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| Ages & Stages: Understanding Your Puppy |
(From the Complete Dog training Manual by Bruce Sessions)
There's so much to know about taking care of a puppy; there's also much to
understand about training a puppy. How do you begin? You begin by first learning
about what makes a puppy a puppy - what he needs, what he responds to, what he can
do. This chapter then is your introductory course - in basic puppy.
The five critical periods.
Scientific studies have shown that, there are five critical periods in a puppy's life, that is
five phases of mental development during which adverse conditions can cripple a dog
emotionally without hope for recovery. Conversely, positive conditions during these five
phases of emotional growth can produce dogs of the highest calibre - mentally and
socially. So important are these findings, that guide dog foundations instituted these
"positive conditions" for puppies being raised to become leaders of the blind. Dogs
trained to lead the blind receive the most rigorous and exacting training of any dogs
and therefore must be perfectly adjusted.
Dr Paul J Scott, Director of Animal Behaviour at Roscoe B Jackson Memorial Laboratory
at Bar Harbour, Maine, directed a project to determine just when these critical periods
took place. The consequences of a person's failure to acknowledge and respond to
these critical periods were demonstrated in one particular test. A puppy 21 days old,
was removed from the litter and completely isolated. Although the puppy was fed and
watered, the caretaker was careful not to play with or speak to it. The only toys the
experimental puppy had were his water bucket and food dish. By 16 weeks of age, the
puppy had no contact with other dogs (except during the first 21 days of its life) and no
human contact except the caretaker.
At four months of age, the experimental puppy was once again placed with his litter
mates. HE did not recognise them, either as litter mates or as dogs! His isolation during
the critical periods of his life - his complete removal from the companionship of dogs
and humans - had marked his character to the extent that he could not adjust to animal
or human society.
First Critical Period: 0 - 20 days (0 to 3 weeks).
As a result of many years of scientific research, it has been determined that the first
critical period covers the entire first three weeks of a puppy's life, 0 to 20 days. During
this period, a puppy's mental capacity is nearly zero, and the puppy reacts only to its
needs of warmth, food, sleep, and its mother. Tests were conducted to determine
whether a puppy was capable of learning anything at all during the first critical period; it
was determined that it was not.
Second Critical Period: 21 - 28 days (3 to 4 weeks).
Scientists found, however, that something nearly miraculous happened on the 21st day,
and it occurs in all dogs, regardless of breed. On the 21st day, all of a puppy's senses
begin to function. The senses were present in the puppy during the first critical period
but were dormant. The 21st day marks the beginning of the second critical period.
During this period (21st to 28th day) the new puppy needs its mother more than at any
other time. The brain and nervous system begin to develop. Awareness begins to take
place, and in this mental state, a puppy's experiences can be rather frightening. A
puppy removed from its mother during this second critical period will never attain the
mental and emotional growth that it could.
During the second critical period, the social stress of being alive has its greatest impact
on a puppy. No other time in a dog's life is so crucial to emotional growth.
It is during the second critical period that the characteristic of nervousness can
generate shyness and other negative qualities in a puppy. Once negative
characteristics have been allowed to develop (during the second critical period) no
amount of reconditioning or training later in life alter the negative characteristics.
Third Critical Period: 29 - 49 days (4 to 7 weeks).
The third critical period is the fifth through the seventh week (29 to 49 days). At that
age, puppies will venture away from the nest - although not very far - and do a little
exploring. At the beginning of a puppy's sixth week, the awareness of society will dawn;
that is, the society of man and the society of dog. A puppy's nervous system and his
trainability are developing and, by the end of the third critical period, will have
developed to capacity. Unfortunately some dog books say that a puppy has the brain of
an adult at the conclusion of the third critical period. This is not true, and research
proves it.
At the conclusion of the third critical period (the seventh week of age), the puppy's
nervous system and trainability have developed to capacity, so a more comprehensive
look at what takes place during this third critical period is certainly in order.
During this period a puppy will learn to respond to voices and will begin to recognise
people. A social "pecking order" will be established among the puppies in the litter.
Some of the puppies will learn to fight for their food and will learn to be bullies. The litter
mates that are cowed by aggressive tendencies of the others will become shy.
The scientific tests at Hamilton Station have show that it is advantageous for a puppy to
remain with the litter long enough to acquire a little competitive spirit, but that too much
is detrimental to the puppy's emotional growth. The pups that remain in the litter after
the seventh week will begin to develop bullyish or cowed tendencies - which will remain
with them into adulthood. The longer a puppy remains with the litter after completing the
seventh week of its life, the more deteriorated the emotional growth of that puppy will be.
At the end of the third critical period, the puppy is considered emotionally developed
and ready to learn. But the puppy does not possess an adult brain at that age.
