Raising Your Eskie Pup

Information Compiled By American Eskimo Dog Club of San Diego
Published with Permission

A dog's genetic heritage plays an important role in its temperament, but socialization and training may be the determining factor for your American Eskimo Dog becoming an enjoyable companion for life.

A puppy must learn to get along in society. This includes people of all varieties, dogs, cats, other pets, cars, trucks, motorcycles, airplanes, etc. Today's dogs, especially those that live in cities, live in a busy, noisy and potentially frightening world.

American Eskimo dogs that are not socialized tend to be shy, wary, or afraid of anyone new or anything unusual. An unsocialized dog may become a barker or act aggressively toward whatever frightens it, especially if it feels cornered.

Socialization is more than simply introducing a puppy to other people and dogs or making noise around the puppy. It is an ongoing process which lasts for the lifetime of your American Eskimo Dog.

Dog behavior experts have, however, identified several critical periods during a puppy's early development when specific things should or should not happen. By understanding what is going on during the pup's physical and mental growth and following a socialization schedule, breeders and owners can mold a genetically sound puppy into a confident, outgoing American Eskimo Dog, one that is a wonderful companion.

Newborn Puppies

From birth to three weeks of age, a puppy is helpless. Its needs center on its mother, the source of food, warmth and security. The puppy has little mental development at this stage; its human contact should consist only of a very gentle massage or stroking.

At four weeks of age, the puppy's basic needs -- warmth, food and security -- still center on its mother. The puppy should never be removed from the mother at this point nor should weaning begin. The pup's littermates provide security while the mother dog leaves the whelping box to attend to her own needs, and as the puppies get stronger and more active, they begin their first attempts at play.

Mental development increases tremendously during this time, and the puppy learns to use its senses to follow sounds and to focus its eyes. Curiosity emerges, and the pup begins to investigate the whelping box. Simple safe toys may be added for the puppy to discover.

At this point, the mother dog begins to discipline the puppies, and she should be allowed to do so with no interference from the owners. Her initial discipline is vitally important to a puppy's future acceptance of discipline and training. Much can be learned by watching a mother dog discipline her pups. If a puppy bites her ear too hard, her correction is short, sharp, fair and firm: a growl or a muzzle-bite that ceases when the puppy reacts submissively. The correction is always followed by love and affection, and she never holds a grudge.

An introduction to people may begin at this age, but should be limited to family members and close friends. Socialization can include a very gentle massage or time spent cuddling and talking to the puppies.

Because the puppy is becoming aware of the outside world, the fourth week of life can be a very fearful time, so be careful not to frighten the puppy. A frightening experience at this time could scar the puppy for life.

During weeks five through seven the puppy goes through tremendous changes, both physical and mental. As it grows and learns to walk and run with more coordination, its mental abilities gain strength as well. The puppy learns to recognize people and starts to respond to individual voices. Its interaction with people is increasingly important.

Introduce the puppy to people, adults and children of different sizes, shapes, colors and gender. Be sure you supervise these visits, which should be calm and pleasant. It's also important not to overdo these visits; a few minutes at a time is fine, because the puppy tires quickly.

This is also a good time for the puppy to meet other animals. Again, supervise these visits carefully. If the mother dog is worried, respect her wishes and remove the other pet.

Because the puppy's self-image is just beginning to develop, it should not go to a new home during this time. This is when it learns from the mother dog and its littermates what being a dog is all about. The wrestling and rolling around and scuffling with littermates teach the puppy how to get along with other dogs, how to play, what play is too rough, when to be submissive, and what to take seriously. The discipline provided by the mother dog teaches the pup to accept training and correction.

Continue adding toys to the environment. Commercial toys are fine as long as a puppy cannot chew off a piece. A simple toy, such as a ball with a bell inside, can provide many laughs as the puppies learn how to play.

Like the fourth week, the eighth week of life can be a fearful time. Although this is traditionally the time when puppies go to new homes, they benefit immensely by remaining with the breeder for one more week or so.

Arriving at the New Home

When the puppy is nine to ten weeks old, it is ready to leave the mother dog and its littermates and go to a new home. This is when the pup develops the ability to form a permanent relationship. Take advantage of this important stage of growth and begin the puppy's basic training.

The puppy can learn its name and some simple exercises such as sit, down and come. It can also learn to walk nicely on a leash. A retractable dog leash, or flexi-leash, is wonderful to leash train a puppy. Keep training sessions BRIEF and POSITIVE.

The puppy's pack instinct develops at this age, and the pup is ready to learn how it fits into its new family. To help the pup learn its place in the family "pack" you can incorporate gentle dominance exercises (described below) into its daily routine. Introduce the puppy to car travel at this age, beginning with short rides around the neighborhood and gradually increasing the length of the rides.

Because the puppy's immunity to disease is not fully developed, it should not go for walks out in public areas or meet strange dogs, but it can play with an older resident dog at home or with another healthy, vaccinated puppy.

Continue introducing the puppy to people outside the family. This can consist of simply cuddling the puppy or it can involve more elaborate games such as hide and seek.

Controlling Behavior

The puppy still needs love, attention and security, but at eleven and twelve weeks of age discipline becomes more important. It's time to set some household rules and stick to them. Do not allow the puppy to do things -- such as jumping on people or biting -- which will be forbidden when it's full grown.

By this stage, the puppy's mental capacities are fully developed; all it lacks is experience. Dogs -- even at this young age -- can learn by association. A puppy kindergarten class that includes positive interaction is a good way to begin this type of learning. Begin playing retrieving games with the puppy. This can be fun for the owner and pup, and it sets the stage for a good working relationship. Continue the puppy's basic obedience training, the car rides and the interaction with friendly people.

