Critical Socialization Period: 10-14 weeks

There is a period of development in all puppies which determine how they perceive new experiences as an adult. This is known as the Critical Socialization Period and it usually occurs between 10 - 14 weeks of age. During this time, the idea is to expose the puppy to as many new experiences as possible so that when the dog comes across a similar experience in the future, it will be able to adapt more quickly and with ease. In a way, we are establishing the baseline in the puppy’s mind for what are considered normal activities and behaviours.

Dobie will:

• meet LOTS of people of varying age, gender and ethnicity
• be exposed to a vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, dish washer, laundry machine
• hear me dropping things on the floor, plates into the sink, letting cutlery fall on the counter
• experience video game sounds and sights, television, radio
• learn car riding manners
• visit my parent’s house and yard
• go to a mall, visit pet stores
• go to cafes, patios, bubble tea take out
• go to parks and playgrounds
• experience grooming, taking baths, brushing teeth, trimming nails
• listen to different types of music
• visit the vet and get his shots

I have highlighted in orange the experiences which require extra caution and sometimes carrying the puppy to prevent him from coming in contact with other animals and their feces.

Here’s the catch, usually puppies are not fully immunized from diseases such as parvovirus and distemper until 16 weeks of age. However by then, the window for critical socialization is closed. My breeder likes to vaccinate at the early end of the accepted schedule in order for proper socialization to occur. Dobie will get his first set of shots at 7 weeks, the second set at 11 weeks and the 3rd set at 14 weeks instead of 16. Between the second and third vaccines, we need to be very careful where we take Dobie, but he will still be able to venture outside and his risk of infection is greatly reduced after receiving 2 vaccines. He still won’t be allowed to visit high dog-traffic areas such as pet stores or the vet office though. It is advised to pick up and carry your puppy when visiting these places. They still gain socialization from being in a new environment, without the unnecessary risk of contamination.

This one!

Dear Dobie,

Trying to find you in a litter of seven puppies was not an easy task. You gave Waldo a run for his money. I almost chose another puppy because you were too busy sniffing the floor. I hope this means that you will excel at tracking in the near future. Not to mention, when all the other puppies piled up to take their afternoon nap, you sat by yourself and chewed on an orange bear thingy. I don't mean to brag, but let's face it, I'm so proud of you already. Thank goodness you eventually came around to say hello and shoved the smaller puppy out of the way. When I picked you up I knew you were Dobie. I'm embarrassed to admit you're not the first puppy I put a collar on though. For over an hour I deliberated and felt that something was wrong until I removed his collar and gave it to you. Only then could I let out a sigh of relief and bring myself to leave the kennel. Here you are, at 6 weeks old with your very first (temporarily pink) collar!

I promise to take care of you to the very best of my ability. See you in 2 weeks!

Fear Imprint Period: 8-11 weeks

This is a tricky socialization period as it affects some dogs much more than others.  Dogs bred with stable temperaments and brave personalities may not be affected by the fear imprint period at all!  These are dogs where nothing seems to scare them.  But the vast majority of dogs will experience fear imprinting to some degree.  Between 8 - 11 weeks of age, the puppy is extra sensitive to fearful events.  If something frightens the puppy and his fear is confirmed by your actions, then he will remember for the rest of his life what frightened him.  He will also be careful to avoid the object or person who frightened him.

For example, say your puppy is following you around the kitchen and you accidentally knock over a baking sheet that makes a loud clash beside him.  This noise and the baking sheet falling from the sky would definitely scare the puppy.  If you laugh, pick up the baking sheet and ignore your puppy’s reaction, he will learn that there was nothing to be scared of.  However, if you drop what you’re doing and coddle the puppy, you have just confirmed his fear of the baking sheet.  From then on, he will avoid the baking sheet or that area of the kitchen.  This is the danger of the fear imprinting period.  Getting him to overcome his fear of the baking sheet later will be very difficult. So the best thing to do is avoid reassuring the puppy when he gets startled by something.  We can also be extra careful of our actions around the puppy.  Try to keep all learning experiences as positive as possible.

Thanksgiving visit to Garshangan Kennels

There is a lot to be thankful for this year.  For one, all the puppies in Dobie’s litter are healthy.  They have been weaned from Abba already and are eating a kibble and water mixture.  Abba is gorgeous again, her tummy has tucked up and it’s hard to tell she had a litter last month.  Jackson has a handsome face with kind eyes.  I will definitely keep an eye out for the puppy who resembles him the most.

In two weeks, I’ll be visiting again to choose my puppy.  They will be 6 weeks old, at which point their personalities become more evident.  The pups can also be ‘stacked’ (show dog stance) to check which dogs most conform to the breed standard.  I’m looking for a puppy with the following personality traits: alert, curious, neither the most dominant nor submissive pup of the litter, interested in chasing a ball, interested in playing tug and seeks interactions with me.  Basically, I am looking for a highly trainable dog with good drive for Schutzhund training.

Here is a video of the puppies at just 4 weeks of age.  They are already exploring outside the whelping box.  We had been playing with them for an hour prior to this footage, so they were all struggling to stay awake.  Some of the puppies fell asleep while sitting up!  As you can see, they all resemble each other in size, head shape, bone structure.  This is typical of line-bred dogs.