Selecting and Raising a Perfect Pup

If you are thinking of enhancing your life with a new pup for Christmas, then take a little while to plan for that new addition.

Spending some time now thinking about the breed and type of dog you want can save you a lifetime of turmoil. Indeed, have you ever wondered why some dogs are perfect pooches, friendly, well mannered and pleasant, while others are better described as paranoid pooches - the types that are always getting themselves and their owners in strife?

Whether you have a perfect pet or a paranoid pooch depends largely on the nature of the pet and the nurturing it receives.

The Effect of Nature on a Dog's Behaviour

Each dog is born with a genetic coding that affects its behaviour throughout its life. This is the 'nature' side of a dog's temperament. Of course, the genes come from a dog's dam and sire and a shuffling of the genetic material from each parent occurs at the time of conception.

Generally, most of the pups in a litter will be placid and serene. However, some pups in the same litter may be 'dealt' a bad genetic hand that causes problem behaviours to develop. For instance, some dogs could be fearful and shy and some could be aggressive and bossy. The more 'bad genes' the parents have to give their pups, the higher the chance of the pups being problem pets.

Always ask the breeder to see both the dam and sire if possible. If the mother is anxious or timid it can also impair their social skills and result in puppies that are withdrawn.

The Effect of Nurture on a Dog's Behaviour

However, even pups with problem genes can be good pets if the nurture the pups receive is the best possible.

What nurturing is important for behaviour? The first is proper socialisation at a young age.

The second is kind and gentle treatment as the pup matures to prevent the stimulation of behaviours such as fear or aggression.

The last is training to ensure the pup turns into a well-behaved pet. The environment the dog lives in is also important. The breeder plays a vital role in shaping the puppies' behavioural health.

Lack of exposure to a variety of people before 12 weeks of age can result in fear of unfamiliar humans. They also need positive exposure to other dogs and animals (especially if they are to go to a cat household) and a rich environment to avoid fears of new or unfamiliar sounds (traffic, fireworks, jackhammers, car doors slamming, sirens, children etc.), surfaces (grass, concrete, metal, wobbly and elevated surfaces, water etc.) objects (vacuum cleaners, brooms, garbage cans, bikes, skateboards etc.), and experiences (clippers, brushes, giving tablets, baths, rain, crates, car rides etc).

Selecting the perfect pup

To ensure you eventually have a perfect pet and not a paranoid pooch as an adult, be sure to spend some time selecting your pup. Different breeds have different temperaments but even in each litter you will find pups with different natures. You need to see the whole litter of pups. Be wary if the breeder keeps the litter behind closed doors and brings only a single pup for you to look at.

First, watch the way the pups play with each other, and then look at the way the pups respond to you. For a good family pet, choose a middle-of-the-range puppy. In other words, avoid the pup that seems to run and hide from the others or that is reluctant to come to you for handling. Such a pup may be too fearful to be an ideal pet.

On the other side of the spectrum, avoid the pup that pushes all the others around and is the bully of the litter. This one may be too dominating and boisterous to handle and could even be aggressive. Handle a few of the pups. If it whines, yelps or urinates when held in different positions, it may be too fearful as a pet. If it growls and wriggles and perhaps tries to bite your hands when you hold it, it may be too aggressive. Select the pup that serenely tolerates you handling it and even looks just a little bit scared by this process, without going out of control.

A good breeder would have started handling the pups from 3 days of age for short periods every day. This will help them accept everyday interactions such as being picked up and petted, groomed, towel dried etc. as they get older.

Raising Your Pup - Nurturing the Correct Behaviours

Having selected your pup, how do you optimise the nurturing side of things? As soon as your puppy enters your house, it begins to learn and form habits. Every interaction you have with your puppy is a learning session!

Training your puppy is simply about setting clear rules and guidelines, and communicating them by rewarding the desired behaviours (sitting, being calm) and ignoring or removing rewards for bad behaviours (e.g. withhold treat and ignore puppy that jumps, then give treat as soon as it stops jumping).

Our body language and the consequences of their actions is more important than what we say to animals and puppies. Before you bring your pup home, make sure you are prepared - select food, treats, treat pouches (if you keep treats at hand then you can reward your puppy at the right time, as soon as the desired behaviour occurs), baby gates to confine pup to certain areas while being house trained, variety of toys, slow-release treat toys, collar and lead, grooming tools and a crate/travel kennel.

Your pup can sleep in the crate at night, for naps during the day and progressively be confined in it for short periods so they learn that being separated or being confined is OK.

Always provide the pup with something positive while it is in the crate, for example treats or toys, so that he/she associates being in the crate with positive experiences.

Puppy preschool is also essential. You will have started training as soon as your pup arrives home and had a health check with your veterinarian. Ask your vet about puppy classes and book in to the next available session - classes start when pups are 8-14 weeks of age.

The goal of a puppy preschool is to introduce the puppies to each other, to other people and to novel situations and environments. Usually the instructor discusses all the basics of puppy care, too. The instructor will guide each owner through the techniques needed to train the puppies to respond to basic obedience commands. He or she will also give advice on how to gently handle problem behaviours such as aggression and fear.

With puppy preschool at your local veterinary clinic, your puppy will also learn that the clinic is a fun place to be in. So often dogs associate a veterinary clinic with nastiness and resent going to the clinic. It is not surprising as the vets stick various foreign instruments into various private areas. Needles go under the skin, otoscopes go into ears, fingers go into mouths and we all know where the thermometer goes! No wonder dogs so often regard their vet as a visitor from another planet. By having fun and games at your local veterinary surgery, your pup will look forward to its visit at the vets.

To have a perfect pet, the rules are simple - choose your pup wisely and start its training early. Your inaction could hound you for life!

Article by Petalia Resident Vet - Dr Julia Adams BVSc

Image kindly supplied by Bayer Australia Limited

Article reprinted with permission from Petalia A world of Petcare  www.petalia.com.au. Petalia makes no representations about, and accepts no responsibility or liability for, the accuracy or currency of the information provided.