You might want to be careful with the fruit smelling. Smelling can easily step up to tasting and I don't know if dragon fruit is harmful to dogs.
And about the leash thing, don't let her have her way. They are awesomely smart at picking up their limits and if she feels she won, she'll keep on trying. Gently but firmly get her used to the leash, reward her for moving with it on, get her confident that it is a good thing. I don't know if you have considered any training, but have a look at clicker training. It can be a hugely helpful tool to steer then in the right direction and making them feel it's rewarding.
Thank you very much Leonberger. That's the kind of real life experience advice we love to get.
We'll be careful with the fruit. We usually shout NO! when she starts sniffing it.
We got the clicker just yesterday, still need to learn how to use it properly.
We'll definitely enjoy her to many training courses. I still need to research whether to bring her to local Petsmart training, or those held by specialized Dog trainer school.
The leash thing is quite tricky, Leonberger. I think I need to balance out when to be strict and when to be slack. When I'm too strict with her, she'll just ignore later, and only stick to Vanessa. Following and moving with leash is ok, except we still need to reprogram her not to bite the leash; but she doesn't seem to take potting training with leash too well.
There's another issue with sleeping that I'll share later which is quite amazing.
Thank you very much again Leonberger. Please continue to give us your advice, we really appreciate it.
Aside from what has already been said I can't think of any advice, I am so so jealous, your girl is absolutely adorable. Just keep focusing on positively rewarding leash time and she'll grow to love it, we had the same problem when we realised that during the training of our rescue dog we'd need to muzzle him, it took us a good week or so of hard work to get him to love the muzzle and now he gets more excited about that than his dinner
It may not translate to your situation but what we did was just get the muzzle out and let him investigate it, we then held it in our hands and encouraged him (verbally) to sniff it. When he lost interest we approached him with it and used cheese to reinforce him when he was showing the behavior (interest). Then we would put the muzzle on without doing it up, leave it and reward him when he stopped reacting (ie, trying to take it off). This would continue for about an hour where eventually we showed him that the muzzle equated to a walk. Now it's like shouting to a dog "WALKIES", in terms of his reaction I hope that makes sense, I just finished a 14 hour shift at work and am dead on my feet.
Are you using a collar or a harness when you leash her?
Also, using "uh-uh" instead of no is a good alternative. Our trainer suggested doing that for everyday things and reserving NO for emergencies. Also, reward her generously and praise when she goes potty while on leash. Are you planning on enrolling her in classes? Will you start training her before then? We started with basic commands with Violet the 2nd or 3rd day after we brought her home. She picked up very quickly, but the other good tip we were given (if you plan on training her before getting her in class, which is what we did since we wanted her finished with shots first) is that you speak the command first, pause, then do the hand gesture. Doing it simultaneously makes it more confusing (the analogy used was watching a subtitled movie in a language you understood, if they're both going on simultaneously you'll automatically go to the one that is easier-listening- and block out the one that takes more effort).
I use No as an emergency only word. Koda trying to eat neighbor's snail bait gets a NO! lol. Then he knows I'm serious. Uh uh is good. Try not to use their name when reprimending them. You didn't say you did, just a suggestion.
She is a cutie pie! I think I would let her have her way too. he he he, but Rui is right.
We'll be using the Uh uh method. We've been just using No all the time.
You guys are so right. She is SMART and quick to learn. By combining leash, firm Nos, and enthusiastic praise, she shows great improvements in a very short time.
I don't know how to express my amazement, deep in my heart, I continue to be impressed by the intelligent and character of Akitas. I can honestly say that I learned from Aki too.
When the owners take charge, it makes both the puppy and the owners live happier and harmonious. It's not so much sometimes the method or words, I think it's the "mindset" of the owner that influences the pet the most.
We're continue to learn as much as we can. This forum provide us with great personal experience that we can learn from.
