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THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY SOCIALISATION AND TRAINING FOR PUPS

The old belief (that is unfortunately still being pushed by some), that puppies must be kept isolated until they have receive all their vaccinations, can have disastrous results for puppies. These days, together with scientific understanding of the critical period of early social development in the dog and with improved vaccines, it is not only important to expose the puppy to the outside world at an early age, it is crucial! Here is an extract from a book called " New Art of Dog Training" written by Shelby Marlo who is an American Animal Behaviourist and trains the dogs of many famous movie stars:

"Keeping the dog behind closed doors is the not panacea you think it to be. Unless this dog is living in a bubble, he will never be safe from exposure to disease. You can step in animal waste and inadvertently track it into your home on the soles of your shoes. In fact, isolating your young puppy from the world could foster more harm than good. If you don't socialise your puppy prior to three months of age, you run the very real risk of creating a fearful, antisocial dog.

By taking calculated risks like going to a puppy class where all participants are vaccinated and healthy, visiting friends who have healthy dogs; taking the puppy for drives in the car on errands; having puppy parties to which you invite acquaintances of all colours, sizes and ages, you will create a well-rounded confident adult dog that is worldly in his views of the human realm."

The Critical Socialisation Period is the period of the first 3 months of the puppy's life. This is where puppies learn about the world around them, become familiar with things they are exposed to as well as certain experiences and situations presented to them. All dogs are born fearful of humans and other objects, it is only through early exposure and socialisation that puppies grow to become familiar and confident with these. Isolating puppies during this critical socialisation period, usually results in fearfulness and over-reactive tendencies. Fearful puppies may then grow up to be fearful dogs, which may growl and even bite to protect themselves from what they perceive as a threat. These perceived "threats" could be children, visitors, strangers, other dogs or animals, cars, lawnmowers, crowds, the list goes on and on!

In addition to this, there are some breeders who unfortunately only breed for looks and conformation of the dog rather than for stable nerves; not to mention the number of puppy mills that mass produce puppies resulting in all sorts of dysfunctional temperaments. These puppies especially, if not properly socialised during the critical socialisation period, may end up quite fearful, aggressive and even dangerous around family members and strangers.

Start a training and socialisation program with your puppy at 8/9 weeks of age.

Early training and exposure is essential in the development of a confident and well behaved animal. Many responsible pet owners take their puppies to reputable training schools who offer well structured training and socialisation programs for puppies. You may wish to begin your puppy's training at a puppy pre-school conducted by your local vet where they will later point you in the direction of a reputable training centre. Whichever course you choose to take, you should definitely begin taking your puppy to school between 8 and 10 weeks of age to ensure your dog grows up free of unnecessary fears.

What to look for in a puppy pre-school

The very first thing you need to ask any training school or vet clinic holding puppy pre-schools is whether the instructor/s have attended any formal Animal Psychology and Behaviour studies as well as an accredited Dog Obedience Training course . This is especially important as the wrong information, advice and incorrect training techniques can have severe detrimental affects on your puppy. Here are some other points which ensure a balanced and informative course.

• Ensure the school offers housetraining techniques and advice.
• Ensure the school offers non-brand specific nutritional advice.
• The instructor is able to offer a few different techniques for solving each behaviour problem.
• The instructor realises that one method of training does not suit all puppies.
• The techniques used are based on positive reinforcement and motivational training.
• The instructor does not insist on physical manipulation (compulsion) techniques on a puppy.
• Provides limited "off-lead" play sessions which can become uncontrollable and dangerous. Ie. Big boisterous puppies can scare and even injure small, timid puppies!
• Understands the particulars of leadership and passes on that knowledge to you.
• If the instructor refers to your puppy as being "dominant", run the other way!

Important point to remember:
Wherever you wish to take your dog as an adult, take it there as a puppy - but be prudent!!

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SUPREME DOGS DEMO TEAM

The Four Paws K9 Training "Supreme Dogs" Demo Team was formed in 2004.

The team originally comprised of 4 members and has recently grown to 10 dogs and their owners, all having trained with Four Paws K9 Training for some time. Some started out as young pups in our Puppy Kindergarten while others started training at an older age to assist with behavioural problems.

The owners of these dogs have worked long and hard to achieve these standards and we are proud to show them off.

Not only do these dogs have exceptional obedience skills but they also do various tricks and are proficient in agility skills as well.

The Demo Team is the development of and is headed by Sean (Team Leader), Jim and Trish, some of our senior instructors at Four Paws K9 Training.

The Demo Team is available for Demonstrations at your school, club or other social event. If you are interested in some great entertainment which is sure to please your crowd, please contact us.

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PLEASE HELP US…
As responsible owners, we are well aware of the long-term commitment we undertake when we get a dog. Sadly many people are not and irresponsible breeding, impulse/uneducated purchases and lack of proper care are filling our pounds and shelters to capacity.

