The 7 Stages of Puppy Development by Charlie Lafave

The 7 Stages of Puppy Development by Charlie Lafave

In order to understand why your puppy doesnt listen to you at times, you need to understand each stage of development a puppy goes through as it matures.
Lets take a look at the different stages, but before we do, keep in mind that these stages are generalizationseach dog will progress at its own pace.

Stage 1: The Transitional Stage
2-3 Weeks
The Transitional stage generally lasts from age two to three weeks, and its during this time that your puppys eyes will open, and hell slowly start to respond to light and movement and sounds around him. Hell become a little more mobile during this period, trying to get his feet underneath him and crawling around in the box (or wherever home is.) Hell start to recognize mom and his littermates, and any objects you might place in the box.

Stage 2: The Almost Ready To Meet The World Stage
3-4 Weeks
The Almost ready to meet the world stage lasts from 3 to about 4 weeks, and your puppy undergoes rapid sensory development during this time. Fully alert to his environment, hell begin to recognize you and other family members. Its best to avoid loud noises or sudden changes during this periodnegative events can have a serious impact on his personality and development right now. Puppies learn how to be a dog during this time, so its essential that they stay with mom and littermates.

Stage 3: The Overlap Stage
4-7 Weeks
From 3-4 weeks your puppy begins the most critical social development period of his lifehe learns social interaction with his littermates, learns how to play and learns bite inhibition.
Hell also learn discipline at this pointMom will begin weaning the pups around this time, and will start teaching them basic manners, including accepting her as the leader of the pack. You can begin to introduce food to the pups starting around the 4th weektransition gradually as Mom weans them.
Continue handling the pups daily, but dont separate them from either Mom or litter mates for more than about 10 minutes per day. Puppies that are removed from the nest too early frequently are nervous, more prone to barking and biting and have a more difficult time with socialization and training. Puppies need to be left with Mom and siblings until at least 7 weeks of age - and preferably a little longer - for optimum social development.
Experts say that the best time in a puppys life to learn social skills is between 3 and 16 weeks of agethats the window of opportunity you have to make sure your puppy grows up to be a well-adjusted dog. Its extremely important to leave your puppy with Mom and his littermates during as much of this period as possible. Dont discipline for play fighting, housebreaking mistakes or mouthingthats all normal behavior for a puppy at this stage.

Stage 4: The Im Afraid of Everything Stage
8 Weeks to 3 Months
The Im Afraid of Everything Stage lasts from about 8 weeks to 3 months, and is characterized by rapid learning as well as a fearful period that usually pops up at around 8 to 10 weeks. Not all dogs experience this, but most do, and theyll appear terrified over things that they took in stride before. This is not a good time to engage in harsh discipline (not that you ever should anyway!), loud voices or traumatic events.
At this time your puppys bladder and bowels are starting to come under much better control, and hes capable of sleeping through the night. (At last, you can get some rest!) You can begin teaching simple commands like: come, sit, stay, down, etc. Leash training can begin. Its important not to isolate your puppy from human contact at this time, as hell continue to learn behaviors and manners that will affect him in later years.

Stage 5: The Juvenile Stage
3 Months to 4 Months
The Juvenile stage typically lasts from 3 to 4 months of age, and its during this time your puppy is most like a toddler. Hell be a little more independent - he might start ignoring the commands hes only recently learnedjust like a child does when theyre trying to exert their new-found independence. As in I dont have to listen to you! Firm and gentle reinforcement of commands and training is whats required here.
He might start biting youplay biting or even a real attempt to challenge your authority. A sharp No! or No bite! command, followed by several minutes of ignoring him, should take care of this problem.
Continue to play with him and handle him on a daily basis, but dont play games like tug of war or wrestling with him. He may perceive tug of war as a game of dominanceespecially if he wins. And wrestling is another game that can rapidly get out of hand. As your puppys strength grows, hes going to want to play-fight to see whos strongereven if you win, the message your puppy receives is that its ok to fight with you. And thats not ok!

