Leadership

Establishing Leadership in Your Canine Pack

1. Exhibit body language and energy that clearly shows you are a leader.  Leaders are calm, authoritative, and confident. Pack members match a leader’s energy, not the other way around!
2. Use the correct tone of voice, or pitch—it’s as critical to leadership as your body language and energy.
   1. Command Tone: a normal, calm, speaking pitch
   2. Praise Tone: a higher, excited, happy pitch
   3. Correction Tone: a deep, firm, disappointed pitch—not yelling
3. Understand that obedience work forms the foundation for gaining a dog’s respect.
4. Do obedience work in locations with distractions, once the dog has been taught a new command.
5. Use every interaction you have with your dog—playing, walking, mealtimes—as an opportunity to establish leadership.
6. Don’t issue commands unless you’re prepared to follow through. Don’t repeat commands. Dogs know when you aren’t serious and become desensitized  to both your voice and the commands!  (In other words, they will TUNE YOU OUT!)
7. Don’t threaten or challenge any dog by leaning over it and imposing the alpha dog stance. NEVER act like a dog: don’t growl, bite, snarl, or otherwise act like an alpha dog.
8. Respond, don’t react.
9. Praise your dog after a full completion of a command or activity—not midway through.
10. Have fun with your obedience work; be creative and set up fresh challenges. Your dog mirrors your energy and emotional state. If you’re having fun, your dog will too!

Choosing a Veterinarian

Many of us are guilty of putting doctors on a pedestal, sometimes regarding them as all-knowing, godlike figures. We often do this with our veterinarian as well.

Since animals can’t speak for themselves, veterinarians have an even more difficult job diagnosing illness than physicians do. This is not to imply that you don’t know this, but to emphasize how important it is to thoroughly discuss your animal’s condition with your vet. Minute details and observations that seem insignificant or even silly can often be the crux of a proper diagnosis.

When looking for a good veterinarian, there are a variety of things you’ll want to pay attention to:

• Ask about their education and if they went through any kind of special training, internships or residencies.

• Get recommendations from people in your community. Beware of those based solely on the vet’s bedside manner or on inexpensive fees. While bedside manner is very important, it’s not adequate evidence that he or she practices good medicine.

• Your veterinarian should be able to admit he or she doesn’t know something and be comfortable with you getting a second opinion or referring you to a specialist.

• Owners know their animal best—and yet it can be rare to find a veterinarian who really listens to their clients. You, the owner, are keenly aware of any changes in behavior, weight, eating habits and all the little nuances of your pet. No matter why you are bringing your dog in, the vet should always conduct a thorough physical examination, listen to everything you have to say, and record your comments in the pet’s history for future reference or diagnosis. If you sense that your veterinarian is ignoring you, or inferring that you might be an over-anxious owner, this is a red flag. Listen to your intuition: If you have the slightest feeling that you are not being heard, by all means go to another vet. Veterinarians always need to listen to you, the owner.

• Animal hospitals or clinics with only one veterinarian can be problematic if the vet is not closely allied with and able to consult other colleagues. This is especially true with doctors fresh out of veterinary school, or new to the area. It may be best to seek out a practice with several veterinarians who can consult with each other.

• With the wealth of information available online, it is increasingly common that pet owners discover the root of their pet’s problem online and bring their findings to their veterinarian. If your vet is not OK with your help, discounts it, or takes it personally, this could be a sign that you’re in the wrong hands. Your veterinarian should be willing to discuss information and learn with you.

Keeping your dog happy and healthy works best when you, your pet, and your veterinarian join together as a open, willing and competent team. My colleague, Dr. Nancy Kay, has written an invaluable resource and guide to being your pet’s best advocate. You’ll find a trove of in-depth information in her best-selling book Speaking For Spot.

Wagging Tails Gone Wrong

Wagging Tails Gone Wrong

What do you do when your happy dogs’ tail has become a whip?  Do you put him in another room when you have company, remove all items off of your coffee table for fear his whipping tail will break your prize possessions?  Are you thinking of amputating his tail to keep from having to wash the blood off the walls and his continued licking at his wounded tail?

Fear no more; before you go the surgical route or ban him to the backyard, try this simple behavior modification training approach. You’ll be able to keep this happy dog, happy and much less anxious.  A hyper dog is an anxious dog and it’s part who they are and part our overindulgence that perpetuates this behavior.  We all want our dogs to be happy when we come home but do they need to be so excited that they are out of control?

