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Aaaaand They're OFF!  Socialization and The Race Against Nature

9/3/2015

24 Comments

 
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Sonya and Bikini Bob, sharing a moment.
The third week in the puppies' lives marks a big shift here at Madcap -  we're entering the puppies' critical socialization period, and now the real fun begins.  Things are going to begin flying fast and furious at us as far as developmental periods and windows of opportunity go, and we're thankful that we mapped out a plan from the time we confirmed Pippi's pregnancy. The next 9 weeks will be the most powerful ones in the puppies' lives and what we choose to do or not do during this period can completely change the outcome for their futures.  Getting all the bases covered in a timely fashion and scheduling all the activities and visits the puppies will need is a much bigger job than most new breeders anticipate!
PictureLuigi Meatballs, soaking up the love with Sonya's mom, Linda. It would hardly be useful for this puppy to be afraid of things, because he really can't run away or defend himself. His evolutionary strategy is literally to be so cute and trusting that we immediately want to protect him.
Why do I call this a "race against nature?"  Because when you meet a "great" dog, one that's never aggressive, calm in public, friendly to strangers, gives up his food and possessions willingly, a fun companion that you can take anywhere and do anything with, that is directly in opposition to a dog's default genetic programing.  People often think there's something "wrong" with an aggressive or fearful dog, when in fact that's normal - you have to do some pretty strong interventions in the first 12 weeks of the puppy's life in order to shape the kind of dog you would want to live with.

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Why should this be so?   We go into this in depth in Puppy Culture, but suffice it to say this is an adaptive evolutionary strategy tied to the mobility of the puppy.Puppies don't have the mobility to travel too far from the protection of their family too much before 8 weeks old, so it stands to reason they should trust everything they meet.  By 8-12 weeks old, they have the wherewithal to wander off and get into trouble - it's a very good thing, from a "survival in the wild" point of view, that they should mistrust and fear stuff they encounter at that point. Bobcats, high and unstable surfaces, bodies of water - the world is full of dangerous stuff and, in the wild, at least, fear of the unknown is an excellent adaptive strategy.  Not so good when your dog goes to your daughter's soccer game and perceives the bleachers as monsters and the other children as a threat...

So  It's a "race against nature" because the puppies' biological clock is ticking and that window of opportunity is closing a little more each day.  
Contrary to what you might read on the internet, you don't have until 4 or 5 months to get this socialization work done - a great deal of the most important and irreplaceable socialization experiences should take place when the puppy is still with the breeder.  Sure, if important things were missed by the breeder, you can try to make up for it later, but it's a long hard slog up a steep hill, and the hill gets steeper and steeper every day after 12 weeks old. 

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I know, I  know, people will tell you that the socialization window is more flexible, but in my experience, touching hundreds and hundreds of puppies, there is a vast difference between working with a 11 week old and a 14 week old puppy.  Your experience may be different, but that is mine.   And that doesn't even take into account all the protocols that should have been done during early developmental periods - protocols which can never be done effectively at any later point in the puppy's life.  There are windows of opportunity that close as early as five weeks old.   I hate to sound like a broken record but that's why we made Puppy Culture - it's five plus hours on this topic so if you're interested in learning more, it's all in there. 

So, our core task as breeders is to teach puppies to be enrichment/novelty seekers, and to trust that the world holds good things for them. To that end, in this first week of the socialization period we begin inviting potential puppy owners over to meet us and help begin the socialization process. We also introduce at least one new toy, visual object, or experience to the puppies each day during this week. In practice, we usually are introducing several new things to the puppies each day, but we make a note of at least one new thing just to keep the record straight, because it's easy to get mixed up when you're so tired ;o).
Here are the puppies having a time with Tuesday's enrichment item - It's an awesome toy I picked up at Tractor Supply.  I love it because it has a furry outside crinkly part, plus a squeakers and a bungee inside.
PictureOK, sometimes we leave the toys in when the scene is just too cute to break up....


It's important to note that we take the enrichment items out of the whelping box after the puppies fall asleep.  I don't believe in cluttering up the puppies' environment with a lot of stuff that's just going to get dirty, anyway.  They're learning how to walk now, so they need unobstructed space in which to move.  Also,  in my observation, the most productive enrichment at this stage involves the presentation of novel objects so you get the startle/recover/curiosity/exploration cycle. Of course, as they get a few days older and move in to their weaning pen, they will have toys and objects to play with all the time. But that's a different class of enrichment and is not as effective (in my observation) for building enrichment seeking/emotional stability. 