Stage 6: The Brat Stage
4-6 Months
The Brat Stage starts at about 4 months and runs until about 6 months, and its during this time your puppy will demonstrate even more independence and willfulness. You may see a decline in his urge to please youexpect to see more testing the limits type of behaviors. Hell be going through a teething cycle during this time, and will also be looking for things to chew on to relieve the pain and pressure. Frozen doggie bones can help sooth him during this period.
He may try to assert his new dominance over other family members, especially children. Continue his training in obedience and basic commands, but make sure to never let him off his leash during this time unless youre in a confined area. Many times pups at this age will ignore commands to return or come to their owners, which can be a dangerous, even fatal, breakdown in your dogs response to you. If you turn him loose in a public place, and he bolts, the chances of injury or even death can resultso dont take the chance.
Hell now begin to go through the hormonal changes brought about by his growing sexual maturity, and you may see signs of rebelliousness. (Think adolescent teen-age boy!) If you havent already, you should have him neutered during this time. (Or spayed if you have a female.)

Stage 7: The Young Adult Stage
6-18 Months
The Young Adulthood stage lasts from 6 months to about 18 months, and is usually a great time in your dogs life - hes young, hes exuberant, hes full of beansand yet hes learning all the things he needs to become a full-fledged adult dog.
Be realistic in your expectations of your dog at this timejust because hes approaching his full growth and may look like an adult, hes not as seasoned and experienced as you might expect. Gradually increase the scope of activities for your dog, as well as the training. You can start more advanced training during this period, such as herding or agility training, if thats something both of you are interested in. Otherwise, extend his activities to include more people and other animalsallow him to interact with non-threatening or non-aggressive dogs.
Congratulations! Youve raised your puppy through the 7 stages of childhood, er, I mean puppyhood, and now you have a grown-up, adult dog! Almost feels like youve raised a kid, doesnt it?
http://tinyurl.com/6u2cj
About the Author
Author, "Dog Training Secrets!"
To transform your stubborn, misbehaving dog into a loyal, well-behaving "best friend" who obeys your every command and is the envy of the neighborhood, visit: http://tinyurl.com/6u2cj

When Should I Start Training My Puppy? by Adam G. Katz

When Should I Start Training My Puppy? by Adam G. Katz

If you have a puppy, you must start training early, but do it gently.
Your puppy has to have confidence in you before he can begin learning. Remember that puppies are like children - they have growing bodies, short attention spans, and will only learn things when the conditions are right and when they understand what it is you're trying to teach them.
That said, the earlier you start training dogs, the better. More specifically, it's best if you start socialization from 8 weeks, simple commands like come and sit from 12 weeks, and more intensive training at 5 to 6 months.

While some early training can be started as soon as you bring your puppy home, the optimum time to begin obedience training is somewhere around 9 to 12 weeks of age.
Keep in mind that training can cover a broad range of topicsIm not suggesting that you begin training your puppy at 8 weeks of age for agility competitions! Your training should start off with the basicsteaching him No! and beginning house-training.
Socialization skills are nextexperts tell us the best window for your puppy to learn socialization skills is between 3 and 16 weeksthats the best time to insure that your puppy grows into a well-adjusted adult.
And remember, socialization isnt about teaching him the right fork to use at the dinner tableits about giving your dog the self-assurance to deal correctly with any social environment he finds himself in is one of the most valuable and lasting lessons you can teach him.
A well-socialized dog will interact well with all types of people and situations, even those he has never been in before. With appropriate social skills, your dog will show little or no fear of most objects, people or other animals, and even if startled, will recover quickly and wont panic.
Bottom line, a well-adjusted dog is one that is comfortable in a variety of situations and surroundings. He may be excited in a new setting, but not fearful. The key here is to create positive experiences as you expose your dog to more and more new situations.
Even training your puppy for 510 minutes per day as soon as you bring him home will make a big difference in the social skills and adaptability of your puppy.
Keep in mind that puppies have very short attention spans, so keep your lessons short and fun. How short an attention span? That depends on the age of the puppy, his breed and how mature your individual puppy isbut a good rule of thumb is to keep the training sessions within that 5 -10 minute range.
Depending on your puppys age and maturity level, sometime between 3 and 6 months of age you should be moving the training into the area of the basic commands such as Sit, Heel, Down, etc.
Its important you have realistic expectations about your dogs capabilities at this pointI dont expect a puppy to be responding to the basic commands with any degree of regularity until theyve reached 6 months of age.