Fourth Critical Period: 50 - 84 days (7 to 12 weeks).
The trainability of a puppy is ripe and operating to capacity as the puppy enters the
eight week of life. Thus, the puppy enters the fourth critical period of emotion; growth
(50 to 84 days). What the puppy learns during the fourth critical period will be retained
and become part of the dog's personality. If a puppy is left with its mother during the
fourth critical period, its emotional development Will be crippled. The puppy will remain
dependent upon her, but in her will find very little - if any - security.
When a puppy remains with the litter beyond this time - and without adequate human
contact - its social adjustment to human society will be crippled, and what it learns will
be learned from the litter mates. The optimum time for taking a puppy into a new
household is at the conclusion of the puppy's seventh week.
Because a pup's trainability and learning facilities are operating at full capacity during
the fourth critical period, it is better that a puppy do his learning from his new owner.
And learn he will! The fourth critical period marks a time when a new puppy will learn at
a fast and furious pace. And much of what he learns will stay with him a long, long time.
What the puppy learns during the fourth critical period will help to shape him into the
kind of dog he will be forevermore!
That paragraph is so important that every dog owner (and those contemplating getting
a puppy) should reread it - and then read it again! For the readers who acquired their
dogs at six months or more, that paragraph may well explain some of the negative
characteristics in the personality and behaviour of their dog.
During the first three critical periods, in significant brainwaves from a puppy can be
recorder on electroencephalographs. The fourth critical period, however, is quite
different. The first actual - and highly significant - waves can be recorded. It is during
this fourth period that a bond will be established between dog and man that will have a
lasting effect upon the puppy. During no other phase in its life will a canine have the
ability to achieve a stronger bond that during the fourth critical period.
A puppy's contact with people during this phase is the whole key to his emotional and
social success within human society. In the tests conducted at Bar Harbour, puppies
were isolated at various intervals during the five critical periods, and it was determined
that isolation from human society had its greatest effect on puppies during the fourth
critical period. Without adequate human contact during the fourth critical period puppies
became incapable of being trained and incapable of being companions to man.
It is during this time that a puppy should be integrated into human society. At this time,
a puppy should be taken for walks, meet people and be allowed to play with children
and other animals (under supervision).
During the fourth critical period, simple commands can - and should - be taught. There
should be gentle discipline. Forceful discipline during this period could adversely tip the
scales on which the puppy's emotional development now rests. A puppy (during the
fourth critical period) is learning to live in a human's world. He is learning to trust and
have confidence in human beings.
A puppy between the ages of 8 and 12 weeks does not deliberately get into mischief. A
physical and forceful correction could result in complete confusion within the mind of the
puppy. Faith and trust in his new human friends could be quickly shattered. When
mistrust of humans develops during the fourth critical period, that mistrust will remain a
permanent part of the puppy's makeup.
Because many people acquire puppies for home security purposes, I must digress for
just a moment to put across a very important point. The preceding paragraph may
cause some to assume that the best way to raise a puppy to be a watchdog is to isolate
it from human society during its fourth critical period so it will distrust humans. But this is
not the way to train a watchdog. It is one way to guarantee that a puppy will never be
protective of anything.
During the fourth critical period discipline should be confined to scolding. Scolding does
not include shouting. Commands such as "sit", "stay", and "come" can be taught during
the fourth critical period - but must be done so in a playful atmosphere. Housebreaking
should be instituted in a gentle manner, insuring that praise is used for correct
behaviour rather than forceful correction for misbehaviour.
It is during the fourth critical period that puppies can develop what is generally referred
to as "Hand shyness" as a result of owners who feel that striking a puppy is the only
way to discipline it. A puppy's environment should give him a sense of security. Being
smacked around with rolled newspaper or human hands certainly will not achieve this.
Mild restrictions should be imposed - such as not allowed the puppy to chew on
furniture, shoes, etc. And these wild restrictions could have the additional value of
raising tolerance levels. Failure to discipline and failure to impose mild restrictions could
have a serious effect on the puppy's upbringing and s deleterious effect on the dog's
compatibility within the family later in life.
In human society, we have what is known as kindergarten in our public schools. The
purpose of kindergarten is to prepare a child emotionally for the learning that will take
place later. Kindergarten and pre-school classes are, in effect, a training ground to
teach children how to learn. The fourth critical period is the puppy's kindergarten. If a
puppy is taught how to learn during the fourth critical period his actual formal schooling
(Which can take place during or after the fifth critical period) will be more successful. A
puppy given pre-school training during the fourth critical period will be able to learn
more than a puppy that does not have pre-school experience.
