Puppyhood

5 critical development stages in puppies is something everyone getting a new puppy should know.

Puppies are cute, fun and usually wild and undisciplined when you get them. When taken from the litter they are looking for leadership also known as their new pack leader.  Good leadership comforts a puppy and will help him grow up with a balanced life. Dogs are happiest when balanced. No leadership and only affection may cause a puppy to become unbalanced which can lead to unwanted behavior, unstable temperaments and your dog being the leader of the pack.

Start your puppy off with confidence by providing leadership.  Teach your puppy good manners, with rules, boundaries and limitation, teach him simple commands and fun tricks. Give him plenty of exercise and affection. This is the best way to show your puppy you love him. Many people make the mistake of showering a puppy with too much affection and not providing leadership and discipline. Discipline is love, exercise is love and petting, hugging and kissing is affection. Be sure your puppy is being raised in a balanced environment.

Your puppy is capable of learning and more importantly you are setting the stage for his development from 7 weeks of age. Puppies are paying attention and learning things from the minute you get them. If you are not teaching him good behavior then he is learning bad behavior. Leadership/discipline training can be fun and build a lifelong bond of love and companionship.

Puppy training should be fun, teach them tricks, commands, play the dominant role in fun puppy games most importantly set rules and boundaries.

Starting from birth the puppy stages begin.

First Period from 0-21 day’s during the first 3 weeks of the puppies life the mental capacity is very small. The puppy reacts on the need of warmth, food, sleep and its mother.

Second period 21-28 days. Abruptly on the 21^st day the puppy’s senses start to function. This second phase is when the pup absolutely needs his mom. During this week the dog’s senses function, the brain and nervous system start to develop and the big new world around him can be pretty frightening. The emotional and social stress of life will have the greatest impact on him during this week. Removal from the mother at this age could be detrimental. The breeder should also be knowledgeable in the dos and don’ts while handling puppies at this age.

Third period 28-49 days. Slowing the puppy reacts to his surroundings. He ventures away from mom to explore the world around him. This period the dog’s nervous system and brain will have developed to the capacity of an adult but of course without the experince. He’ll be ready to recognize people and respond to the voice. It’s during this third period that social order or pecking order of the litter starts to form. This means that puppies that learn to get in and fight for their food will tend to become dominant and the pups that are cowed by the more aggressive pups will become shy and develop wallflower personality. It’s desirable for the pup to live in the litter long enough for him to get a little competitive spirit from his family life but too much is harmful. The breeder should be knowledgeable in the dos and don’ts while raising puppies at this age.  The puppy is now ready to learn and learn he will. So it is best for the human to get into the picture at this point. Proper involvement will mold the type of personality that you want the dog to have. When the puppy is exactly 49 days old although he will be physically immature, his brain will have attained its full adult form.

Fourth period 7- 12 weeks the trainer and the dogs should start to get to know each other. Research has shown that this, the 49^th day is the best time in the puppies life to establish human relationships.  Between 8-12 weeks of age is the best bonding period for a new puppy to be with his new owners. To develop a bond that will have a permanent effect on the puppy. Simple commands can be taught at this time. Teaching is at this point is in the form of games. Except in the case of house breaking or excessive barking, there should be little discipline. By the time the puppy is 12 weeks old he should know commands like sit, stay, come, possibly heel and some simple tricks.

Getting settled in the new home is a very important part of his education. A secure puppy will be a balanced happy dog and will take to learning and discipline.

Puppies that have had little human contact before 16 weeks of age have little chance of becoming what we want in a companion.

Fifth period 12- 16 weeks is when the puppy starts to school. The play teaching games stop and the formal lessons start. The puppy is ready to learn discipline behavior. This is the time a young dog will declare his independence.  We prepare the dog for learning in the 7-12 week period.  Fundamental training then begins at 12 weeks and by the end of 16 weeks the puppy will know his basic commands and respond well to them.

Teaching puppy things at a young age sets his developmental ability to learn. The ancient adage you can’t each an old dog new tricks isn’t necessarily true if your dog has developed learning skills as a puppy.  

Early development training should include:

1.     House breaking.

2.     Learning to communicate. Dogs are talking to us constantly though body language and behavior. Make an effort to learn his and he will learn verbal language from us. Teach him words in a simple manner as if you were learning a foreign language.

3.     Who the pack leader is.

4.     What the rules, boundaries and limitations are.

5.     General good manners no jumping, biting, barking, digging etc. To be calm when being handled for grooming and nail trimming, and riding in a car.

6.     When and how to be calm and submissive.

7.     Basic commands like sit, down, stay, come, and to properly walk on a leash.

8.     He should be socialized with other pets. Spending time with other dogs will keeping him used to communicating with animals of his own species.