For more: http://tinyurl.com/4efaq
About the Author
Author, Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer! which you can read more about at:
http://tinyurl.com/4efaq

Tips on Choosing a Boxer Dog... by Daniel Lesser

Tips on Choosing a Boxer Dog... by Daniel Lesser

An easier and more pleasant journey with your chosen Boxer starts with checking out the parent dogs for unbecoming traits like aggression, hyperactive and extreme shyness.

This is easier to do when you get your Boxer from a reputable breeder or from a pet shop that get their animals only from known breeders.

Exercise prudence if you are getting your Boxer puppy from pet stores, which often get their supply from breeders of unknown reputation.

These "puppy mills" as they are called are not known to put much emphasis on the quality and health of pups they are producing.

Reputable breeders would adhere to the accepted standards for Boxers in terms of uniformity in the breed, good health, temperament, size and color.

Reputable breeders would be able to show the pedigree and registration papers and/or pictures of the parent dogs that may reside somewhere else.

Professional breeders are also there to produce dog show champions or prospects.

Even if you are not looking to raise a show champion Boxer, known breeders can provide you with some "best buy" puppies because not all the puppies in a litter are show prospect/champion materials.

But the full litter would have had benefited from the same proven bloodlines, nutrition and medical care. So you can choose from among the good-looking brothers or sisters of potential champion for a bargain.

Your other source option is animal shelters that in the US alone receive up to 12 million homeless dogs and cats every year, and about 25% of them are purebred. Paying the adoption fee is a lot cheaper than the price you will pay to a breeder or pet store, and you will be saving a life.

The definition of good stock or purebred must include beauty, and in a Boxer good look means the coat is fawn and brindle, with the white markings or "flash" covering not more than one-third of the entire coat.

Sometimes the distribution of the "flash" alone may make the difference between a show champion and just a pet Boxer.

The all-white Boxer or "check" is prone to blindness and deafness, and the American Boxer Club members are not to register, sell or use the "whites" for breeding.

When it comes to choosing male or female Boxers, there are not much clear-cut differences in their personalities.

At times, the male is calmer, more tolerant of other dogs, willing to hold still for those hugs than the female. But at other times, the female can be so. One owner said the female Boxer is hyper and more aggressive especially toward other females, and that the aggression has increased as the female gets older.

Daniel Lesser
article url: http://www.thingsfordogs.com/choosing-your-dog.php
About the Author
Dog and Puppy Articles,
Pictures and Resources
http://www.thingsfordogs.com

How to Keep Your Boxer - or any Dog - Healthy... by Daniel Lesser

How to Keep Your Boxer - or any Dog - Healthy... by Daniel Lesser

Feed him a balanced diet.

Additional tips from owners include:

- Give an occasional yogurt treat
- Ask your vet about giving Boxers calcium tablets as they could have some problems later on in life!

- Keep him comfortable so his immune system can remain strong.

- Boxers are shorthaired and sensitive to extreme elements of the weather and thus must be kept a housedog. His shortened muzzle also makes hot and humid weather uncomfortable for him.

- Give Boxers lots of exercise and regularly.

- Remember that he is a big and strong breed and requires physical outlets for his boundless energy and high play/prey drive.

- Walk them three times a day or have play sessions. Provide plenty of space for them to bounce around. You want to keep their spirit up and not break it or they wont be the dogs you fall in love with in the first place. Healthy and happy Boxers are a joy to live with.

- Make a breeder your friend.

- Keep in touch with the breeder who sold you the Boxer. The breeder can advise you about care and health matters that are unique to the breed. Any Boxer breeder, for that matter, can be an invaluable ally to you throughout your Boxer's life.

- Guard your Boxer from fleas.

- Your Boxer has fleas if you find black specks in the fur or fleabite marks on the skin. A tip given by an owner is to give your Boxer garlic daily to prevent fleas.

- Boxers catch fleas from other animals. It is an every day problem that, at some time or another, you can expect to encounter in your Boxer.

- The fleas only go to the Boxer to feed on its blood.

- Fleas mostly live and multiply in your home. The comfortable living - central heating, double-glazing and, best of all, the fitted carpet - we create for ourselves and our Boxers also work best for the fleas.

- De-worm your puppy every month and your adult Boxer, every six months.

