Picking A Winner (part 1)

This is actually the next in my series on choosing the right dog, but since this evolved into two parts, I used a different title. My mind works like that, are you telling me yours doesn't?
I'm not gonna lie, I started typing this two weeks ago and when reading it over today, I realized that it was going to be a two part post. My bad. I could have totally had a post last week and not been a slacker.
This is clearly part 1, which outlines the importance of choosing a good breeder. I am not in any way supporting breeders as opposed to rescue or adoption, just trying to help out people who choose to go that route.
When I meet with a new client, one of the many questions I ask is where they got their dog. I don't ask this so I can give a lecture on the impacts of buying from a breeder as opposed to rescuing a dog or the pitfalls of choosing a puppy from a pet store. I ask because the first environment that a dog has does make an impact on their personality. I have worked with dogs from reputable breeders, puppy mills and those found on the side of the road- the good news is that with time and patience, they can all be great dogs.
If you have the choice and you want to buy your next pup from a breeder, I'm not going to stop you and direct you to the nearest shelter, but I think you should be educated in choosing that breeder. There are some red flags that you should be aware of when selecting a breeder for your next companion and knowing ahead of time can save you a lot of headache and potential heartache.

First, why should you care about the early environment and bloodlines that your puppy comes from? The first obvious factor is genetics. A responsible, reputable breeder will have vast knowledge of the lineage of your puppy. The breeder cares about this because they want healthy dogs and they want to better the breed. Appearance and conformation are great things to be aware of and should be taken into consideration, but alone they do not make a great dog- good breeders select for demeanor too! Health concerns are another genetic factor- many purebreds are predisposed to health problems- your breeder should know about all the specifics for that breed and do what they can to avoid keeping these health problems in the bloodline. For example, large breed dogs generally will come with PennHip X-Rays, which are done to check for hip dysplasia. At the very least, both parents should have had these done.

I'm not going to delve much into the physical effects of poor breeding programs, but I will tell you that I have seen 8 week old puppies with grade IV heart murmurs and severe hip dysplasia- yes, at that age the entire litter of 9 puppies was diagnosed. These puppies were the result of extremely poor breeding; we found out during the course of the appointment that the parents of the litter were mother and her son (from a previous litter obviously). The person had no idea that this was not a good way to breed- the veterinarian explained.

As far as personality, it is very difficult to predict what exactly will happen in a given litter- it's a breeder, not a mind reader. What a breeder can do is know the two dogs they are pairing for a given litter and select them based on demeanor in addition to health and appearance. If either parent has a history of serious behavior problems, they should not be selected to breed because it could very likely be passed on to puppies.
Aside from genetic factors, the early environment that a puppy experiences can have a huge impact on who they become. Dogs who are abused, neglected or otherwise ill-cared for show that as adults.

WAIT!

Time for a super quick, simplistic review of puppy development.
For the first 12 days, the puppy is completely reliant on the mother for their care and can't do much more than poop, pee and nurse.
Around 2 weeks, the puppy begins to control bodily functions, the eyes open and they start to wag their tail.
Starting around 3 weeks, puppies begin to develop awareness of their environment and begin to learn some canine behaviors. At this stage, they can also differentiate between human and canine behaviors (if exposed to both).
At 7-10 weeks, most puppies are ready to wean and go to their new homes and begin learning some manners and basic cues, as well as how to bond with people and other animals (using reward based training, of course).
At 5 weeks, the fear imprint period can begin, though it typically peaks at 8-10 weeks. Scary things at this time will remain scary for a long time.
There are more development periods, but that is for another post.

These periods matter because if a puppy is in a less than ideal environment, it will have an impact on their development. If a puppy is born to a mom who is young, inexperienced and unhealthy, they may not have the care they need in that early stage when they are vulnerable and dependent. As those puppies spend more time in that stressful environment, they will learn all about stress and how to respond to it. Those responses vary from cowering and hiding from stimuli to barking, growling and biting as a response. The problem is that they may be in such a stressful place that their responses are excessive and they retain the behaviors into adulthood. Any fearful experiences are made worse by not having a good coping mechanism. If that early environment is not clean, you will have the special joy of potty training a puppy who does not mind pooping and peeing where they sleep and eat (I see this a LOT in puppies from pet stores).

It's not just scary experiences that can shape behavior- lack of experience with new things can be just as detrimental. Puppies who don't see people with hats, other animals or hear loud noises tend to over-react to these is introduced suddenly later in life.
I am hoping that by now I have you convinced to go for a good breeder if you are going to go that route.
Tune in next week for the red flags to be on the lookout for when you are selecting your breeder!