A dog is always matching a leaders’ energy.  If you come home and go crazy with excitement then you are teaching your dog to match your energy and before you know it, your dog has become out of control during greetings and because he thinks you like it, then whenever he feels like playing or getting your attention he will display this kind of excited behavior any time he wishes.  When your dogs asks for attention this way and sometimes gets it and sometimes doesn’t he will continue to try, often times succeeding.  When you don’t play his game, perhaps getting upset with him because you aren’t in the mood he gets confused.  Confusion always breeds anxiety in some form.

Modifying any kind of behavior takes careful consideration of meeting your dog’s needs, first.  A hyper dog is not getting their needs met mentally and physically.  By this I mean, he is most likely not being trained on a regular basis in obedience and in distractions so as to become the respectful follower to his leader, YOU, and he is probably not getting his physical needs met by going to a dog park, hiking, playing fetch, swimming, etc. A tired dog is a happy and less anxious dog.

You may say that your dog isn’t hyper but still hurts us with his tail.  This could be true and you can still modify this excitable tail wagging behavior.

Here’s how:

Upon homecoming, ignore your dog for 2 minutes.  Read your mail, check your voicemail, and get busy with some task taking your attention off of your dog.  You will notice that your dog is looking at you for his normal excitable greeting but is not getting it. Be patient, continue moving toward whatever you will distract yourself with to ignore your dog.  Ignoring means, no eye contact, no talking, NO CONTACT!  You will see you dog calm down and after 2 minutes, (yes please wait 2 minutes), you may very quietly in a soft, calm and quiet voice gently bend over and say hello to him.  If he starts up getting excited with this, then stand up and ignore again.  Don’t’ worry, your dog will still love you; he will just learn to love and greet you appropriately.

When your dog becomes excitable at other times, when settling in for the night cuddling w/ you on the couch, getting ready to go out for a walk, company coming over, treat time, any transition time, you must do the same thing, ignore him.  Take all your attention off of him and wait w/out eye contact or verbal contact for him to settle down.  If you must walk away, then do so.   When you return to whatever you were doing and he starts up again, stop, ignore and wait.  He will calm down, you just need to hold out and not give in.  Remember, he is counting on you giving in.  You always have.  What seems like hours to you is really only 2 minutes.

I have found that 99% of dogs will calm down in less than 90 seconds.  Be patient, be a leader and remember training and exercise are a must for all dogs and more for hyper dogs.

Booster Vaccinations: Are They More Harmful Than Good?

One of the most common practices we do with our pets is often done without question. Every year we get a reminder card from our veterinarian that our beloved pets are due for their annual routine vaccinations, but the idea that these yearly booster shots are necessary is one of the biggest controversies in the practice of veterinary medicine today—and most of us buy it hook, line and sinker.

We must question the assumption that vaccinations are necessary and safe. There is absolutely no science indicating that annual booster vaccinations are necessary. The practice of revaccinating or over-vaccinating is more likely to jeopardize our pets’ health than keep them healthy. How many of you constantly take your pets to the vet for skin problems, ear infections, yeast infections, autoimmune disease and allergic reactions? There is very likely a correlation between over-vaccination, also called vaccinosis, and these very serious health issues. The cost is devastating, not only to our pocketbooks, but most importantly of course to our pets.

The History of Vaccines

Let’s go back in history a bit to get a better picture of this very serious revaccination program, which is unquestionably making our pets very sick. Do you remember years ago that it was common for pets to live long and healthy lives? Today, pets are getting cancer, having immune-deficiency problems, and in general not living the long lives that they used to. In the 1950s, an epidemic of animal diseases prompted pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines to protect our animals from potentially deadly diseases, and we eagerly sought protection for our pets. At that time, these vaccines did save lives; yet the greed of the pharmaceutical companies to promote a yearly booster-vaccination protocol without proven efficacy is causing harm to our pets.

Where the American Veterinary Medical Association stands today

This is a direct quote from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA):

“The one-year revaccination recommendation found on many vaccine labels is often based on historical precedent and was allowed by USDA regulation since it was based on the best scientific knowledge available at that time, which did not necessarily include product specific data. Even in those cases where scientific data were submitted to qualify a revaccination label claim, the data generally targeted a minimum duration of immunity and did not necessarily resolve the question regarding average or maximum duration of immunity.”

What we know about our pets today

We didn’t know any better, and our pets got sicker and sicker. A growing population of concerned pet owners and holistic veterinarians began to question this yearly revaccination protocol and found that there is no clear evidence to prove its efficacy. We, humans, do not get revaccinated every year for polio, chicken pox, and tetanus, yet we do the equivalent of that to our pets.

