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A word about Value
It is my opinion that you really do get what you pay for in a dog. When you
purchase a car, they are priced (through honest people anyway) according to
their overall mechanical and cosmetic condition, how they have been cared for,
what features they have etc. Thankfully when buying cars there are buying guides
to help determine the worth. In Dogs there is no guide to go by. Often I am
asked why there is such a difference in the value of my pups, and not only my pups,
but between my pups and someone else's. It really comes down to value, what are
you getting for your dollar, and naturally the environmental factors such
as supply and demand influence it as well. I have seen Dobes for sale in today's
market for as low as $300. I have seen them as high as $75,000. I have also seen
people turn down $300,000 or more on really outstanding dogs. The differences
break down roughly like this. Most important is the one thing most first time
buyers overlook, that is the "quality" of the breeder. Do they have an
understanding of the breed, genetics, and health? Do they have clear breeding
goals that they are trying to achieve? Do they have experience? Was this a
planned breeding with a goal to get closer to their model of perfection? Most
importantly, are they going to be there for you after the purchase? It is my
opinion that $300 pups come from accidental breeding or deliberate breeding
between two dogs that happen to be Dobermans. Usually the breeding goal is cash.
Generally it will be a first time breeder with little or no experience or
education. Again this is just my opinion. Generally you will find that the pups
will be worth what their parents were worth. It is very rare to find a a world
champion quality pup from two $300 dogs. This type of breeder generally has not
had any health testing, and likely doesn't have a good vet for regular check-ups
and help along the way. This kind of care is very expensive, and the cost must
be recouped somewhere. I admit 15 years ago, I raised $300 pups. I learned a lot
over the years and developed my program and my education. I have learned that I
would lose a great deal of money if I were to breed great quality dogs, from
outstanding parents, care for them right and place them in their new homes for
$300. It can't be done. Most importantly, I have learned if you have a problem
with your $300 dog a year later, the breeder can not be contacted, cannot remedy
the problem, and won't answer your calls about health and training issues. They
only answer calls asking about their puppies for sale. Breeder support is more
important in many cases than the pup you choose. They have been through it all,
they can answer most of your questions, and if you stump them, they know where
to go to get the answers. More importantly, they are willing to do all of that.
Naturally that time and dedication has value, and has real costs associated with
it. Start there first when determining value, then consider the face value of
pup. My pups are available at a dollar amount according to what I think their potential is.
Some dogs will be better athletes than others. Generally those traits are highly
heritable, meaning if mom and dad are great athletes their offspring should be
as well. Some dogs have better conformation than others making them ideal for
show. those traits likewise are highly heritable. Some dogs are lucky enough to
have both great conformation and athletic ability. Also important is their
genetic potential which becomes a deeper genetic study that I can explain if you
want to understand more. Pedigrees are important to some people and that to can
influence price. Based on which female produced the pups, we know
what to expect from those litters, and that is how we price our pups. What will
the demand be for this bloodline, this conformation type, their temperament, the
accomplishments of their ancestors as well as their own etc. We only produce
pups that will meet our program goals, if they don't we don't continue breeding
those females. We have given up many wonderful dogs that did produce great pups
this last year because we can only feed so many, and the current girls are that
much better. Determine what is important to you with your dog, what you want to
accomplish, and then see if that type of dog will fit your budget. If you want
to win an international championship, expect to pay more for your pup. If all
you want is a great pet, pick one from a breeder with great support, and great
health programs and a replacement policy. We want you to get the dog that best
meets your needs, and we want you to know you got your money's worth.
Deposits: A Deposit holds your place in line for a
particular litter. And is gender specific, sometimes color specific. It is also
100% transferable to another litter. In the event you opt not to take the pup
you had reserved, and we were able to provide that pup, the deposit is 75%
refundable. In the event we are not able to provide you with the pup you
reserved, and you opt not to take a replacement the deposit is 100% refundable.
A word about Age
An adult dog can shortcut many problems and steps in dog ownership, but can
come with it's pitfalls as well. Young adults and older pups can also be great
choices for some situations. Talk to us about your situation and expectations so
we can make sound recommendations. Most all books will say it is irresponsible
to let pups go before 8 weeks of age. In fact the book I send you says that as
well. But when you read training books from top trainers, and animal
behaviorists, you will find a different story. Dogs learn many things from the
mother and the littermates, some of them vital to survival, others interfere
with further training. Dog on dog aggression for example is learned by
roughhousing with litter mates too rough too long. At the same time, it builds
confidence and teaches them what is acceptable interaction. Here are some
excerpt from some of my favorite books.
The first 16 weeks of a dog's life
are a period of tremendous development. For the first 21 days the mental
capacity of a puppy is zero. During the 21st through 28th day, the senses
(seeing, hearing, smelling, and first emotional and social stress within the
litter) begin to develop. At this time, the puppy first starts to learn and
should be introduced to gentle socialization. On approximately the 28th day of
life, the puppy's brain "turns on." From the 28th to 49th day, his nervous
system and brain develop to adult form. The seventh week of life is most
critical. This is the best time to wean a puppy from the litter so that he
develops an attachment to his new owner. The seventh to twelfth week should
introduce gentle and playful early obedience (such as kindergarten puppy
training). A dogs character is set by what he learned up through the 16th week
of life.
-Search
and rescue dogs training the K9 hero second edition
"...So what is the ideal time for your puppy to make the transition to it's
new home? All the behavioral studies that have been done recommend the 49th day
give or take a day or two. These studies have also shown that dogs begin to
learn at 3 weeks of age. At 7 weeks old their brains are neurologically
complete, and all the circuits are wired. Their mind is a blank page, and all
you have to do is fill it with the right information. They won't forget what
they learn in the next few weeks. If you wait until your dog is older, he'll
probably have picked up several bad habits, which means you have to erase the
page and start all over, a much more tedious job than starting when he is a
puppy.
-dog
training for Dummies 2nd edition *This book despite the title is my favorite
book
You can see why it is important to place the dog on time, and if that is not
possible or wanted, the puppy must be raised "under foot" at that point to
ensure proper development. Whether you get one of our dogs or someone else's,
make sure you get the pup at the proper age, or from someone who will bring the
pup up properly so it will reach it's full potential.
