Mind
the Dogs Development!
By
Ross McCarthy MCFBA MBIPDT
| This article has
been reproduced with the kind permission of Ross McCarthy,
first puplished in Dogs MOnthly Magazine for the
CFBA, the CIDBT, and their students of Dog Behaviour & Training |
Carl Cooper telephoned me with regard to booking
a dog training class with his four month old Akita, Billy. I
informed him that a suitable course was due to start the following
week and that he was welcome to attend. He reacted in a somewhat
surprised manner that I had suggested that he attend and said
that he had been told that dog training should not start until
at least six months of age by Billy’s breeder. Moreover, he was informed
by the dog’s breeder that Billy should not be exercised
until at least ten months of age and that due to the breed’s
attitude to other dogs, it probably would be best if the dog
was always kept on the lead.
It took me a good thirty minutes to convince him on the telephone
that this was not the case, I of course understand that one can
not take a young puppy for endless walks and free running, but
surely with all of the information on canine behaviour available,
it is common knowledge the dog must be exposed to all environmental
stimuli at a very young age. He came to see me the following
day for a consultation regarding what he should be doing to create
a normal tempered dog. Carl had put in a good deal of effort
into researching the breed, reading many books on them and ensured
that it was the right time in his life to get such a dog and
he was very much looking forward to having a loyal and obedient
pet. He had been extremely responsible from the outset, but seemed
to encounter much conflicting information from a variety of sources.
Carl came along to a training course with Billy – which
was his first excursion from the home.
Billy, typical of his breed was most confident with people and
other dogs, although he had never met another dog, Billy was
very ‘in your face’ with all of the other dogs at
the training centre. Some of the other dogs bared their teeth
and snapped at him as is normal when a puppy is jumping all over
them relentlessly and he reacted, not with deference, but with
a challenge.
Over the weeks, Billy did learn some canine etiquette, taught
by the other dogs and also learnt a recall and distance control
exercises, so that Carl could keep control when out in the park.
Billy is now eighteen months of age and runs off lead in public
parks where he enjoys playing with dogs – most of the time
and when he reacts with aggression, he will respond to obedience
commands and come away from the other dog. Billy is not antagonistic
with any other dogs, but is full-on in his desire to dominate
the other dogs he meets.
It does seem strange that Carl was given such advice from his
breeder and from his internet research. I am glad that we were
able to provide sufficient socialisation with other dogs, even
if it was rather later (and harder work) than it should have
been. People who live in remote locations with dogs ensconced
in kennels all day every day simply should not be giving this
outrageous advice to people who live in the city or towns and
have to negotiate many, many dogs on a daily basis in busy parks.
Why is this advice being proffered when keeping a dog in isolation
for the first year of its life would clearly destroy its temperament
and ensure that Carl had a miserable time exercising the dog
for the next ten or so years or worse that Billy was another
dog dumped in a rescue home or needlessly destroyed.
Another Akita owner that I am working with at the moment was
given the same advice. Ming, an eighteen month old Akita bitch
was brought to the centre for advice with regard to aggression
to dogs. Ming had never been released from the lead due to advice
from a training class, she had never been allowed to even sniff
another dog and the owners encountered nothing, but bad advice
and a negative response to their dog. Ming is now having to learn
the language of her own kind gradually and is coming along very
well and playing with many different dogs. She plays each week
with my young German Shepherd, but her full on, boisterous and
clumsy play leaves him quite exhausted (normally he can play
all day!) With dogs that she meets in the park, she often creates
a negative response (particularly bitches) due to her not fully
understanding or having perfected her own canine language – her
behaviour, is at present offensive to other dogs and when they
react with aggression, she responds with no idea that her gauche
and lumbering greeting has caused the problem. I strongly believe
that if Ming had been allowed to play and mix from eight weeks
of age, she would have a super temperament with other dogs now,
but instead we are having to work very hard to give her positive
interactions with other dogs and allow her access to some dogs
to perfect her communication and language skills and use obedience
to control her negative behaviours, Ming is improving greatly,
but it will be a long road still to travel.
It seems so strange that the people one approaches for advice
and help with a dog that they give such nonsensical information.
Large breed dogs particularly seem to encounter negative reactions
from people with regard to socialisation and allowing for correct
temperament formation. The accurate periods for socialisation
and habituation are well documented and yet still people are
being informed that dogs exercise should be limited – clearly
it should, but that is not to say that the dog can not be given
large amounts of daily socialisation and sensible training. For
those of us who own dogs in the real word – particularly
the large breeds, training and socialisation is an absolute must.
It would appear that some breeders are aware of inherited traits
and drives, such as the Akita’s dominance with other dogs
and feel that these dogs should be kept on a lead for life. That
is not just impractical, but grossly unfair on the dog. New owners
need advice on training and socialisation and particularly where
the dog is a large breed and have innate behaviours that cause
most people in society a problem.
Another of my present clients has a four year old English Bull
Terrier, Pacha who had a penchant for grabbing other dogs by
the ears and she is being socialised with suitably selected dogs
at the moment. Her breeder sold the dog at sixteen weeks of age
and so upon completion of the vaccination course, Pacha was about
five and a half months before she met another dog. After a couple
of altercations in the park, her owner began avoiding other dogs
as is commonplace for people who have difficulty with their pets
and over time Pacha’s aggression to dogs has become far
worse. Pacha has been reported to the police three times and
her unfortunate, but doting owner now has the unenviable task
of correcting a problem that is by no means her fault.
For those of you reading this magazine with a view to purchasing
a puppy, regardless of breed, inherited characteristics or growth
rates, your new dog has to be obtained no later than eight weeks
of age and immediately has to get out and see life in order for
the best chance of normal temperament development; to encounter
all of those environmental stimulus that we expect our adult
dogs to cope with. This of course will include vehicular traffic,
various people, other dogs, horses and livestock and the like.
Many dog breeds should not have a large amount of exercise as
they are growing, but sitting on a park bench, carrying the dog
about town and attending training classes can all be embarked
upon immediately.
Each week in my consulting room, I meet people that all tell
me a similar story about their dogs upbringing; a story of too
little, too late and then we go down the long road of behaviour
reformation – don’t let your new puppy be one of
our statistics!
Ross McCarthy MCFBA MBIPDT
www.rossmccarthy.com
| This article has
been reproduced with the kind permission of Ross McCarthy
originally published in Dogs Monthly for the CFBA, the
CIDBT, and their students of Dog Behaviour & Training |