In the last five years, all 27 veterinary schools have concurred that yearly vaccinations are not required, and are more likely to cause health problems. This issue is very controversial, because yearly vaccinations are a dependable income stream. Vaccines cost veterinarians approximately 80 cents per vaccine; consumers are charged approximately $15- $25 each. Today, the AVMA and veterinary schools are saying that a three-year booster/vaccination program is more acceptable—but even this statement has no science behind it. Annual physical exams can be beneficial in the detection of illness, but not for revaccination.

More from Dr. Ronald Schultz,Ph.D, D.V.M on revaccination.

In Current Veterinary Therapy, Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, Ph.D., D.V.M., and Chair of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, writes, “A practice that was started many years ago and that lacks scientific validity or verification is annual revaccinations. Almost without exception there is no immunologic requirement for annual revaccination. Immunity to viruses persists for years or for the life of the animal. Successful vaccination to most bacterial pathogens produces an immunologic memory that remains for years, allowing an animal to develop a protective anamnestic (secondary) response when exposed to virulent organisms. Only the immune response to toxins requires boosters (eg: tetanus in humans), and no toxin vaccines are currently used for dogs or cats. Furthermore, revaccination with most viral vaccines fails to stimulate an anamnestic (secondary) response as a result of interference by existing antibody (similar to maternal antibody interference). The practice of annual vaccination in our opinion should be considered of questionable efficacy unless it is used as a mechanism to provide an annual physical examination or is required by law (i.e.: rabies vaccinations in some states).”

The driving forces behind this vaccination protocol are politics and corporate profit, not the health of our pets. I have asked my clients to randomly call 10 local veterinarians and ask what types of disease are most common today. The answer is undoubtedly cancer—and the most common surgery besides spay and neuter is tumor removal. Studies have shown that cancer developed at the site of vaccination is very common, especially in cats.

Talk to your vet and choose the proper protocol for your pet.

It is up to us to ask our veterinarians about booster vaccinations and find out what their protocol is, given each animal’s physical condition. The vaccination schedule you and your vet choose for your pet should be individualized based on many factors such as whether they live indoors only, indoors and outdoors, geographical location, age and health.

Puppies and Kittens

Puppies and kittens do require certain vaccinations, and this too has changed over the years, so be certain to check with your veterinarian about which vaccines are appropriate and necessary for your pet. Below you will find an updated guide to recommended vaccinations for our pups and kitties.

Titer Tests

There are simple tests that you can have your veterinarian perform to check the antibodies for certain diseases. These are called titers. A simple blood titer will tell you whether your pet has enough antibodies to be protected.

I realize that the idea of not vaccinating your pets can be daunting, as we have been brainwashed to vaccinate regularly, but I know from personal experience with my beloved four-leggeds that it’s the right choice. I have two dogs, two cats, and two horses. I have not vaccinated any of them for anything. I have had my two geldings since they were weanlings; they are now 12 and 5 years old. One of my cats was found when he was two days old in a box in front of a grocery store. I saved the litter and gave away all but two; they are now 12 yrs old, living a wonderful life as indoor/outdoor cats, on a raw diet and thriving. My two dogs are both rescues, one found on the streets of downtown Los Angeles, at around six months of age. Going strong at 17 years old, she enjoys a wonderful life going on very short hikes, at the dog park, and working with me on private dog training sessions by being the elder dog a puppy must learn to respect. The other wonder dog is Rascal, an almost eight year old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix who was rescued from an abusive home. Both are on a raw diet. Rascal was already vaccinated when I got him, at 10 months of age. I have not vaccinated him since. Last January I lost a German Shepherd who lived to be 13 yrs old, and was never vaccinated.

RECOMMENDED VACCINES and schedules for puppies and kittens can be found on the two websites below. Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM, has been instrumental in getting to the truth about vaccinations. I also strongly recommend Dr. Nancy Kay’s bestselling book Speaking for Spot.

* http://www.oes.org/page2/7607~New_Vaccine_Protocols.html

* http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html

Avoid Toxic Toys While Satisfying Your Dogs Need to Chew

Dogs need to chew, it’s instinctive. Some dogs are have more need to chew than others, and providing our dogs with safe toys is our responsibility. Monitoring our dogs’ chewing habits helps us see what kinds of chew toys to provide for them. Things we should be aware of regarding chewing are: the dog’s chewing need and the size of the dog.  With regard to safety we must consider a toy’s durability and what it’s made of. Choosing the appropriate size toy/bone for the size of the dog is very important. Equally important is daily exercise and training. If dogs don’t have daily exercise (a physical release) they can become more voracious in their chewing needs.

