Puppy Socialization

Socializing your puppy is a VITAL part of raising a puppy.  It is 100000 times easier to help your puppy develop social skills now, than it is after that first year.  I completely disagree with the trainers and breeders who say that there is no hope for a dog who didn't get that socialization - there is always hope.  But it takes a lot of patience and time.  Its drastically easier to work with your puppy now, than to wait!

Karma is in her second puppy class, called "Wonder Pets".  We are working with her manners, especially not jumping excitedly on new friends, which is such a bad habit puppies try to develop, and needs stopped while they are small!

Karma's favorite part of class is playtime.  She is very outgoing and friendly, and loves playing.  Her puppy class is filled with several very respectful puppies, so its a great opportunity for her to develop proper play skills.

 3 out of 4 puppies in the class are Berners, lol!

 Karma & Milo (aka Koda's Orange pup!)

 Playtime!

Our favorite part is how happily worn out Karma is after class!

Our brother & sister in-law also have a puppy, who is a month older than Karma, which has been great for socializing!

Aren't they a cute pair?

My Dog Ate My Homework ...

Last week, my 9 year old daughter came home in tears.  She had apologized to her teacher for her essay being wrinkled, and when she told him that Karma had gotten a hold of it, he replied: "That's the oldest excuse in the book!"

My initial reaction tends to be Mama-Bear mode, lol, but I decided that a nice little letter would suffice just fine ;)

Did your dog ever eat your homework?

Roughhousing

Geez Karma, you seriously want to roughhouse again?  

Can't we just relax for a bit?

 Relaxing is nice ... you should try it.

Wait ... I said RELAXING ... 

Pup, don't look at me like that ...

Seriously, I just want to relax ... I'm not here for you to attack.

You little punk, if I don't get to relax ...

 Hmmph. you aren't actually a piranha, Karma.  You're a little puppy.

Ugh, seriously? 

Fine pup, we'll play, bring it on.  

I win.

THE END

The FEAR Periods

The first 8+ weeks, your puppy was with us, receiving lots of good, positive socialization.  Their whelping box was in our family room / kitchen, and they were in the middle of our family life.  At different times, they heard children, stomping, running, wii-mote sounds, computer games, dishwasher, washer and dryer, babies crying, doorbell ringing, and hundreds of other noises.  They had quiet, calm time.  They had time to explore on many different surfaces.  They met lots of children and friends who came over to play, snuggle, talk to, and adore them.  They had a very positive start, and we worked diligently to ensure that your puppies early development was social and happy, with lots of great experiences.

So, why now is your social, happy puppy suddenly jumping at strange sounds, and panicking at new (or not-so new) situations? Why are they suddenly scared of the sound their dog tag makes on their food dish, or terrified of going on their normal walk?

First of all, take a deep breath, and stop stressing.  This behavior is a NORMAL STAGE of puppy development.  How you handle this stage is important, but you didn't do anything to cause this stage of development.  Now that you can let go of some of that "puppy-owner-guilt", remember that your puppy WILL pick up on how you are feeling and how you react to this stage.  If you are stressed, he will think "See, I should be worried about this, because my human is worried!"

The best thing to do is stay calm and positive.  Never punish or scold your puppy for being scared, all that will do is reinforce their fear.  Also be cautious not to coddle and pet your puppy.  What comforts us as people, doesn't give comfort to a dog, trying to soothe them is like saying: "You are right, that IS scary!"   Stay positive but firm, and MOVE FORWARD!

If walks are causing panic, work with your puppy.  Have him on a leash, and walk with him several times a day.  When he starts to slow down, or plant his feet down, encourage him: "Come on buddy, we're headed to the park!  Good job!".  When they sit or try to high tail it home, do not let them.  Each time, stay calm, and don't let your puppy dwell on the fear.  Pick them up, set them on their feet, and keep going, encouraging them with a happy, calm voice.

There are a lot of good articles written on the fear periods, so I will share those.  I encourage you to stay calm, reassure yourself that you are doing great, and remember that your puppy just needs you to show him the way!

Each bullet is a link, I found each of these articles helpful in their own way:

• Good article on how to handle your puppy's fear
• This isn't your puppy's only fear stage - here's a general schedule
• This article reminds us: "It may be easier to leave them home rather than take them on walks where a meltdown happens every block or so, but it's imperative to get them out in the world and continue their socialization."
• Article: Don't punish, but also don't coddle!
• Great information and advice
• Development, including fear period information

We hope these help.  Our intent is NOT to replace working with a trainer, so if you have additional concerns, a good trainer that works with POSITIVE training techniques may be able to offer some hands-on advice and training.  

Behavior 101: Puppy Biting!

As Koda's puppies reach their teething stage, we've gotten several questions about the best way to stop puppy biting.  First of all, it is VERY NORMAL at this age (3-5 months) for your puppy to mouth / bite on toys, furniture, and YOU.  However, they need to learn very quickly "bite-inhibition", and that is now up to you.

While your puppies were here with their mama and littermates, they practiced playing and play-fighting.  They would nip at each other, bite, tug, and tackle.  However, if they played too rough, or dug those sharp little teeth in, their littermate would yelp, and refuse to play.  Very quickly, each puppy began to learn that if they were too rough, they didn't get played with.  This is our recommended technique for dealing with puppy biting.  When your pup sinks those teeth in, give a high pitched yelp, and turn away.  Ignore them for 20-30 seconds, then you can go back to giving them attention. NEVER hit them or hurt them for biting, it gives conflicting messages to the puppy and does NOT HELP!

Right now, those baby teeth are bugging them.  They are getting ready to lose them in the next couple months, making way for their adult teeth.  But, learning how to mouth softly and be gentle is VITAL right now.  They have those sharp little teeth, but not a lot of jaw-strength.  Once those adult teeth come in, they aren't so sharp, but their jaw becomes more powerful, and can do damage.  They need to learn bite-inhibition now, so please work diligently with them.

Tip: Don't play Tug-o-War with your puppy, as it encourages biting and is detrimental to learning bite-inhibition.

Here's some more good reading on this topic:

• Puppy Biting by Dog Star Daily
• Puppy Biting 101 by the Rancho Coastal Human Society
• How to Stop a Puppy From Biting by Dog Training Central
• How to Train a Puppy that Bites by WebMD

Hope that helps :-)