A word about Gender
Nearly half of our clients ask us "Which is better a male or a female?" That
is a loaded question if I have ever heard one! I follow it up with questions
about what it is you want your dog to become, what do you expect it to do, what
do you expect to do with it. Males and females are different but not better or
worse. Just like people in some ways. Women typically care more about
relationships, family, etc whereas Men want to talk about jobs, hobbies,
accomplishments etc. I will speak about some generalizations because generally
they are true, however there are many exceptions. Male dogs tend to be more
independent, more concerned about hierarchy, more territorial such as they want
to protect "their" property. In case you didn't already know, we live in their
homes, they allow us to sit on their stuff etc. Females tend to be more people
oriented, less interested in hierarchy, and possessive of their people, not
their property. They own us we don't own them in their minds. A male dog wants
to keep strangers out of the yard, females want to keep strangers away from
their people. Now when you spay and neuter it changes everything because
behavior and temperament are driven by hormones. A neutered male is the calmest
most easy going dog, followed by spayed females, then intact females, then
intact males. So ask yourself how you want the dog to behave, what you want it
to do, and then ask me my opinion. We want to help you get the right dog for
your needs. The right dog is never the wrong color or gender.
A word about registration
All Family Dobes are placed with limited AKC registration, and sometimes that
may take some time due to the foreign transfers etc, but papers are guaranteed.
Full registration is only available on performance or co-ownership contracts
just to make sure you have good mentors along the way to help you make good
decisions and get your health testing done. All dogs will still be eligible to
compete or anything else, you just won't own the full breeding rights right away. This really is a safeguard to help you not make some of
the mistakes I made along the way because no one would mentor me. I say often
education and information are free, but sometimes they can't come all at once. I
can't make anyone a responsible breeder overnight, but given some time and help
and encouragement, the breed can really benefit. Many people ask what is the
difference? Registration terminology: The AKC has several types of registration
we will only discuss the most important two. If your dog or the one you are
looking at does not fall into these two categories, don't by them. Other
registers are also no good if they are not recognized by the AKC. For example
our dogs we bring in from Europe can be registered with the AKC, and we do that.
Dogs with UKC/ACA,CKC etc may or may not be able to get papers with the AKC. In
America as much as the AKC frustrates me, and they do have their weaknesses,
they are still the American standard. You can likewise enroll your dogs with the
United Doberman Club if you are interested in the Schutzhund sport or foreign
dogs. AKC offers full registration which means the dog is eligible for all AKC
sponsored events and programs such as the "Canine Good Citizen" Which I
encourage all of you to get. It is easy enough anyone can get it if they set a
goal and pursue it. It also exposes you to the world of competition which you
may decide you like or not. Full registration most importantly gives you the
right to breed the dog and register their offspring with the AKC. Limited papers
mean you can still compete/show and everything else you just can not register
the offspring if you bred them. The only event they can not compete in is
conformation as it is reserved for breeding animals. For that reason, limited
dogs are usually spayed and neutered. It is also possible to change limited
papers to full, so some people do not "fix" their dogs right away.
A word about Spaying or Neutering
We recommend not "fixing the dog" until 18 months of age anyway because of
health issues such as bladder control. Females that are altered before 18 months
old generally have trouble with bladder control later on. Your vet will tell you
to spay early to prevent things like ovarian or testicular cancer, that will
work, but removing the ovaries or testicles at 4 years old will prevent it as
well, they are gone! At any rate have a good working relationship with your vet,
and make a decision together that you feel comfortable with when it comes to
altering your dog.
Guarantee
At Family Dobes we have often said we have a health and temperament guarantee.
What we really have is a refund or replacement policy based on certain
conditions. I can guarantee parentage, and the condition the pup leaves my care,
but I can not guarantee how it will turn out in the future; health or otherwise.
We say Guarantee to re-assure the buyer, and add credibility. You will receive a
copy of our refund/replacement policy upon purchase which basically lines out
that we will refund or replace the puppy if it is affected by certain genetic
disorders, or does not work for it's intended purpose.
Health Policy as follows:
Family Dobes guarantees the pup to be free of
Hip Dysplasia (when
raised on approved feed requires receipts for verification),
hypothyroidism, von Willebrands disease (must be verified with Vetgen DNA test,
and be “affected” and have active bleeding issues), wobblers syndrome, and
progressive retinal atrophy
or other genetically
inherited problems that will cause early death to the age of 24 months. Other
diseases not genetically inherited and will not be covered. We recommend having
a very good relationship with your veterinarian and following appropriate
wellness and vaccination schedules. Any health claims must be accompanied by
certification of abnormality from two accredited veterinarians. Breeder may
refund purchase price or replace with similar animal at the breeders discretion
when the original animal is returned to us. All shipping, travel and vet
expenses are the responsibility of the buyer.
Temperament Policy as follows: Family Dobes will Guarantee said animal to have
sufficient temperament to be a working family companion when approved training
schedule and program are followed and documented. Documentation of schedule,
activities and progress must be submitted weekly to validate said guarantee. If
animal proves insufficient as evaluated by at least two accredited trainers,
breeder will either refund purchase price or replace the animal when the
original animal is returned to us. All Shipping, travel and evaluation expenses
are the responsibility of the buyer.
This certificate is only
valid for said animal to original buyer. Guarantee requires presenting
certificate to breeder
Puppy Health Caution
I am writing this message with a heavy heart, and wishing things went well
always. We have traditionally administered the first puppy shot before the puppy
leaves our care using the solojec 7 way vaccine. Some people are anti
vaccination, and I can understand their concern, they need to get with me ahead
of time to plan the health care for the puppy. As tragic as the pet food recall
was for many people imagine this pain. As with the pet food recall, those people who
lost their pets were doing what they thought was good and right, they wanted to
care for them. All the while they were feeding them poison that killed them. I
had a puppy that we placed at Christmas time just pass away and naturally the
family was very upset as I can imagine. Turns out after all the tissue cultures
were completed at Cornell, it was determined that the cause of Death was
distemper. Now I had vaccinated the puppy when it left, and the owners had given
the boosters twice as they should. Next they gave another booster at the Vet
office, and one week later the puppy died of the very disease it had been
vaccinated against. This is called vaccine break. Again you are doing what you
believe is best for the pet, and it causes a tragedy. Our hearts and prayers go
out to this family and we are trying to help them get another pup to help them
grieve and move on. One thing I have learned studying this case and consulting
with several vets is that Pfizer and Interjec guarantee their vaccinations to be
effective. If the dog contracts the disease while under their approved
vaccination schedules, they will cover all the costs of care! We are switching
to Pfizer for this reason. A second problem is fresh in my mind and has me very
upset. I placed a pup from my last litter that left here with a vaccination, and
today is in the clinic suffering from Parvo. I do not know if the booster had
been given, but there are some important things to understand. If you vaccinate,
primary immunity is not usually obtained until the third shot, and it still
needs a booster as the puppy grows. As you start caring for your new puppy, it
really is best not to take them anywhere other dogs could have been. Parvo can
lay dormant for up to seven years. that means if a Parvo dog eliminates on your
lawn, six or seven years later your dog could come down with Parvo. It is tragic
and hard, and has a high mortality rate. The best strategy, is to vaccinate
effectively for Parvo, and keep the dog secluded until immunity is reached. A
titer test is the best way to determine this. Remember even going to the Vet is
a risk, but one we have to take, where does someone with a parvo dog go? To the
Vet naturally. Although they do their best to keep things sterile, parking lots
etc can be very contaminated. Crates are best for puppy visits to the Vet. Keep
them in it and be wary about who you let poke fingers etc in.