We will definitely without question enroll ourselves and Aki to classes, both to socialize and learn when her rabies shot is done at 3 months old. Some suggest we should confine her for another month before interacting with other dogs.
Some more photos from Aki's mommy (she's taking this week off, and me the next one, to properly acclimate Aki to her new home):
I realize Aki hunch up her back when she's apprehensive and unsure. I need to give her more confidence to correct her posture. She's rather timid.
She's just got one of the best faces ever. >_< SO CUTE! You guys seem to be doing really well in adjusting your approach to help train her. I know that when I someday eventually *gets telescope to spot that time* get a pup that I'll be here to get all of these smart awesome people to advise me as well. Even with all the books and tapes that you can get your hands on there is nothing quite like having a expert support group.
And keep it up with the spam! It is much appreciated.
When the owners take charge, it makes both the puppy and the owners live happier and harmonious. It's not so much sometimes the method or words, I think it's the "mindset" of the owner that influences the pet the most.
So true. Your confidence will give her confidence. Be a strong leader, just remember that our Nihonken take better to a strong kind leader.
Aki is adorable! Looks like she loves to chew... If you don't know already, it will be very wise to keep her kenneled or otherwise controlled when you can't watch... I have lost many items to the puppies who love to chew... shoes, baskets, etc. etc. Sounds like you are doing a fabulous job with the training, and I agree with the others that taking charge will be a good thing to guide her to the properly socialized behavior. Looks like Aki will be wonderful companion for you... Keep the beautiful pics and videos coming. They are all great, but especially loved the part of the Day Three video when she tried to catch her tail --- then took on the backyard bushes! Adorable!!!!
I know you have only had this little puppy since the 1st of October, but one of the things you probably don't know much about if you are a new puppy owner is the importance of getting your puppy out of the house and off your property NOW, while the puppy is between 8 and 16 weeks of age. This is called a critical period of learning. We call it socialization but it is more than that -- it is meeting other people AND getting her exposed to strange environments and different surroundings. I say this in all earnestness because you have already said she is a little timid and that some people have told you to wait to get her around other dogs until 4 months. Please don't wait. You need to take the confidence that she has inside your house, to the great outdoors too. I cannot stress the importance of this enough.
Just so you don't think this is all coming from my head and is only my opinion, I'll share with you a report that I found today on the Canadian Shikoku Club website, a report from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. It encourages puppies be socialized before the vaccine series is complete. I find this almost revolutionary, that a veterinary society will come out and say this.
"The guidelines state puppies can start socialization classes as early as seven to eight weeks of age. In general, they should receive a minimum of one set of vaccines at least seven days prior to the first class, as well as a first deworming. Additionally, puppies should show no signs of illness during the classes and should be kept up to date on vaccines throughout the class. While veterinarians are appropriately concerned about infectious disease in young puppies, the fact is that behavioural issues-not infectious diseases-are the number one cause of death for dogs under three years of age, according to the AVSAB. Veterinarians contribute to these behavioural issues when recommending pets be kept away from possible germs until their vaccine series is complete, the AVSAB stated."
Please read this article. The most important point to come away with is this, my emphasis:
"BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, NOT INFECTIOUS DISEASES, ARE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR DOGS UNDER THREE YEARS OF AGE - VETERINARIANS CONTRIBUTE TO THESE BEHAVIORAL ISSUES WHEN RECOMMENDING THAT PETS BE KEPT AWAY FROM POSSIBLE GERMS UNTIL THEIR VACCINE SERIES IS COMPLETE."
Take your puppy to your friends' houses, to the park (not a dog park), to places like Home Depot and Lowes), for walks outside your house, down the street, up the street. Attach your leash and just follow behind her wherever she goes for the first few times. Take her for a short car ride to someplace fun, with grass, bring a toy, play a little, walk around a little and go home.