Although commands such as "come", "sit", "stay", "down", and "no" are invaluable when
taught during the fourth critical period, perhaps the most important single response
during that period is learning to fetch. Puppies who cannot - or will not - learn to fetch
are dropped from guide dog programs. Moreover, dogs being trained to perform
narcotic detection duties must first be proficient at retrieving. The significance of
fetching cannot be over-emphasised. Explaining how such a game expands a puppy's
mind and what willingness to fetch reveals about a puppy would require a book in itself.
Learning t fetch in the fourth critical period can spell success or failure in your dog's
desire and ability to work for you. The term "work" refers to those duties which involve
specialised training.
Failure to learn fetching does not mean that a dog will not be able to learn to respond
to commands for everyday obedience, but stop and think for a moment if a dog is not
smart enough to learn to fetch how then can he be expected to manage the more
complex tasks of hunting, retrieving game, pulling a sled, working stock, guarding a
house, or detecting bombs?
Fifth Critical Period: 12 - 16 weeks (3 to 4 months).
The fifth critical period is the 13th, through the 16th week of a puppy's life. A highly
significant thing will happen during the fifth critical period, and puppy owners should be
prepared for it. A puppy will make its first attempt to establish itself as the dominant
being in the pack (family). It is during the fifth period that a puppy will learn whether he
can physically strike out at his owner - and get away with it!
If a puppy is allowed to get away with it, he will lose the confidence and the respect for
the owner that developed during the fourth critical period. The tolerance level toward
the owner will be narrowed. The puppy will learn that by rebelling he'll get things his own
way. It is during this fifth critical period that authority will be challenged. It is here that
the challenge must be met head on by the pup's owner.
Instructing people as to the best method for dealing with the problem is quite difficult
because not two dogs are exactly alike. Disciplinary measures for one are not
necessarily suitable for another. In my own training school the question is often asked,
"What shall I do if my dog bites me"? My answer usually goes something like, "What
would you do if your child hit you"? Heaps of love and understanding are not applicable
here. A puppy must be shown swiftly and firmly that though his is loved, you the owner -
are the dominant being.
Formal obedience training should begin not later than the age of six months for
optimum ease in teaching. This is not to say that a dog who has attained the age of 10
years cannot or should not be trained. As long as a fog is healthy, there is no maximum
age limit for training, It is always easier to train a dog that has not had too much time to
develop bad habits.
Being aware to the five critical periods, providing the correct environment during these
periods, and instituting proper learning techniques will allow a puppy to develop
emotionally and socially to full potential. Each tome you marvel at a guide dog leading
its blind owner through busy traffic, you can be assured that the five critical periods in
that dog's life were handled with great care and concern.
The puppy you acquire can grow up to be all the things he is capable of becoming. Pay
close attention to the critical periods in his life. Those are the periods which shape and
mould his character and personality. He is in your hands. What he is to become he will
become during those five critical periods.
Most formal obedience classes conducted throughout the country will not accept a
puppy for obedience training unless it has attained the age of six months or more. It is
unfortunate, however that by the time some dogs reach six months of age, they have
already become problem dogs. Obedience training may or may not help, depending
upon the severity of the problem. In too many cases, it does not. This is simply
because obedience training does not teach a dog to refrain from turning over trash
cans, chasing cars, barking excessively, or tearing up the living room furniture; these
bad habits are learned during the five critical periods.
The Pack Instinct.
The natural instinct of the canine is to try to assume dominance within the pack. As was
stated earlier, he begins this during the fifth critical period, and the dog will periodically
"test" the owner's ability to dominate. The fact that a dog will periodically test the
owner's dominance does not mean that the dog does not love or respect that owner.
However, if the owner is permissive and weak - thus allowing the dog to achieve
dominance - his love and respect for the owner will quickly wane. The dog owner then
becomes inferior in the dog's eyes, and the owner is destined to be owned by the dog.
The scales of love and discipline must be equally balanced. That is the magic formula
for success in the rearing of any puppy.
Security: Prime Ingredient For Emotional Growth.
Although your new puppy may be destined to become the family dog, one member of
the family should be designated the puppy's foster mother during the remaining critical
periods in its life. This is not to suggest that other members of the family should be
restricted in their association with the puppy. On the contrary, all should share in the joy
of caring for - and playing with - the new arrival. But the bond between the puppy and
its litter mother has been severed by removal from the litter. For optimum emotional
development, the puppy should have the security of knowing which member of the
human family has taken the litter mother's place.
It is strongly urged that a child member of the family not be given this responsibility if
optimum emotional growth is to be achieved. Many children are presented with puppies
to "help the child to develop responsibility". But in all too many cases, it does just the
opposite; often children will find excuses why they cannot take the time to feed, water,
train and care for their new charges. Dog pounds and humane societies (not to mention
research laboratories) are filled to overflowing with dogs and puppies awaiting
execution because their child-owners failed to develop the hoped-for responsibility.