9.     Be exposed to many sites and sounds. Here is a tip, dogs don’t understand consoling they understand affirmation. If you give affection to a puppy in a fearful state of mind you affirm that his reaction of fear to noises or actions was the correct reaction.  If you take a different approach by saying in a happy uplifted voice “that was fun want to do that again”. This will send a clear message that the scary noise or situation was no big deal in fact make it a game by engaging him with a happy response. Making it a game will snap the dog’s brain out of fear to acceptance. In some situation it is better to simply ignore his fear and walk away. Leaving him to figure out on his own that it was not big deal. We do not want to perpetuate fearful reactions in dogs towards lightning and thunder, fireworks, children’s activities, cars going by, etc. Don’t pet, pickup, show affection or pity to a fearful dog. Simply redirect his attention and make light of the situation.

I hope I have provided you with enough information for you to make a wise choice in choosing a puppy that has been started out right from birth and how to properly raise your puppy once you get him home.

Cathy Adamson
www.lilpoodles.com
502-348-7787

Female puppies vs male puppies.

Female puppy vs male puppy.

Many people assume that female dogs make better pets. In the past most calls for puppies were people wanting a sweet little girl. Lately people have become more educated and prefer male puppies over females and here is why…

Males tend to be more affectionate, playful, easier to house break and train, attentive and more demanding of attention. They adore their people and want to please.

Most importantly if you have more than one person in your family, male dogs love everyone equally and share their affection with everyone. Female dogs tend to be a one person dog.

I liken it to my female dog’s are like having a best friend and my male dogs are like having a child. If you want the closeness, affection and relationship with your dog likened to having a child then a male is the answer. Little girls are wonderful, cute, smart and affectionate but nothing like a boy.  My boys want to be on my lap when I sit down and follow me from room to room. My female dogs will lie on the couch or bed with me but usually on the other end where as my boys want to be touching me. Female dogs by nature are more independent, territorial and self minded than males.

So many people are worried that little boys are going to lift their leg and mark their territory in the house. If you house break a little boy properly he will only go potty outside or inside where he is trained to go like on an indoor dog potty or piddle pad.

I take my little boy with me everywhere and he would never think of lifting his leg in the bank, in a store or at my friend’s house. When I take him to the bank he runs around and greets everyone making everyone smile and feel special. If my little girl comes in with me, she is usually only interested in who is going to give her a cookie.

Most people don’t know females display alpha behavior like marking, humping, fighting, especially if they are not spayed. People tend to believe that females are more docile and attentive. This could not be further from the truth.

If you have multiple dogs in your household it is more likely that two females will not get a long then two males. A male and a female will get along wonderfully, two males will get a long but sometimes two girls will fight.

Dogs are pack animals. In the “pack mentality”, females are normally the rulers. The females determine the pecking order and who competes to maintain and /or alter that order. The females are substantially more independent, stubborn and territorial than are their male counterparts. The females are far more apt to participate in alpha behaviors and exercise dominance over the other dogs, and sometimes even humans being a little more resistant to training.

How many times have I had a wife tell me their female dog only loves her husband and she wants a new puppy that will love and be hers.

Or a family with kids who’s female dog doesn’t want to play with the kids because she tends to be a momma’s girl. 

Most breeders, if given the choice of only having one dog would choose a boy. Breeders have seen it all the years. They know that there is a reason that girls are called bitches. Now, if you have never had a boy, you would not know the difference. Coming from people that have had both, a male is the best choice.

Author,

Cathy Adamson

Lil Poodles.com

 502-348-7787

What is a teddy bear clip on a poodle.

What is a Teddy Bear Poodle clip?

How do I tell my groomer what I want?

Bring a picture of a poodle in a teddy bear clip with you to your groom. I suggest you interview several groomers and ask if they are expert on hand fluff drying and hand scissoring.

The TB clip requires that the dogs head and legs be hand scissor symmetrically.

After bathing and hand fluff drying to get all the curl out of the hair. The head should be hand scissor round. Equal in lengthen all the way around. For instance the length on the top of the head should be the same as under the jaw and on the sides of the face, a well balanced look.

The back can be taken down with a long blade (depending on how long you want the body), comb or hand scissor, dropping off at the shoulder and hip, leaving the shoulders and hips to be scissor blended into the legs. The legs should be scissor, leaving the hair equal in length all the way around. Under the feet, between the eyes, around the rectum, and the belly should be shaved with a # 10 or #30 blade. For the back a long blade like#3 or #4 will leave the hair just shy of ½ inch. A blade with a long comb on it can leave the hair ½ “to 1 “.

Proper fluff drying to stretch the hair straight is very important. If you don’t do this to curly poodle hair will be very uneven and look terrible in a few days when the coat that was left curly relaxes.

Hand straightening the coat will ensure that the hair is cut evenly.

The ears can be bobbed off if you like the look. This will help keep the ears from getting into the food or water when they eat and drink.

Any hand scissor clip is tedious and requires that your dog is well behaved and will stand still. A scissor teddy bear clip also requires that your dog’s hair is not matted or tangled when you bring it in to the groomer. Some groomers are good at de-matting the coat and some will just shave it all off. De-matting usually cost you extra. Work with your dog at home making them stand to get brushed. Don’t lay them on your lap or on the ground. It is also helpful to brush your dog up on a table. Touch your dog’s feet so they are used to having their feet touched. Also practice holding your dogs head still by lightly holding on to the bottom whiskers.  Weekly or bi weekly brushing is usually required to keep their coat from getting tangled.

