Goodwood
Standard Smoothes
Articles
Preparing
a puppy for transition to its new home.
Claire
L. Mancha
With
today's more restrained breeding programs, the odds are that most of your
litter will go to other people's homes to subsidize that one pup that you'll
keep for yourself.
You,
as the breeder, are uniquely positioned to help each departing puppy transition
smoothly from your home to its new pack.
I want to stress that this is a labor of love that becomes a gift you
can give both your puppy and its new family.
There is no quick and easy way to accomplish this. If you really want to do it right, you'll be
training for this from the birth to the departure of the pups.
Ideally,
both the pup and its family will be delighted with each other from the start. You, the breeder, can pave the way to this
happy, lifetime friendship with eiderdown rather than rocks.
The
easiest way to prepare is to have a list of challenges that the puppy will face
and deal with each at the proper developmental time. Here are my list of challenges:
crates, sleeping alone, being with strangers, car rides, stairs,
leashes, collars, vets, all different types of surfaces on which to walk, other
dogs, other animals, being without siblings, eliminating on a schedule, the
daily routine, food, weather, well, the list goes on and will be different for
every breeder. Each of these items has
a time frame in which the lesson will be learned most effectively. I will recap these in order at the end of
this article.
While
I approach this from the standpoint that you are doing the new owners a favor,
you are also doing yourself a favor.
What if Scarlett-the-Starlet turns out to be a pet, and Mr. MuggleFace
turns out to be the one? If all your
pups are equally prepared, there will be no worries.
Let's
start with crates. I put a crate in my
puppy pen as soon as the pups are really mobile. That way the crate is something they've seen since they can
possibly remember. They play, they
sleep, they eat; they do all kinds of activities in the open crate. When it comes time for serious crate
training, between day 49 and 56 (they can hold their bladders and bowels at
that time,) I put 2 pups in each crate and 3 in the last if there are an odd
number. I have them all sleep in a
circle facing each other. This is the
easy part.
After
a few days of rotating pups, into separate crates they go. Each crate has a warm bed, a toy, a treat
and they are still in a circle so they can see each other. This makes for a couple nights of crying, but
it's really not so bad. Better that
you, the knowledgeable breeder who knows the agenda go through this rather than
the possibly too soft owner who might undo all your hard work!
After
a week or so of this, I move the crates to different rooms, or make them into
towers. The idea is that they can't see
the littermates. Feeding the pups in
their crates from then on really seals the deal. I get my crates at thrift stores and always have a bunch of them
saved up before each litter comes. I
give each owner a fully prepared crate when s/he picks up the pup. The pup already knows its crate, already
sleeps in it alone and already associates it with feeding time. It's a win / win situation. If you give the owner a crate, and show them
how the pups already love their dens, it's not such a nightmare training the
owners.
The
car: once the pup trusts the crate, it's time for a car ride! It's good to have the first few rides not be
ones that take the pups to the vet.
Just load 'em all up and go 'round the block. It's a nice, safe, no consequences little trip. You'll also find out which pups travel well
and which don't. Some physiology really
comes into play here. You can adjust
travel arrangements accordingly.
Knowing the pup's reactions to riding before-hand will help prepare the
new owner on what to expect. I never
let a young pup ride loose in the car.
As I figure it, these are not my pups to risk. The new owners can make that call.
I
always take my pups to the vet at day three for dewclaw removal and for a
healthy dog check up at week seven. I
know many of us give our own shots, and I do too. But for that baseline visit, I want them to go through the
medical wringer and be exposed to being at the vet. I also state in my contract that the new owners are advised to
visit their own vet within 5 days of receiving the pup. That first visit will help prepare the pups
for the trip with their new owners.
New
surfaces and sounds: it is also very
important that the pups already know all about different surfaces: carpet,
linoleum, cement, pebbles, wood, grass, chips, mud, you name it. There is a time where this is best
introduced. 21 to 28 days is the right
window of rapid sensory development for this activity. Two pups at a time on the new surfaces will
help ease the tension; everything is always easier with a buddy. Try a new surface every day for just a few
minutes, then do it all over again.
This
same window is a good time to introduce soft background noises as well. Many breeders I know leave constant noise on
for their pups: radio, TV, whatever. I
do not. I have had no problems with
dogs being afraid or startled by new noises.
I very much believe the need for constant noise is a human issue, not a
dog issue. My pups are exposed to noise
from daily living and that seems to be enough.
That said, I do think noise exposure is important and should be
addressed. I know of more than one shop
dog who are in noisy places during the work week. It is nice to prepare the dog to the owner's environment.
Being
alone: at 5 weeks, each pup should
start his journey to independence.
Being handled away from its dam and littermates is a big scary deal to a
puppy. Get as many people as you can
involved: family, friends, neighbors.
They should take their assigned pup that day to a far corner of the
house or yard and play, pet, handle, cuddle each pup all by itself for 10
minutes each day. This is a great time
to get your future owners involved if they live close by. The more you do this, the more your pup will
accept being handled by strangers and will learn that being away from its
siblings and dam isn't going to kill him!
Collars
and leashes: most of us use rickrack to tell our pups apart. This is really the 1st phase of
collar training. They are already used
to having something around their neck.
So once each puppy is used to being handled away from the pack by its
human, tie on a length of string to the rickrack. Obviously this needs to be a closely monitored activity. After the puppy plays with it, destroys it,
chases it, whatever, you can pick up the string and hold it when they
walk. Bit by bit. It's a journey. At 8 weeks switch to a real collar and lead. Walk with a bit with food in your hand and
get Junior Mint thinking about food rather than the new outfit. After a few sessions, your pup will be
walking nicely. Pet people take their
dogs for walks! If your pup is ready to
go for walkies, then the new owner and s/he can start bonding that much sooner.
