THE EDUCATION OF THE PUPPY By the doctor veterinarian Monique Bourdin

The most important period in the puppy's life is situated between 3 weeks and 4 / 5 months. When it is adopted at the age of 2 months or so, his behavioural devolpment isn't finished yet. All the abilities that will allow him to socialize remain to be acquired. To do so, the master will have to imperatively respect some precautions and provide for the puppy's education by learning him to be potty-trained notably.

If the breeding conditions play a decisive role for the future achievements of the puppy, the master also has his part of responsibility. He must set himself some targets, especially if the puppy comes from a breeding or a family where he will have received little care (no sensorial stimulation). The master should then compensate quickly these deficiencies in order not to compromise the balance of the puppy and see behavioural problems appearing later.

Acquisition of a sensorial ability level Some puppies who have been brought up in sensorial privation conditions, in particular tactile, visual and sound, won't be able to adapt themselves to their new environment, especially if this one is a urban environment rich in stimuli .

Very early, the master should necessarily to get the puppy to live experiences such as walks in the street in order to meet various people will necessarily have of different colours and hear multiple noises (cars, motorcycles, horns, bangers etc...). It will avoid him the fear of the street and people. If the puppy is worried or shy, one should not reassure him either by speaking to him friendly or stroking him. The puppy would take it for a reward and would strengthen its behavior of fear. At present, there are excellent vaccines which protect quickly the puppy against the diseases of the young age. So, you will be able to take him out as soon as he is eight/ten weeks, naturally you should avoid the too dirty places. If he is not inoculated yet, you can take him in your arms for a walk, especially if he is small.

The intraspecific socialization The socialization begins with a process of affection for the mother; this is the period of impregnation with, the identification to the species as a consequence. At his birth, a puppy doesn't have innate gratitude to the species from which he originates. He will learn it through the games and the fights with his brothers and sisters. The master must continue this socialization and accustom his puppy to his fellow creatures (small, average, big) by putting him in the presence of the prefectly socialized adult dogs. The puppy should necessarily learn and perfect the codes and the rites of communication with his congeners in order to avert aggresive behaviours towards these, latter. This socialization should be maintained until the adulthood by regular contacts if we want it to persist in the time. The master can also take steps with "puppies schools" for their education, or with behaviour-rated vetenarians who propose training periods since the period of socialization of the animal , or finally with dog educators and recognized clubs of dog associations. Please, don't hesitate to consult your vetenarian.

The acquisition of the auto controls Contrary to a generally accepted idea, the puppy which nibbles "isn't teething". The master should teach his puppy the control of his jaw, as the mother dog, who already sanctioned her puppies when they bit too hardly would have done. It is absolutely necessary to repress any insufficiently inhibited bite and sanction the puppy, either by giving to him a pat down at the nose or by lifting him by the skin of his neck and saying "no" very firmly, then putting him back on the ground. The master should teach him to control his driving activity, in particular during the games. If the puppy gets very agitated and that the game turns fast to a state of uncontrolable excitement, the master should stop at once any interaction with his animal. It isn't necessary to encourage the moments of excitement of the puppy.It is worth teaching him to lay the ball down. If he lays the ball, then we throw it again to him, whereas we should give up the game without trying to withdraw the ball from his mouth whether the puppy doesn't let the object down. Traction and tugging games like pulling on ropes, clothes, material, ball, etc... are forbidden.

Encourage the detachment When a puppy arrives in his new home, he is still in a state of affection for his mother dog. Having lost the reassuring pole all around of which all its life gets orginazed, this break leads to a state of distress. He looks for his mother, moans. This state of distress will find a solution in the establishment of a new link of affection with the master. The person of affection is the one who feeds him, lavishes care on him and calms him with caresses. Now, if the female dog activates systematically the break towards the age of 3/4 months, it isn't the same from the master who is in relation of affection with the puppy. An animal is adopted to be loved and not pushed away. A state of hyper-affection is being created between him and the master. During the separation from this latter, the demonstrations of distress - which are perfectly normal for a puppy during the separation from his mother during the childish period - will deteriorate and lead to a clinical picture regrettably well known by certain dog owners, which are destructions, micturitions and defecations as well as the the complaints of the neighbours for singing exercices. The detachment should be made without mood as the mother dog would have done. How ? Towards 4/5 months the master should promote it by attributing to the puppy a place of sleeping around other than the bedroom, for example in a place chosen in the quiet and which isn't a busy area. The master should show him where his place in the house is and accustom him to go to sleep and to rest there. It is necessary to push away the puppy, or at least, ignore him when he comes to beg for caresses, on the other hand, the master can call him 10 even 100 times a day to caress him and so as long as he wishes it. But it is up to the master to take the initiative. It is necessary to continue to like his puppy but in another way and to teach him its independence, so he will be able to manage the periods of solitude which are regrettably very long for certain dogs.

Acquisition of cleanliness Cleanliness to the puppy isn't an innate behavior but results from an education. A puppy which arrives in a house doesn't do its business where he sleeps, but he doesn't know that it is necessary to do it outside. This should be tought. It is quite a training. A puppy relieves himself on waking, after every meal, often even during the game, during the moments of intense excitement. It is thus important for the master to know perfectly these moments. So, he will be able to anticipate and take the puppy to the wished place by carrying him in his arms. The outings will take place after every waking, if it is practicable and after every meal. It is better to take the puppy always to the same places so that he finds its own smells, his own pheromones there.

As soon as he eliminates in the required place, he should be rewarded systematically. In spite of all the efforts of willingness of the masters, there will always be accidents at the beginning of the training period. When the puppy does a mess, the punishment is absolutely useless except when it arises at the very beginning of the act to be reprimanded and thus provokes its interruption. When the puppy is caught in the act, he should be graspped the skin of the neck. The master will tell him "no" firmly and take him out to the required place, he should wait there until the puppy eliminates again and then reward him. It is absolutely necessary to banish the technique of the newspaper or floorcloth at the house because the puppy will integrate this place of elimination and, even taken out, he will wait to be back at home to do his business. During the walk, you musn't bring him back home as soon as he did his business otherwise he quickly associates "doing his business" and "end of walk" with "punishment".

How to clean excrement ? It is important to clean excrement out of the sight of the puppy because the squatted position is interpreted by him as a posture of call to game. Putting the puppy's nose down in excrement is absolutely useless. Dogs communicate with one another by means of urines that they sniff. A puppy returns to defecate and to urinate in the places filled with faecal and urine smells. The generally used cleaning products often contains some bleach or amoniac, products which can stimulate the puppy to eliminate. It is advised to clean either with some sparkling water, or with some white vinegar diluted in some water.

CONCLUSION If the various points aren't respected, behavioural problems the animal may develop behavioral trouble. The good relations between the dog and his master, may be soiled as a result. And the dog's future can even be compromised. A contrario, respecting these aspects of his behavioral development will allow you to enjoy fifteen years of quietness. Please, don't hesitate to consult your veterinarian if you have some difficulties in socializing your animal. Earlier you will call for him, earlier he will bring you solutions.

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