WHAT IS A RESCUE ORGANISATION?
Rescue organisations are groups of people committed to saving the lives of dogs who would otherwise not make it. They take a variety of forms, some live on acreage with kennels set up, some coordinate a group of foster carers, and others deal with specific breeds only. They collect dogs from shelters and as private surrenders and provide a safe environment for them until a suitable home can be found. A big advantage of these organsations is that they are often able to temperament test dogs before rehoming them to ensure a suitable match. Dogs are only ever rehomed desexed to ensure that they will never be in a position to add to the overpopulation in the pounds.
Another obvious advantage for any potential home, is that if for some reason it doesn’t work out, the dog must be returned to the rescue to ensure it’s safety and so that another suitable home can be found.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
There are many different ways to assist in rescue:

BE AWARE - Simply being aware of the problem is a start. Help to educate those around you about the commitments and responsibilities of breeding & ownership and the importance of desexing. If you have a friend/family member, suggest rescue to them as an option for their next dog.

FOSTER A DOG – Rescue organisations are always looking for foster carers. These are people who are willing to take an extra dog into their home for varying lengths of time, look after it and love it until a permanent home can be found. Not everyone is in a situation where they are ready to take on another dog forever, but could happily look after one for a few weeks/months. The obvious advantage of this for rescue organisations is that they can then fill another spot on their premises to save another life. Some foster carers use this as a “try before you buy” arrangement and others are just happy to help when they can. At all times the organisation is willing to take the dog back if things don’t work out and continue to advertise the dog as needing a home for the period it is in care. Foster carers also provide much needed exposure for these dogs, by getting them out & about for walks and at training. Being a foster carer can be very rewarding and while it can be hard to say goodbye, knowing you have saved a life usually makes it all worthwhile.

ADOPT A DOG – If you are looking for a new permanent member for your family, rescues are a great place to start looking. As previously stated, there are many advantages of adopting from rescue. As many people will attest to, they often make the most loyal of pets and somehow seem to know that you have saved their lives.

TRANSPORT A DOG – Not all of us, due to living arrangements, can take on an extra dog either temporarily or permanently. Transport is another way you can help. Rescue dogs often need transport to new homes and to foster carers. If you are making a trip either on a regular basis or as a one-off and have room in your car for a dog, please consider offering to help. Dogs regularly need a lift between Canberra & Sydney and to other regional areas.

MAKE A DONATION – It doesn’t have to be money, many organisations are constantly in need of blankets, medication, food, and toys. Another donation, always gratefully received is a couple of hours of your time; to walk dogs, play with puppies etc.

BUT…

I WANT A PUPPY - Rescue organisations have puppies too. Unfortunately unwanted litters are often dumped. Rescues often take a dog from the pound, whelp the pups, have all vet work done & rehome them.

I WANT A CERTAIN BREED - Almost any breed of dog you can think of can be found in rescue. As well as many apparent purebreds in shelters, there are also breed specific rescues.

I WANT A PUREBRED - There are plenty of those around too, some of them even have papers if they are with a breed specific rescue.

I DON’T WANT A DOG WITH “ISSUES" - Contrary to what many people think, many of these dogs may not have issues. They have just had really poor luck in life.

I WANT A MATURE LITTLE DOG THAT IS SETTLED - These are some of the saddest cases in rescue. They have lost their “cute” appeal and can be hard to rehome. All they want is for someone to love them and to spend the rest of their days, curled up at someone’s feet.

THE ADVANTAGES OF A RESCUE DOG FOR DOG RELATED SPORTS
Sometimes the reasons that these dogs have ended up in rescue are the very same reasons that make them a perfect candidate for dog sports such as agility or flyball. They are often dumped because they are misunderstood by their owners and are not receiving the mental or physical stimulation that they as a breed require. Adopting an adult dog has many advantages for agility. Many are at an age (1-2 years) that is perfect to start training. Their temperament, by this age is generally established and can be assessed for trainability and drives. Their physical structure is also developed and can be assessed for suitability. Most of us are very aware of how important structure is in our dogs for dog sports and having the finished product before us has definite advantages.

WANT MORE INFORMATION OR TO GET INVOLVED?
Please EMAIL the address below if you think you have something to offer or would like some help finding your next dog. They can help to put you in touch with the right people, according to your needs/offers.

rescueoffer@yahoo.com.au

Celebrity vet, Dr Katrina Warren, paid us a visit in September 06 to be part of her pet segment on Channel 7’s “Melbourne Weekender” TV program.

Seven of our client’s dogs (and a couple of trainer’s dogs) were “on show” for the day, demonstrating their tricks, obedience and agility skills. 

It was a great opportunity for these guys to show off their dog’s talents and all of the hard work they have put in.

Katrina and her crew were lovely and quite friendly as we chatted about….well what else, dogs!  We tried to convince Katrina into getting a Kelpie, but unfortunately she wouldn’t sway from a Border Collie…oh well!

Overall, it was a wonderful day and we wish to thank Dr Katrina Warren for visiting us and giving us the opportunity to meet her.

You can view the clip by clicking here on this link, however, in the meantime, we thought we’d share some of the photos of the day.

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Photo Gallery - <click here>