, etc.). Frustration: While some frustration barking is boredom barking, not all boredom barking is frustration barking. Often in class, dogs bark when their owners have poor timing or because the rate of reinforcement is too low, the dog is frustrated because the signals are unclear. Dogs also bark out of frustration when they are not sure what is expected of them - if you are asking for a behavior in a new environment without sufficient proofing, your dog is communicating to you that further training is needed before she can focus on cue response in that environment. Separation distress/anxiety: True separation anxiety (destruction to self or property) is a topic beyond the scope of this article. If your dog is injuring herself or destroying your home, please seek the assistance of a behaviorist in addressing the issue. If you believe your dog has separation distress (limited vocalization, no injury to self or property), consider how long she is left alone - if it is more than eight hours for an adult (even shorter periods of separation are recommended for puppies), find a dog walker or pet sitter to break the day up. Provide her with mental stimulation through puzzle toys, kibble hunts, etc., when she is alone. Greetings and exits should be low key. If her separation distress worsens, consult with a behavioral professional. Invitation to play: Some dogs bark to say, "Hey, I want to meet/play with you NOW NOW NOW!" (puppy barking frequently falls in this category). These barks are generally high pitched, and are often accompanied by wagging "propeller tails," loose/wiggly body language, play bows and jumping. Ask those who would like to interact with her to wait for calm, quiet behavior before greeting to avoid reinforcing the behavior. Also, click her for looking at people or other dogs/greeting quietly and for quiet or for focus on you despite these distractions. Distance increasing: Distance increasing barking is a defensive behavior - the dog is trying to ward off potential conflict. Distance increasing barks are generally low in pitch and may accompany intimidating body language including a stiffly wagging tail, rigid body posture, display of teeth, growling/snarling, snapping, kicking of back feet, etc. If you suspect your dog is reactive or aggressive, it is best to consult with a qualified professional with experience using counter conditioning and desensitization to rehabilitate dogs as soon as possible. A full veterinary evaluation including thyroid panel is advised for aggressive/reactive dogs. (Barrier frustration is included in the category of distance increasing behavior and usually involves barking/lunging on leash or behind/inside of cars, fences, gates, or crates.) Alert barking: Humans have been selecting for barking in dogs for millennia. This behavior is deeply ingrained in the dog, and is generally not a problem for pet owners unless it becomes "excessive." As alert barking is generally very self-reinforcing, your best bet is to train an alternative, incompatible behavior ("quiet!"). Can I Stop Dog Barking? Short answer: No. Surgical debarking is never humane and rarely effective in totally eliminating vocalizations. Dogs bark! You can, however, train your dog to stop excessive barking behavior if you listen to why she barks and respond appropriately with effective, positive training.
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DOG FLU
Yes, dogs can get the flu, but fortunately not the H1N1 virus that's been getting so much attention lately. Similar to the human form, canine flu is a contagious respiratory disease in dogs which is thought to be a mainly airborne virus, most likely transmitted by an infected dog coughing or sneezing on another. In otherwise healthy dogs, statistics show that the canine flu is a fairly mild disease with most dogs recovering completely in two to three weeks. So, what are the symptoms you should watch for in your dog? - Persistent, moist cough [including sneezing]
- Low-grade fever
- Nasal discharge
How can you help avoid exposure for your dog? Here are some common-sense tips for prevention and avoiding exposure: - Watch for news of canine influenza outbreaks in your area
- Use dog parks, grooming facilities, and kennels that you know well - contact them in advance to a visit if there is an outbreak in your area to inquire about any recent occurrences of respiratory illnesses in dogs in their care
- Avoid contact with other dogs displaying any of the symptoms above, especially coughing/sneezing
- If your dog is exhibiting symptoms, contact your veterinarian - they are best qualified and equipped to make a diagnosis.
If your dog is exhibiting symptoms of canine flu, contact your veterinarian for an evaluation.
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Anal Gland Problems Anal gland disease is by far the most common problem affecting a dog’s rear end! It has no age or sex predisposition, but it is more common in pugs. Dogs have two anal glands. If you look at their anus as a clock face, then they are located just below the skin at the five o’clock and seven o’clock positions. Normally you will not be able to see these glands. If they get impacted or infected, then you will probably see them as a small swelling in those positions. Anal glands are similar to scent glands. In dogs they produce an odor that identifies the individual, marks the stool, and establishes their territory. This is why dogs tend to greet each other by sniffing at the rear. These glands pretty commonly either get impacted, or more seriously get infected. Impacted glands are overfilled and distended. They become painful and itchy, and most commonly dogs will be seen scooting their butt on the floor trying to express them. Your veterinarian will manually express them and relieve the pain, but it is likely that they will get impacted again months or years later. If a gland stays impacted for too long, it may get infected. Bacteria make their way into the swollen gland, producing an abscess which eventually ruptures through the skin. They will ooze a bloody, smelly, puss like fluid. These dogs need to be treated with antibiotics and to have the abscessed gland flushed out thoroughly. The best prevention is to have your veterinarian express the gland empty as soon as your dog starts scooting. This can become a chronic problem and sometimes the glands need to be surgically removed. If you see scooting or swelling around the rear end; take your dog to your veterinarian. While it is rare, dogs can get tumors in this area, which resemble anal gland abscesses. It is important to catch these early!
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