Daniel Lesser
articles url: http://www.thingsfordogs.com/keeping-your-dog-healthy.php
About the Author
Dog and Puppy Articles,
Pictures and Resources
http://www.thingsfordogs.com

Puppy Basics: Potty-Training, Reprimanding, and Rewards... by Daniel Lesser

Puppy Basics: Potty-Training, Reprimanding, and Rewards... by Daniel Lesser

Potty Training Your Puppy:
Make sure you feed your dog at regular times every day as this makes bathroom breaks regular as well. Feed your puppy 2-3 times a day.

As soon as he is finished eating, take him to a grassy "potty area". Speak the words "go potty" or "go in the grass" before and while he is eliminating. Be sure to praise him when he is done.

What you are doing is building word associations with the dog that will allow you to encourage his potty activity on command.

This comes in handy when you and your dog are at unusual locations and at pit stops during long haul travel. It also saves you from cleaning unwanted fecal material off the carpet at home.

It is a good idea to train your puppy to use a place where you can easily clean up and dispose of the droppings into the sewer. This is because worms that infect dogs and make them sick get spread around through the eggs or larvae found in the feces. Some, like the roundworm, can also infect children.

Reprimanding Your Puppy:
Talk to puppies like you would to children when they do something wrong.

Tell them "no" and show them immediately what the correct behavior should be and reward them for doing it right. After a few times they'll know how to do it right.

For example, tell him "NO" when you catch him chewing the shoes. Then immediately give him his own toys to chew and cheer him on to chew on the toys. Praise him for doing so.

Use sparingly those reprimanding words like "No," "Stop that," "get off" and "bad dog!" Instead use more praises to reward good behavior in your dogs, this way the reprimands will take on stronger meaning.

A correct reprimand is short, sharp and immediate.

Only reprimand when you catch your dog doing something wrong, and punish only with your voice.

Hitting, kicking, slapping or spanking your dog can create more problems and usually makes existing problems worse. You may just end up with a barking and chewing dog, one that is leery, hand-shy, fearful or aggressive.

If you really have to spank one with your hand, just slap him across the behind.

Repetition and Rewards:
Repetitions are a crucial aspect of any dog's training. You should always reward them for doing something right while training. The more often he is rewarded, the better and quicker he will learn. Create situations where your dog can get plenty of practice at doing the right things.

Be sure to praise and love on him when he does a good job. This is simple but not always easy to do. Bad behaviors like biting, constant yelping and barking and tearing the house apart get our immediate notice. What we easily forget to acknowledge are the good parts - when the dog is lying down quietly, chewing on his own toys, leaving the carpet unsoiled.

Praise and reward are the most important part of maintaining your dog's good behavior and preventing him from getting into trouble.

Dog Toys, Games and Treats:
Foods, treats or praise will bring out the best responses from your dogs during training.

Treats can come in the form of their favorite food, toy or something they really love to do.

Some favorite treats are ice cream, cheese, ham and chicken. One Boxer dog even fancies a handful of ice cubes to crunch on though he's not thirsty. Test human food treats a little at a time though, because some dogs can be sensitive to certain things. Milk products for instance, can give a puppy diarrhea.

The all time dog favorites of fetching, tug-of-war, and hide and seek games can be made more treasured using your dog's favorite ball or toy, and giving him plenty of stroking in between throws.

Daniel Lesser
article url: http://www.thingsfordogs.com/puppy-basics.php
About the Author
Dog and Puppy Articles,
Pictures and Resources
http://www.thingsfordogs.com

How to Protect your Dog and Family from Roundworms. by Jennifer Bryant

How to Protect your Dog and Family from Roundworms. by Jennifer Bryant

Nearly every puppy in the world is born with roundworms. This is because the roundworms larvae are transmitted from the mother to the puppy while it is still in the womb. A female dog can harbor roundworms in her tissue, often making them immune to dewormings. The roundworms then have the opportunity to emerge during pregnancy through the mothers bloodstream and infect the unborn puppies. Roundworms can also be transmitted to newborn puppies through the mothers milk during nursing.

Roundworms are also easily transmitted to humans. Young children are most susceptible because they are always sticking their fingers in their mouths! Roundworms are transmitted to humans and dogs through eggs that are in a dog or puppys stool. They can either be ingested through direct eating of the stool or by eating something else that has eaten the stool (the dog eats a bird, mouse, etc. that has eaten the dogs stool).