Health Testing
You will notice in all my ramblings that I don't put
all my stock in health
testing, especially for things like Thyroid. All it tells you is the condition
of the animal the day they are evaluated. We don't yet understand genetics
completely enough to take any strand of DNA, map it and all it's combinations
out and identify all future problems. There are many things that are strongly
influenced by genetics, but they all have counterparts that go into the equation
as well. Mainly those are exercise and nutrition. Just the same as it is with
us. I don't purchase my breeding stock based on "tests" though they do have some
importance in my mind, evaluate the animal you are buying, and after that, it's
ancestors. Don't get too much peace of mind from a single test, do your own
testing and prevent problems first. If one comes up then correct it. I just want
to be honest with my buyers. The tests give buyers and artificial sense of
security. However... A breeder who does health testing, and gathers all the
information they can to make their decisions has shown that they are more
responsible and educated and that has a lot of value to me even if the test
results don't. Let that be a guide for you as well is my recommendation.
Vaccination
I have always told folks, to wait until the pup is seven weeks old to receive
it's first vaccination. SoloJec 7 is now approved for use on puppies 6 weeks
old. The best schedule is to give first shot at 6 weeks, then every 2-4 week
intervals thereafter until 18 weeks of age for a total of up to 7 shots.
Interval should be determined by you and your vet based on exposure risk etc. I
prefer two week intervals. After that you will give them an annual shot. I try
to accompany it with their Rabies Vaccination so it is easy to remember when
they come due. Our pups receive their first shot at 6 weeks, but primary
immunity is not acquired until they receive at least two doses .
Update:
I have to tell you the
“new” thing is to avoid vaccines altogether, but I don’t agree with that. I am
too concerned about Parvo and Distemper. I did have one of my clients lose a pup
to Distemper just last month, and it was one week after it got it’s last shot,
so I have really been studying vaccines. Here is what I found, stick with Pfizer
vaccines or interject, but Pfizer is still preferred. They not only guarantee
the vaccine to be effective, (in adults up to 3 years sometimes) and they will
pay vet expenses if the animal contracts the disease. I guess I am done with
soloject vaccines. My Vet recommends (and I do agree) First shot at 6 weeks,
then every three weeks after that until 16 weeks to guard against Parvo in high
risk dogs (dogs that go where other dogs have been). If the dog doesn’t go out
in public (right like that will happen) then every four weeks is fine. It is a
delicate line to balance between enough protection, while keeping risk minimal.
I hope this helps. The other thing is to be careful of deworming too much as it
has been linked to blindness and hearing loss. Pumpkin seed and Tobacco are
natural de-wormers for the holistic approach, I prefer Ivermectin still just
used with care and prudence.
Ear Cropping
There are a lot of good reasons to crop ears, and a lot of good reasons for
floppy ears, you need to decide what you think is best. Dobermans with floppy
ears look less like Dobermans and therefore less intimidating. Dogs that will be
used as therapy dogs or SAR dogs, generally are more accepted by people with
floppy ears. Cropped ears have the Doberman deterrent look to them. I have some
of each. Cropped ears need less cleaning, stay dryer and have fewer infections.
Floppy ears are cheaper, and you don't have to worry that your investment will
be lost if they fall. Whatever you decide, your puppy will come to you with
natural ears. Many breeders have vets that will crop ears at 5 weeks old to help
make the pups more marketable. At five weeks of age, the ears are not very bigl, and the head is
about the size of an apple. It is very hard to do a
good crop that way. At 12 weeks of age the ears and head are balanced in their
growth and a very successful crop can be achieved by a good Vet. We recommend
cropping at 10-12 weeks and since your pup will be placed with you before that,
we can not have the ears done for you. In the past when we have violated this
rule, we found the puppy didn't get proper follow-up care and ended up with
cropped ears that flopped which is a heartbreak to think of what the pup had to
go through only to have floppy ears in the end still. Ear cropping though is an
art not a science, and you have to trust the artist to some extent. I always ask
to see pictures of previous crops the vet has done. Any artist that is proud of
their work will keep a scrapbook or have dogs available to be seen. If you like
how they turned out, then trust the artist if they want to do the ears early.
Click Here for more cropping
info
VON WILLEBRAND DISEASE
Did you know it affects humans as
well as dogs? No it is not contagious, it is genetic. It is believed to affect
2.6 million people in the US!
vWd is the common abbreviation, it is a disorder that can be quite common in
Dobermans depending on the lines they are bred from. What is it exactly? It is a
genetic defect that causes abnormal blood clotting. dogs can fall in one of
three categories, affected, carriers or clear. Affected dogs may have a hard
time recovering from surgery, injury or even normal biology such as
menstruation. This is not the only bleeding disease affecting dobes. Vetgen has
a test for vWd and it can tell you what precautions to take in your breeding
program, and how to prepare for the future. Not all dogs with vWd will die from
it, but some die either directly from it or as a result of it complicating other
problems. Here is one of my favorite articles:
FAQ's about vWD in Doberman Pinschers
Email correspondence between Dr. Patrick Venta and James
Anable Jr.
Posted on [DOBERWORLD-L] listserv
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 12:17:14 -0800
From: "James W. Anable, Jr."
Subject: READ THIS--Dr. Venta's response to vWD questions List
members,
Hi Jim,
My colleagues finally had a chance to comment and make changes to this
letter to you, and so it is now a joint effort. So here it is.
As you know, VetGen is now offering DNA tests for von Willebrand's
disease (vWD) in Scotties, Shelties, and Dobes, and Kristi, of VetGen,
is beginning to post information about these tests. The responses
indicate some confusion, particularly about the Doberman. You have
asked me, as one of the investigators who discovered the mutation, to
clarify the genetics and usefulness of the new DNA tests. This is a
fairly long letter, and I will apologize for its length now, but I
felt that much of what is presented is information that you and other
interested parties will want. I have not followed the posts for the
lists, so I hope that you will forgive me if I might repeat something
that has already been said a million times.
A key part of this message that you must understand is that we now
know the precise DNA mutations and why and how they cause vWD in these
three breeds. So all past hypotheses and speculations in the Merck Vet
Manual and elsewhere, which were based upon the old protein-based
factor assay, are out the window. Ignore them--they are past history.
Now that we have the mutations in Scotties, Shelties, and Dobes, we
can speak from fact not speculation regarding these three breeds. We
are working on other breeds as well, but we cannot promise the date at
which we will find any of the other mutations (although, of course, we
hope it will be sooner rather than later).
