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Shorkie
Toddlers Period (3 - 8 Weeks)
“Mom teaches dog manners”
During the Shorkie Toddler period, the puppies emerge on their own from
the litter. They venture into the surrounding environment. These lessons
learned in the toddler stage are CRITICAL. Puppies removed too early
tend to be nervous, tend to bark innappropately, tend to bite simply
because these lessons a mother and littermates usually provides were
missed. Training problems and long-term behavior problems can often be
attributed to a puppy removed from the litter much too soon.
Beginning at 3 weeks of age, what is going on:
your shorkie puppy is now learning
The first lessons shorkie puppies learn are dog specific behavioral
patterns
They will learn how to bite and what it is like to be bitten.
They will learn what barking and other vocalizations mean and their
uses.
They will learn how to establish social relationships with other
dogs.
Beginning at 5 weeks of age, what is going on:
your shorkie is now
Vocalization and tempered activities (dog manners) usually are learned
at approximately 5 weeks of age.
They will learn and refine additional postures, vocalizations and
acceptable dog interaction behaviors .
What the Shorkies mother will do:
The mother will growl, snarl and snap to communicate with her shorkie
puppies. With a few very clear signals and repetitions, the young puppy
will learn quickly. At that point a mothers glare or low growl is all
that is needed to keep a young pup in line. Littermates also learn clear
signals of communication to each other.
Socialization Period (7 - 12 Weeks) and First Fear Imprint Period (8-11
Weeks)
“Lasting impact, rapid learning”
Shorkie puppies
that are denied socialization during this critical Socialization period
often become unpredictable because they are fearful or aggressive. It is
during this time, that your dog needs to have positive experiences. They
need to be introduced to new things and begin the groundwork to a happy,
well-adjusted dog.
Beginning at 7 weeks of age, what is going on:
your shorkie now has
Things learned are permanent and will be resistant to change.
Puppy will be eager to learn.
What he does and learns now, he will do as an adult.
Puppy’s temperament and personality will become more apparent.
Puppy will be transitioning his education from his mother to his
human environment.
Beginning at 8 weeks and ending at approximately 11 weeks of age, what
is going on:
What You Can Do:
Make experiences positive (provide treats or toys)
Don’t push your puppy into fearful situations – take things slowly
and allow him to adjust and get use to the situation.
Do not let others push your puppy or be forceful with them.
Provide a secure comforting demeanor.
Teach the puppy you are there to protect and lead.
Seniority Classification Period (12-16 Weeks)
“You’re not the boss of me!”
Your shorkie
has
been in the home now for a few weeks. He has been watching you and the
family very closely. He is picking up on human behaviors and reactions.
He is learning the pecking order of the pack. As he observes and learns,
he will then attempt to figure out where exactly he stands in the pack
order, and to also see if moving up in the pack will work. After all, he
knows who the “weak links” are and will start at the bottom and try to
move right up the pack. How could such a cute little pup be such a
pistol?
What is going on:
your shorkie
Puppy will attempt to move himself up in the pack order.
Puppy will try to dominate.
Puppy will grab leashes
Puppy will try to determine what activities are going to be done and
when.
Puppy may growl.
Puppy may put his mouth on you.
Puppy can often become over excited.
What you can do:
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Learn how your actions and body language communicate to your dog.
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Do not play aggressive games during this phase. (Tug or wrestling)
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If puppy becomes over excited, growls or mouths you, you stop all
activity.
-
Be very aware of how the puppy interacts with children – do not
leave children unattended with the puppy.
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Enroll in a puppy kindergarten class to redirect some of the energy.
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Evaluate the whole family’s methods of interactions and corrections
and make sure that all are consistent and clear. (Unified front
concept here)
Flight Instinct Period (4 - 8 Months)
“Fly like an Eagle, into the wind”
Your cute little shorkie puppy has been following you around for weeks
now. He has been aware of where you are and would stay pretty close.
During this period that same cute little puppy will decide that he is
ready to go solo and take off running quicker than lightening. During
this time, teaching your shorkie that he must stay close by or come when
called is critical. The failure to do this will result in a dog that
will not be reliable to come or to stay close by as an adult and very
well could lead the dog into a life or death situation.
What is going on:
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The puppy will become more independent.
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A puppy that previously would never go very far, will venture off.
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The Puppy will ignore commands to stay close or come.
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How you handle refusal to come or stay will affect future
reliability off leash.
-
Puppy will be clever in attempts to run around loose.
What you can do:
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Leash on 100% of the time they are not in a confined area.
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Never allow dog loose in an unconfined area. (Yes this is redundant
to the above, so it must be pretty important for us to say it
twice.)
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Being off leash outside of a confined area is reserved for who have
been well trained.
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Enroll in training class that utilizes positive training techniques.
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Reinforce and continue to train your puppy “come”.
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Make coming a very positive experience.
-
Oh… and never allow your puppy to be off leash in an unconfined
area.
Adolescence Period (7 - 10 months)
“Welcome to the Teenage Years – Enjoy the Ride”
This is one of the most difficult times for pet owners. They are so
surprised when their shorkie puppy turns into “devil dog” or “cujo”.
This often is a time when many families start to worry that maybe they
made a bad decision in getting a dog. Remember: you get what you put
into it. You take the time right now to teach good habits, you will have
the dog you always dreamed of for many years. This work will payoff.
What is going on:
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The puppy will become a free and independent thinker.
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The puppy will continue to review the pack order.
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The puppy will be very energetic.
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The puppy will be exuberant and enthusiastic.
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They turn into clowns with teeth.
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They will delight in learning new and fun things.
What you can do:
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Appreciate the humor of it all.
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Have you read the book The Dog Listener yet? It will help.
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Understand that despite the behaviors it is your time to continue to
train and reinforce the things you do want him to do.
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Reaffirm the family pack order.
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Be realistic about expectations (still very much a puppy in a big
boy body)
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Channel all that energy into positive learning experiences.
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Continue with training classes; explore options for additional
training opportunities.
Second Fear Imprint Period (6 - 14 Months)
“Yikes! What’s up with that?”
You have a shorkie puppy that is full of beans, he runs around like a
clown in search of his next show. But then, BAM, he refuses to walk down
some stairs, he is shaking in the car, or he jumps at the sound of the
neighbor’s music. Surprise! This is normal, but you must help your dog
figure out how to deal with his fears or concerns. The skills of
learning how to “shake it off and keep going” will be valuable to him
for the rest of his life. It will also reduce the chances that the
things he fears will not be permanently imprinted for life.
What is going on:
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The puppy that was so confident will suddenly become reluctant to
new things.
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This period can be subtle.
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This period can come and go several times over this entire period.
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It may appear to be unprovoked or unrelated to any specific
occurrence.
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Puppy can become frustrating to owners.
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You may notice this behavior more in males.
What you can do:
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Avoid extremes in your response (no anger or forcing or over
comforting)
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Be patient and understanding.
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We aware of surrounding and potential triggers.
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Work on desensitizing him with gradual introductions with rewards.
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Avoid too much reassurance or coddling (which is a reward for this
behavior)
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Don’t over react or correct the fearfulness – just make light of it
and encourage him to deal with his fear (work through the fear).
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Praise with grand rewards for his attempts.
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Your dog will take his clues from you, if you act frightened or
concerned he will too.
To See Our Puppies Click On The Heart
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