Everybody Poops... Hopefully Not On The Rug

House training, potty training, housebreaking- whatever you call it, teaching a dog to poop and pee in the appropriate place can be harrowing. Most puppies learn early on to poop and pee away from where they sleep and eat, though not all. You may recall my post on puppy development  where you hopefully learned that very early on, puppies learn to go to the bathroom in the right place when they start leaving the den:

Transitional Period: Days 11-21

Motor and sensory skills start to develop, eyes and ears open, and they start to walk instead of crawl with trepidation. Their teeth are coming in, so they can start on soft meals (sometimes regurgitated by their momma), even though they will still be nursing for a few more weeks. Louder vocalization occurs when they are left in a new environment and since they can hear, they will initially startle at noises. At this age they also start to navigate away from their nest or den to go potty, because they can go potty without mom's help and realize that they don't want to sleep near that. Up until this point, their sweet momma has probably been eating their poop. The puppy is able to adapt to new stimuli and develops the senses through experiencing new stimuli like handling, playing with toys, experiencing new types of floor, bedding and climbing on stuff (not unlike human babies). Play fighting will begin during this time and positive reinforcement training can be used to teach them (by their mom or their humans). An interesting side note, potty training is already starting at this point and what happens here will have a lasting impact:

"From this point on, the puppies should have the possibility to leave the nest site to eliminate. Puppies who have been thwarted from doing so may become almost impossible to house train."

See that? As early as three weeks old, your puppy could be delayed in potty training if their environment is not ideal. Puppies who come from pet stores are notoriously bad at learning to potty appropriately. Due to the nature of the setup, their poop and pee tends to not get cleaned up right away and they become accustomed to it, even in their kennel. This makes potty training especially difficult because you are limited in where the puppy can be placed while you are unable to watch him. Other puppies are raised using potty pads, which can have an effect on house training. This is typically done for puppies who are born during winter in cold climates or toy breeds who could be picked up by a bird of prey when out on a potty excursion. Now, potty pads are not inherently bad and they can be really helpful for tiny breeds and folks who live in high rise apartments and condos. The problem is when a puppy generalizes the padded surface of the pad to any soft surface of the house- the bathmat, the front door mat, the dining room rug, etc. 

"Oops...my bad."

Since this whole potty thing can be so frustrating, I wanted to pass along some potty training DO's and DO NOT's. 

1. DO NOT punish your dog for having an accident. It was an accident, your dog doesn't know any better, or they do not have sufficiently developed muscle control to hold it when playing/excited/very full of pee or poop. This means you should not yell, scold, or rub your dog's nose in the excrement. This is pretty rude of you and will confuse your dog. It can also lead your dog to be afraid of going potty anywhere around you and learning to hide it better when he does go in the house. You will find poop in a shoe in your closet suddenly, and your dog will be afraid of going potty around you, even outside. That makes it pretty hard to adapt appropriate potty habits. 

2. DO NOT let your dog watch you clean up the poop or pee on the rug. Admittedly, I'm not sure exactly what goes on in your dog's mind when they see you clean up, but I suspect it's something like "oh, wow! I left that there and now look at how dad is enjoying it! He's sitting on the floor, rubbing that towel on it, he must want to keep my smell forever. I will have to do this again later on, so he has more to play with!" Have another family member take the dog out to finish going potty or just sniff around while you clean, or have the dog crated or gated where he cannot see you cleaning up. 

3. DO NOT let your dog outside in the yard and assume they are doing their business out there. That is like sending a 3 year-old into the bathroom and expecting them to go potty. They might, the might not, they might flush bath toys down the toilet. It's really a toss up. If you are having trouble potty training, you need to know if your dog is going outside so you know what to expect when he comes back inside. 

4. DO NOT free feed a dog who has poop accidents in the house. Remember that if food goes in at fairly predictable times, it will come back out at predictable times. 

5. DO take into account the size of your dog. A Chihuahua and a Great Dane will see a 1200 square foot apartment as very different space, and potty problems may develop as a result. A 7-pound chihuahua may have no problem pooping on one side of the living room and sleeping on the other side. It's enough distance! The Great Dane on the other hand, may not want to poop anywhere inside that home because it is all too close to where he will sleep. 

