I've had my own theory and answer about this for years. It makes absolute perfect sense to me.
It has probably never been studied by scientists or behavioralist or certified trainers. Nor has it had thesis's or university degree doctorate professor people prove its mathematical equation. Or maybe it has? I don't know!
I have suggested and explained this to pretty much every small breed puppy owner at every puppy school I have done as well as many many private sessions.
To Explain this I have to explain something else first, but before that I need to explain something first again.
I've had lots of dogs. Lots of different female dogs that have had litters of puppies. I've had lots of litters that I have kept the entire litter until around 6 months of age and then either sold or kept depending on the type of working dog they looked like being... ie. Yard, Paddock, Allrounder etc. I think it's 13 litters of puppies. With every one of these litters was a common thing I noticed. That was, how the interactions between Bitch and Puppies would develop over the first 8 weeks. If the words Bitch and Puppies emotionally scars you please read them as "Furmummy" and "Furbabies".
The follow happens with every litter of puppies regardless of breed -
0 - 2 weeks, not much happens.
2 - 3 weeks, Eyes open, hearing starts, noises begin, things start happening.
4 - 5 weeks, Puppies start punching on, biting, explore a little, learning to be dogs.
6 - 8 weeks, learning to regulate themselves by being regulated by siblings and Furmummy. Learning to be a dog. Start seeing the real world as a dog.
8 weeks and on - Bitchmummy starts drying up and pups are basically fully weaned off milk. Real food begins. Then Humans step in, One makes profit while the other takes the pup from their natural start to life, and demands they adapt to our human way of life whether they like it or not. The pups personal Instagram account is activated with the pups Name, breed and date of birth in the Bio. With a quote like "Exploring the world one sniff at a time(Insert cute emojis)".
I swear I was meant to be born in the 1950's and was now at the mature age where the whole modern world weirds me out and makes me confused and disappointed.
Anyway, what also happens in the first 8 weeks is -
0 - 2 weeks, not much happens.
2 - 3 weeks, Eyes open, hearing starts, noises begin, things start happening.
4 - 5 weeks, Puppies start exploring and if they get too far from the kennel/den Dog Mom will pick them up and bring them back to the safer area. She'll also pick them up and return them to safety if something potentially dangerous approaches. She only lets them get so far before she goes to pick them up.
6 - 8 weeks, Mummyfurmum lets the pups explore further and further as they are bigger and stronger and need to learn the world, BUT if there is danger or something dangerous potentially approaching she will go pick them up and bring them back to safety for protection.
8 weeks and on, Mommyfurfur has successfully done her job. Time for the pups to grow up and do so fast, start looking after themselves, start getting fitter and faster, start learning their role in the pack. (If you wish to call it a Family Group, Furbaby Society, Doggy Cult, Family Unit or whatever go for it. I just call a group of dogs a pack) She is more likely to pin them down by the face when they play up than pick them up from this point! She is no longer picking them up.
Picking them up. (This is going to be hard to follow and explain, but bare with me!)
A large breed of dog is only small for a short few months before it is a big floppy excited lunatic you are no longer picking up. A small breed of dog stays small its whole life and can be picked up easily for its entire life. See the direction I'm going yet?
I strongly believe that the more often you pick up a small dog and continue to do so throughout its life, the more you reinforce that the world is a scary and dangerous place. Its Mummawoof did lots of picking up to keep them safe when they were most vulnerable and weaned them off being picked up as they developed and were forced to start being a big strong little dog.
Dogs (the animal itself, not the Human's Hairybub) have 2 options when it comes to survival. Fight or Flight.
One of the most common questions I get asked is "Why is my dog great at doggy daycare, the beach or dog park when running around off lead with other dogs, but when I put the dog back on the lead it gets reactive?" This is because off a lead with other dogs, communication is clear and understood (WHEN NO HUMANS ARE INVOLVED AND SCREWING EVERYTHING UP!), if things go pear shaped the dogs have an option of fighting or running away. In most cases they will run and the commotion is over. They can run away and hide, and when a dog starts running off usually the other will not continue the chase. Yes, there are exceptions to this blah blah blah.
When you put a dog back on a lead, you take away its ability to run away. If the dog is over stimulated and doesn't trust you the Human to take control, keep the dog safe and dictate the outcome it will make its own decision to "fight". Fight could simply be lunge, bark, show teeth , growl or get their hackles up. And generally speaking this works. Most people or dogs will not approach a dog that is doing this. They stay away. This works for the reactive dog. It had no other choice. But it kept the dog safe.
