In today’s society, with easy lawsuits and increasing anti-dog legislation, raising a litter of puppies with stable temperaments is more important than ever. Many areas have so-called “dangerous dog” laws which may designate a dog as “vicious” for doing nothing more than barking to warn an intruder off its property. Other areas ban entire breeds of dogs, labeling them dangerous based on nothing more than their appearance. In light of this growing trend, it is essential for breeders to give their puppies the best possible start by ensuring neurological stimulation, sensitization to sights, sounds, and smells, and socialization to a variety of people and places.
There are some steps a breeder can take before birth to improve puppy temperaments and stability. Ensuring both parents have proper temperaments is vital, and the temperaments of other relatives should be considered, too, as temperament traits can be passed on from generation to generation. Be sure to give the bitch lots of attention and petting while she’s in whelp – research has shown that puppies from a bitch who receives physical contact while pregnant are more emotionally stable and tolerant of touch. The bitch should receive a high-quality diet while pregnant, with adequate amounts of the Omega-3 fatty acids DHA. Studies have shown that puppies had increased cognitive function and problem-solving ability when they received a high amount of DHA in the womb and when weaned.
After the puppies are whelped, the real work begins. Immediately after the cord is cut and the puppy is breathing, many breeders perform a “Biotinus Test”, which evaluates a newborn’s "vigor for life." The puppy is placed in the whelping box, about two puppy lengths from the bitch, facing away from her. The breeder observes how both the puppy and the bitch react, and how long it takes for the puppy to find the nipple. It is important that the breeder not interfere with this test; the bitch may help the puppy, but the breeder should not. Some breeders use this test as a factor in determining which puppies may be bred as adults, reasoning that a puppy who cannot find the nipple would not have survived in the wild, and may not have the optimal genes to pass on to the next generation.
Starting at three days of age, Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) is performed on each puppy, once per day through sixteen days of age. ENS consists of five exercises, done in sequence, for 3-5 seconds each: tickle the puppy between two toes; hold the puppy with its head up; hold the puppy with its head down; hold the puppy on its back; and place the puppy belly down on a cold washcloth or towel. The puppy should be safely and securely held, and should not be afraid of falling during these exercises. The ENS protocol, also called the “Bio-Sensor” or “Superdog” program, was originally used by the US military for their canine corps. The exercises have been shown to improve heart rate and strength, strengthen the functioning of the adrenal gland, and increase tolerance to stress and resistance to disease.
Another ongoing protocol is the “Rule of Sevens” developed by Pat Schaap. With this program, by the time a puppy is seven weeks old it should have: walked on seven different surfaces (grass, carpet, tile, etc.); played with seven different types of objects (ball, stuffed toy, bone); been in seven different locations (bedroom, kitchen, front yard, back yard); been exposed to seven challenges (up stairs, down stairs, teeter); met and interacted with seven new people; eaten from seven different containers (glass, plastic, stainless steel); and eaten in seven different locations (kitchen, back yard, living room).
The number seven is arbitrary; it could as easily have been the “Rule of Eights” or the “Rule of Twelves”. The point is that puppies are like sponges, and what they learn in the litter will have long-reaching effects on their behavior and temperament as adults. They should be exposed to a wide variety of people, places, sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes while they are developing.
The “Rule of Sevens” can be expanded to include other necessary exposure for the puppies. It can help to organize these exposures along the five senses, to ensure that puppies are receiving adequate stimulation in all of them, as well as mental stimulation in the form of obstacles and challenges. For each category, a new stimulus should be introduced every four to seven days. Taking a few minutes before the puppies are born to plan the socialization program will ensure that all of the necessary stimuli are presented while avoiding over-stimulation; too much can be just as problematic as too little. On days when a more intense or difficult stimulus is presented, the preceding and following days can be “easy” days when not much new information is added.
Producing dogs with stable temperaments is more important than ever in this day and age. Ensuring that puppies are introduced to new sensations and adequately socialized to sights, sounds, and people is one of the most important, and often overlooked, aspects of raising a litter of puppies. By spending time planning and executing a thorough socialization plan, breeders can give their puppies the best chance to develop into temperamentally sound adults.
Jennifer A. Walker - I have been writing for as long as I can remember, and was first published when I was eleven and wrote a profile of a local poet for my ...
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