Choosing toys for our dogs seems like a no-brainer, yet for too many, dogs are susceptible to the dangers of toxic or unsafe toys, necessitating very costly trips to the veterinarian, and some times the loss of life. We have all been made aware of how few standards are required of the pet food industry and manufacturers of toys for our children.  We as pet owners need to educate ourselves in appropriate and safe toys. Fortunately, there are some companies who have taken the lead in making non-toxic toys and safe products for our pets.  You may find a list of these companies below.

• Beef marrow bones from our own butchers at local supermarkets may be by far the healthiest and safest chew toys around. Marrow bones are distinct from other bones which are smaller and can be chewed up and swallowed potentially tearing the lining of the intestine.  A beef marrow bone is the long femur bone of a cow.  Dogs can’t break this bone yet they can chew endlessly and happily satisfying their need to chew.  Beef marrow bones supply our dogs with a safe and very effective chew toy, and they are not laden with chemicals and additives used to prolong shelf life. The only concern one must have when purchasing marrow bones is the size in relation to the dog. Don’t give a German Shepherd a marrow bone that is 1 inch long because they can choke on it and by the same token, don’t’ give a Yorkshire Terrier a heavy 3 inch  bone, that he can barely pick up, let alone be able to get to the very scrumptious and nutritious marrow inside the bone. These beef marrow bones can be cooked or given raw. They will eat the inside and outside of the bone clean and your dog will have months of good chew time. I have marrow bones in the toy box that are years old and my dogs still love them.  Another benefit to marrow bones from the butcher besides being toxin free is their cost. One can spend $10 on one toxic bone at the pet store, compared to a couple of dollars for a nutritious marrow bone at the market.

• Greenies the ever famous dental toy. This dental chew toy has been known and reported to cause bowel problems and/or get lodged in the intestines requiring abdominal surgery for removal. Often times these dogs cannot be saved from the resulting blockage. There are countless reports of severe diarrhea, bowel disorders and even death from Greenies, yet they continue to be sold at pet stores, as a great dental cleaner. While they may clean your dogs’ teeth the potential danger to your dog far exceeds its promise. Let me give you the ingredients and you can make an informed decision. Greenies are made from processed wheat gluten (wheat protein), glycerin, natural flavor, powdered cellulose fiber, monosodium phosphate, monoglycerides of edible fatty acid, magnesium stearate and chlorophyll. Need I say more?

• Rawhide is another toy that can cause bowel problems and rupture the intestine.   Let’s say you have a voracious chewer; a Golden Retriever, Labrador, or Rottweiler. You give her a 6-inch rawhide bone; she goes through it in an hour. Her need for chewing hasn’t been satisfied so she roams around searching for something else to chew and comes back with your shoe. In an effort to save your shoe, you offer up another 6-inch rawhide bone. That too gets devoured in about an hour…. Still not satisfied she makes another round in search something to chew…get the picture? How many rawhide bones might one give a dog with this kind of chewing habit? Think about that for a moment. Let’s be conservative here and say 3 bones a day, that’s a lot of rawhide.  Rawhide is treated and preserved with formaldehyde which is a carcinogen. Rawhide is not easily digested and may sit in a dogs stomach which may bloat or give them diarrhea or it could get lodged in the intestine.  This endless cycle to satisfy a habit could be very costly to the health of your dog and to your purse.

• Nylabones are another very tricky toy. I say this because the packaging is very confusing. Just a few weeks ago,a client called me telling me that her 1 year old dog was throwing up. She found pieces of nylabone in the vomit.  He was lethargic, not eating and vomiting. When I asked which kind of nylabone it was, she didn’t know. “”It was a gumabone, style nylabone.”" Now follow me here. The Nylabone Company makes two different kinds of bones; one for puppies that is bendable, softer, semi flexible, good for teething puppies but not adult dogs.  An adult dog with adult teeth and stronger jaw can chew off a piece too big and swallow it.  It can then get lodged in the intestines. You know the rest. On the package, it is not clear that a gumabone is just for puppies. There have been many reported deaths and many lawsuits ongoing against the Nylabone Company  yet you will still see them at pet stores. This  shows a serious lack of concern and low standards in the pet toy industry. After a trip to the vet and monitoring the dogs vomit and stools for a week or more, the dog was fine but it was touch and go for a while. The owner went through the house and threw away all unsafe toys and replaced them with safe non-toxic toys.

