Socialization

I found this description of the Frankish herding dog Berger Picard’s temperament on Wikipedia and thought how perfectly it describes the seemingly close relative, the German shepherd dog:

The Berger Picard's attributes include a lively, intelligent personality and a sensitive and assertive disposition that responds quickly to obedience training. By and large, Picards are laid back and mellow but they are known for having a stubborn streak and being reserved towards strangers. They require a lot of socialization during the first two years of their lives.  Picards are energetic and hard working, alert, loyal and sweet-tempered with children. They are happiest when they have a job to do. They also have a protective nature, making them good guard dogs. However, they are not excessive barkers (at least should not be)…

…the breed also has a well-developed sense of humor, making them an endearing companion, and they continue to be used very effectively as both sheep and cattle herder in their native land and elsewhere.   Like many herding breeds, Picards require human companionship and lots of it. Since they can be demonstrative to their owners and enthusiastic friends towards other animals, formal obedience training and plenty of positive socialization is a must. Athletic, loyal and filled with a desire to work a long day, the breed excels in any "job" as long as enthusiasm and praise is a part of the task.

Continued and varied positive socialization for a puppy is vitally important to his future stability.  Dogs that are separated from new experiences and environments in their youth tend to be “wild”.  The task of polishing a dog’s behavior by involving him in as much of your life (in and out of the home) as possible can seem trying, but the work you put in now will pay-off.

The goal is to increase your puppy’s confidence so that he faces life with assurance, instead of timidity, which may result in a fear-based aggressive dog.

Although I don’t feel a German shepherd should be described as “happy-go-lucky”, he should be relaxed in truly non-threatening circumstances.  

Dog Training

Dog training occurs every moment you are part of your dog’s life.  If you are not actively engaged in any variety of formal training, then most likely some degree of pack structure training is occurring.

By formal training, I mean any canine discipline, such as obedience, tracking, scent training, agility, etc.

As I’ve promoted earlier, using local resources for formal training guided by an effective trainer will pay in dividends.  Your investment in your animal appreciates as your dog becomes more valued as a willing worker and an obedient companion.

Other training resources exist in books, video, and the web.  I feel the more effective methods you know and can apply, the more ideas you will have to draw from in future need. 

Dogs are so thoroughly entwined into human civilization that nearly all dog owners are to some degree dog experts.

There may be those who are well schooled or more importantly, those that have years of successful dog handling that may deserve the title “Dog Expert.”  However, I cannot presume that one method of dog handling is more successful to another.

One variable is that dogs individually, are dynamic.  The energy state, intelligence, loyalty, etc., vary, as do the humans that interact with them. 

Dog handling can vary remarkably from region to region around the planet.  With all the working breeds of dog and all the jobs asked of those dogs, it behooves dog handlers to educate themselves in as many human-dog interaction methods as practical. By using objectivity and logic, the best methods can be implemented and adjusted for specific needs.

The ultimate goal is a human that uses the dog to help decide what communication is needed to get to the end result.  The totality of the tools and tricks to use is truly infinite.  Reading the dog correctly facilities quicker and more effective results.  Arriving at this point requires putting your time in with your dog.

Puppy update

The pack is shrinking but the puppies seem to be business as usually here.

Pflaume and Wasser were invited to one of our grandson's kindergarten class.  This was a great socialization opportunity for both pups.  It is hard to duplicate 16 excited 5 and 6 year olds in the same room, at the same time.  A great experience for all.

The whole German shepherd pack, including parents, visited the vet two days ago.  The exams continue to be favorable and the inoculations remain current.  All went very well except for Kohl.  We now know he hates to have his temperature tested.

The puppies weights at the vet were:

Smaragd - 23.6 lbs.
Halo - 21.0 lbs.
Pflaume - 28.4 lbs.
Gold - 23.3 lbs.
Stahl - 28.1 lbs.
Wasser - 21.6 lbs.
Rostig - 25.5 lbs.

Puppy update

The greatest event for the pups since the last update has been a trip away from home to visit the veterinarian’s office.  The nine received exams, DHPP vaccines and a second round of dewormer.  All checked out very well and were a huge hit amongst the staff and visitors.  I was impressed again by the professionalism of Dr. Mangis and the team at the Ketchikan Veterinary Clinic. 

At 45 days old, the puppies have increased in weight from 9.5 to 11 times their whelped weight.

Paper training in the kennel where they bed at night is 100% effective.  Everywhere else, paper training is improving, but not perfect.   I am truly impressed with their strong doggy nature at so young an age. 

They are very smart.  Behavior I have instilled in the adult dogs is reflected in the puppies without consciously meaning to; while I prepare the dishes for the puppies, they calmly wait siting near with full attention on me.  A part of the adult dogs’ feeding ritual is that they all sit calmly with their attention on me before I permit them to approach their dish.  I have not purposely implemented feeding the puppies in this manner.

Rudimentary prey drive is very strong in all of them.  Scent tracking for kibble is a lot of fun because they can’t quite see the small bits being thrown.  They do respond promptly when they hear it hit skip across the floor.  Watching them work intently with noses to the ground for such a small snack is remarkable.

In the morning, they are released from the kennel and fed in the adjacent laundry room.  When the food is gone, they are invited into the front yard.  It is always dark and the weather is usually no great surprise for Southeast Alaska in the fall. 