If you put your hand out to a little dog and it snaps at you, what do you do?
a. Remove your hand away fast.
b. Leave it there and continually get bitten.
c. The answer is a.
It worked, the terrified little dog realises that if it gets aggressive, the potential threat goes away. Every time. Then the owner will speak in a high pitched tone "Schnookems you don't need to do that, Aunty blah blah just wants to give you cuddles and snuggles" but all the dog really hears is "Good little dog, you kept yourself safe again"
So back to the little dogs... The first thing we do with them is pick them up. Picking them up over and over and over at times when people are approaching or dogs are getting closer is alerting them to danger and now you're keeping them safe from the danger.
For example, you have already spammed your social media with multiple daily pictures of the puppy's ultrasound right through to the day you give someone lots of money for it. These little designer dogs are expensive aren't they?
Family, nieces, nephews, neighbors, best friends are all now coming over to visit this cute little puppy and what is the first thing you do when you hear the 'DINGDONG KNOCK KNOCK'? You pick the pup up to show off your new fuzzybooboo. Picking this dog up alerts the dog to potential danger (That's what its real mother did right up to this point). The danger then approaches and you pat and talk to the puppywuppy in cute tones reassuring it that it should be terrified. You're not doing this with a large breed dog for very long as they get too big too fast, but you continually do this with little dogs for 10 - 18 years.
You will then do this until the day your little dog begins to bark and run to the door the second it hears the knock or ding. Alerting you of danger. You then continue to pick this little dog up because you're now worried the dog it going to run out the door.
What you also do is start the process of socialising this dog with other dogs, and what do you do? Pick the little precious up the second you see a big happy dog bounding over to make sure your little puppy doesn't get squished.
You're also ecstatic with all the attention you get with this little puppy that anyone that approaches, you will pick this dog up to show it off like its a lion cub on a big rock in line to be the future king or queen.
You then get frustrated and anxious so you call a dog trainer like me when this dog is 10 months old, barking at everyone and every dog and even barking at nothing because it is terrified and anxious of the world.
I will knock on your door and you will open the door with this terrified barking dog in your arms. I will say, just put the little doggy down, and you will and the dog will run away terrified. This has happened to me more times than you could ever imagine! It's not often (ever) a client opens the door carrying a 12 month old German Sheppard or Labrador.
Oh don't worry, I know what you're about to say now... "He/she is a typical *insert little breed* and we knew they'd be a barker". "We expected this when we decided to get a *insert small breed*".
Yes there are always going to be breeds of dogs that have certain more exclusive characteristics, but a dog is a dog to me. They are just small or big when they grow up.
I believe these smaller breeds are trained to be anxious, nervous, barking and nipping little monsters because they were forever picked up when they shouldn't have. The reinforcement of their terrified behaviour is consistent. You keep PICKING THE LITTLE DOG UP! Sick or picking the dog up? Get it a pram for it to get protective of.
Anyone who has brought a small breed puppy to my puppy school, has been encouraged to only pick their little Furbub up when necessary. To really focus on NOT reinforcing fear by picking them up when it's not needed. Seeing these little dogs at later stages either in parks or at the dog markets, they are so much more confident and calm animals. They're all walking on a lead and rarely barking over and over. They are NOT the typical *insert small breed*
Does picking up small dogs at the wrong time from the moment we get them as puppies reinforce fear and anxiety? Who knows.
I always noticed with the litters I had back in the day, the Bitch would actually be quite ruthless with the pups after 8 weeks of age. (remember, I kept all the pups for way longer than most breeders would so I actually got to see real dog behaviours beyond what most ever would!!!). She would dictate the energy levels and dictate how far the pups could push it with her and also with each other. When I would introduce the pups and mother back to the rest of my dogs, yes the mother would still be protective, but she would often let the pups learn the hard way with the older dogs when they went too far. Never would the mother pick up a 12 week old puppy to protect it. That puppy would naturally roll over and submit to the other dog which would generally de-escalated the situation. The older dog would generally stop with its dominance or aggression.
Should people be picking up little dog breeds? Well, I've learned over the years to stop caring because other peoples dogs are not my responsibility.
Do what you want, they're your dogs. No one should dictate to you how your should or shouldn't raise your Furbaby. No one should tell you the type of training you should or shouldn't do, or how much you should or shouldn't spoil them. You are the one that chose to bring them into your life, they are your responsibility.
Give your dog a pat for me!
Comments