6. DO clean up with an enzymatic cleaner, such as Nature's Miracle or Anti-Icky Poo. This actually gets rid of the proteins left behind. Using Resolve is great for us, since it smells pretty, but to dogs it smells like the poop/pee and that weird fake flowery smell, so they have no problem going there again. 

7. DO reward your dog for going potty outside. This can be praise, but a treat given outside, right after a pup goes potty where you want can go a long way in them repeating the behavior. 

8. DO label the 'going potty' with a term such as 'go potty', 'make', 'go to the bathroom', etc. It really doesn't matter what term or word you use, as long as you don't mind saying it out loud and sharing it with anyone who will care for your pup. 

9. DO keep track of when and where your dog goes potty, this way you know what to expect as a pattern develops. 

10. DO remain consistent with taking the dog out at regular intervals and taking them to a designated potty spot. This will set him up to be more likely to go outside when you take him. If you are keeping track of when and where it happens, your consistency will result in a predicable potty schedule. 

See how painless that was? The truth is, with some dogs this takes weeks to months. With a pup who has been having accidents for a long time, it will take longer to break the habit of peeing or pooping anywhere. If a dog has been going to the bathroom indoors for 4 years, it will take more than 4 days to change the habit. Consistency and patience are the key here, as well as a good carpet shampooer! Of course, if you are struggling, you should contact a certified dog trainer who can help you and your dog. 

The Way A Puppy Grows

Maybe you don't have a mother and aunts who love to sing like mine, but I have this one stuck in my head from my aunt singing it to our son the other day:

"Oh, I think it's rather silly, 

the way a puppy grows

a little on his waggly tail

a little on his nose

a little on his tummy

a little on his ears

I guess he'll be a dog alright

in half a dozen years"

I'm certain they didn't come up with the catchy tune all by themselves, unless perhaps you ask them, but it got me thinking about the way a puppy grows. I did a post a few weeks ago about the importance of a good breeder, because that initial environment has a big impact on who that puppy grows up to be.

As an example of the impact, I have a client who has two dogs from of the same breeder, same bloodline, bought a few years apart.

The one pup (we'll say Fido for simplicity sake) is friendly, social and accepting of people and has been from the beginning. Their other dog (Fuzzy) is reactive, nips people and barks (a lot) and has since they brought them home. When they got Fido, they were brought into the house where the puppies and their momma were living with the human family. They were exposed to the family including children, older family members and cats. When they got Fuzzy, the dogs were staying in a nice house of their own without people constantly around. They were well cared for, clean and healthy looking.  Fuzzy's litter was not exposed to various people and other animals. Fuzzy is reactive and fearful, Fido is friendly and confident.

Let's take a look at what happens those first 8 weeks, before puppies even go to their new home, and why it's so important.

Neonatal Period: Days 1-12
The puppy is pretty helpless at this stage, eyes and ears are not open, motor skills are limited, cannot regulate their own body temperature and need stimulation (licking by momma) to pee or poop. Puppies in this stage will whine or cry to attract their mother's attention, and already has a sense of balance, taste, smell, touch and can detect changes in temperature (meaning they will move toward warmth). Even at this stage, the environment will shape the puppy. Gentle handling such as picking up and holding and moving to a slightly different surface for a short period of time (less than a minute) will help the puppy later on:

"If puppies are handled and exposed to mild environmental stressors, it can have a positive impact on them in later years. On the other hand, pups left undisturbed or raised in isolation during this time can be emotionally reactive when they reach adulthood. You may not see visible signs until they reach adulthood, because the signs are so subtle that the novice eye would not recognize them as a potential future problems." *1

"Mild stress of the neonatal dog, such as induced by handling or placing the puppy on a cool surface, increases the puppy's ability to cope with stress later in life" *2