The bottom line of what is given below is as follows: (1) vWD in
Doberman pinschers is a true clinical disease in which affected
animals are predisposed to have abnormally (and sometimes fatally)
prolonged bleeding times. (2) The Dobe disease is recessively
inherited, contrary to what some previous research had suggested in
the past. (3) Carriers are unlikely to have bleeding problems but
affected (that is, homozygous mutant) animals are at a significant
risk of serious bleeding problems, if they undergo surgery or sustain
moderate trauma. Penetrance is *far* less important than was inferred
from the dominant, incompletely penetrant model. (4) If this one
mutant gene was eliminated from the breed, vWD would become a very
rare disease, indeed, in Dobes.
I will begin by describing the disease in two other breeds, because I
believe that this will lead into the Dobe situation very well. Both
the Scottie and Sheltie have the severe Type 3 form of the disease.
The Sheltie may be a rare exception to the rule, that better than 99%
of any simply inherited disease in a breed is caused by one mutation.
In other words, while the major and most severe form of vWD in
Shelties is Type 3, there is a possibility that a minor portion of the
vWD problem is due to Type 1 vWD. This is according to data developed
by Dr. Jean Dodds and her colleagues (Brooks et al., 1992--see below
for complete references). We are working to see if this is true (it
seems likely). Type 2 vWD, by the way, has only been seen in only two
breeds of dogs, German shorthaired pointers and German wirehair
pointers, so we will ignore it, in this letter. Both the Scottie and
Sheltie Type 3 vWDs are caused by mutations that prevent *any* von
Willebrand factor (vWF) from being produced. The technical term for
these mutations are "single base deletions." These diseases are
recessive, so that both copies of the gene that a dog possesses must
be mutant before the animal has a bleeding problem. Carriers almost
never have bleeding problems (Johnson et al., 1988).
The Doberman pinscher mutation, on the other hand, is Type 1 but it is
*recessively* inherited! Most human Type 1 vWD is inherited in a
dominant, incompletely penetrant mode. There are two things that made
the Dobe vWD appear to be inherited in a fashion like the human
disease. (1) The Dobe mutation is what geneticists refer to as
"leaky." That is, the mutant gene makes a small amount of normal vWF
protein. The amount made by each mutant gene is about 5% of the total
normal amount. A normal gene would make 50% (so that two genes produce
100%). (2) The frequency of the mutant gene in the Doberman pinscher
breed is greater than 60%! The parent of an affected animal can be
also be affected, due to the high gene frequency (thus, the apparent
dominant inheritance), but this is not always the case (thus, the
apparent incomplete penetrance). This result was easily (and
understandably) misinterpreted as the dominant, incompletely penetrant
mode of inheritance as seen in humans. In human genetics, it is
assumed that each genetic disease is rare, and one would not expect
the parents of "affecteds" to also be affected if the disease was
recessive. With animals, rarity of a disease gene cannot always be
assumed, as illustrated by Dobe vWD. Other researchers have also
presented data and arguments that Dobe vWD is actually a recessive
disease (Moser et al., 1996; Johnson et al., 1988). The identification
of the mutation fully explains it. Homozygotes for the disease in
Dobermans do *not* die in utero. The mode of inheritance with other
breeds, such as the German shepherd dog, could still be dominant,
incompletely penetrant. We simply are not certain of the inheritiance
pattern for other breeds at this time.
Dobe carriers should produce 55% of normal vWF, on average (5% from
the mutant gene and 50% from the normal gene). However, other
biological variables can affect the amount of factor found in the
blood. These variables include thyroid hormone level, estrous, liver
status (diseased or not), etc. Variation can also be produced by
inappropriate handling of the blood sample or some variability in the
protein-based tests themselves. These variations for concentration of
the protein in the blood can make an animal appear to be a carrier on
one day and homozygous normal (clear) on the next (which value does a
breeder believe?). This is why the protein-based tests are not as
useful as they might otherwise be. The DNA-based tests are completely
different, because they detect the genetic change at the gene level,
which does not vary. There are only three possible results from the
DNA-based test. An animal is either clear, a carrier, or affected.
Re-testing is pointless, because the result will always be the same
for a given animal. So one test is good for the life of the animal.
Incidentally, we have also set up the test so that it is noninvasive
(you swab the inside of the dog's mouth with a small, soft brush),
convenient (you can send the brush by regular mail--no need to
refrigerate), and you can test at any age, even young puppies.
Dobe *carriers* with abnormally long bleeding times are not common.
Dodds, Johnson and Stokol et al. have all reported that animals do not
usually bleed excessively when they have factor levels greater than
36% of normal (Dodds, 1982; Johnson et al., 1988; Stokol et al.,
1995). Carriers will occasionally go below this level, but usually not
by very much. Surveys of fairly large numbers of animals have been
conducted, and the data appear to show the expected trimodel
distributions for number of animals vs. factor concentrations (Dodds
and Covey, 1981; Moser et al., 1996; Johnson et al., 1988; Stokol et
al., 1995). By extrapolating the overlapping curves it can be seen
that carriers do not dip into the danger range more than occasionally.
Therefore, the fear that an animal who tests as a carrier might
someday suddenly become a severe bleeder because of the dominant,
incompletely penetrant scenario is completely negated. Occasional
carriers might have bleeding times that are prolonged, but these are
the exceptions. Clear animals will never bleed abnormally, due to
hereditary vWD (the removal of the disease gene should be, after all,
the eventual goal).
Fortunately, even affected Dobes usually do not bleed spontaneously
(unlike the case for Scotties, and perhaps Shelties). If they did,
there probably would have been a stronger natural selective pressure
to remove the disease gene. However, with surgery or moderate trauma,
these dogs are at risk for serious bleeding problems (there are
numerous reports in the scientific literature addressing this fact,
and I am sure that there have been numerous anecdotal reports in this
forum as well). So the disease and its causative gene are something
that breeders should most certainly want to remove from their breeding
programs. This will have to be done with care, however, because we do
not believe that it is in the best interest of the breed to limit the
gene pool by breeding only clear to clear. By following the guidelines
that Kristi at VetGen posted previously (also available at http://www.vetgen.com/),
it should be possible to allow the desirable genes to separate from
the disease gene over a few generations, while at the same time
preventing the occurrence of affected animals.
The mutation that we have found accounts for essentially all of the
vWD seen in Dobermans. It is always possible that a rare mutation in
combination with the common mutation would cause a bleeder. However,
this should be very rare, because the rate of occurrence of *new*
mutations for most genes is between one in one hundred thousand to one
in a million per generation (Crow, 1993 and references contained
therein). If the mutation we have found is eliminated from the breed,
von Willebrand's disease will also be eliminated from the breed
(ignoring those one in a million new mutations that can never be
prevented). The same is true for specific lines, as well. Breed out
the disease gene (which can now be detected) and the disease will be
gone from the line.