New toys are great "novel" items - we buy them by the box full from Pet Edge.  It's amazing how you can put three toys down, one of which is new, and the puppies will swarm the new one.  But something as basic as being taken out to walk on the living room rug for a minute is equally novel and good.  Just a sheet of foil in the bottom of the whelping box for a minute or two, or adding a potty area with pet litter, are new experiences that trigger the 
startle/recover/ curiosity exploration cycle very nicely.

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Most puppy toys are more for an 8 week old puppy than a three week old infant - Babies R Us has great tiny toys for infant puppies. Pricey, yes. If you have the time and stamina you can haunt baby consignment shops and find tiny toys there sometimes, too.
Breeders tend to get "Gadget Envy" when it comes to enrichment items.  They see all the cool "stuff" that other breeders are using, and they feel like they might be falling behind or letting their puppies down in some way. Not to worry.  I freely admit that I love scanning our Puppy Culture Discussion Group to see what kind of new and cool enrichment items people have dreamed up, (and yes, I spend stupid amounts of money on stuff).  But I want to put your mind at rest on this point - it's not rocket science, and many great enrichment items cost nothing and don't have to be fancy. 
 Remember, these little lives have been on this earth for about 21 days - something as simple as a crinkly bag of baby wipes is like a trip to Paris for them.  
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Yes, adding a potty box counts as a "new thing." Don't be surprised if they don't quite get it at first - at least this puppy is demonstrating that he has the right concept, even if his execution needs a little polishing...
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Our puppies will meet four different families this week. Laurie is an old "virtual" friend whom I've know for almost a decade - so wonderful to finally meet her in person (and possibly place a puppy with her!) We can now check off the box next to "People With Tattoos and Cool Jewelry" on our socialization list.
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The aftermath.
The puppies can hear now and sound becomes a very important tool in shaping their personalities.  This is a deep subject that could be a whole article, but I'll distill it down  - there are three basic areas of importance when it comes to sound at this age.  Our goal is to balance these three types of sounds to create emotional stability and low stress levels: 

  • Ambient Environmental "Centering" sounds. A recent study has shown that classical music has a de-stressing effect on shelter dogs, and hard rock music has the opposite effect.  So we play a soft bed of classical music in the puppy room all day.  Here are some of the Pandora stations we like -this is what we play for the puppies almost all day:
Classical Relaxation
Classical Dinner Party
Bucky Pizzarelli & Frank Vignola
 (OK not classical but honestly so awesome it has to be good for the puppies ;o))
Stephane Grappelli (ditto above)
PictureOne of the absolute best $199 you'll ever spend. Perfect for the puppy room, where space and surface area is often at a premium. Wireless, light, easily pairs with your computer via bluetooth. Sound is AMAZING. No I do not get a spiff from BOSE ;o).
  • Sharp, sudden, sounds during the 3-4 week period to encourage the startle recovery cycle.  This is to build emotional resilience as we discuss in Puppy Culture

  • "Habituation" noises, both live and potentially recorded, of things like show noise, babies crying, other animals noises, machinery, engines, etc.

One last word about music.  Far be it for me to dictate your musical tastes, but just be aware that the music you play for your puppies can have a lasting effect on his adult personality - look at what happened to one of my friends' puppies when she played Jethro Tull for the litter...
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Normal German Shepherd puppy.
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German Shepherd puppy who listened to Jethro Tull for the first 8 weeks of his life.
Weaning is going nicely. Pippi is definitely interested in spending less time feeding them, and we've got them eating a slurry of goat milk and lean ground venison, so everyone's happy. 
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Digging in the raw goat milk and raw venison slurry. It smells exactly as awful as it sounds.
PictureA little sugar added to the milk can convince the hold outs to take the plunge
 They started showing interest in lapping liquids a while ago, but psychologically it can be difficult for the puppies to take the leap and really start eating on their own.  That nursing has deep emotional salience for them - it's not about food, it's about all the self-soothing that goes along with it.  So we had some stubborn hold-outs who were crying instead of drinking.  Here's a few tips if you run into that situation - obviously this assumes that your bitch is not interested in staying in the box with the puppies anymore, and that can vary HUGELY from bitch to bitch:

  • Put a dish of warmed milk in just before you let mom in to nurse.  Give it a good 10-15 minutes before you let your bitch back in.  Sometimes the whiners just get hungry enough and jump in.