A puppy knows very well when it is unwanted. Being unwanted brings insecurities to a
puppy, just as it does to a human. Insecurities breed emotional problems. Emotional
problems during the puppy's critical periods will remain as personality faults throughout
the dog's life. The personality faults can cause fear biters, piddlers, runaways and
perhaps complete emotional withdrawal from human society.
To increase the puppy's security, he should have his own bed in a place where he can
be alone when he wants. You must expect the first four nights to lend themselves to
some inconvenience - for you and the rest of the family. Your new puppy will be lonely
at night, having been accustomed to the presence of his litter mates. Although the
puppy may have been playful during the first day in his new household, nightfall - when
you and the rest of the family have gone to bed - will give the puppy time to remember
(and miss) his litter brothers and sisters. By the fourth night, however, the pup will have
adjusted to his new environment and to your family's routine. It takes just four days for
the average dog to learn to adjust to a new environment.
The Puppy Crate.
The value of such a crate cannot be overemphasised. For value received, such a crate
can be one of your best investments. Teaching a puppy to accept the crate (referred to
as "crate breaking") is not difficult at all. It will require a little patience on your part until
your puppy realises that the crate is his bed (and his eating place at first), that it is
comfortable and safe.
You will find that the use of a crate will assist you in one of the more difficult jobs - toilet
training. By nature, a canine does not want to soil its sleeping quarters. A puppy will
have a tendency to "hold it" until he is let out of the crate. A puppy can be completely
crate broken within four days of being introduced to it. The crate is like a dog house,
except that the crate has a door that can be closed and locked.
Puppy crates are collapsible and easily carried. When purchasing your crate, keep in
mind that your puppy will grow; there's not much sense in getting your puppy used to
sleeping in his crate if he outgrows it in two months. Get a large crate.
Puppy Nutrition.
The scope of puppy's security must also include a proper nourishment. The work of
preparing a complete and balanced diet has already been done for you by the
manufacturers of commercially prepared dog food. If you select a puppy food in which
the label states, "complete and balanced for growth", you won't need to worry about
adding vitamins and mineral supplements. They've already been added. If you add
more, you then run the risk of creating an imbalance of nutrients.
Most veterinarians will recommend vitamin and mineral supplements until a puppy
reaches one year of age if the puppy is eating what is known as a "maintenance diet".
That is, a diet prepared for the daily maintenance of adult dogs. Your veterinarian is
your best consultant since he can examine your puppy personally and evaluate its
nutritional needs.
It is not the purpose of this book to get into the technical aspects of canine nutrition, but
a proper diet for a puppy during the five critical periods of emotional growth is
important. A puppy that is not getting enough to eat, getting too much, or not receiving
the proper nutrients can hardly develop properly. For a more definitive look at proper
canine nutrition, the digestive system etc., the reader is referred to this author's work
titled "Dog Owners Medical Manual", (TAB book number 813, Blue Ridge Summit,
Pennsylvania).
Seventy percent of your new puppy's metabolism is water. He will need plenty of it - all
the time. His water bowl should be cleaned each day. Water allowed to sit will develop
scum, and diseases can result from an unclean bowl, such as gastrointestinal, just as it
can from unclean feeding dishes. Dry, caked-up food can breed harmful bacteria. A
clean water bowl and clean feeding dish will lessen the chances of gastrointestinal
upsets and resultant veterinarian bills. A puppy that is constantly thirsty - or constantly
hungry - cannot feel very secure.
Socialisation.
In bringing your puppy home when it is eight weeks of age, you must remember that it is
in its fourth critical period. Your puppy must be socialised with the human element. Not
just with you, but with other humans as well. Your puppy should be taken for walks in
public. HE should be allowed to meet people and be allowed to play with children (under
close supervision).
In too many cases, puppies are kept isolated from the outside world. They are not
allowed to see just what goes on out there. Their world consists of the inside of the
house or the backyard. As they pass through fourth and fifth critical periods without
proper socialisation, great damage is done.
Note: One should not let one's puppy mix with other dogs, or go places where dogs
congregate until all Parvo inoculations complete, preferably at 16 weeks, but it may be
safe to let the pup socialise at 12 weeks as long as he is with inoculated animals.
Conversation.
A puppy that can respond only to words like "good boy", or "here boy", can never
achieve the full measure of mental growth. You can enrich your life and expand your
puppy's mind by speaking to him - frequently.
While formal obedience training during the puppy's fifth critical period will add to the joy
of owning a dog, help in his day-to-day control, and make him a better, well-mannered
member of your family, your puppy (during the 8th to the 12th week) needs
conversation from you. Though it is true that your puppy will have no idea what you are
saying, he will know you are paying attention to him - and that is what is important .
Your puppy must feel secure in his new environment. Conversation from you, your
enthusiastic and warm tone of voice, will help to create that necessary feeling of
security.