Take your dog in for regular grooming. Once a groomer has a pattern set it is a lot easier to keep it maintained. Waiting until your dogs hair is 2-3 inches long will require a lot of extra work in both drying and scissoring the dog. Poodle hair grows about 1/2” a month and should be groomed at least every 8-10 weeks. This should be considered it you are interested in purchasing a poodle puppy.

Cathy Adamson

Owner: Lil Poodles

What is the difference between a Teddy Bear face Toy Poodle and a standard faced Toy Poodle?

I have been breeding and showing Poodles for over 30 yrs and just lately I have noticed a lot of people becoming more interested in my Teddy Bear Face Teacup, Tiny Toy and Toy Poodles.

This article will describe the difference and show pictures of two Poodles. I have shaved the face like a poodle on both of them even though one of them is a Teddy Bear Poodle. The best way to see the difference is when they have their face’s shaved. I have taken similar photos of the two dogs in the same position so you can make a comparison.

1.      The Teddy Bear face Poodle has a short and broad muzzle.

2.      The scull is round instead of long and narrow. And often shorter than the standard head, from the occiput to the stop. The occiput being the back of the scull and the stop being the spot between the eyes.

3.      The eyes are usually round instead of almond or oval shaped.

 A standard/regular Poodle head looks like the pictures below. The AKC standard says:

Head and Expression
(a) Eyes-- very dark, oval in shape and set far enough apart and positioned to create an alert intelligent expression. Major fault: eyes round, protruding, large or very light.

(b) Ears-- hanging close to the head, set at or slightly below eye level. The ear leather is long, wide and thickly feathered; however, the ear fringe should not be of excessive length.

(c) Skull-- moderately rounded, with a slight but definite stop. Cheekbones and muscles flat. Length from occiput to stop about the same as length of muzzle. (The occiput is the back of the scull the stop is the spot between the eyes.)

(d) Muzzle-- long, straight and fine, with slight chiseling under the eyes. Strong without lippiness. The chin definite enough to preclude snipiness. Major fault: lack of chin. Teeth-- white, strong and with a scissors bite. Major fault: undershot, overshot, wry mouth.

I hope this helps you understand the different Poodle head shapes. The two dogs pictured here are both AKC registered Toy Poodles but have very different looks. Most people who have a Teddy Bear face Poodle prefer to have their groomer leave the hair on the face and not shave the  face as I have done here. For the Teddy bear clip the groomer leaves hair on the top of the head and on the muzzle. She will scissor it round to give it the teddy bear look. You can make a poodle with a standard head look more like a teddy bear by not shaving the muzzle, have your groomer leave hair on the muzzle and top of the head and scissor it rounded. There are several pictures of adult poodles on my website groomed in both the teddy bear clip and in the poodle clip.

What is a Teddy Bear Poodle

Here at Lil Poodles we specialize and are the #1 breeder of Tiny Teddy Bear Poodles. Most people say, they don’t look like Poodles at all. Teddy Bear Faced Poodles will look like puppies forever.

It is all about the adorable round fuzzy face.

The Teddy Bear Faced Poodles have a round head and eyes with a short nose and a broad muzzle.

In fact the Teacup Poodles and Toy Poodles if kept in a Teddy Bear Clip when groomed will look like puppies all their lives. A teddy bear clip leaves hair on the face and feet and it is rounded with the scissors. In a traditional poodle clip the face and feet are usually shaved.

Teddy Bear Teacup puppies and TB Toy Poodle puppies are growing in popularity. People who are not fond of the traditional poodle look are falling in love with these dogs. They enjoy the intelligence and clean non – shedding, hypo – allergenic benefits of owning a poodle with a new look.

I have people tell me all the time, I wish my puppy would never grow up and look like a puppy forever. A Tiny Teddy Bear Faced Poodle is exactly what you are looking for. Teacup Poodles usually weigh 4 lbs and under, tiny Toy Poodles usually weigh 4-5 lbs and a Toy Poodle usually weigh 5-8 lbs. Each of these sizes will be registered as a Toy Poodle because Poodles that are 10 inches and under are registered as Toy.

Teddy Bear Teacup Poodle puppies and Teddy Bear Toy Poodle puppies are a specialty and are as cute as they can be. Yes they are AKC recognized.

I have been breeding Poodles of over 30 yrs, I have found once you own a poodle you will never switch breeds. They are just like having a 4 legged child, a new member of your family. Poodles can adapt to almost any life style. They have tons of individual character, are funny, loveable and protective. Their soft hair is very snuggly and wonderful to touch, and they love to be spoiled.

The Teacup Poodle and Toy Poodles are great for apartment living and people with small homes.

Cathy Adamson

Owner of Lil Poodles