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Problem Puppies: How to Know if Your Pup's Headed Down the Wrong Road April 2012

Problem puppies have a lot of things in common. And by problem puppies, I mean those who grow up to be aggressive toward other dogs; who are afraid of their own shadow; who bite (or lunge, growl, or snap at) people. You've may have seen problem dogs – they're the ones who hide behind their owners, or who bark at everything in sight. Maybe they won't allow guests into the house, won't tolerate being petted by a stranger. More likely, though, there are lots more problem dogs out there than we realize because we don’t see them. Their owners can't take them to the park, or even around the block, because the dog's behavior is embarrassing, frustrating, dangerous -- or all of those things combined. This month's newsletter will help you understand the factors that most problem dogs have in common. And if your pup's still young, there are things you can do to help improve the chances that your pup will grow into a normal, fun-loving dog.

Some of the risk factors that can lead to a dog with serious problems include: serious illness under four months of age; not walked off property regularly; inappropriate or “over the top” play with other dogs or people; high level of excitement, reactivity, or fearfulness; guarding objects, toys, or food; uncooperative when handled (held, examined, etc.); first time dog owners; and punishment-based training. Let’s break these down into a little more detail.

Serious illness under four months of age: Your pup is ripe for socialization until he’s 16 weeks (4 months old). A well-rounded, easygoing puppy has seen many different people, different dogs, been in many different situations and places/locations, and has had a positive experience doing all those things. It’s criticial that your pup gets out and about from the moment you bring him home all the way through 16 weeks. After 16 weeks, the socialization window begins to close and he’s not as receptive to learning about new places and people. Things that he hasn’t seen before 16 weeks might be scary to him. Scared dogs aren’t happy dogs. They tend to hide from other dogs and people, shy away from loud noises (trash trucks, for instance). Or, often scared pups take a different approach – instead of shying away, they actively try to put distance between them and the scary object by lunging, snarling, barking, and snapping at whatever scares them. If your pup has been confined at home due to an illness, he’s missed this critical socialization period and he’s at risk for developing some problem behaviors as he matures.

Not walked off the property regularly: Pups need to see a wide variety of people, places, and things before they are 16 weeks old. Many people think that if they have their dog in their yard or take their dog to the bus stop every day, that they are socializing their dog. Meeting the same people, same dogs, and seeing the same sights aren’t enough to adequately prepare your pup for the world. Dogs – even farm dogs who live on 100 acres – need to go to the veterinarian at least once a year; there are visitors to the house, deliveries, service workers, etc. And wouldn’t it be fun to take your dog to the park with you, to dine on the patio of your local restaurant, or to a downtown festival that allows dogs? If your pup has

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only seen your lawn, he won’t be prepared for life outside your yard.

Inappropriate play: This applies to play with humans or dogs. If a puppy is “over the top” and cannot see that another puppy or dog is trying to get them to back off (or can see it, but just can’t seem to stop themselves from launching at the dog one more time), they are at higher risk for trouble down the line. More often than not, this is the pup bought at the puppy store or from a backyard breeder (from Craigslist or the classified ads, for instance). It is critical that a pup be with his littermates until at least 8 weeks of age. Pet store puppies are taken away from their litter far too early and frequently have several risk factors. Pups removed from their litter before 8 weeks generally haven’t developed good dog-dog communication skills. This is a pup who can’t tell when another dog is saying “take it down a notch,” or “I’m scared of you when you growl like that.”

High level of excitement, reactivity, or fearfulness: Pups who are extreme in either direction – excitable or fearful – are at a higher risk of developing behavior problems as they get older. This is the pup who barks like mad whenever someone enters the house; or the pup that hides behind his owner when someone tries to stop and say hello; or perhaps it’s the puppy that always seems to be “over the top” and can’t calm down. Anything in the extreme range can spell trouble for you and your pup later in life.

Guarding objects: What does guarding look like? It’s when a dog lowers his chin over an object (food, toy, whatever), stiffens, and may even growl or snap. It’s not the playful “catch-me-if-you-can” game that many puppies (and dogs) play. A guarding puppy doesn’t look at all playful. The eyes are “hard,” you may even see a lot of the whites of the eyes. They aren’t happy that you’ve noticed them with their “prize,” as they aren’t interested in giving it up or playing with you. With a food bowl guarder, you’ll often see the puppy stop eating and stand still (frozen) when you approach.

Handling issues: There are some “squirm-worm” puppies that are always on the move, not wanting to slow down long enough to be held. These aren’t abnormal puppies. But there are puppies that do not enjoy cuddling, don’t permit you to look in their ears or at their paws. They may freeze, growl, thrash when held, and generally appear to despise (or fear) being held or restrained. These puppies, the ones who won’t allow you to handle them, are at risk for future problems.

First-time dog owners: I find this risk factor interesting because many first-time dog owners are terrific – they get their pup into classes as soon as the veterinarian gives the first set of shots, they get their pup out to be socialized, and they are consistent and kind caregivers. Many first-time dog owners, however, don’t know what abnormal dog behavior looks like. They can’t see the warning signs that indicate trouble is brewing until the dog has already grown into a pretty big problem. Often, they don’t know there’s a problem until the dog has bitten someone, or when the dog’s behavior is causing a problem or disruption in their everyday lifestyle and activities.

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Punishment-based training: Punishment- or correction-based (sometimes called “balanced”) training is another risk factor that contributes to a dog with behavior problems. Very often, this type of training only gets rid of the symptoms of “bad” behavior, while it contributes to the underlying behavior problem. All at-risk puppies benefit from positive reinforcement-based training. Regardless of how it’s described on a trainer’s website, positive reinforcement training doesn’t involve things like corrections, verbal reprimands, pack status, special collars (prong, choke, and shock) and dominance. Those things are part of the recipe for a dog with behavior problems.

Think of the above risk factors as a sort of recipe. Like a recipe for a cake: to make a cake you need specific ingredients. If you are trying to make the perfect problem dog, be sure to include some of the “ingredients” I’ve listed above. But understand just because you might be a first-time dog owner and you have a dog that plays rough, it doesn’t mean your dog is doomed to be a big old behavior problem. Just because you have eggs and flour, but not the other ingredients, doesn’t mean you can make a cake.

You can mitigate the risk factors by taking your puppy to a qualified positive-reinforcement trainer who specializes in puppies. If problem puppies are identified early, preventative measures can be taken to help that puppy get more of what he needs – whether it’s fun and positive experiences with loud noises, help learning how to trade objects instead of guarding them, building a shy puppy’s confidence, or teaching a puppy that tummy and ear rubs can be fun. Problem prevention in at risk puppies requires two things: (1) early identification of the risk factors and (2) immediate intervention with the help of a qualified puppy trainer.

The bottom line: Most puppies grow into happy, well-behaved dogs. Those at-risk puppies have the best chance of success by early recognition of the risk-factors and by early intervention. Don’t leave your pup’s behavior to chance – get out there and find a good puppy training class and start working on having the best pup you can!

Laurie Luck, KPA CTP Smart Dog University, LLC Operation Socialization Certified Puppy Trainer

*Source: Ontario Veterinary College, Atlantic Veterinary College 1999, Guy/Luescher.