There's so much to know about taking care of a puppy; there's also much to
understand about training a puppy. How do you begin? You begin by first learning
about what makes a puppy a puppy - what he needs, what he responds to, what he can
do. This chapter then is your introductory course - in basic puppy.
The five critical periods.
Scientific studies have shown that, there are five critical periods in a puppy's life, that is
five phases of mental development during which adverse conditions can cripple a dog
emotionally without hope for recovery. Conversely, positive conditions during these five
phases of emotional growth can produce dogs of the highest calibre - mentally and
socially. So important are these findings, that guide dog foundations instituted these
"positive conditions" for puppies being raised to become leaders of the blind. Dogs
trained to lead the blind receive the most rigorous and exacting training of any dogs
and therefore must be perfectly adjusted.
Dr Paul J Scott, Director of Animal Behaviour at Roscoe B Jackson Memorial Laboratory
at Bar Harbour, Maine, directed a project to determine just when these critical periods
took place. The consequences of a person's failure to acknowledge and respond to
these critical periods were demonstrated in one particular test. A puppy 21 days old,
was removed from the litter and completely isolated. Although the puppy was fed and
watered, the caretaker was careful not to play with or speak to it. The only toys the
experimental puppy had were his water bucket and food dish. By 16 weeks of age, the
puppy had no contact with other dogs (except during the first 21 days of its life) and no
human contact except the caretaker.
At four months of age, the experimental puppy was once again placed with his litter
mates. HE did not recognise them, either as litter mates or as dogs! His isolation during
the critical periods of his life - his complete removal from the companionship of dogs
and humans - had marked his character to the extent that he could not adjust to animal
or human society.
First Critical Period: 0 - 20 days (0 to 3 weeks).
As a result of many years of scientific research, it has been determined that the first
critical period covers the entire first three weeks of a puppy's life, 0 to 20 days. During
this period, a puppy's mental capacity is nearly zero, and the puppy reacts only to its
needs of warmth, food, sleep, and its mother. Tests were conducted to determine
whether a puppy was capable of learning anything at all during the first critical period; it
was determined that it was not.
Second Critical Period: 21 - 28 days (3 to 4 weeks).
Scientists found, however, that something nearly miraculous happened on the 21st day,
and it occurs in all dogs, regardless of breed. On the 21st day, all of a puppy's senses
begin to function. The senses were present in the puppy during the first critical period
but were dormant. The 21st day marks the beginning of the second critical period.
During this period (21st to 28th day) the new puppy needs its mother more than at any
other time. The brain and nervous system begin to develop. Awareness begins to take
place, and in this mental state, a puppy's experiences can be rather frightening. A
puppy removed from its mother during this second critical period will never attain the
mental and emotional growth that it could.
During the second critical period, the social stress of being alive has its greatest impact
on a puppy. No other time in a dog's life is so crucial to emotional growth.
It is during the second critical period that the characteristic of nervousness can
generate shyness and other negative qualities in a puppy. Once negative
characteristics have been allowed to develop (during the second critical period) no
amount of reconditioning or training later in life alter the negative characteristics.
Third Critical Period: 29 - 49 days (4 to 7 weeks).
The third critical period is the fifth through the seventh week (29 to 49 days). At that
age, puppies will venture away from the nest - although not very far - and do a little
exploring. At the beginning of a puppy's sixth week, the awareness of society will dawn;
that is, the society of man and the society of dog. A puppy's nervous system and his
trainability are developing and, by the end of the third critical period, will have
developed to capacity. Unfortunately some dog books say that a puppy has the brain of
an adult at the conclusion of the third critical period. This is not true, and research
proves it.
At the conclusion of the third critical period (the seventh week of age), the puppy's
nervous system and trainability have developed to capacity, so a more comprehensive
look at what takes place during this third critical period is certainly in order.
During this period a puppy will learn to respond to voices and will begin to recognise
people. A social "pecking order" will be established among the puppies in the litter.
Some of the puppies will learn to fight for their food and will learn to be bullies. The litter
mates that are cowed by aggressive tendencies of the others will become shy.
The scientific tests at Hamilton Station have show that it is advantageous for a puppy to
remain with the litter long enough to acquire a little competitive spirit, but that too much
is detrimental to the puppy's emotional growth. The pups that remain in the litter after
the seventh week will begin to develop bullyish or cowed tendencies - which will remain
with them into adulthood. The longer a puppy remains with the litter after completing the
seventh week of its life, the more deteriorated the emotional growth of that puppy will be.
At the end of the third critical period, the puppy is considered emotionally developed
and ready to learn. But the puppy does not possess an adult brain at that age.
Fourth Critical Period: 50 - 84 days (7 to 12 weeks).