Everyone should wash their hands frequently after handling the puppy or dog and make sure that all feces is removed from the yard and disposed of on a daily basis. Most infections in people are mild and cause no symptoms at all. However there have been cases of worms migrating to the liver, brain, and eyes.

Symptoms of roundworms in humans include:

Anemia

Appetite Loss

Difficulty Breathing

Constipation

Cough

Cramping

Diarrhea

Fever

Hives

Itching

Nausea

Chest Pain

Muscle Pain

Passing of Worms

Rash

Skin Lesions

Swelling

Vision Disturbances

Vomiting

Weight Loss

Infected puppies can become quite ill and heavy infestations may lead to convulsions and even death. Most puppies that die are around the age of two to three weeks old. Puppies should be wormed at ages 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks of age. Adult dogs should receive yearly stool samples from their veterinarian to check for worms. Roundworms will look like spaghetti in the puppys feces.

Symptoms of roundworms in dogs include:

Potbelly

Diarrhea

Gas

Vomiting

Lack of Energy

Slow Growth Rate

Dull Coat

Coughing (if immature roundworms have migrated to the puppys lungs)

Some dogs may show some or all of these symptoms while others may show no symptoms at all. When adult roundworms are seen in the dogs stool this is often because of ongoing disease in the bowel or sometimes because the worm burden had become so great that the worms are crowding each other out.

Treatment of roundworms is not dangerous and is highly effective. Buy your wormers from the vet and give them regularly as instructed. The tablets are not difficult to give if you train your dog to take them in tiny bits of cheese or put them into sweets. The best way to protect your family and dogs from roundworms is through a regular program of both medication and prevention (keeping the yard clean of feces).


About the Author
Jennifer Bryant breeds American Pit Bull Terriers and builds websites in her spare time.


Bryants Red Devils


Puppies and Dogs for Sale


This article may be reprinted but the content and signature must remain intact.

Finding A Reputable Breeder by Ron Swerdfiger

Finding A Reputable Breeder by Ron Swerdfiger

Finding A Reputable Breeder
By Ron

www.web-rover.com

Anyone can put two dogs together and let them breed, and in turn call themselves a breeder. However being called a reputable breeder encompasses far more than that. You wont find a reputable breeder trying to sell their dogs to local pet stores, or advertising in the classified section. A good breeder does not need these gimmicks. Instead, they rely on the quality of their dogs. Breeding is a practice that should be done with a sense of pride, and a feeling of fulfillment.

So once you have decided that a pure bred dog is right for you, how do you go about the overwhelming task of choosing the perfect breeder? Well ideally there are several key things to look for. Below is a simple check list to follow when looking for your breeder.

- Who is the breeder? It is very important to find out who the breeder is. One way to find out, is checking references. If the breeder is unable to provide written references, you should move on. Snoop around a bit. Talk to other breeders, rescue groups, veterinarians, anyone who can give you some information.

- Does the breeder require a Spay/neuter contract and limited registration? This means that you are legally obligated to promise that you will NOT attempt to breed your new dog. This helps stop poor quality breeding, and insure high standards of the breed.

- A reputable breeder should provide you with a health check which tests the lineage for known and testable genetic disorders. The breeder should be familiar with the health line of several generations. As a result, he/she should provide you with a health guarantee for a certain time period.

- A reputable breeder should encourage you to select a puppy with the temperament and personality that is compatible with you and your family. Do not let the breeder convince you that this one is for you. A good breeder will only produce litters AFTER they have buyers.

- The breeder should be honest about the dogs characteristics. They should tell you both the good points and the bad points concerning a breed. Different breeds of dogs have unique characteristics that are traditional in their breed. So it is important you educate yourself.

- Check out the facilities. Make sure the breeder is keeping the dogs in a clean healthy environment. Ask to see where the dogs are kept. If the breeder insists on only bringing the dogs to you, stay clear!!

- Is your breeder involved in the breed? Most often you will find that a good breeder is involved in either, showing, performance, local clubs or rescue. An active breeder is a good sign that he/she truly cares about the breed

As you can see, choosing a good breeder should involve more than finding a number in the newspaper. Be sure to educate yourself before making any decisions. Prior to meeting with a prospective breeder write down some questions, know the breed, and be patient. Choosing the right breeder and pup is not something that you should rush. Remember being a responsible dog owner starts from the beginning
About the Author
None