  • Add a little sugar to the milk.  I know, not the best for them, but they do love it and it can get them over the hump.

  • Because they want to nurse, you can offer the die-hard hold outs their cake, and let them eat it, too.  Offer them your finger to nurse on. Allow them get engrossed in nursing on your finger, then slowly lower your finger to the milk dish.  Nine times out of ten, the puppy will be happy to lap the milk if you keep your finger resting next to their mouth.  Seems to satisfy the emotional need to nurse, even though they're lapping.

Just to clarify, Pippi will still feed them occasionally for the next week or so, but by next week she'll be about done with those sharp teeth on her teats and the other adults in the house will be taking over raising the puppies. The "Nannies/Nanoes" can hear and smell the puppies in the puppy room and they've started trying to sneak in...good times, ahead :o).
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Pippi, enjoying some "me" time in the backyard. She's lost a lot of coat but overall maintained very good condition. At this point she's very happy to tool around outside for 10-15 minutes at a time before she needs to go in and check on the puppies. She won't get in the box - she just sticks her head over the side, stirs everyone up, and then walks away, which is not helpful.
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She swears it's comfortable.
24 Comments
Norma Murphy
9/3/2015 05:39:10 pm

I just love reading and following your puppies. You help us all strive to be better puppy starters! You are so right when you say the "race against nature". Thank you again for sharing your knowledge with us!

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Jane Killion
9/4/2015 04:07:38 am

Norma, thanks! It's so difficult to stay organized when you're raising a litter and I hope the blog helps others with their plans!

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Suzi
9/4/2015 02:18:06 am

I am always looking for new & more on the puppy rearing front, so I am reading your blog. It is interesting to see how differently you raise your pups in some respects. I raise ACDs and if they are with their pups 24/7 except for their "breaks". If I had a bitch that was clumnsy and laid on pups, etc, I would spay her and not keep her for my breeding program. The pig rail seems to be more then adequate to offer protection for newborns in our case. I also do not supplement feed prior to weaning preparation as I don't want to introduce foreign proteins any earlier then would be normal for a canid. Studies have indicated that exposure to foreign proteins at an early ge leads to a statistically higher amount of adult onset allergies in all mammals.....human and dog. So I feed my mothers a lot of good, natural, grassfed raw foods and RMBs so that they can rear their pups okay. Again, I would likely spay a bitch that had problems with adeqaute milk supply or who wanted to wwean her puppies too soon. I want to keep good mother abilities alive and thriving in my breed, so any bitch that doesn't get preganant easily, doesn't whelp easily, doesn't have decent-sized litters, doesn't have plenty of milk, doesn't keep milking for 5 weeks and who does not have good mothering instincts abilities, is carefully assessed. Of course there can be other reasons for some of thes "problems" so if I feel their is a plausible excuse and the bitch is something I relly want in my program, I will give her a second chance. But two strikes and she is no longer brood bitch material, for sure! I became more critical of good maternal qualities after raising beef cattle and sheep for many years. Basically any cow or ewe that doesn't wean a calf or lamb each year who is at least average in measurable traits (size, weight, sooundness, etc), is culled from the breeding program. I think that more dog breeders should consider these traits so that we don't end up breeding subfertile females with poor mothering traits, as there is a strong genetic component. All my pup s get both nerological and olefactory stimulation daly from Day 3 thru Day 19. They are extremely well socialized and expereince as many differnt sights, sounds, textures, people, animals, environments, etc as I can come up with! Starting at 4-5 weeks of they go to my agility and obedience classes with me and meet other dogs. I do titer testing to make sure they have adequate protection, and to date all of my pups have demonstarted strong antibody levels for distemper, parvo and adenovirus. I also provide several differnt "play areas" for them which are changed daily or more frequently, along with a lot of different stimulatiing toys, etc. I have a "puppy agility" course set up for them as well, which helps build confidence and coordination. Each puppy is evaluated regularly by both me and other breeders or dog savvy folks. I use many different methods to help match up each pup to their new partner or family.I feel that good breeding, genetic screening, feeding natural raw foods, careful and thorough socialization and testing/evaluating are all essential parts of raising a superior puppy. I look forward to gaining new ideas and information from your blog!