"Puppies go through a sensitive period of socialization when they are uniquely prepared to benefit from exposure to social opportunities. From the time the owner adopts the puppy until three to four months of age, it is critical that the owner get the puppy out to meet other animals and people, and experience many different kinds of environments," said AVSAB president, Dr. E. Kathryn Meyer.
I'm known to be pretty pushy about this whole idea, but I just think it is terribly important if you want a happy, well-adjusted puppy that you can go everywhere with later. Your critical time is 8 to 16 weeks for experiencing new situations -- NOT later. Please please please read the article. We all want you to have success with this new puppy and that all of you are happy.
Thanks a bunch folks, for all the advices and compliments.
When it comes to raising puppy the right way, we appreciate and love inputs. You are not sounding pushy at all Montanadoglover. We've been walking her daily in our neighborhood and having some treats with us so strangers can give her some. That Leerburg guy Ed Frawley says the same thing in his video "puppy 8 weeks to 8 months" to bring the puppy to a new place every week. Like you, he also stressed the importance of that. He is also against over vaccinating dogs, and that's why we are seeking more opinions from different vets in our area.
She behaves nicely when Vanessa and I are around, but she can be unruly when we have other family members puppysit her.
There is still so much to learn that the whole thing is still confusing and overwhelming. Like I've mentioned in another threat, there are so many schools of thought in raising puppy and so many contradictory theories.
I've been studying:
1) Natural Dog Training by Kevin Behar - haven't gotten the book yet. Found him through a link by Jessika.
2) Don Sullivan Dogfather - Heavy correction and Alpha Theory. The immediate results shown on his youtube videos are nothing short of miracles to me. I'm gullible.
3) Ian Dunbar - Positive training with lures, mainly food for puppies.
4) Ed Frawley - still studying his video, seems like a mix of positive reward and correction.
5) misc information all over the web
I feel like throwing up sometimes with all these contradictory information, and everyone asserts their way is the best.
I'm glad you are taking her for walks. Regardless of what kind of training you end up with later, the important time is now -- they would all recommend getting your puppy out and about. You don't have to feel overwhelmed about this -- just take her someplace new and different several times a week and you will be fine. Have fun while you show off your puppy to other people, and you can play games in a playground around the equipment. If you have her outside someplace, you know you are doing good. You can worry about other stuff later! :-) It just takes a few minutes a day to enjoy something away from home, to keep her confident and happy about doing things with you and going places with you.
Just remember to make sure she's fully vaccinated before venturing out and about with her. If she's not, I carried Kuma outside a lot before he was fully vaccinated so he could just see and smell and hear all the stimulation that the streets had to offer. It gets heavy after a while, but it's very much worth the sacrifice. Another thing to watch out is too much stress on her joints, she's from a large breed that grows very intensely for quite a long period of time. So keep her of beaches, don't let her jump on/off the sofa for now, don't let her jump out of the car, and be careful with stairs. Basically keep it smooth for her. I carried Kuma into the car and off the car until he was about one year old :-)
Sigh. Leonberger, please go back and read the guidelines (a few posts above) from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. What you are telling him to do is the exact opposite of what nowadays is suggested for puppies.
"BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, NOT INFECTIOUS DISEASES, ARE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR DOGS UNDER THREE YEARS OF AGE - VETERINARIANS CONTRIBUTE TO THESE BEHAVIORAL ISSUES WHEN RECOMMENDING THAT PETS BE KEPT AWAY FROM POSSIBLE GERMS UNTIL THEIR VACCINE SERIES IS COMPLETE."
I found it on the Canadian Shikoku Club website - and kudos to them, btw, for finding it and keeping it on their Resources section.
You will do so much more harm than good, by keeping an 8 to 16-week old puppy isolated and "carried" around until the puppy is 4 months old and finished with the vaccine series.
I've said it before and I'll say it once more: I would risk the slight chance of my puppy catching something over the very real risk of having to live with a spook for the next 14 years of my dog's life. Imagine FOURTEEN YEARS of living with a dog that is shy, spooky, afraid of people, reacts violently to normal everyday outdoor things, because you kept it in the house for 4 months. This is NO fun and will only bring you ENDLESS disappointment.