• Fluffy stuffed toys are another potential hazardous toy. The material on the inside and the plastic squeaker are what may cause the most damage. Some dogs will never destroy a fluffy toy and have it as a pretend litter mate, cuddling with it and sleeping with it their entire life.  Other dogs try to kill the squeaker within minutes ripping it open, spreading it all over the place and often times swallowing it. A client whose dog became lethargic and wouldn’t eat had to go to the vet. Upon x-ray, a tiny piece of stuffing was found blocked inside the intestine. After a $5000 abdominal exploratory  the dog recovered and yes, all of the fluffy toys were removed from the home.

Below are some websites for earth friendly pet products; from biodegradable poop bags and cat box liners, to hemp collars and recycled toys.

• http://www.ecoanimal.com

• http://www.simplyfido.com

• http://www.planetdog.com

• http://www.earthdog.com

Help educate fellow animal lovers about the risks of unsafe and toxic pet toys. Share this article.

Dog Directory – Links to Dog Websites

Dog Pack Mentality

The key to enjoying a satisfying and rewarding relationship with your dog is learning to think like a dog.

Dogs are pack animals, having descended from wolves, and in each pack there must be a leader. We have domesticated dogs; yet the dog-pack mentality is intrinsic to their very being. Whether wild or domesticated, a dog knows that there must be a pecking order from top to bottom in order for them to feel safe in the world, the top dog being the leader, and so on, down the line. Dogs are dependent on us for their survival, and this survival instinct incorporates pack or leadership mentality. This innate social structure is fundamental to a dog’s well-being in the world.

Domesticated pet dogs don’t have to hunt for food, so their survival instinct is not as strong as it is in wolves, yet it exists and is at the center of their dog-pack mentality. A human family pack is different from a dog pack, yet we two-legged beings must use the tour-legged model of pack hierarchy to assume and establish ourselves as top dog. A dog must feel safe in his environment; in other words, he must know his place in his new family pack. If this hierarchy or pecking order is not clearly established, confusion sets in. In this confusion—an absence of leadership—the dog must rise to take the leadership role, it is instinctive! When we understand how the delicate balance of dominance, submission, and aggression is rooted in our dog’s natural pack-behavior instincts, we can enjoy much greater success in our relationships with them.

Dog Park Etiquette

Community dog parks are a great place to bring your dogs for exercise and socialization. Following these simple guidelines will ensure a safe and joyful experience for all, canine and human alike.

Appropriate Dog Behavior

1. Dog parks are for well- socialized dogs that are friendly, outgoing and confident. Fearful, aggressive or reactive dogs are not appropriate for dog park use. They are not happy or comfortable and may bring this anxiety to other dogs.

2. Bullies are not appropriate for dog park use. A bully dog is a dog that is overly dominant and harassing in nature, making another dog uncomfortable enough to stop playing.

3. Barking should be kept to a reasonable level, for both the human park users and our park neighbors. Play barking is acceptable. Non-stop harassing barking, making another dog anxious is not acceptable, nor is barking with aggressive intent.

4. Do not bring aggressive dogs to the park. This includes bringing them in on leash, as this aggravates other dogs off leash. Remember, this is a park shared by dogs that want to romp and play, not fight.

5. Take off choke chains, prong collars, any extraneous collars where another dog could grab it in play and choke the dog wearing the collar.

6. Some dogs are fantastic wrestlers, in that they play exuberantly at each others neck. This is normal dog play, however, if you notice that they are grabbing collars in play, even their regular collar, then remove these collars, as they can grab and twist in play and strangle each other and/or loose a tooth in the process.

7. Unneutered or intact male dogs over 1 year of age should not come to the dog park. They are just coming of age in their maturity and may become a threat to other male dogs and fights may occur. As soon as you begin to notice this more dominant aggressive behavior in your dog, either neuter him or discontinue use of the park, or get some training from a behaviorist trainer.

8. Do not bring females in season, (in heat) to the dog park. This causes anxiety in male dogs and fights could ensue. It is also very uncomfortable for the female, as she is unable to play, because she is too busy having to fend off male dogs.

9. Mounting or humping is normal dog dominance behavior. Males and females alike display this behavior. It is not sexual; it is how they establish play hierarchy or pecking order. It is instinctive and normal. Improperly socialized dogs can mount excessively, causing the dog being mounted great anxiety. If this occurs, please respectfully remove your dog, and get some help from a behaviorist trainer.