The trainability of a puppy is ripe and operating to capacity as the puppy enters the
eight week of life. Thus, the puppy enters the fourth critical period of emotion; growth
(50 to 84 days). What the puppy learns during the fourth critical period will be retained
and become part of the dog's personality. If a puppy is left with its mother during the
fourth critical period, its emotional development Will be crippled. The puppy will remain
dependent upon her, but in her will find very little - if any - security.
When a puppy remains with the litter beyond this time - and without adequate human
contact - its social adjustment to human society will be crippled, and what it learns will
be learned from the litter mates. The optimum time for taking a puppy into a new
household is at the conclusion of the puppy's seventh week.
Because a pup's trainability and learning facilities are operating at full capacity during
the fourth critical period, it is better that a puppy do his learning from his new owner.
And learn he will! The fourth critical period marks a time when a new puppy will learn at
a fast and furious pace. And much of what he learns will stay with him a long, long time.
What the puppy learns during the fourth critical period will help to shape him into the
kind of dog he will be forevermore!
That paragraph is so important that every dog owner (and those contemplating getting
a puppy) should reread it - and then read it again! For the readers who acquired their
dogs at six months or more, that paragraph may well explain some of the negative
characteristics in the personality and behaviour of their dog.
During the first three critical periods, in significant brainwaves from a puppy can be
recorder on electroencephalographs. The fourth critical period, however, is quite
different. The first actual - and highly significant - waves can be recorded. It is during
this fourth period that a bond will be established between dog and man that will have a
lasting effect upon the puppy. During no other phase in its life will a canine have the
ability to achieve a stronger bond that during the fourth critical period.
A puppy's contact with people during this phase is the whole key to his emotional and
social success within human society. In the tests conducted at Bar Harbour, puppies
were isolated at various intervals during the five critical periods, and it was determined
that isolation from human society had its greatest effect on puppies during the fourth
critical period. Without adequate human contact during the fourth critical period puppies
became incapable of being trained and incapable of being companions to man.
It is during this time that a puppy should be integrated into human society. At this time,
a puppy should be taken for walks, meet people and be allowed to play with children
and other animals (under supervision).
During the fourth critical period, simple commands can - and should - be taught. There
should be gentle discipline. Forceful discipline during this period could adversely tip the
scales on which the puppy's emotional development now rests. A puppy (during the
fourth critical period) is learning to live in a human's world. He is learning to trust and
have confidence in human beings.
A puppy between the ages of 8 and 12 weeks does not deliberately get into mischief. A
physical and forceful correction could result in complete confusion within the mind of the
puppy. Faith and trust in his new human friends could be quickly shattered. When
mistrust of humans develops during the fourth critical period, that mistrust will remain a
permanent part of the puppy's makeup.
Because many people acquire puppies for home security purposes, I must digress for
just a moment to put across a very important point. The preceding paragraph may
cause some to assume that the best way to raise a puppy to be a watchdog is to isolate
it from human society during its fourth critical period so it will distrust humans. But this is
not the way to train a watchdog. It is one way to guarantee that a puppy will never be
protective of anything.
During the fourth critical period discipline should be confined to scolding. Scolding does
not include shouting. Commands such as "sit", "stay", and "come" can be taught during
the fourth critical period - but must be done so in a playful atmosphere. Housebreaking
should be instituted in a gentle manner, insuring that praise is used for correct
behaviour rather than forceful correction for misbehaviour.
It is during the fourth critical period that puppies can develop what is generally referred
to as "Hand shyness" as a result of owners who feel that striking a puppy is the only
way to discipline it. A puppy's environment should give him a sense of security. Being
smacked around with rolled newspaper or human hands certainly will not achieve this.
Mild restrictions should be imposed - such as not allowed the puppy to chew on
furniture, shoes, etc. And these wild restrictions could have the additional value of
raising tolerance levels. Failure to discipline and failure to impose mild restrictions could
have a serious effect on the puppy's upbringing and s deleterious effect on the dog's
compatibility within the family later in life.
In human society, we have what is known as kindergarten in our public schools. The
purpose of kindergarten is to prepare a child emotionally for the learning that will take
place later. Kindergarten and pre-school classes are, in effect, a training ground to
teach children how to learn. The fourth critical period is the puppy's kindergarten. If a
puppy is taught how to learn during the fourth critical period his actual formal schooling
(Which can take place during or after the fifth critical period) will be more successful. A
puppy given pre-school training during the fourth critical period will be able to learn
more than a puppy that does not have pre-school experience.
Although commands such as "come", "sit", "stay", "down", and "no" are invaluable when
taught during the fourth critical period, perhaps the most important single response
during that period is learning to fetch. Puppies who cannot - or will not - learn to fetch
are dropped from guide dog programs. Moreover, dogs being trained to perform
narcotic detection duties must first be proficient at retrieving. The significance of
fetching cannot be over-emphasised. Explaining how such a game expands a puppy's
mind and what willingness to fetch reveals about a puppy would require a book in itself.