I wouldn't take a puppy out totally unvaccinated, but by 9 weeks or so they have had at least one, if not two shots.
I would think that this principle is even more important in these six breeds, given their possibly suspicious, and/or aloof, and/or timid nature. I don't mean to start an argument about this, but almost every dog expert under the sun knows to socialize/expose puppies to new and novel situations, people, places, things.
Rui didn't say anything about not socializing the pups, he was more pointing got the fact that you should be careful when you take the dog out. He did mention that he carried Kuma, but still took his pups places.
Try not to let a un-vaccinated puppy go near or touch things that may have come into contact with another dog or possible disease carrying animal. Puppies are so susceptible to these things, and it's so heart wrenching when you have to deal with a puppy possibly dying because you took them to the wrong place or let them touch something they weren't supposed to. Until you have been through a situation where you may lose your puppy before really getting to know it, you wouldn't understand how terrible it feels. But this is an argument for another thread.
There are places you can take puppies so they will less likely catch something, some home improvement stores for example, just be careful with who and what your puppy interact with as there's no guarantee that he won't catch something. Try to keep dog interactions to those that you KNOW are vaccinated, and try not to take Aki anywhere where dogs often frequent for now.
Also, keep everything as positive and fun as possible. Try to give tons of good experiences and do what you can to avoid or reverse a bad experience. Socialization means nothing if your pups is having lots of bad experiences.
Most likely go to friends house, or have friends come over like we are doing already.
Aki seems to be very happy already when we walk her around our neighborhood, watching every car passes by, garage door opens, kids noises, and all the outdoor liveliness.
We have our 2nd vet's appointment on Friday. Aki just turned 3 months old yesterday on the 13th.
Michael/Vanessa, this thread has been more than an introduction for a while. So, if you don't mind, I'm going to move it to the Akita Inu category. I'll move it back if it's an inconvenience.
What Beth said is VERY important, so I'll reinforce that. (I'd bold or underline it if i knew how...)
"Socialization means nothing if your pup is having lots of bad experiences."
and it doesn't even take a LOT of bad experiences. some pups are very impressionable. Additionally, they pick up on your vibe, so while you DO want to expose them to a lot as Marion says, it is detrimental to be a "helicopter parent" and be nervous while doing it. He'll know you are nervous and worry. Focus on the places and things that make up his homeworld first, the things he'll see often, the places he'll go, and consider new things that pop up bonus (ie. "Cool! Horses!" or "There must be an election, that's just a paper sign" or "Is that a grocery cart? maybe we can go see it.") Don;t tie yourself in to a pretzel over it but do as much as you can do calmly and ensuring as best you can a happy encounter for pup. Everybody is pleasant, and the new thing is truly no big deal. I don;t know if your dog is shy or fearful but I will just supply this analogy in case: With shy or fearful dogs, every good encounter is like one bubble in a figurative sheet of bubble wrap around your pup, but every bad encounter is like wringing the bubble wrap and popping 100 bubbles, so minimizing bad stuff outweighs adding one more good thing by a lot, but in a single walk around the block you can inflate many good "bubbles" in everything a pup sees for the first time, so keep collecting and enjoy it! Lots of bubbles in his bubble wrap will help him to absorb a bad experience in the future!
Well, I would rather have stated my case now, rather than in six months get a puppy, share my experiences of taking him everywhere, and have new puppy owners cry out, "Why didn't I do these things with MY puppy when he was little?? I had no idea I could do all of these things! Why is my puppy so timid when I could have helped him out earlier? Nobody told me......" So I said what I needed to say, and I'll rest my case. The rest is up to you, but when you ask us later how to fix your puppy who hides behind you when a stranger approaches, who can't relax in the car, who balks at walking on an uneven board or manhole cover, who doesn't want to leave the comfort and security of her house and yard -- I'm going to say, where were you when this puppy was 8 to 16 weeks old? Did she go to LOTS of different places? Did she meet men, women, children, men with hats and coats, men with beards; did she get to climb on a few things at the playground, walk on slippery surfaces, walk across a picnic table following food in your hands, or is she afraid to walk on a piece of chicken wire laying on the ground or a board that moves? What were her experiences when she was 8 to 16 weeks old? How tightly isolated was she kept at your house?