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Jane Messineo Lindquist (Killion)
9/5/2015 06:55:12 am

Suzi, LOL! When I bought my first Cattle Dog bitch puppy, I asked the breeder how long I would need to plan to stay home for after she whelped her litter. The breeder said, "You could stay home for a day if you want." I just about fainted! We map out 3 weeks to stay home with our puppies.

It's an interesting topic - one thing I have learned since releasing the film is that you really can't talk about "breeding dogs" - you need to talk about breeding a specific breed, because the differences in mothering skills and rearing techniques are that different. If you're not already on it, join us on our Facebook discussion group - you'll be amazed at the things you learn from reading the stories of different breeders https://www.facebook.com/groups/383694245140783/

Now, as to your point about "bad moms" I think our tolerance level for maternal skills is relative to other factors, and the topography of maternal behaviors are tied to other genetic behavior traits for which we have selected. That's a long way of saying that an ACD, which is a very "natural" working dog MUST be a good mother and free whelper. It's part of their job description. Look at your standard and related discussion - "Self appointed guardian to the stockman, his herd and his property," "working dog, with the ability and willingness to carry out his allotted task however arduous," "naturally suspicious of strangers," "able to learn routine farm chores with one exposure,"

Now compare that to the Bull Terrier standard and discussion: "3 year old in a dog suit," "Clown of the dog world," "Full of fire but sweet of disposition," "gentleman's companion," "white cavalier." There's nothing in there for working ability or any vaguely practical "working" personality trait, other than to be a fun and funny companion, and that's about right.

My hypothesis, and this is strictly a hypothesis, is that the traits we have selected for in Bull Terriers are probably neotenous traits - meaning to say we have bred adult dogs to have more puppy like qualities - literally, Bull Terrier moms are often like teen moms - sort of into it but lacking basic skills. So when you start selecting for a certain constellation of personality traits which may be charming in one respect, you wind up with other which may not be.

So now we wind up in that sticky ethical place, which is a very personal decision, which is "which traits are good and which are bad, and which are more important than others?" and without a doubt, there are strong opinions but no right answers on this one. Breeding is a balancing act where your choosing for what's important to YOU as a breeder. Having lived with three ACDs, I have to say I ADORE them but it's exhausting. I don't live on a farm or the outback, don't need the inherent working ability of an ACD, so it's constant management to keep them civilized enough to interface correctly in a suburban environment. Do I think the ACD is better than the Bull Terrier or vice versa? No! It's all about choices, and the dog you love and choose for yourself is the "best" dog - and that will come with some other personality traits, which may include not being the best mom in the world ;o).

Reply
Gayle
1/20/2016 05:21:59 am

What's the name of your Facebook group?

Mark link
1/20/2016 05:31:42 am

Hi Gayle,

Here is the link to the Puppy Culture Discussion Group on fb

https://www.facebook.com/groups/383694245140783/

Eva Christina Campbell
7/22/2016 06:46:07 pm

Hi, Jane. I agree with your comment. I've discovered on my journey that everything pertaining to breeding is not black and white. There are many shades of gray...

Laura Crandall
2/18/2018 06:55:05 pm

Actually the newer research is showing that exposure to a wide variety of foods at a younger age may actually reduce future allergies in human infants.

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2015/03/peanuts_for_infants_to_prevent_food_allergies_give_infants_all_the_food.html

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amy bates
9/4/2015 02:20:32 am

Thanks for sharing all this fantastic information with us- LOVE IT! - what is the stuff you use as a litter tray? and can you tell us a little more about it
thanks

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Jane Messineo Lindquist (Killion)
9/5/2015 06:56:10 am

I like "Yesterday's News" which is a pressed newspaper pellet - you can get it at all the big pet stores. The pellets I used for this litter were not as good, in my opinion - they were pressed pine and they were much messier than the pressed newspaper.

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cheryl
9/4/2015 03:26:14 am

I love the picture of Bikini Bob and Sonya- shred my heart! While you're socializing those adorable puppies, you are also teaching young children kindness, gentleness, and empathy. Win-win. Thank you for the information your music choices. I am now listening to them all on Pandora. Who knew? I am learning ALL kinds of useful things from this blog. ;) I appreciate you for taking the time to share- I eagerly look forward to each installment.