Appropriate Human Behavior

As an informed dog owner you:

10. Obey park rules and guidelines, even if you do not agree with them.

11. Are polite, especially when someone else’s dog is behaving inappropriately and the owner is not controlling his dog and is unwilling to take the dog out of the park. Remove your dog if you feel unsafe.

12. Do not bring small children inside the dog park. Dogs oftentimes see small children as playmates and may accidentally knock them over.

13. Are aware and realistic of your own dogs limitations and weaknesses.

14. Can recognize undesirable behavior and be willing to leave the dog park in order to protect the safety of your own dog and that of other dogs.

15. Will not leave your dog unattended at the dog park.

16. Will take note of and report anyone who does not follow these guidelines, thereby causing potential danger to dogs or dog owners.

17. Do not bring treats to the dog park, causing potential dog-to-dog conflict.

18. Know that the dog park is not the place to fix inappropriate behavioral problems without a trainer’s assistance.

19. Will supervise your dog’s play and be prepared to interrupt inappropriate play whether your dog is the perpetrator or the victim.

20. Are willing to listen to someone else’s complaint about your dogs behavior and are willing to leave the park if your dog is being too rough. If you really disagree with the person’s assessment of your dog’s behavior, do not argue, but get advice from a trainer.

21. Remember to keep our park clean and healthy for everyone,

22. Always clean up after your dog and are willing to clean up after others  who did not notice, do not know or do not follow the rules. This is everyone’s park; we must take care of it for all our sakes.

Aggression in Dogs

Aggression in dogs is a very serious behavioral problem and it is a learned behavior. All puppies are born equal, not aggressive, so if a puppy grows up to be aggressive, something happened along the way to make the pup fearful, and a fearful pup becomes an aggressive dog.

Aggression can be prevented if the owner understands natural canine growth cycles and the factors that influence the development of aggressive behavior.

There are different kinds of aggression: dog aggression; aggression towards children, men or women; protection aggression; food aggression and possession aggression.  In this article I will focus on aggression in general.

There are critical periods in a puppy’s life, that when understood will help you raise a healthy well-adjusted puppy into adulthood. A wonderful book that I always recommend is, The New Knowledge of Dog Behavior by Clarence Pfaffenberger. It is a wealth of information.

Puppies are born with their ears and eyes shut to the world, yet they feel everything that is happening to them. They feel their mother licking them clean and picking them up and they feel their litter mates all around them. You have seen a litter sleeping in a heap, yes? Well, they are keeping each other warm and safe, just like, in the womb. Yet, when their other senses become engaged, when their ears and eyes open, a whole new world has opened up to them. This is the first critical period in a puppy’s life.

In the first critical period of a pup’s life, they are learning about socialization in their pack. This is where and when pecking order begins. From 3 weeks of age until 8 weeks of age, puppies are behaving in a very instinctive manner, establishing dominance through play. The mother is the leader of the pack, yet in the puppy pack, another leader is developing. If a puppy is removed from its litter before 8 weeks of age, it is being robbed of very important social interactive skills with its litter mates, which could cause a pup to grow up to be aggressive with dogs. Therefore, in order for the puppy to develop into a well-adjusted adult, a puppy should not be taken away from their litter mates before 8 weeks of age.

The next critical period in a puppy’s life is between 8 and 10 weeks of age. This is when they start to realize that there is life outside themselves. They begin to become curious about people, other animals, things, etc. and it is a very fearful period. There should be great care taken to make sure that everything they are exposed to is done with a gentle hand, and an abundance of patience. This is also the time when bonding with a new human friend can begin.

After 10 weeks of age, bonding has begun and more socialization to the world is a necessity to ensure the success of a well-adjusted dog. If a puppy doesn’t bond and get properly socialized during their first 16 weeks of life, it may very likely develop aggressive behaviors. The key to having a well-adjusted adult dog is proper socialization during puppyhood.

Having said this, a dog doesn’t reach his age of maturity until he is between the age of 18 months and 3 years. There are many factors that influence this age of maturity, including, breed, temperament, socialization, training, etc. Therefore, it is imperative that for the first two years of a puppy’s life, it is crucial to establish leadership, to train, to properly socialize your puppy with dogs and children in all walks of life, and to expose your puppy to all different environments and situations. Doing so will ensure a happy, healthy well-adjusted adult dog. These are key elements to the prevention of aggression