Other
dogs, other animals: your pup will not
live in a vacuum. Your new owners may
have a cat, for crying out loud. The
best time to introduce a (nice) cat to puppies, is right away. Get that smell in their brains so they are
familiar with it. If your cat is laid
back, he can mingle with the pups if the dam will allow it. If the dam objects, take her away while the
pups are being exposed. If you don't
have a cat, the pup can still be safely introduced later at the new owner's
house. You'll have to teach your owners
how to manage the introduction. A nice,
safe, older dog can be introduced around week 6. You don't want that field champion or master earthdog eating your
pups, and your dam might have something to say about it too! Wait until those pups no longer look or
sound like prey and let a nice member of your pack start training them in doggy
manners. Many pet dogs are placed too
early and have no idea how to behave in a pack. Pack manners are extremely important. It's useful for later when your pups meet other dogs. Dogs need to know how to read and send the
right signals to make appropriate connections with other dogs.
Stairs:
the people that take in retired Greyhounds from tracks have a heck of a time
with their dogs and stairs. Of course,
racing dogs don't have any need for stairs, but pets do. Even though we try to avoid stairs in our
breed, it's a good idea that your pups know what they are. I have ramps all over my house so I have to
make a conscious effort to train for stairs.
Mostly the pups just stare at me, but it happens in the end. I throw food all over the place and watch
them scramble. You'll want your pups to
be big enough to actually maneuver the stairs, so that will depend on your
chosen size of Dachshund. I wait until
mine are just ready to leave, so 11 weeks on.
Routines
and schedules: your household has a
rhythm all its own. So will your new
puppy owner's. The chances that they
are identical are slim. So, when you
give all that information about your pup to the new owners, please tell them
your time schedule of waking, pooping, feeding, playing, nap time, and bed time so the new owner can make the
changes gradually rather than all at once creating much confusion in little
Rocket's brain. Small increments work
much better than radical changes. Better yet, ask your new owners' their schedule and start training
the pup to it before s/he leaves your home.
That will really put you in the top tiers!
Food:
same with feeding. You may feed
MiraclePupFood only available at National Specialties, but the chances are that
your owners will shop at the local supermarket or pet store. Give them enough of your food so the new
owners can make the transition gradually, mixing the foods proportionally until
Gizmo won't know the difference. As a
side bar, in my opinion, it is your obligation to try to persuade your owner to
feed what you feel is the ideal food. I
steadfastly refuse to stop feeding my pups raw until every last effort has been
made to persuade Mr. and Mrs. Petlover that it's the way to go.
Now,
everybody's favorite subject: housebreaking!
A breeder I know follows her little pack of pups around every time they
go out in the morning with pooper-scooper in hand. No one comes in for breakfast until each one has done his/her
doggy doody. This is a wonderful way to
start housebreaking! What a gift you
can give your people! The best way to
think of this is that your pup thinks in pictures, like a Rolodex in his/her
brain. If the Rolodex has no pictures
of eliminating inside the house, then you are well on your way. I tell my prospective owners that I never
really trust my dogs until they are over a year. It's just safer that way!
People expect so much out of our stubborn little breed. Housebreaking is a routine that is learned
by both the pups and the new owners.
Sharing your methods and timing will make it all a much happier
experience for both parties.
Lastly,
try to place your pups between 10 to 12 weeks.
There is a fear stage between 8 and 10 weeks that makes it a dicey time
to do anything traumatic to the pups.
Don't undo all your hard work!
So,
let's recap. In a timeline, my
challenges start at 2 days with the Dremel and nails and vet, 3 weeks with the
surfaces and noises, 5th week, outdoors, begin housebreaking, being away
from the pack, being handled by strangers.
6th and 7th week: crates, more car rides, the vet,
the vacuum, other dogs. 8 weeks: collars and leads. 11 weeks: stairs.
This
article is just a bare bones sort of inventory of things that we can do to help
ease the transition for our pups. There
are many, many other things that need to be done to make the pup achieve
his/her potential. I am a firm believer
in Dr. Battaglia's stress exercises, for example. As an earthdogger, I use long boxes to start tunnel training at 3
weeks. I drag rabbits pelts in the yard
and put the pup's dinner at the end of the track. If your future owners are interested in conformation, stack,
stack, stack. There are many articles
that delineate what should be done at what week and why. It's all fascinating reading and is part of
what I consider a top quality breeder's golden opportunity to really make a
difference!
In
closing, I would like to share the story of a good friend of mine who
transported a puppy from one breeder to another via airplane. This poor pup had never been away from home,
never been confined, never been with strangers, never prepared for this change
in his life in any way. By the end of
the 1st leg of the trip, the flight attendants were warning my
friend that she would not be allowed to board another airplane with that
pup. By the end of the 2nd
leg of the trip, my friend was praying that the plane would go down in a fiery
crash and so put her, the pup and the other passengers out of their
misery. This is just plain
unnecessary. Don't put your pups or
your new owners through this! As I see
it, as breeders at the level we fancy ourselves in DCA, this preparation is a
moral imperative.
References:
http://www.ccc.govt.nz/Animals/CriticalPuppyDevelopment.asp
(Taken
from Dog Fancy, 1972)
http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/
Dr.
Battaglia's site
http://www.nwk9.com/dehasse_pupdev.htm#13
Sensory,
emotional and social development of the young dog
Dr.
Joel Dehasse, Behaviorist Veterinarian.