I have never given one thought to where my puppy went when he was little, any of my last 4 puppies (but we also did not have a Petco here in town at the time -- one place where I WOULD carry him). I do provide the full puppy vaccination series. Most all other adult dogs are vaccinated; distemper is relatively rare. Not unheard of, but rare. The biggest danger is parvo, so I'd be more inclined to keep my puppy away from other PUPPIES for several months, rather than adult dogs.
It also pays to know when your breeder gave the puppy for shots before she was shipped over, and what they vaccinated the mother with before she was bred. That gives you (or more accurately, your vet) additional information to play with and make an informed decision with. In fact, your vet is your BEST answer as to whether there is a parvo epidemic in town or in your area so that a few extra precautions could be taken.
There are no guarantees about anything. You have to decide what kind of dog you want as a companion for the rest of that dog's life. And Calia, if I lost a puppy to parvo, I'd be heartbroken. And I would expend the same amount of time and effort getting my next puppy out all over again. I will not live with a spook for the next 14 years.
A big consideration too is location, perhaps distemper is rare in Montana, but here in New England it is very common. My shelter had to be shut down three times because of distemper, and once for Parvo. Perhaps where you live people are very good with vaccinations. This is often not the case in metropolitan areas. And while socialization is positively imperative, in areas where these diseases are more common it is essential that owners weigh the risks.
I was only able to skim the other posts....but know that 8-16 weeks is a CRITICAL window in the socialization and development process. What happens in that time frame will set a foundation for the rest of the years and training to come. Your dog needs to see and experience at least 100 things and or people in that time frame. (Ian Dunbar, Before and After Puppy book may help for starters.)
If you have gotten the first set or two of vaccinations you and pup go out and get to see some of the world in areas that are less "contaminated". By car by bike by stroller what ever works that keeps him/her away from really over used waste areas. Maybe a meet some friends who have nice dog friendly dogs that are up on their vaccinations. Puppy-K at a decent center may be helpful too if all the dogs have been checked in with medical.
Even after 16 weeks when your pup is up to date on all boosters and even as an adult there are no guarantees. Immunity varies from being to being. The majority will never have a problem but as always there is the 1% even with all the health precautions in the world. Actually the Vets office can be one of the worst places that spread diseases since that is where people take dogs when sick.
"Imagine FOURTEEN YEARS of living with a dog that is shy, spooky, afraid of people, reacts violently to normal everyday outdoor things, because you kept it in the house for 4 months. This is NO fun and will only bring you ENDLESS disappointment."
You can live a fairly normal life filled with fun and little to no disappointments with an under-socialized dog. Maybe it'll be filled with "ENDLESS disappointments" if taking him to the dog park every day is something you wont budget on. I'm not saying don't take them out or take them out. I'm just saying you're making it seem like it would be the end of the world. Sure it'll be harder but hell doesn't even sound like you've ever had personal experience with it so I wouldn't be talking.
What I meant by I will not live with a spook is that I will do everything in my power to make sure he isn't a spook because of my negligence in not taking him out.
If he turned out to be shy, timid, scared in spite of everything I knew how to do, I would at least know that his problem was probably a genetic propensity toward an unstable temperament, and yes, I've known a few of those who ended up that way in spite of their owner's best efforts. But if you DON'T put in the time early on to get them socialized/environmentally enriched/exposed, then you'll never know whether this was inherited, or lack of exposure. I would think the breeder would want to know.