When the novelty of the great outdoors wears off, inside they go for a nap in the laundry room.  They sleep very soundly when the clothes dryer or washer is running.

The remainder of the day they make multiple visits outside and a couple visits up the stairs to the main floor. 

Nearly every front yard adventure prompts a visit from new people that walk by.  Kora always makes a little time to play with the pups, but her size, speed and agility visibly humbles them.  The few times Kohl has ventured with them, his interest in play is predominately with Kora, not the pups. 

Kora’s maternal aggression is waning towards new people and practically non-existent towards our dogs. 

Thankfully.

Of course we always supervise the other dogs when they are with the puppies.  For the most part the puppies find better things than the older dogs to molest, but from time to time they seem to gang up on one of the dogs and it becomes real uncomfortable quick.  The alpha male German shepherd and the crotchety old mix-lab rescue have no problem breaking away from the pack to the sanctuary of the bedroom, escaping the mayhem of the inquisitive youngsters.

Kora still nurses freely at times but the end is certainly near.  The puppies demand for milk seems more of a habit than anything else.   

Slowly, but surely, the puppies’ indoor experiences accumulate.  Amongst the group of experiences confronted and accepted are a loud TV, a cat, the running vacuum in a distant room, and a 6 month-old baby.  A major milestone to achieve will be close proximity to the vacuum with the same disinterest.

Crate training has started for them, very gradually and in twos for now.  Every trip to the store or other errand is accompanied by a pair of the pups. 

Temperament testing is continuous.  The puppies have subtle changes in results from day to day so repeated testing is crucial.  I am impressed by the puppies, and believe their new owners will concur.

This week the puppies will be introduced to the leash and get to explore parts of the neighborhood.

Preparing for the Whelp

During the time from breeding to whelp, we took care to feed Kora appropriately and to create a comfortable and safe whelping area.  She typically slept at the foot of our bed in the evenings, so predictably that was where she was expecting to den.  This is the worst area, and continued evidence that human support of domesticated dog breeding is best.

Drawing from long ago experience of my parents’ efforts breeding my childhood German shepherd, Lacy, I knew a bit of what not to do. 

My wife provided other vital pieces of the breeding puzzled by discovering the website Leerburg.com. 

What we needed was a whelping room. 

We felt that the best room in every respect was a basement room with access to the backyard.  Unfortunately all the dogs access the backyard through this room.

I divided the room into a 10-foot by 6-foot secured whelping kennel inside the main room.  The entire room was scrubbed, painted and a floor drain was installed.

The whelping box was 5-foot by 5-foot, bottomless and about 6 inches tall.  I had 12-inch box wall additions ready to install when the pups got bigger.  I strategically installed closet dowels at the edges so that a puppy would not be accidently squashed by Mom.  My parents lost one puppy out of three litters by that exact happenstance. 

For the puppies’ warmth, we opted for heating pads and a heat-lamp.  Because the room was not heated by the home heating system, I added a portable electric hot water radiator in the kennel, and a forced-air heater outside the kennel.

To combat humidity, a constant battle in Ketchikan, Alaska, I fabricated and installed a temporary exhaust fan.

With the floor painted in epoxy and the floor drain installed, maintaining cleanliness has proven to be easily manageable.

On her 52^nd day of gestation, we introduced her full-time to the kennel.  I spent hours at a time with her every day, so that she remain comfortable with my presence during the whelping.

Kora made it quite clear as time for the whelp neared, that she was not happy with any dog passing through the room, even though she was safely in the partitioned kennel.   We obliged her and the other two dogs go outside through other doors.

Since Kora is a proven watchdog, and her maternal aggression was in full steam, we were concerned about her mothering.  As it turned out, she has been an excellent mother.

An impressive series of storms we received the litter’s first couple of weeks has proven to be the greatest complication.

Kora was very comfortable at a range of temperatures in the kennel for the eight days prior to the whelping.  When the little guys arrived, the storm born drafts made regulating the temperatures absolutely stressful.

The pups must have warmth to digest food properly for their first several weeks.  Thankfully all survived.  I believe the pups are better for it.  They all have excellent food drive as a result of the litter size; food was not always available at the slightest whim.  They also have experienced a range of temperatures, the extremes of which were certainly uncomfortable at times.

Based upon the puppies scaling the 12-inch whelping box walls after only being in place for a week, and Kora’s preference to spend time out of their reach, we removed the whelping box and allowed Kora more time away from the puppies.  This was just after the litter’s third week.

Now that their “world” was doubled in size, we encouraged paper training by establishing a separate sleeping area and elimination area.  Most of the puppies caught on to this quickly. 

At 4 weeks, we encouraged the puppies to venture beyond the kennel.  They were all exploring the adjacent laundry room within several days.

Presently at 5 weeks, Kora suffers through teeth and claws to nurse the pups from time to time.  Additionally, over the last week or so, she has been quickly correcting the puppies’ persistent biting and clawing.  It is remarkable to watch her firm yet exact mouthing of their little muzzles.  The puppies are not only testing each other, they are testing everything, moving or not.

A few hours ago, Pink and then Vader climbed the entire flight of stairs from the basement to the main level.  Their achievement was rewarded with a quarter cup of dry kibble all to themselves.  Both consumed it with no problem, which is also an achievement because no pup has been offered dry kibble up until then.

Next:  Temperament