Breeder’s Guide to Raising Superstar Dogs

Speech by Lorraine Gaudio, CPDTBook by Jerry Hope, CDBC

Benefits• Produce puppies that are safer in society• Reduce puppy buyers calling with reports of puppies with fear aggression or

a bite history. • Help build a stronger breeders reputation & increase referrals• Preserve a good breed reputation• Take a responsibility to all the puppies you add the community. • Produce emotionally stable puppies• Prevent your puppies from the shelter and re-homing (First home is a forever

home)• Foundation work is life lasting so it is easier to have rehabilitation and

recovery of fear (repo dogs)• Puppy owners have a responsibility to their puppy and their community. • Reduce the work on the owners can increase the value of your puppies verses

your competitor.

Puppies enter new homes

• At 10-12 weeks old• House trained• Confident around people, dogs, other animals• Already having taught basic cues• Have a easy to follow plan for your puppy

owners to continue

The research

• In 1965 John Paul Scott & John L. Fuller Dog Behavior:The Genetic Basic and Genetics and Social Behavior of the Dog

• Over 40 year old research is now formatted easy to understand

• Multiple Animal Behaviorists and Veterinarians working together with breeders

• Jerry Hope, CDBC; Dr. Ian Dunbar; Tammie King, Bsc (Hons); Lynn Hoover; Martin Deeley, Nicole Wilde, CPDT; Brenda Aloff; Konrad Lorenz to name just a few

What is Socialization

• Continuing life long process where individual acquires personal identity, learns norms, values, behavior, and social skills.

• How is it done best? • Fear is not genetic. There is a reason for stress. • Exposure, recovery of conflict and being allowed to be

curious. • Stay in comfort level, go slow. • NEVER FORCE something the puppy is fearful of upon

the puppy. What does fear look like?

Imprinting• Exposure in small doses to many different things of practical and

social character during critical development stages. It is for life!• Whether you do a program or not, imprinting will happen. • Sometimes imprinting doesn’t happen on what we intended it to

be on. • ALL experienced including vet visits must be enjoyable. • How does the dog see this situation?• Imprinting is used extensively be horse breeders with great

success! We are lucky to have a bigger window.• Imprinting on puppies is between -3 weeks and 10+ weeks old. • Whelping box design

Case study

She has a great pedigree that contains dogs with super temperaments. She is nervous and fearful because of the way she was raised.

How does this effect imprinting?

The chances are high that the pups will learn from their mother

fearful and nervous behavior is normal. Correct her behavior

issues before breeding!

Critical Periods

Mental growth periods where specific learning happens from the puppy’s environment and experiences where optimum retention will take place.

Timing is everything! Exposing to young can do damage where if only a few weeks older would had a more positive effect. Same goes for waiting to long. You missed your window.

Pre-natal

• Bitch is healthy before breeding• Keep bitch relaxed and calm during pregnancy• Good Diet• Fresh water • Moderate exercise• Give her the attention and affection if she

become clingy

Neo-natal • Birth to 12 days• “Bio-Sensor” proven to strengthen immune system, create stronger

heartbeats and promote more rapid recovery to stress in it’s adult life. • Introduce involuntary systems to changing positions starting at 3 days

old (if dewclaws were removed at 2 days start on 5) Stop when pups eye start to open

• Five exercises done 1 x day at the same time you weight the pup never lasting more the 5 seconds (start on 3 seconds)

• Tactile Stimulation with a q-tip• Head up, head down, on back• Thermal Stimulation• Weigh and return to mom for comfort

Transitional Period• 13 days to 20 days old• Eyes open but will not be fully functional until 9-10 weeks• Ears open and will have full hearing by 20 -22 days old• Increase brain activity with noise and light• For about 2 minutes: Expose to soft noises and low level light changes

with changing tempo (classical music on TV) Increase levels as pups begin to move around more. GO SLOW but use Thunder tapes, play base music.