Resources:
http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/puppy-personality-development
http://www.houstonspca.org/site/DocServer/developmental_stages_of_puppy_behavior.pdf?docID=369

Double Trouble, or Why You May Not Want Sibling Pups

I want this post to serve as an educational one, and a warning all at once. I like to multi-task. I want to tell you about the dangers of getting two puppies from the same litter.
One of the services I provide for my clients is new dog counseling. We discuss lifestyle, including hours spent out of the home, outdoor activities, number of people living in the home, visitors, other pets, and the list goes on. We discuss whether they want to adopt/rescue or buy from a reputable breeder. Let me say that I'm all about adopting from a shelter or going through a rescue organization, but if someone really wants a specific breed and wants a puppy, I don't see anything wrong with buying from a good breeder. We'll get into this in another post, but I wanted to put it out there- I don't think that opting for a breeder is in itself a bad thing. Plenty of breeders work hard to improve their breed and do extensive background checks on potential owners to ensure the well-being of their pups.
Anyway- I try to figure out a good balance between what people want in a dog, what they can realistically give to the dog, and what the dog will need from them. We then work to get the new pup (or adopted older pup or senior citizen pup) acclimated to the new home, address any behavior issues and start on basic training commands. It's really rewarding to help put the pieces together and see new relationships develop when I do this, I know I'm setting them all up for a great life together.
Except...
When folks want to throw a big wrench into it.
By getting two litter mates.
I know it's tempting- they are cute, they are siblings, and they'll keep each other company so it'll be a little easier for the humans, right?
Almost. It's so almost true that I want to believe it. They are adorable, they will probably love living together, but the humans in these cases have a lot more on their plate than they expect.
Ask anyone who has twin children- it's double the work, especially at the beginning. With dogs, it's the same but for slightly different reasons.
Sibling pups can have a handful of issues:

Bonding

They can bond so well with each other that they all but ignore the people in their family (or any other pets, for that matter). This becomes especially troublesome when you are working on things like recall and leash walking, and your dog really doesn't care what you say. It makes sense that they would bond better with each other- they've already been acquainted for quite some time once you get them so you are fighting an uphill battle to get them to care about you.

Bullying

Pups who are siblings can sometimes exhibit more bullying tendencies- one to the other, or by them ganging up on another pet. This is based largely on my experience and that of other canine professionals, so it may not be as widespread, but it's out there. It may be that one pup was protected by other litter mates before going to their new home and now the 'bully' pup has the freedom to be a jerk all the time. As siblings who do everything together, bullying of another dog (or even a person) is worse when there are two dogs doing it. 

Health 

Genetically, siblings will have a lot in common. This means they will be similarly adorable and will grow to be about the same size. It also means that if there are any genetic health issues or deformities, you'll get it times two. Anything as simple as sensitivities to food, allergies to things like cancer or heart defects are generally shared between litter mates. It could mean double the cost of special food or vet bills and /or double heartache if they both pass away at the same time, or early in life. 

Temperament

The other thing that is passed on in DNA (to some extent) is temperament. Any behaviors from severe aggression to extreme timidness are sculpted by genetics and the early environment- which is just about identical for canine siblings. Organizations that train guide dogs have discovered that there can be a tendency for one of the pups to develop a more shy or submissive personality and for the other to be more outgoing- any good guide dog group won't send two puppies to a home to be raised together. 

BUT

Just because someone gets litter mates, it does not automatically mean any or all of the above issues will ever present themselves, or at least not at a level that it affects daily life. I have known plenty of litter mates who have done great- fantastic through all training, no bullying of anyone and live long healthy lives. The thing is, their humans have been people who were really committed to their dogs. They made (or had) time to commit to working with the dogs a LOT. They also seemed to be dogs who were pretty good temperament-wise anyway, so that's a plus. So, to ensure success with litter mates, and to ensure that they don't take over everything, there are some simple steps to take. 

1. Look at breeds- some breeds will be more difficult in pairs- sight/scent hounds who are siblings can be much more work than say, retrievers. Hounds tend to work more independently of their people and are bred to have what I call "doggie ADHD". They are bred to be on the lookout for things and it is very strongly ingrained in them. Retrievers are similarly bred to know their environment and seek out things, but they are meant to work closely with a person (or people). By trying to find a breed that is more inclined to work closely with a person, your odds of success are higher and your work won't be as hard.

2. If you want to ensure success with two pups from the same litter, the first step is to find a fantastic breeder. It will likely be an uphill battle to get two pups from a good breeder, because they are aware of all the things I have mentioned and want the best for their pups. If you can prove yourself worthy, they'll probably let it happen though. By choosing a great breeder, you can significantly diminish or eliminate the chances of serious health problems or temperament problems, so your job is just a bit easier still.

3. This one is really important, and if I weren't listing chronologically it would be first because this can make or break any dog pair's success in a home with people. The dogs need time away from each other. This means crating separately and spending time with their people individually. This needs to be done just about every day. I'm talking about walks with you and one dog, training on cues with one dog and the other dog being in another room; outings to meet other doggie friends individually. They need to be able to develop socially as individuals to be successful as with people. All obedience training needs to be done with both dogs; each individually and then together so that the behavior can be generalized and proofed. This one is not always easy; I'm not gonna lie. Raising a dog takes time, money, and effort. Raising two dogs takes at least twice that much. 

4. Lower your expectations when they are together. Until you have done many months or years worth of work, the dogs will still be very easily distracted by one another. That's why you need to develop proficiency with one dog before working two (or more) dogs together. 

Any of you out there have sibling pups?

Links & Resources: 

The New Knowledge of Dog Behavior, by Clarence Pfaffenberger  (actually originally published in 1963; presents information on puppy development and offered at the time a brand new perspective on puppy temperament testing. This is how Guide Dogs for the Blind figured it out!)

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_1/features/Problems-Adopting-Two-Puppies-At-Once_16190-1.html?pg=3

http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/adopting-out-two-dogs-littermates-too-bonded-to-separate

http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/adopting-littermates-dont