If some portion of this letter needs clarification, please let me know
and I will do my best to do so. The other primary investigators for
this research are Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan, Ph.D. and William Schall,
DVM at Michigan State University, and George Brewer, MD and Jianping
Li in the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Michigan.
I hope that you find this letter useful and, once again, Jim, I
apologize for its length.
Sincerely,
Pat
Patrick Venta, Ph.D.
College of Veterinary Medicine
Michigan State University
Hips and Joints
All large breed dogs are concerned with hip and joint health. There is
nothing more difficult than helping your companion get up just to go out to the
bathroom, so they don't go where they lie. Gretta my first Dobe, got to the
point she couldn't move to take care of herself. Her kidneys were not doing well
anymore, and I had to make the hardest choice I had made up to that point in my
life. She was suffering deeply, she didn't enjoy her life or time with me. Like
me she wished we were hiking in the mountains or playing fetch, even just going
for a car ride. Is good joint health important to me? You be it is, I lost a
dear friend much too soon because of it. There are a lot of breeders out there
who try to build buyer confidence with OFA certifications etc. Yes Hip and bone
problems are genetic, yes OFA is important and should be done as soon as the
animal is two. Other things to remember are injury, and excessive use at a young
age also cause later problems. One of the lesser known problems is Nutrition. It
was once thought that we should slow the growth of large breed dogs to curb
future problems. They believe that this gives the bones and joints time to
develop sufficiently to support the weight of the large animal. Many Large breed
formulas such as Science Diet and Iams still hold this philosophy, which is why
I no longer feed them. you can see this isn't what nature had in mind, and in
nature, animals make it to maturity healthy and strong. This is why I feed Royal
Canine Maxi Puppy. They really should sponsor me somehow for as much as I
recommend them to all our new homes and everyone I meet. I don't get anything
from them though, and that adds credibility to my recommendation. You see in
nature, Large animals such as Timber wolves eat a diet very high in protein,
(read the labels of whatever feed you choose to begin to understand) and fat.
They get grains, greens etc as a byproduct, not directly. Wolves don't run into
a corn field and eat the corn, they run in and eat the pheasant. I once believed
Dogs to be strict carnivores for this reason. finally one study helped sway my
opinion a little. Strict Carnivores, only masticate (chew) vertically (up and
down), with sharp pointed dentition. Strict Herbivores have different dentition
(teeth) to grind and their jaws move in a side to side type of movement. A true
Omnivore then must be able to bite and tear with sharp front teeth (like we
have) and chew both vertically and horizontally with some kind of a rear
grinding surface (like people). This study showed that although dogs don't have
a flat Molar in their mouths for grinding, they do chew both directions. So then
I started to think they are omnivores by accident. When they eat the pheasant,
or other critters, they are eating the whole animal including it's stomach etc.
and all it contains. This is how they do get some grain and roughage in their
diet. The diet then is very high in protein and fat. When the mother of wild
dogs brings them food to eat, she brings a whole rabbit, she doesn't ration it
out on a limited protein and fat system to slow down their growth. So how does
nature allow for good skeletal development? They ea the whole rabbit, bones and
all. They get tendons, joints and all important parts. What do joints contain in
healthy animals? Glucosamine and
Chondroitin Sulfate. People have just now clued in to what nature provided all
along. By supplementing the "joint fluid" in their diets, they can develop at a
normal pace and still be healthy. They can run and play, but don't work on high
jumping type exercises until they are fully developed. If you get them the
proper nutrients, their bodies will do wonders, and they will have good joint
health. In addition, verify that the lines your new pup comes from are
genetically prone to good hips and joints. Interested in stem cell research?
Consider that carnivores consume a large amount of living bone marrow in the
wild with every meal, from many species. Makes you wonder huh?
Cardio
just as in people, if you come from a family full of heart problems, you are
likely to have heart problems as well, it is the same for your dogs. There are
many types of heart problems in dogs, and generally the words get very long and
hard to understand. What you need to know, is things that deviate from normal
are not good. Hearts that are too big, too small, or have irregular beats or
valve problems are not good. Only a Vet who specializes in cardiology can help
you know and understand all of this. There are many tests and opinions out there
on cardio health. My opinion is an ultrasound to determine structure, size etc
is important as well as an EKG to determine rhythm etc. A Holter Monitor test
may be the single most important test as it shows things otherwise unseen. I also believe in
researching pedigrees to identify health risks. Again, bad hearts are
genetically influenced but can come from poor diet and exercise just as happens
in people. A well fed active dog can live a very long happy life even if he was
predisposed to poor cardiac health, just as it is with us. Feed them right, and
exercise them, select them from the best lines possible, and you and your
companion will make far more happy memories.
Eye health
There are as many eye problems as there are cardiac problems in dogs. Again
the names get very confusing and people are just now trying to understand it all
just as with people. Certain kinds of blindness or vision problems can be
influenced genetically, as well as nutritionally or due to injury. Very few vets
specialize in ophthalmology, and very few people enlist their help and opinions.
Again many breeders try to build buyer confidence with evaluations and tests,
that I believe have some value, but don't just assume that because a dog has had
it's health tests performed that it will produce perfect puppies. Some things
are genetically influenced, but we don't have a genetic "test" for eye trouble,
and if we did you should test the puppy not the parent. What the "tests" consist
of are evaluations of the eye structure, at the time the dog is examined. This
is good information, but does not guarantee the offspring will never have eye
trouble. Again, feed well, exercise the eyes while they develop by walking in
all kinds of lighting conditions including nighttime, and have the dog evaluated
if you notice problems.
First Aid
First Aid is exactly that, the first thing you do until you can get help or
get to a Vet. Many vets will teach a basic first aid class to your training
clubs or groups if you just ask them, they are pretty good about that. There are
also a lot of great books and articles to read, and you could even volunteer at
your local vet. Everyone will need a basic kit, and there are many out there to
choose from. Most important is that you know how to use what you have. All the
fancy kits in the world won't help at all if you don't know how to use them.
Spend some time learning the important points that you are qualified to take
care of. You will need to know how to stop bleeding in different areas, how to
immobilize broken bones, treat for shock, dehydration, blood loss, insect,
animal and reptile bites. Learn about allergic reactions etc. I could type all
night on what to do, but it is best to attend a class put on by your vet so you
can do what it is they want you to do on the way. Here is a link to some of the
better kits I have found. I like the pro kit, but don't bother getting it unless
you really know how to use all of that stuff. If you can't see yourself using
sutures or staplers on open wounds, why have them? Unless you are going to be
around others that do know how to use them. The other thing is, don't be afraid
to use the stuff in your kit, it can always be replaced and replenished, always
have extra gauze, tape, and vet wrap around, you will use a lot of it!
http://www.outdoorsafety.net/sportingdogkits.htm
Great article on puppy development and behavior
Bear in mind that this is written on
raising companion dogs, if you plan on doing protection training or protection
sports, many of the things in this article will be counter productive, for
example with Protection prospect puppies we want to build drive, focus and
confidence through games like tog-o-war etc :
Dog Development
When dogs are young, they learn much
and what is learned has a lasting impact.
