8TH WEEK: THIS
IS THE FEARFUL PERIOD.
Pups are afraid of loud noises, movement, confusion and are cautious of
anything new in the environment. If the pup experiences something
frightful or harmful during this period, he may be severely traumatized.
But don't put the pup in seclusion during this period, let him have
normal experiences. Also during this period the pup may be suspect of
even normal things around him, as though he doesn't even trust his own
judgment. Be calm, this period will pass in a week or two, and providing
the pup has not had a frightening experience it will be back to normal
by the end of the ninth week.
9th - 12th WEEKS:
The pup develops strong dominant and subordinate behavior among the
littermates. They begin to learn the right behavior during this time.
The pup has a very short attention span. The brain is ready for full
functioning. Exposure to different environments and building of self
confidence is a primary consideration here. All puppies should receive
their own special time alone with the breeder, otherwise the pups will
begin bonding with each other, will lose their interest in people and
will become more difficult to train. Fifteen to twenty minute visits to
new places is sufficient several times a week or daily if possible. Do
not isolate the pup during this period for great lengths of time. You
must begin to build the dogs self confidence. Use the word "NO"
sparingly and only when it really demands it. If you don't want the pup
into something, take it away, rather than continue correcting all the
time. An excellent means of building self-confidence in a pup is to
spend time alone with him, playing with him, grooming him and beginning
to teach him behaviors that are important to you, such as to sit, come
or walk with you. THREE TO SIX MONTHS STAGE:
Chewing and biting begins, since the permanent set of teeth will be
coming in.
Be sure the pup has HIS own things to chew on and give correction for
mouthing or biting you. Around FOUR MONTHS OF AGE, the pup will
go through an avoidance period similar to the fear period experienced at
eight weeks of age. He becomes very suspicious of anybody and anything
new. Just keep things NORMAL for the pup during this period and exposure
should be kept at a quiet minimum.. Determining Pack Leadership happens
during this period also. You must always keep your pup informed of the
fact that you are ALPHA at this period. He will remember this then for
life and will be easier to live with. Do NOT tolerate any misbehavior or
dominance during this time. NINE TO 12 MONTHS:
Around 9 to 12 months, some pups will go through this fearful period
again.
Do NOT allow the pup to get away with shying away. If they are allowed
to be shy and run AWAY from a situation, they will remain that way for
life.
Be Firm and Gentle, let them know you are there for them, but
never allow them to back away. When they are hunching down and acting
fearful, never say "It's ok, it won't hurt you, etc."
All they will remember is that you said "IT'S OK", and
interpret that as "IT'S OK TO ACT FEARFUL, AND PULL AWAY."
When encountering this behavior, tell them "NO, straighten up
and act right." Hold them gently to the fearful situation and
make them submit. They will soon find that their fears are unfounded and
everything will be back to normal in a very short period of time.
Courtesy of i-love-dogs.com |
