Get your own Free Home Page"Taking a puppy from its litter mates into a home that doesn't speak 'K9' is tantamount to an alien abduction. By 9 weeks of age, the puppy has learned to communicate with his pack and (one hopes!) with his human caretakers. Suddenly, everything he knows is gone, replaced by a 'pack' of two-footed beings who tower over him, babbling at him in a language he doesn't understand and treating him as if he were the alpha dog. His new human pack members lick him, ("Oh, isn't he the cutest thing?! Let me kiss that sweet face!"). They move out of his way. ("Don't step on the puppy!") He gets to eat first. ("How can I eat knowing that poor puppy is hungry?") He chooses his own sleeping place. ("Oh, look! He's sleeping on my bed! Isn't that cute?!") When pup and owner go for walks, the puppy picks the route, sets the pace, and pulls the human along behind him because his well-meaning human partner doesn't want to hurt the puppy in any way.
This complete and sudden role-reversal can have one of two effects on a puppy. Either he will revel in his new-found role as pack leader and continue to escalate his dominance, possibly even to the point of aggression, or he will become frightened as he recognizes that he is inadequately prepared for this role. So much responsibility thrust upon him before he is ready to shoulder it could turn the pup into a fearful, shy and nervous animal who must protect itself by biting. The reactions to being put in charge of a pack develop, not overnight, but over time. Adolescence, 6 months to 18 months, breed and individual dependant, is when unchecked dominance and aggression issues become obvious enough for even the uninitiated to identify the problem.
Keep reading to learn how to use your new knowledge of doggie characteristics to mold your puppy into a happy, well-adjusted, and well-mannered member of your household.
On to: A Few Words About Dominance and Aggression
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