(Sue St. Gelais, Ontario, Canada)
All dogs, regardless of breed, pass through various stages as
they grow and develop,
physically, mentally, and psychologically. Psychologists use the
term critical period to
describe a specific time in a dog's life when certain
experiences have a lasting effect upon
their psychological development. Understanding these critical
periods and a dog's stages of
development will better help you to understand your foster dog's
behavior and how to handle
him during these special times.
Neonatal Period (0-13 days)
§ Puppy’s brain is not yet highly
developed. He responds to the mother’s licking for
elimination; responds to warmth and food. Puppy’s reflexes are
slow.
ê Make sure the puppy is safe, warm,
and well fed.
Transitional Period (13-20 days)
§ Puppy’s eyes begin to open. He
starts to walk and attempts to explore his surroundings.
§ By 19 days, puppy’s ears begin to
open and he will startle by noises.
§ By 20 days puppy’s teeth begin to
emerge
Puppy Toddlers (3 - 6 Weeks)
This is when the social period in your puppy’s life begins. The
puppies emerge on their own
from the litter and venture into the surrounding environment.
Gentle handling by you will help
him to form a trusting relationship with humans in order to
become man’s best friend.
During the toddler period puppies learn basic behavioral
patterns specific to dogs:
§ While playing, they practice
different body postures, learning what the postures mean and
how they affect their mother and litter mates.
§ They learn what it is like to bite
and be bitten, what barking and other vocalizations mean
and how to use them to establish social relationships with other
dogs.
From the age of five weeks, the mother teaches her puppies basic
manners. They learn to be
submissive to her leadership and what behaviors are acceptable.
If necessary, she growls,
snarls, or snaps at them as a form of discipline. When weaning
the litter, for instance, the
mother will discipline her puppies so that they will leave her
alone. Because the mother
disciplines them in a way that they clearly understand, after a
few repetitions, the puppies will
respond to a mere glare from her.
n A 5 week old puppy can begin
to understand housetraining rules.
Housetraining Rules
(Marty Smith & Race Foster, Housetraining Your Puppy)
Rule Number One:
This is The Most Important Rule – If you don’t catch your puppy
doing it then just clean it up
and forget about it!
Rule Number Two:
Praise your puppy when things go right. Don’t let this be a
situation where your only action is
saying "No" when they are caught in the midst of using the wrong
area. If they do it right – let
them know!
Methods of housetraining
Crate Training (call Claudia
& Bob at 539-6561 evenings to borrow a crate)
A popular method of housetraining involves the use of a crate or
cage. The often-stated
reasoning is that the animal is placed in a cage that is just
large enough to be a bed. Dogs
don’t like to soil their beds for they would be forced to lay in
the mess. It works and while in
these confines most pups will control their bladder and bowels
for a longer time than we
would expect. Start out with no more than 45 minutes or an hour
at a time and gradually
increase the time your puppy spends in the crate. If your dog
has an ‘accident’
(urinates/defecates in the crate), just clean it up and forget
about it. You do not want to create
an aversion to the crate and it is not the dog’s fault. You have
left him/her in the crate too
long.
During housetraining, whenever the puppy is inside the home but
can’t be watched, place
him/her in the crate. This might be while you are cooking,
reading to the children or even
away from the home. The last thing you do before you put the
puppy in the crate is take him
outside to his favorite spot. The first thing you do when you
take the animal out of the crate is
another trip outside. No food or water goes in the crate, just a
blanket and maybe a chew toy
to occupy his time. Overnight is definitely crate time but
remember to gradually increase the
time your puppy spends in the crate (see above). As your faith
in the puppy grows, leave him
out for longer and longer periods of time.
Most people do not recognize an important advantage of crate
training. It does more than just
stop the animal from messing in the house. It also teaches the
puppy something very
important. The puppy learns that when the urge to urinate or
defecate occurs, he can hold it.
Just because the pup feels like he needs to relieve himself, the
pup learns that he doesn’t
have to. This is thought to be the main reason why puppies that
have gone through crate
training have fewer mistakes later on.
Constant Supervision
This method involves no papers, pads or crates. Rather you
choose to spend all the time
necessary with the puppy. This works very well for people who
live and work in their homes,
retired persons or in situations where the owners are always
with the animal. Whenever they
see the puppy doing his "pre-potty pattern" they hustle him
outside. It is important that the
dog is watched at all times and that no mistakes are allowed to
occur. This method has less
room for error as there is nothing like a cage to restrict the
animal’s urges. When she is taken
outside, watch the puppy closely and as soon as all goes as
planned, she should be praised
and then brought back inside immediately. You want the dog to
understand that the purpose
for going outside was to go to the bathroom. Don’t start
playing, make it a trip for a reason.
Verbal communications help this method and we’ll discuss them
soon. For those with the
time, this is a good method. We still recommend having a crate
available as a backup when
the owners have to be away from the animal.
Verbal cues
Specific verbal communications will also help the two of you
understand what’s desired. It’s
an excellent idea to always use a word when it’s time to head to
the bathroom. We like
"Outside?". Remember that whenever you use a verbal command or
signal, it’s important that
everybody in the family always uses the same word in the same
way. Think of the word
"Outside" in this situation not only as a question you’re asking
the pup but also as an
indication that you want to go there. Some dogs may get into the
habit of going to the door
when they want to go outside. This is great when it happens but
it isn’t as common as some
believe. We’ve found that it is better to use verbal commands to
initiate this sort of activity
rather than waiting for the puppy to learn this behavior on his
own. It seems like your
consistent use of a word or phrase like "Outside" will cause the
puppy to come to you rather
than the door when he needs to go outside. The pup more quickly
sees you as part of the
overall activity of getting him where he needs to go. We believe
this is much better.
Once outside we try to encourage them to get on with the act in
question. You can use "Do
It", "Potty" or "Hurry Up". As soon as they eliminate it is very
important to praise then with a
"Good Dog" and then come back inside immediately. Again, make
this trip that started
outside with a specific word "Outside" be for a purpose. If we
are taking the pup out to play
with a ball or go for a walk we won’t use this word even if we
know they will eliminate while
we are outside.