Learning t fetch in the fourth critical period can spell success or failure in your dog's
desire and ability to work for you. The term "work" refers to those duties which involve
specialised training.
Failure to learn fetching does not mean that a dog will not be able to learn to respond
to commands for everyday obedience, but stop and think for a moment if a dog is not
smart enough to learn to fetch how then can he be expected to manage the more
complex tasks of hunting, retrieving game, pulling a sled, working stock, guarding a
house, or detecting bombs?
Fifth Critical Period: 12 - 16 weeks (3 to 4 months).
The fifth critical period is the 13th, through the 16th week of a puppy's life. A highly
significant thing will happen during the fifth critical period, and puppy owners should be
prepared for it. A puppy will make its first attempt to establish itself as the dominant
being in the pack (family). It is during the fifth period that a puppy will learn whether he
can physically strike out at his owner - and get away with it!
If a puppy is allowed to get away with it, he will lose the confidence and the respect for
the owner that developed during the fourth critical period. The tolerance level toward
the owner will be narrowed. The puppy will learn that by rebelling he'll get things his own
way. It is during this fifth critical period that authority will be challenged. It is here that
the challenge must be met head on by the pup's owner.
Instructing people as to the best method for dealing with the problem is quite difficult
because not two dogs are exactly alike. Disciplinary measures for one are not
necessarily suitable for another. In my own training school the question is often asked,
"What shall I do if my dog bites me"? My answer usually goes something like, "What
would you do if your child hit you"? Heaps of love and understanding are not applicable
here. A puppy must be shown swiftly and firmly that though his is loved, you the owner -
are the dominant being.
Formal obedience training should begin not later than the age of six months for
optimum ease in teaching. This is not to say that a dog who has attained the age of 10
years cannot or should not be trained. As long as a fog is healthy, there is no maximum
age limit for training, It is always easier to train a dog that has not had too much time to
develop bad habits.
Being aware to the five critical periods, providing the correct environment during these
periods, and instituting proper learning techniques will allow a puppy to develop
emotionally and socially to full potential. Each tome you marvel at a guide dog leading
its blind owner through busy traffic, you can be assured that the five critical periods in
that dog's life were handled with great care and concern.
The puppy you acquire can grow up to be all the things he is capable of becoming. Pay
close attention to the critical periods in his life. Those are the periods which shape and
mould his character and personality. He is in your hands. What he is to become he will
become during those five critical periods.
Most formal obedience classes conducted throughout the country will not accept a
puppy for obedience training unless it has attained the age of six months or more. It is
unfortunate, however that by the time some dogs reach six months of age, they have
already become problem dogs. Obedience training may or may not help, depending
upon the severity of the problem. In too many cases, it does not. This is simply
because obedience training does not teach a dog to refrain from turning over trash
cans, chasing cars, barking excessively, or tearing up the living room furniture; these
bad habits are learned during the five critical periods.
The Pack Instinct.
The natural instinct of the canine is to try to assume dominance within the pack. As was
stated earlier, he begins this during the fifth critical period, and the dog will periodically
"test" the owner's ability to dominate. The fact that a dog will periodically test the
owner's dominance does not mean that the dog does not love or respect that owner.
However, if the owner is permissive and weak - thus allowing the dog to achieve
dominance - his love and respect for the owner will quickly wane. The dog owner then
becomes inferior in the dog's eyes, and the owner is destined to be owned by the dog.
The scales of love and discipline must be equally balanced. That is the magic formula
for success in the rearing of any puppy.
Security: Prime Ingredient For Emotional Growth.
Although your new puppy may be destined to become the family dog, one member of
the family should be designated the puppy's foster mother during the remaining critical
periods in its life. This is not to suggest that other members of the family should be
restricted in their association with the puppy. On the contrary, all should share in the joy
of caring for - and playing with - the new arrival. But the bond between the puppy and
its litter mother has been severed by removal from the litter. For optimum emotional
development, the puppy should have the security of knowing which member of the
human family has taken the litter mother's place.
It is strongly urged that a child member of the family not be given this responsibility if
optimum emotional growth is to be achieved. Many children are presented with puppies
to "help the child to develop responsibility". But in all too many cases, it does just the
opposite; often children will find excuses why they cannot take the time to feed, water,
train and care for their new charges. Dog pounds and humane societies (not to mention
research laboratories) are filled to overflowing with dogs and puppies awaiting
execution because their child-owners failed to develop the hoped-for responsibility.
