a height advantage. They are developing answers to some key questions. Where do I fit into this pack? What am I capable of doing physically? But they are also asking the question, what – and who – is outside the immediate confines of the whelping box. They are ready to claim a little independence for themselves.
In the wild, it is now that the pack really comes into its own. While the pups were being suckled by their mother, the alpha female, the excitement has been building in the rest of the pack. The other wolves – both male and female – have been producing prolactin, which makes them ‘broody’ too. Now, as the mother invites the father and the rest of the extended family to join her, they start to perform their role as surrogate parents.
Wolves from all parts of the pack hierarchy will do their bit to educate, assimilate and act as mentors for the new pup. This is how the pup gains the important information it will need in order to be a properly functioning – and happy – adult member of the pack. They will set boundaries – gently dragging the pups back when they wander too far from the den. In short, they are teaching them the rules and the language of the pack.
A domestic dog is living in a very different social organisation – but it is still vital that the dog begins to get the information it will need to function within that organisation. And it is vital that that knowledge is imparted now, when its most important imprinting is happening. It is up to us, as humans, to perform the same role as the pack that would be its teachers in the wild.
HANDLING PUPPIES
It is around three weeks old that breeders should start handling puppies, getting them used to the sight, smells and sounds of humans. This is vitally important for the rest of the puppy’s development so from the outset the aim is for the puppy to associate human contact with warmth, comfort and above all safety. While a little stress is good for the dog’s development – making it ask ‘What happens now?’ – too much stress has to be avoided at all costs.
To pick up a puppy, follow these steps:
1. Crouch down to ground level.
2. Place your hands underneath the puppy and scoop it up gently but confidently.
3. Remaining in the crouched position, raise it up off the ground to eye level.
4. Reward the puppy by placing it in your arms, stroking it gently and making calm, reassuring noises.
If this is done correctly, the puppy will make the association that you are a safe zone. When it feels unsafe in the future and begins to ask questions about where it should go, you will already have provided one potential answer.
This is why you should never pick up a puppy by the scruff of its neck, as some people advocate. This habit is based on a misconception by humans who have seen dogs picking up their young with their teeth. They miss two important points: firstly, the dog clamps its teeth on the pup’s back area, not on the neck; and secondly, it only does so because it doesn’t have hands to do the job. If it did, it wouldn’t be using its teeth. We do have hands and we should use them. By picking the puppy up by the scruff of its neck, you are inflicting pain on it. This creates a totally negative association, which will be a barrier to you bonding with the dog in the days and weeks to come.
Carers who don’t interact with their puppies during this crucial phase of their development are losing valuable time. Indeed, there is strong scientific evidence that a puppy’s instinct to investigate and socialise is at its peak during this early five-week period, after which it begins to fall away. Dogs who haven’t been exposed to humans and their environment by the age of 14 weeks find it problematical to do so in later life.
Go through this picking-up process twice a day from the age of three weeks onwards. As the puppy gets to trust you more you can extend and develop this interaction. This will allow you to pave the way for its interaction with other humans, vets in particular.
1. Place the puppy on a raised surface, like a table. Make sure it is covered and stable, as sudden movement will frighten them.
2. Begin a little bit of grooming, running a very soft brush through its coat.
3. Begin placing your fingers in its mouth, so as to open the jaw and inspect the mouth.
4. Begin holding its head so as to inspect its ears.
5. Teach the puppy to roll on its side in a submissive position. This will achieve two things: preparing the dog for future visits to the vet and also underlining the dominance it has already begun to associate with you.
6. Get the puppy used to you touching its feet. A lot of dogs don’t like having their feet touched, so it’s a huge benefit to get over this hurdle early on. This is best done when the puppy is tired so it is easier to work with.
TEACHING RECOGNITION OF ITS NAME
The most important thing you want to instil in your dog during this first eight weeks is the belief that there is nothing threatening in a human voice. When you or anyone else speaks, you want the dog to associate the sound with all things warm and positive. It is too soon to start teaching it specific commands, such as ‘sit’ or ‘come’, but the puppy will soon have to learn some discipline and self-control. For now it is important that it delights in your company and that it makes a positive association with your voice.
There is one important thing you can do at the moment, and that is to get the puppy to recognise its own name. In doing this you are laying in place some important groundwork for when you get down to training it properly.
The first thing you need to do is choose a name. Once the puppy’s name has been chosen it’s a good idea to use it from the very first time you are picking it up and showing it affection at around three weeks of age. It will be possible to change the dog’s name when it moves home, but if it is destined for another home and you know the likely owner, it is helpful if they choose the name you start working with from an early stage.
The next thing to do is start addressing the puppy within its litter, using that name. At this point the dog doesn’t see itself as an individual so much as a litter member, so it is possible it may not respond immediately. But if it does, your goal is to get it to stop, look at you and – for the first time – ask ‘Are you talking to me?’
There are a few key points to remember when doing this.
• Eye contact is crucial. When you call one of the puppies they may all look at you but you must only look at the individual you are addressing.
• Make sure your eyes are soft and inviting; don’t glare or look anxious.
• When you call the name, do so in a happy way; the tone should be soft, as should the body language.
• If the dog comes to you on its own, praise it warmly, repeating the name.
• If the whole litter comes, make a point of only praising the one dog; you are also trying to teach the pups that it is not their name, and this will help reinforce that message.
The beauty of this is that it is something you can build on. When you are teaching the dog to make a positive association with something during weaning or toilet training, for instance, repeating the name warmly as you reward it will help.
All this should have a drip effect on the dog. It should soon recognise the distinctive sound of its own name, providing you – and its future owners – with a foundation on which to work.
WEANING