When an "accident" happens
One of the key issues in housetraining is to follow Rule Number
One: If you don’t catch your
puppy doing it then there is nothing you can do. We don’t care
what someone else may tell
you or what you read, if you find a mess that was left when you
weren’t there, clean it up and
forget it.
Discipline won’t help because unless you catch the puppy in the
act, he/she will have no idea
what the scolding is for. Your puppy has urinated and defecated
hundreds of times before he
met you. Mom or someone else always cleaned it up. Nobody made a
fuss before and they
will not put the punishment, regardless of its form, together
with something they’ve done
without incident numerous times before. Especially if they did
it more than 30 seconds ago!
Puppies are just like children. Unless something was really fun
(and a repetitious act like
going to the bathroom isn’t), they are not thinking about what
they did in the past. They’re
thinking about what they can do in the future. At this point in
their life a puppy’s memory is
very, very poor.
Anyway, let’s face it. It was your fault not the pup's. If you
had been watching, you would
have noticed the puppy suddenly walking or running around in
circles with his nose down
smelling for the perfect spot to go to the bathroom. It’s just
as consistent as the taxi cab driver
behind you honking immediately when the light changes. The puppy
will show the same
behavior every time. It may vary a little from pup to pup but
they always show their own "prepotty
pattern" before the act.
The same should be said as to your first reaction when you
actually catch them in the act of
urinating or defecating. It’s your fault, you weren’t watching
for or paying attention to the
signals. Don’t get mad. Quickly, but calmly pick them up and
without raising your voice
sternly say "No". Carry them outside. It will help to push their
tail down while you are carrying
them as this will often help them to stop urinating or
defecating any more.
They’re going to be excited when you get them outside, but stay
there with them a while and
if they finish the job reward them with simple praise like "Good
Dog".
In the disciplining of dogs, just like in physics, every action
has a reaction and for training
purposes these may not be beneficial! If you overreact and
severely scold or scare the heck
out of a puppy for making what is in your mind a mistake, your
training is probably going
backwards. With housetraining this is especially difficult for
them to understand as they are
carrying out a natural body function. Carried one step farther
is the idea of rubbing a puppy’s
nose into a mistake he made, whether you caught him or not. In
the limits of a puppy’s
intelligence, please explain to us the difference of rubbing his
nose in the mess he left in your
kitchen an hour ago versus the one the neighbor’s dog left in
the park two weeks ago. If the
dog were smart enough to figure all of this out, the only
logical choice would be to
permanently quit going to the bathroom. Punishment rarely speeds
up housetraining. Often it
makes the dog nervous or afraid every time he/she needs to go to
the bathroom.
Feeding and housetraining
The feeding schedule you use can help or hinder housetraining.
You’ll soon notice that
puppies will need to go outside immediately after they wake and
also within 30 to 40 minutes
after eating. Be consistent when and what you feed the animal so
you can predict when they
need to relieve themselves. Plan your trips outside around these
patterns.
All of this may seem simple and it really is. The keys are that
it will take time and you must be
consistent. And, of course, you must never lose your temper or
even get excited.
Spontaneous or submissive urination
Puppies may spontaneously urinate when excited. This may be when
they first see you, at
meeting a new dog or when they are scared. It is often referred
to as submissive or
excitement urination. Do not discipline the puppy for this, as
it is something they cannot
control. Simply ignore it and clean up the mess. If you don’t
overreact, they will usually
outgrow this between 4 and 7 months of age.
n A 6 week old puppy can be
introduced to some basic rules of living with you. Physically
remove the puppy from dangerous situations or places where he
shoudn’t go to. Reward
him with cuddling and praising rather than food.
Clapping hands to encourage puppy to approach you for cuddling
and warmth as well as
following you can be done individually away from litter mates.
Try to avoid excessive noises
and other sudden changes.
Socialization Period (7 - 12 Weeks)
n At 7 weeks, puppies can learn
and what they learn will have a lasting impact. Everything
he comes in contact with will make a lasting impression upon him
as it never will again!
Not only will he learn, but, he will learn whether he is taught
or not. Though he has a short
attention span, what things he learns are learned permanently
and resistant to change.
Therefore, you need to be careful about what your puppy is
learning at this time. Your puppy
is very anxious to learn how you want him to behave and react,
and he needs to be shown
what is expected of him in his new role as your pet.
There are rules you will expect your puppy to obey. Establish
those rules NOW while
behaviors are easy to establish. For instance, how your pet
interacts with you is determined
during puppyhood. What he does now is what he will likely do
later. So, don't allow your
puppy to do things which will be unacceptable when he becomes a
dog. During this time, you
and your puppy will also begin to know and understand each
other. You will get to know
about your puppy's particular temperament and personality -
whether he is strong-willed or
eager to please, gentle or rambunctious, shy or outgoing, and
just what else makes him the
endearing individual that he is.
For the puppy, this is both an exciting and somewhat confusing
time. There is a whole new
world of things to learn about and all sorts of new experiences
to digest. Your puppy needs to
learn how to interact with humans and other animals who live
with them. Puppies must be
able to adapt to the patterns and tenor of their future homes.
And you are the one helping him
with this by laying a groundwork for a trusting, happy mutually
satisfying relationship.
n During the Socialization period,
there is a fear imprint period from 8 - 11 weeks. During
this time, any traumatic, painful or frightening experiences
will have a more lasting impact
on your pup than they would if they occurred at any other time.
An unpleasant trip to the veterinarian or a long and stressful
car ride, for instance, at this time
could forever make your dog apprehensive about veterinarians and
frightened of cars. To
avoid this, take some treats and a toy with you to the
veterinarian. Take the puppy frequently
on brief car rides with you and stop for a short walk somewhere
interesting for the dog – even
if it’s just a 5 minute walk after your shopping trip.
Remember, dogs are social animals. To become acceptable
companions, they need to
interact with you, your family, and other people and dogs during
the Socialization Period.
Dogs that are denied socialization during this critical period
often become unpredictable
because they are fearful or aggressive. It is during this time,
that your dog needs to have
positive experiences with people and dogs. Take your dog to
places where other people walk
their dogs. Begin by taking him there when there are few other
dogs and people. Give him
time to get used to new places. Make sure he is secure. Schedule
‘doggie play time’ with
other dog owners in the park. If you have children that visit
only occasionally, have your
puppy meet children as often as you can. If you live alone, make
an effort to have friends visit
you, especially members of the opposite sex so that your dog
will become accustomed to
them. Go someplace fun!
Seniority Classification Period (12-16 Weeks)
n At 12-16 weeks your dog will
begin to test you to see who the packleader is going to be.
