“BRINGING UP PUPPY”

Part I – The Breeder’s Responsibility

 
by Kevin Grew

Well you’ve just spent 7, 8, 9 or more hours, watching, pacing, fretting and helping as needed, while your treasured girl delivered seven gorgeous little Tibetan Terrier puppies. The next few days are spent sleeping beside your girl and her suckling babies. A time to assess, observe and make sure all survive those critical first few days.

You have already got a pretty good glimpse at the structure of the pups, and temperaments and personalities are beginning to develop daily.

Of course they are all gorgeous and they are all special, but you know that this one will be living as a loving companion to that super elderly couple, while this one will be going to that fabulous show home, and of course, mustn’t forget that this one is likely perfect for that performance home that has been waiting so long for their new family member.
And then, there is this little devil…who is perfect for all of the above.

Little boy with black spot on head is a feisty fellow, not suited to that quiet lifestyle, and little girl with the white shawl is somewhat shy and needs some special encouragement from a patient new owner.

So, what do we, as breeders, do to ensure that each of these puppies will thrive and fit in to their new homes, in all their varying environments and human expectations?

First and foremost, we provide a clean, safe and comfortable environment for the puppies and their Mom, to live in. They are warm, well fed, and become accustomed, and in fact, look forward to the touch of the human hand. They are cuddled without being ‘mauled’, they are stroked, they are introduced to toys, chewies, crates, beds, and they are brushed. Yes, even though they don’t need it. Their nails are clipped, their ears are cleaned, and the dry bits in their eyes are gently swabbed..

We watch them interact with their littermates, and how they react to various stimuli. Yup, we watch, and we watch, and we watch. And we learn all about the personalities and traits of each one of them. Other than their ‘Mom’, we know them best and we do are darndest to ensure that each puppy is placed in the correct home suited to their needs.

Regardless of whether they are going to a show home, a companion home, a performance home, or a home that expects to participate in all of the above, the breeder makes sure that the puppies are introduced to a great amount of external stimuli and socialization. This is crucial to the development of that confident personality and well-adjusted temperament that is vital for a happy puppy. In our home, as soon as our puppies are toddling on all fours, they are introduced to baby agility equipment including children tunnels, tires resting on the ground, logs to stumble over, and of course the gazillion noises of tractors, combines and trucks lumbering past our well-fenced yard. By the time these babies are 6 weeks old, you’d be hard-pressed to find something that they will not race over to check out. This of course can have its dangers also, and this is where training for obedience to the owner’s commands and teaching puppy a healthy respect for prospective dangers, is vital to the safety of this wonderful puppy.

Friends, family, neighbours, visiting dignitaries, whatever…we love to let our puppies meet new people and make lots of friends. They leave for their new homes as curious, eager and lively youngsters ready to face the world….and their new families. As breeders, we have done our best to prepare our babies (and make no mistake, we DO think of them as ‘our’ babies) for their life ahead, away from their Mom and their birth home.

These first 10-12 weeks are merely the start of puppy’s learning experiences. The following months are a critical time in the puppies development and is important in continuing to shape the personality and temperament of this adolescent..

Our next installment in the ‘Bringing up Puppy’ series,  we will discuss the responsibilities of the new owner and go into the differences and similarities in training puppy for a show career, an obedience career, or simply as a super lifetime companion.