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Jane Messineo Lindquist (Killion)
9/5/2015 06:57:20 am

Cheryl, Sonya wants to be a dog trainer when she grows up and we hope she'll be spending a lot more time here in the coming years...

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Sarah Campbell
9/4/2015 04:37:43 am

Thank you for all you do to educate us in the importance of ‘seizing the day’ when it comes to enriching the lives of puppies and their owners. I’m learning so much. All your hard work extends far beyond your adorable litter! I love seeing it as it happens!

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Jane Messineo Lindquist (Killion
9/5/2015 06:58:30 am

Sarah, thank YOU for the kind comments! We get so much joy from breeding and raising dogs and we want to do everything in our power to pay it forward :o).

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Matilde link
9/4/2015 07:46:41 am

Thanks for sharing, cant wait to have my next litter that will be a Puppy Culture one. I'm already planning so many things, this info is amazing!!!!!!!! and congrats on your book "when Pigs Fly" it was really inspiring, a cornerstone in my relationship with my dogs, can't understand how I've been traditionaly training them for all those years!!!!! Now Im seeing real potencial in them and our relationship :)

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Jane Messineo Lindquist (Killion)
9/5/2015 07:00:13 am

Matilde, thanks! Hope to see you and your future PC litters on the discussion group! The connection that these PC puppies have with us is mind-blowing!

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Sandra Hill-McCowan link
9/5/2015 12:10:20 pm

I am not a breeder. I am not an exhibitor. I am a pet owner. But your blog brought up so many areas where I had questions; that remained unanswered that I love it. I would recommend it to anyone with a Bull Terrier.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise.

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matilde link
9/5/2015 01:50:03 pm

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Marilyn Welton
9/12/2015 03:34:07 pm

I have an 8 day old bullmastiff pup, female. She was a c-section delivery due to being a singleton, and her large size. Mom was a maiden bitch, and wants nothing to do with the pup. She allowed us to nurse the pup for colostrum the first 48 hours, but won't do any mothering, no time in the box with the pup, no licking, etc. We are now bottle feeding a goats milk formula, and stimulating the bowels, etc. We have her in a laundry basket with a heating pad, and rice sock warmies. She is gaining weight daily, and moving around the basket easily. I raised several Gordon Setter litters 30 years ago, but they took care of themselves! I am totally out of my element here!! We have been watching the PC DVDs, and following your blogs, which I find very interesting. I read "Suzi"'s entry above with interest about her ACDs and culling bitches who lack mothering skills...

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Swain Joseph
10/28/2015 03:00:31 am

Great Job! Excellent and well documented blog, I am impress and happy to have find your blog. I will be in touch, I have a home that needs wants and can't wait for a pup. Hope to chat with you soon. Excellent job... Bullies bring out the best in their parents when giving the opportunity!

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Candy link
1/19/2016 07:53:00 am

Just wondering when to introduce an adventure box. I'm ready to start off with small, soft, quietish things and slowly add more challenging items as they get older. (I think I'm having more fun with it than they will!) Thanks to you every where I go now I'm looking around and muttering under my breath - "enrichment" surprising what you can find.

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Kristin
1/19/2016 02:29:00 pm

You are brilliant!!!

I know I am raising stronger, healthier, better socialized and adjusted puppies because of your work. I am eternally grateful for Puppy Culture and your blog. I feel confident about my pups because of what you've taught me. I couldn't thank you enough. You are a real gem. My new puppy owners have no idea how lucky they are, because of you! <3

Thank you so much!

PS Thanks for the Jethro Tull warning, I had seriously considered it, but will stick with Braham now instead. ;)

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Luis soto
4/5/2017 05:37:05 pm

Puppies for sale?

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Raymond link
5/31/2017 03:30:12 pm

Are there any pups 4 sale

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    Author

    Jane Messineo Lindquist (Killion) is the director of "Puppy Culture: The Powerful First Twelve Weeks That Can Shape Your Puppies' Future" as well as the author of "When Pigs Fly: Training Success With Impossible Dogs." 

     Jane has had Bull Terriers since 1982 and she and her husband, Mark Lindquist, breed Bull Terriers under the Madcap kennel name.

    Her interests include dog shows, agility trials, gardening, and any cocktail that involves an infused simple syrup.

    Visit Jane's Websites:

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