Transitional Period: Days 11-21
Motor and sensory skills start to develop, eyes and ears open, and they start to walk instead of crawl with trepidation. Their teeth are coming in, so they can start on soft meals (sometimes regurgitated by their momma), even though they will still be nursing for a few more weeks. Louder vocalization occurs when they are left in a new environment and since they can hear, they will initially startle at noises. At this age they also start to navigate away from their nest or den to go potty, because they can go potty without mom's help and realize that they don't want to sleep near that. Up until this point, their sweet momma has probably been eating their poop. The puppy is able to adapt to new stimuli and develops the senses through experiencing new stimuli like handling, playing with toys, experiencing new types of floor, bedding and climbing on stuff (not unlike human babies). Play fighting will begin during this time and positive reinforcement training can be used to teach them (by their mom or their humans). An interesting side note, potty training is already starting at this point and what happens here will have a lasting impact:
"From this point on, the puppies should have the possibility to leave the nest site to eliminate. Puppies who have been thwarted from doing so may become almost impossible to house train." *3

Socialization Period: Weeks 4-14
Social play is the primary endeavor at this time, as puppies are learning social cues and subsequently, the rules of normal play. This is also the time when they learn all about people-what they are and what they do. Puppies can be taught cues and behaviors using positive reinforcement and they are learning about bite inhibition from their litter mates. Spending time with people and their litter will ensure a well-rounded dog who is comfortable in different social settings. Through play fighting, they experiment with biting, grabbing, shaking and holding. Puppies start to learn about bite inhibition when litter mates yelp at too hard a nip or grab. The yelp will (typically) stop play for a moment because of the alarming sound. 

"Socialization to dogs and to people has to occur during this time. If this opportunity is missed, he puppy will most likely always be fearful of dogs and/or humans. During the socialization period, the puppy should also be exposed to all situations that it is likely to encounter during its life." *4

Hold on, Now here's a really important part of the Socialization Period:

Fear Imprint Period: Weeks 8-10 (or more)
At this point in development, puppies will retain fearful experiences/stimuli which they encounter.
"If 5 week old Beagle puppies were punished (e.g., with an electric shock for approaching a person), they shoed fear, but approached that person again when retested later. If the puppies were between 8 and 9 weeks of age, they retain the fear of that person...Any aversive experience during this time is to be avoided, since it may have lifelong effects on emotionality, anxiety, fear, hyperactivity and reactivity and aggressiveness." *5

That's it, just the first few months of a puppy's life and look at all that has happened in such short time! All of that stuff a puppy experiences before you even meet them for the first time really does impact who they will be.

There are more stages of development that your dog goes through, but we will stop here today because I've typed enough for one night and I think this is a good place to start. If you want to know more, you should check out the two books that I cited here, they are both great books.

Citations:

*1:
Raising Puppies and Kids Together, by Pia Silvani and Lynn Eckhardt  Page 12

*2:
Small Animal Pediatrics, by Michael Peterson and Michelle A. Kutzler. Page 188

*3:

Small Animal Pediatrics, by Michael Peterson and Michelle A. Kutzler. Page 188

*4:

Small Animal Pediatrics, by Michael Peterson and Michelle A. Kutzler. Page 189

*5:

Small Animal Pediatrics, by Michael Peterson and Michelle A. Kutzler. Page 190-191

Resources:

Raising Puppies and Kids Together, by Pia Silvani and Lynn Eckhardt (a great read if you have puppies and kids, btw.)

Small Animal Pediatrics, by Michael Peterson and Michelle A. Kutzler.

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

Guest Post: Cheesecake

I am so happy when my clients see an improvement in their dog's behavior. I am absolutely thrilled if they brag about their dog and mention me!
This week's post is by a client of mine and one of the sweetest puppies I know, Cheesecake.
Cheesecake had a rough start- probably not bred intentionally or responsibly and in her first home she was left alone in a bedroom for days at a time (at least she had food and water). I'm pretty sure she has forgotten most of that by now, since she lives with some really great folks who love her and want her to be a good ambassador for bully breeds.
I'm happy to say that she's well on her way to being that ambassador after just a few weeks of training- I can't wait to see what else this pup will do to amaze us!

http://thecheesecakechronicles.blogspot.com/2015/03/its-not-just-fun-and-games.html


What skill(s) has your dog picked up that helped you to live well with them?

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