He'll begin to bite you, in play or as a real challenge to your
authority. Such behavior is
natural in the pack and not necessarily undesirable. It is
important, at this stage, that you
establish your position as pack leader, and not just another
sibling. Other behaviors, such as
grabbing at the leash, will be observed, and all are attempts to
dominate you. Biting , in
particular though, should always be discouraged. Therefore, you
should not wrestle or play
tug of war. Such play is aggressive-inducing. What you see as a
fun game may be perceived
by your dog as a situation in which he has been allowed to
dominate. Wrestling, of course,
communicates to your puppy that he is allowed to bite you. Tug
of war sets you up in a
dominance confrontation over an object. He learns that he can
keep objects away from you.
During tug of war games, puppies will often growl. Growling is a
dominance vocalization,
designed to warn another pack member that they better not
confront the growler or he will
bite. Puppies see these games as situations in which they have
been allowed to dominate.
They do not understand that these are games designed by humans
to entertain them.
Continue to play with your dog during this period, but make it
clear that no mouthing of your
body is allowed and when your dog does mouthe, you respond with
a quick and sharp "NO!"
or "No Bite!" Play that does not get rough is best. If you
cannot keep the dog from getting
overly excited during a game and he persists in biting at you,
don't play that way.
For these reasons, this is the stage when serious training
should begin. Training establishes
your pack leadership in a manner that your puppy will
understand. By training your puppy,
you will learn how to get him to respond to commands designed to
show that you are in
charge.
Flight Instinct Period (4 - 8 Months)
n At 4 - 8 months the puppies
become more independent of their owners and are likely to
venture off on their own.
Puppies that have always come when called or stayed close to
their owners will now ignore
them, often running in the opposite direction. This period can
last from several weeks to
months. How you handle your puppy's refusal to come or stay with
you will determine
whether or not he will be trustworthy off leash Therefore, keep
your puppy on leash when this
period arises and keep him on leash until he readily returns to
you or shows no inclination to
leave you.
Releasing an unleashed dog in an unconfined area that is not
well trained off leash may be
dangerous to your dog. Even well trained dogs can make mistakes
or become distracted by
something in the environment so that they do not respond to
their owners' commands.
So, how do you respond when your puppy suddenly develops the
urge to bolt? First, you
must, for his safety, put a leash or a long line on your dog
whenever you are not in a confined
area. Second, work hard on training your puppy to come on
command. Use the recall game
and the spontaneous recall. When walking your dog, suddenly run
backwards and encourage
your puppy to come. If your dog still continues to bolt or run
away, then your dog probably
does not view you as the dominant figure in this relationship!
Adolescence Period (5 - 18 months)
n Adolescence can appear in smaller
dogs as early as 5 months. In larger breeds, it can
start as late as 9 or 10 months. In giant breeds,
adolescence doesn't take place until 12
to 18 months. In general, the larger the dog, the longer it
will take to physically mature.
Some breeds can remain adolescents until they are two and a
half, or three years old.
Adolescence is expressed in male dogs by scent marking behavior.
Scent marking behavior
is stimulated by the release of testosterone into the dog's
system. At this time, males may
become macho. Male dogs may become less friendly and even
somewhat aggressive to
other male dogs. He may begin lifting his leg in the house. He
may become very interested in
girls, tend to roam, and certainly not interested in listening
to you! Some males at this age
become totally unruly.
In females, adolescence is marked by the onset of the heat
cycle, estrus. During this three
week period, your dog could become pregnant. So, keep her away
from all male dogs.
Female dogs exhibit erratic behavior during estrus. Some get
real moody and insecure.
Others become quite bold or even aggressive.
Spaying/neutering your dog will help to alleviate these
problems!
Adolescence is a very difficult time for pet owners. They are
surprised when their cute little
puppy becomes a free and independent thinker. Adolescence is
certainly a good time to start
(or reinstitute) rigorous training. You must work hard NOW to
mold the dog of your dreams.
Establish yourself as the leader of the pack. Be realistic about
your expectations. You cannot
expect young dogs to grow up overnight. Learn to appreciate your
dog's adolescence for it is
a truly wonderful time. At this time of their lives, dogs are
very energetic and exuberant in
their responses. They can be full of beans, but still,
delightful playmates. You as the owner
must learn to channel that energy and exuberance into learning,
working, exercising, and
playing games. It is not too late to to train (or retrain) your
dog to help him to become a long lasting
companion.
Second Fear Imprint Period (6 - 14 Months)
The Second Fear Imprint Period occurs as dogs enter adolescence
and seems more
common in males. It is often referred to as adolescent shyness.
Your dog may suddenly become reluctant to approach something new
or suddenly become
afraid of something familiar. This behavior can be very
frustrating to the owner and difficult to
understand because its onset is so sudden and, seemingly,
unprovoked. If you notice this
behavior, it is important to avoid the two extremes in response:
Don't force him to do or
approach something frightening to him and don't coddle or baby
him. To get through
situations that make your dog fearful, be patient, kind, and
understanding. Desensitize him to
the object or situation by gradually introducing him to it and
using food rewards and praise to
entice him to confront the fearful object or situation. Do not
coddle or reassure him in any way
that will encourage his fearful behavior. Do not correct him
either. Simply make light of it and
encourage him give him food rewards as he begins to deal with
his fear better. Make sure
you lavishly praise his attempts! This phase will pass!
Mature Adulthood (1 - 4 Years)
During this period your dog may again become aggressive and
assertive. For instance, he
may become more turf-protective, by barking when someone comes
to the door. Temper his
protective behaviors by teaching him how to accept strangers
into your home. His friendly
play with other dogs may escalate to fighting with other dogs.
Teach you dog to ignore other
dogs that he sees if he can't be friendly towards them. Take him
to places where there will be
a few dogs at first and train him there. Then, train him in
areas with more and more dogs.
Next, allow him to interact with non threatening dogs. Puppies
and female adult dogs are
good choices,
if he is a male. Always praise his positive efforts to interact
or if he displays no reaction.
Also, be alert to the posturing of aggressive behaviors. Watch
for circling behaviors, walking
on toes, stiff tail wags, and tense facial expressions.
Adulthood is also a time that your dog may again test your
position as pack leader. If he
does, handle him firmly, suspend any rough play that may be
giving him the idea that he can
dominate you, and continue with training. Proceed with training
in a matter-of-fact, no
nonsense manner and your dog will become a reasonably obedient
dog. Give him lots of
positive attention for his efforts!
Summary:
Remember - All dogs are different!
Some will not exhibit the behaviors discussed here and others
will pass through them at
varying rates with smaller dogs maturing faster than large dogs.
In addition, other problems
may arise during puppyhood, adolescence, and early adulthood
which are not the result of
the developmental period itself, but are caused by something in
the environment or the dog's
basic personality. Understanding, training, and perhaps
professional help with training are the
keys to success. Your foster puppy/dog needs you to play a role
in his development so you
can help him to become a loving, well –adjusted dog and
companion who greatly deserves to
be adopted into a new home.
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