From thirteen to sixteen weeks of age, the puppy begins testing its place in the pack, so the dominance exercises are important during this time. Be consistent in requiring the pup to follow the household rules, and make sure everyone in the family follows them.

The puppy's flight instinct is also developing at this age, causing the puppy to run from real or imaginary threats. It's very important to teach the pup to come when you call, but do not make the training scary. Keep all training positive with praise and food treats. The puppy will develop a positive or negative attitude toward training during this period.

Growing Up

A four-month-old puppy is past the most critical periods of development but cannot be considered "grown up" either mentally or physically. The dominance exercises and obedience training should continue to be important focal points of the puppy's mental growth, as should socialization. The world can be a frightening place or it can be fun.

Adolescence, which usually starts at seven to eight months of age, can be a trying time. The pup can be realistically compared to a human adolescent of 13 to 14 years. The teenage dog will test the rules to see if they are really going to be enforced. Rules that were previously well understood will be ignored, and known commands will bring a blank look. Adolescence can sometimes bring outright defiance. This doesn't mean the dog is bad or dumb; it simply means that the dog is normal. Like human teenagers, they will eventually grow up. Be consistent!

Dominance-down Exercise

Trainers and behaviorists suggest incorporating dominance exercises into day-to-day living so the puppy understands its place in the family. The family is, after all, replacing the puppy's natural pack.

Many trainers advocate a dominance-down exercise in which the puppy is gently but firmly laid on its side, restrained by one hand on the scruff of the neck and one hand on the body. Do not slam or throw the pup to the ground -- the idea is not to hurt or terrorize the pup.

If the puppy resists, give a verbal correction such as a deep-throated growl or say firmly "That's enough!" Do not scream and yell; the pup will not understand, and you will only increase its panic. Once the puppy relaxes, gently stroke its stomach or give a gentle body massage. Teach the puppy to allow you to handle its body. Run your hands all over the pup and check its ears, feet, toenails and teeth. Check for fleas, ticks, burrs, foxtails, lumps, bumps and scrapes.

When the puppy no longer fights or squirms and has relaxed under your hands, calmly pat its side, say "okay," and let the puppy get up. The puppy should view this exercise as nothing out of the ordinary. The dominance-down establishes the puppy's place in the family. It calms an overly excited puppy, and it allows you to teach the puppy to let you handle and care for its body, making grooming and veterinary care easier on everyone,

Housetraining

Your puppy's instinct is to keep its bed clean. If you limit your puppy's freedom, establish a schedule, and practice patience, you will successfully teach your puppy to be housetrained.

At about five weeks of age, most puppies toddle away from their sleeping area to relieve themselves. You can use this instinct when you start housetraining, with the help of a dog crate. A crate is a plastic or wire travel cage that you can use for your puppy's bed. The puppy's instinct is to keep its bed clean and the sense of security it derives from a crate are useful tools for the owner of a new puppy.

Introduce the crate by propping open the crate door and tossing a toy or cookie inside. Let the puppy investigate the crate and go in and out freely at first. When nap time arrives place the puppy inside the crate, door open first, then closed.

Do not let the puppy out of the crate when it is screaming, howling or chewing the bars. Instead, be aware of the puppy and let it out when or while it is quiet. Do not place the puppy in the crate for your convenience until the crate environment is comfortable to the puppy, and do not leave the puppy inside the crate for extended periods of time. Remember, a crate should not be used to isolate the puppy from its environment and should never be used as a punishment.

Puppies need a structured environment with obvious limits and understanding. These limits help teach good behavior and prevent them from developing destructive habits, such as chewing on electrical cords, destroying slippers, raiding the clothes basket, etc. Limit your puppy's freedom by closing doors to rooms or installing baby gates. By limiting a puppy's freedom to specific supervised areas, trouble can be avoided.

The puppy should sleep in the crate at night, and the crate should be placed near your bed. Knowing you are nearby will give the puppy a great feeling of security and will also save you wear and tear. If the puppy is lonely or restless and starts to whine, you can reach over and tap the top of the crate, telling the puppy to be quiet. If the puppy needs to relieve itself, you will hear it fuss and can get it outside quickly. Do not exile the puppy to the backyard, bathroom or garage at night. The puppy will justifiably cry and whine with fear and loneliness. Use your sleeping hours to benefit your relationship by keeping it close to you.

Your puppy's instincts tell it to eliminate away from its bed, but it still does not understand what housetraining is. You must teach the puppy exactly what you want. That means, YOU need to go outside with the puppy and give the command "Go Potty." Once the puppy goes, give lots of praise. You will need to repeat this for quite a while before the puppy understands.

Do not punish your puppy for accidents in the house; you will only confuse or frighten it. Correct with a firm NO, then take the puppy quietly but immediately outside. Remember, the act of relieving itself is not wrong; the act of relieving itself IN THE HOUSE is the problem. Successful teaching is based on setting the puppy up for success by not allowing accidents to happen and praising correct behavior.

All babies need a schedule, and your puppy is no different. The schedule you create for your puppy will have to work with your lifestyle, but keep a few things in mind. The puppy will need to relieve itself at some very specific times. These include after eating or drinking, upon awakening, and at the beginning and during its exercise or playtime. Keep in mind that a puppy has only limited ability to control its bladder. The puppy needs supervised activities, both in the house and a schedule for those activities.

All puppies need time to grow up and to develop bladder control. Establish a schedule that works for you and stick to it. If you keep changing schedules or techniques, you and the puppy will both become frustrated and confused. Every pup needs time to mature before it can be considered trustworthy. CAREFUL SUPERVISION and LOTS OF PATIENCE will work. Puppies do grow up, and all your efforts will pay off when you find you have a well trained, reliable American Eskimo Dog.