A puppy knows very well when it is unwanted. Being unwanted brings insecurities to a
puppy, just as it does to a human. Insecurities breed emotional problems. Emotional
problems during the puppy's critical periods will remain as personality faults throughout
the dog's life. The personality faults can cause fear biters, piddlers, runaways and
perhaps complete emotional withdrawal from human society.
To increase the puppy's security, he should have his own bed in a place where he can
be alone when he wants. You must expect the first four nights to lend themselves to
some inconvenience - for you and the rest of the family. Your new puppy will be lonely
at night, having been accustomed to the presence of his litter mates. Although the
puppy may have been playful during the first day in his new household, nightfall - when
you and the rest of the family have gone to bed - will give the puppy time to remember
(and miss) his litter brothers and sisters. By the fourth night, however, the pup will have
adjusted to his new environment and to your family's routine. It takes just four days for
the average dog to learn to adjust to a new environment.
The Puppy Crate.
The value of such a crate cannot be overemphasised. For value received, such a crate
can be one of your best investments. Teaching a puppy to accept the crate (referred to
as "crate breaking") is not difficult at all. It will require a little patience on your part until
your puppy realises that the crate is his bed (and his eating place at first), that it is
comfortable and safe.
You will find that the use of a crate will assist you in one of the more difficult jobs - toilet
training. By nature, a canine does not want to soil its sleeping quarters. A puppy will
have a tendency to "hold it" until he is let out of the crate. A puppy can be completely
crate broken within four days of being introduced to it. The crate is like a dog house,
except that the crate has a door that can be closed and locked.
Puppy crates are collapsible and easily carried. When purchasing your crate, keep in
mind that your puppy will grow; there's not much sense in getting your puppy used to
sleeping in his crate if he outgrows it in two months. Get a large crate.
Puppy Nutrition.
The scope of puppy's security must also include a proper nourishment. The work of
preparing a complete and balanced diet has already been done for you by the
manufacturers of commercially prepared dog food. If you select a puppy food in which
the label states, "complete and balanced for growth", you won't need to worry about
adding vitamins and mineral supplements. They've already been added. If you add
more, you then run the risk of creating an imbalance of nutrients.
Most veterinarians will recommend vitamin and mineral supplements until a puppy
reaches one year of age if the puppy is eating what is known as a "maintenance diet".
That is, a diet prepared for the daily maintenance of adult dogs. Your veterinarian is
your best consultant since he can examine your puppy personally and evaluate its
nutritional needs.
It is not the purpose of this book to get into the technical aspects of canine nutrition, but
a proper diet for a puppy during the five critical periods of emotional growth is
important. A puppy that is not getting enough to eat, getting too much, or not receiving
the proper nutrients can hardly develop properly. For a more definitive look at proper
canine nutrition, the digestive system etc., the reader is referred to this author's work
titled "Dog Owners Medical Manual", (TAB book number 813, Blue Ridge Summit,
Pennsylvania).
Seventy percent of your new puppy's metabolism is water. He will need plenty of it - all
the time. His water bowl should be cleaned each day. Water allowed to sit will develop
scum, and diseases can result from an unclean bowl, such as gastrointestinal, just as it
can from unclean feeding dishes. Dry, caked-up food can breed harmful bacteria. A
clean water bowl and clean feeding dish will lessen the chances of gastrointestinal
upsets and resultant veterinarian bills. A puppy that is constantly thirsty - or constantly
hungry - cannot feel very secure.
Socialisation.
In bringing your puppy home when it is eight weeks of age, you must remember that it is
in its fourth critical period. Your puppy must be socialised with the human element. Not
just with you, but with other humans as well. Your puppy should be taken for walks in
public. HE should be allowed to meet people and be allowed to play with children (under
close supervision).
In too many cases, puppies are kept isolated from the outside world. They are not
allowed to see just what goes on out there. Their world consists of the inside of the
house or the backyard. As they pass through fourth and fifth critical periods without
proper socialisation, great damage is done.
Note: One should not let one's puppy mix with other dogs, or go places where dogs
congregate until all Parvo inoculations complete, preferably at 16 weeks, but it may be
safe to let the pup socialise at 12 weeks as long as he is with inoculated animals.
Conversation.
A puppy that can respond only to words like "good boy", or "here boy", can never
achieve the full measure of mental growth. You can enrich your life and expand your
puppy's mind by speaking to him - frequently.
While formal obedience training during the puppy's fifth critical period will add to the joy
of owning a dog, help in his day-to-day control, and make him a better, well-mannered
member of your family, your puppy (during the 8th to the 12th week) needs
conversation from you. Though it is true that your puppy will have no idea what you are
saying, he will know you are paying attention to him - and that is what is important .
Your puppy must feel secure in his new environment. Conversation from you, your
enthusiastic and warm tone of voice, will help to create that necessary feeling of
security.
Click to go: Ages and Stages > Understanding Your Puppy
