Pubertal period
The pubertal period of RR puppies begins when it is approaching the age of six months (or more - for large breeds). For breeders this can be quite a difficult time, so we'll try to help you and give some tips on what you can do to help your pet to cover this period. Every dog breed reaches maturity at different periods Depending on the breed and size of your dog, at the age of approximately six to seven months in its development it reaches the age of a child (for large breeds) and a teenager (for small breeds). You should take this fact into account during the training, as though your dog may look quite mature because of its size, its level of development is just like that of a big baby, which seeks to explore the world around it. You should also know that for the dogs of large breeds the puberty may last for a quite long period of time - about one to two years. Small dogs reach maturity much faster - usually about a year, and this is good in many respects, but it means that right now they are concerned about the demonstration of their authority. Puppies just want to have some fun A puppy can be large or small, but all what it will care about during the next couple of months – is the fun: both physical and mental. You should encourage it and think about different ways of entertaining it, otherwise the puppy will come up with its own methods which you, probably, will not find so funny. At this age your puppy is full of energy. Sometimes it seems it has only two ‘modes’ - "off" and "turned at full speed." If it is not sleeping, it is always in action looking for someone or something, who / what it can play with. For any puppy it is a quite natural behavior. Such an active attitude towards life will help you to develop a program of training, through which you will be able to induce your puppy to the necessary action. Play and train in accordance with the daily routine Setting a specific time for training will help to teach your puppy to the order. It will enjoy the "sessions" of exercises that will discipline it, and will encourage it to have break after it spends a solid portion of its seemingly endless energy. But be careful in choosing the exercises for your puppy - it's still young, and its joints, bones and muscles are not fully developed, so do not strain it too much, especially if you have a large, but still not very matured dog. Be patient master At this age the encouragement of its ability to fulfil your commands will be a good stimulation for its mental development, and enhance your authority during this important period. However, from time to time you may be frustrated thinking your pet has forgotten or simply ignored all the things you had taught it before. But it is not so: it simply tries to get away with it, just like a teenager. So you should be firm, patient and calm. Destructive behavior Destructive behavior of some young dogs causes sometimes a lot of trouble: they chew old slippers, trying to swallow your jewelry or spoil the furniture. The reasons for such behavior may be various. Common cause is teething, sometimes it can be "cured" by giving the dog a sufficient number of suitable items for chewing.
The big problem for young dogs may be boredom. The lack of activity would inevitably lead to the fact that the dog will focus its energy on something that brings fun and extra attention to itself! Dogs, especially puppies need socialization and regular training.
Some dogs even in the presence of their owners behave themselves destructive in order to attract attention. Think about how you can control the energy of your dog with proper physical and mental training and make sure that your pet had a lot of toys when it is alone. They are nervous or scared when they are left alone, and this can also lead to the destructive behavior. Remember: in this case, the dog behaves itself not out of some malicious intent; it is just nervous, and the punishment would not be counterproductive. Never hit, kick or slap your dog. This is the quickest way to erode the dog's trust in you. It would only increase its anxiety which in its turn may induce your pet to even more terrible behavior in the future, which will help it to forget about its worries. Your veterinarian should advise you what to do in such situations. Passing stage Never punish your dog hours later after the offense - in this case you will not manage to arise associative connection between two events, and this will only shake its faith in you.
Fortunately for most owners and their dogs, this period and its characteristic features last just until the dog is grown up. Step by step it will find its right place in the family and accept the expected "adult" behavior from it. Concern for future health Your puppy is dependent on you to provide a diet that is complete and balanced for optimum nutrition during it's rapid stage of growth. The first 6 months are the most important and puppies need large amounts of energy and higher levels of nutrition to grow into strong, healthy dogs. So it's worth to spend some time in a specialized shop to explore the available range of food for your dog of super-premium class and compare different brands, to get an idea of how you are going to feed your pet in future. Remember: Your veterinarian can give you valuable advice concerning of how to develop the proper diet for your dog, so do not forget to ask him about it during your next visit. |