• Make startling sound while pups are all cuddled and sleeping. What is a noisy home with kids like? Crying baby’s, gun shots . . .

• http://www.legacycanine.com/store/index.html• Weaning puppies are touched while eating their gruel. Touch food to

mouths and hand feed a little

Socialization Period• 3 weeks to 14 weeks old• All of the following behaviors will be continued into new home

and will slowly become more advanced• Teach bite inhibition (most important skill)• Start with introducing other animals like cat(s), bird(s) • KNOW THE TEMPERMENT and MEDICAL HISTORY of the other

animals. Don’t skip this very important step. Find animals safe and healthy. Protective mom’s are away securely.

• Recall as soon at they are on their legs• Allow them to explore a new safe area. Add interesting items in

the area each day (pull out things from the garage and closet)• 4 wks Start taking then out to potty (every meal, play, waking up)

Socialization Period

• 5 wks Start introducing one-two new person(s) every day for ten minutes. (Clean hands. Everyone should remove shoes at the front door.) 100 people by 14 weeks (race, age clothes, smell)

• Teach sit, down, stand (1-2 min)• Teeth, toes, testicles• Sent treat or people, Pry drive play (flirt pole), Show stacking,

agility poles and tunnels ball on the wall retrieve• 7 wk bodies of water (shallow to start)• Tug for bite inhibition and out with rules• 8wks take training on the road• Collar and lead drag, follow me

Awareness Period

• 21 to 28 Days old• Sudden sounds • DO NOT MOVE LITTER LOCATION. Keep

environment stable

First impact Period

• 8 to 11 weeks• First fear• The worst time to go to a new home and often it’s time for the

first vet visit. A long drive can make him hate car rides. Locked in a crate for the first time all night crying for mommy is damaging for life!

• Fear issues can be traced back to this period, not because the experience itself but because it all happened during this period

• IF puppies must go during this period the family setting needs to be secure and non-threatening, non-stressful. They are better suited for an educated pet owner

Seniority Classification Period

• 13 to 16 weeks old• In recovery of fear period• Teething: offer chews• Find themselves as individuals, grows personality• Must remove from litter or they will bond with each other.

Some puppies will become bullies and other will become submissive. Puppies should have separate time away from other dogs and have one on one time with people.

• Space grows personalities free from the influence of littermates• Work on resource guarding• Positive training grows confidence

Flight Instinct

• 4 months to 8 months• Puppies Become brave and investigative and

it’s good to allow it and build it• Don’t ruin your recall• Marking and house training may slip so watch

them close!• Still Teething, reinforce chewing behaviors on

the correct items

Second Impact Period

• 6 to 15 months old• Fear suddenly, even a well socialized pup• Do not force dog to cope with fear (Flooding)• “sudden rebellious, disobedient, hardheaded,

and fear”• How this is handled may determine how long

the puppy stays with the family and how the puppy sees people for the rest of his life.

Maturity

• Age varies by breed (small dogs sooner, giant breeds later then 1 ½ years old)

• Monitor mature dogs of same sex One day a friendship may turn into challenged and fights

What can we change

• Don’t prohibit people from coming to visit the puppies

• Puppies should stay with there litter till 10 weeks old and no later then 12 weeks old.

• Expose the pups to light, noise, strangers of all species and ages, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

• Be responsible for the outcome of the puppy

Testing

• Aptitude testing is done around 8 weeks old and is also a great time to evaluate structure

• Novel stimuli, Thinking puzzle, Handling• Test results in written detail is given to puppy

owners• Temperament testing is done around 18

months. www.atts.org

Be a part of my study

• Record your choice of puppy imprinting in detail. I will give you a record book to be kept as a complete journal of the daily activities.

• You do not need to do all or even any of the ideas presented today.

• I will evaluate your puppies at 8 weeks and receive a copy of your journal

• You puppy owners will be invited but not required to follow up with me for a further evaluation on their development.