We believe that a dog and it's puppies need to have daily love, handling and exposure to life in
order to become the best companion possible. We also believe that this doesn't stop after the puppy finds its new home.
So, having said that, we have dedicated this site to bringing you crucial information about your TRD and their need
for proper interaction. Some people out there fully understand and have worked with dogs for years to obtain these skills,
unfortunately the rest of us might need some help from the experts.
First of all, dogs are not humans; they do
not see, hear, taste, smell or react the same as a human would to the same stimulus. Once we see the pack as it truly
is and we become the pack leader within our own pack, our lives become truly easier.
Puppies have
key points in their lives called critical points, a place that if unfilled with the right information and stimulus can simply
ruin a dog and make it unavailable for the life of a pampered pet.
Dogs learn as puppies that
they need to be able to act like a puppy and also act like a human (in a figurative manner). The dog simply has to hold
itself right around other dogs in order to keep its human companion out of trouble. A dog with a tail too hight, wrong
stance, and dominance issues will inadvertently bring its owner into a fight. A dog that never learned how to be a dog
I.E. holding its tail level and allowing its but to be sniffed will also bring its owner into trouble around other dogs.
These traits are learned as puppies...mild stimulus supplied to the puppy from the day it is born, causing mild distress
allows the puppy to be able to cope better in new situations as an adult. This same puppy will also be able to be handled
by its owner and to a point strangers like the vet.
From the date of birth to roughly the 12-14
day range a puppy cannot hear or see. During this time we want a fully hands on approach to each puppy, stroaking its
head, tail, feet, skin between the feet, stomach, neck, and back. This body massage per say will occur while the puppy
is being placed on its back for 12-15 seconds, up side down for 12-15 seconds, and upright for 12-15 seconds for three iterations.
Each puppy then receives roughly 5 minutes of attention for the first two weeks of its life.
When
the ears open, we add music. A radio playing the classics one day, perhaps a talk show the next. Well rounded
noises throughout the day adjusts the puppy to noises it may encounter througout its life. The puppy also needs to be
moved around, light from different places within the house, different textures and surfaces under the paws and body offer
a slew of stimulus that helps that same puppy transition into a new home with a new feel, look, and smell.
Between 6-12 weeks the puppy needs to experience the real world, a place that is safe to the health of the puppy
but allows them the experience of people, cars, other animals...some place like Pets Mart is a great place for your puppy
to experience attention by other shoppers in a well controlled environment.
This interaction doesn't
stop here, as the puppy grows into a dog these interactions are essential to the prevention of a TRDs natural shy instinct.
But remember, a dog is still a dog, they are predictable and steady in the way they will react as long as they have been raised
properly.
