SoftMaple 2002 litter

Week Six (Days 36-42)
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

+ Growth and development continue

Puppy Toddlers (3 - 6 Weeks) During the Toddler period, puppies emerge on their own from the litter. They venture into the surrounding environment. This emergence from the litter is a gradual and continual learning experience. During this stage of development puppies learn basic behavioral patterns specific to dogs. While playing, they practice different body postures, learning what the postures mean and how they affect their mother and litter mates. They learn what it is like to bite and be bitten, what barking and other vocalizations mean and how to make and use them to establish social relationships with other dogs. Such learning and activity tempers their own biting and vocalizing. From the age of five weeks, the mother teaches her puppies basic manners. They learn to be submissive to her leadership and what behaviors are acceptable. If necessary, she growls, snarls, or snaps at them as a form of discipline. When weaning the litter, for instance, the mother will discipline her puppies so that they will leave her alone. Because the mother disciplines them in a way that they clearly understand, after a few repetitions, the puppies will respond to a mere glare from her. If a pup has not learned to accept leadership (and discipline) in its early interactions with dogs, its training will be more difficult. Puppies that are removed from the nest too early tend to be nervous, more prone to barking and biting, and less responsive to discipline. Often they are aggressive with other dogs. Generally speaking, a puppy taken away from it's mother and litter mates before seven weeks of age, may not realize its full potential as a dog and companion. To maximize the mental and psychological development of puppies, they must remain in the nest with their mother and litter mates until seven weeks of age.

Toys! Toys! Toys!

5/16/2002 Puppies and play go hand in hand. Running, wrestling, tumbling and chasing, puppies love to play. But play is so much more than a fun-filled passage of time or exertion of energy. Play is essential to ensure proper mental, physical and sensory development. Puppies need an enriched environment that will foster both mental and physical stimulation through play with toys, people and other dogs.

Puppies should be given toys that are both stimulating and interactive. Toys like Kongs and The Buster Cube encourage problem solving in order to gain bits of food hidden within. Other toys like Nylabones, Booda Bones, cow hooves and natural bones provide an excellent outlet for chewing activities. Squeak toys and fleece toys add additional sensory stimulation through sound and touch. If you puppy isn't given toys he can chew on when he is teething, he will find something of yours to chew on! If, and only if, you catch your puppy chewing on something he shouldn't, interrupt the behavior with a loud noise, then offer him an acceptable chew toy instead and praise him lavishly when he takes the toy in his mouth.

Toys should be readily available to puppies at all times, providing them with appropriate stimulation and play. By rotating the toys available to a puppy at a given time, they remain interesting and fun. Praising puppies when they are playing with their toys lets them know that we are pleased and that this is an appropriate activity.

Toys are a great way to occupy puppies when we can not. But for puppies, playing games with their human friends is "where it's at". Games like fetch, keepaway, hide and seek, tug or come-tag not only foster bonding but are stimulating and educational as well. Puppies' owners are often afraid to play such games for fear of teaching over-excitability or other bad habits. The games themselves do NOT teach puppies to be uncontrollable, ill mannered or aggressive. The lack of established rules and guidance does. Just like our games, puppy play must have guidelines and structure that is absolute. Lack of structure and guidelines or inconsistency will contribute to confusion and frustration. This in turn will contribute to misbehavior. By saying "Let's play" just prior to initiating games and stating "Enough" just as we end a session or take a break, we can help our puppies to understand that they must wait until we initiate play and must also honor that we end it. Also, by stating "Enough" and ending play momentarily when puppies bite or jump or become too boisterous, we can clearly relay that these behaviors are inappropriate in play.

There is no “right” or “best” dog toy. They all fulfill a part of a puppy’s (or dog’s) development. Toys should be appropriate for your dog’s current size. Balls and other toys that are too small can easily be swallowed or become lodged in your dog’s mouth or throat. The ball that your puppy had when he was small may choke an older dog. Some dogs inhale rawhide chews, and may get an intestinal obstruction. Watch how your dog plays with toys, and how he chews on rawhide. "chewies" like hooves, pig’s ears and rawhides, should be supervision-only goodies. Take note of any toy that contains a "squeaker" buried in its center. Your dog may feel that he must find and destroy the squeak-source and could ingest it, in which case squeaking objects should be "supervision only" toys.

Toys We Recommend

Active Toys:
  • Very hard rubber toys, like Nylabone-type products and Kong-type products. These are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and are fun for chewing and for carrying around.
  • "Rope" toys that are usually available in a "bone" shape with knotted ends.
  • Tennis balls make great dog toys, but keep an eye out for any that could be chewed through and discard them.

Distraction Toys:
  • Kong-type toys, especially when filled with broken-up treats or, even better, a mixture of broken-up treats and peanut butter. The right size Kong can keep a puppy or dog busy for hours. Only by chewing diligently can your dog access the treats, and then only in small bits - very rewarding! Double-check with your veterinarian about whether or not you should give peanut butter to your dog.
  • "Busy-box" toys are large rubber cubes with hiding places for treats. Only by moving the cube around with his nose, mouth and paws, can your dog access the goodies.

Comfort Toys:
  • Soft stuffed toys are good for several purposes, but aren’t appropriate for all dogs. For some dogs, the stuffed toy should be small enough to carry around. For dogs that want to shake or "kill" the toy, it should be the size that "prey" would be for that size dog (mouse-size, rabbit-size or duck-size).
  • Dirty laundry, like an old t-shirt, pillowcase, towel or blanket, can be very comforting to a dog, especially if it smells like you! Be forewarned that the item could be destroyed by industrious fluffing, carrying and nosing.

Get The Most Out Of Toys!
  • Rotate your dog’s toys weekly by making only four or five toys available at a time. Keep a variety of types easily accessible. If your dog has a huge favorite, like a soft "baby," you should probably leave it out all the time, or risk the wrath of your dog!
  • Provide toys that offer a variety of uses - at least one toy to carry, one to "kill", one to roll and one to "baby."
  • "Hide and Seek" is a fun game for dogs to play. "Found" toys are often much more attractive than a toy which is blatantly introduced. Making an interactive game out of finding toys or treats is a good "rainy-day" activity for your dog, using up energy without the need for a lot of space.
  • Many of your dog’s toys should be interactive. Interactive play is very important for your dog because he needs active "people time." By focusing on a specific task, like repeatedly returning a ball, Kong or Frisbee, or playing "hide-and-seek" with treats or toys, your dog can expel pent-up mental and physical energy in a limited amount of time and space. This greatly reduces stress due to confinement, isolation and/or boredom. For young, high-energy and untrained dogs, interactive play also offers an opportunity for socialization and helps them learn about appropriate and inappropriate behavior with people and with other animals, like jumping up or being mouthy.

    • 5/17/2002 Day 37

    To SoftMaple Curlies