What would I do? I would kick myself for having made a bad mistake in choosing this dog, this line, not doing my homework in checking out the sire/dam or the breeder, and then I would work with the dog as best I could. My dogs are with me for life. I don't give them up. I'd take what they could give me and work with what I had.
Let's face it though. Most dogs aren't like that. Most will come around with even small effort on your part. It doesn't take that much. A few outings a week, just so the puppy sees something new in his life, early on. It's not rocket science.
Point taken about diseases in more crowded areas, Jessica. I raised my first dogs in Fort Collins, CO, and Richmond, VA. There are still places that you can take them if you look -- places where you can enjoy walks with your dog, quiet, non-dog parks, soccer and baseball games, stores that allow them, park playgrounds, fairgrounds, college campuses, any club meetings you might go to -- you have to be looking and thinking about safe places all the time, which is why those two months should be such a commitment on the new owner's part. And part of taking them places is getting them into and out of a car, multiple times per week, which is good for the future adult.
I think the research has shown that if you put this kind of effort into a puppy at this age, you can relax after that. The imprinting into the puppy's brain has been done -- he can now generalize to new and different experiences with confidence and you could probably leave him home for a year. On the other hand, what you don't do during this period, you can never get back, you can never make it up later as well as you could have if you'd spent every free minute with the puppy that you could, from 2 to 4 months (8 to 16 weeks).
Okiron, it's true that I'm coming from a performance perspective -- I want a dog that I can take happily into and out of buildings to compete with, who is happy to spend evenings in a motel with me, who I don't have to worry about who will be walking by him and accidentally or otherwise touching him.... I want him happy in a crowd, in noisy buildings, around other dogs, happy to be taking a walk, not spooking at the fire hydrant on the corner. It's so much more a positive attitude to have with your dog than to watch him go through his world with his tail tucked, ears flattened, suspicious of someone talking to him, not wanting to leave his home, reactive towards noise.....
But all of the above applies for the companion dog too. You want a dog you can take to your friend's house and be comfortable around the kids, ride in the car, look forward to going for a walk no matter where it's at. I've seen dogs who go hide in the closet, for Pete's sake, if someone comes over to the house. And what about that dog if he goes to the vet? He's petrified. That's what I mean by no fun. It's hard to see them be that way if you love them.
And no, I've never had one like that but I've seen some results from rescue situations where the dogs never got off of their farm and never saw other people for their first five years (we had an English Shepherd rescue situation here not so long ago, 200 dogs -- some of those dogs were catatonic, frozen in fear).
I've never had one like that because I've chosen the companion I'm going to spend the next 14 years of my life with, more carefully than casually, and I've put in the early work during that critical period, to insure a stable, solid temperament.
@Marion: I would like to point out there are no guarantees. It isn't as black and white as you are making it out to be. There are many predictors of a dog's ultimate temperament. Socialization is probably the single largest predictor, but genetics and other behavioral/temperamental characteristics play a large role too. As I know you have to get the last word in on everything, please do so in another thread. This thread has been hijacked badly enough already.
@MnV: Ultimately, it comes down to a balance between protecting your puppy from health dangers or potentially bad social situations and exposing them to as much as possible as early as possible. Use your judgement. You've shown you care by taking the time to screen breeders and to travel to pickup your puppy. Use that same caring attitude to do what you feel is best for *YOUR* puppy.
Now, since this thread has gotten WAY off topic, I'll wrap up by pointing out that Akiko is ADORABLE! She's in that cute puppy gangly stage with those big ears. Love it! I wish you all the best with your new family member.
Comments
Another update.
Day Two got no videos. We're too busy taking care of her.
You might want to be careful with the fruit smelling. Smelling can easily step up to tasting and I don't know if dragon fruit is harmful to dogs.
And about the leash thing, don't let her have her way. They are awesomely smart at picking up their limits and if she feels she won, she'll keep on trying. Gently but firmly get her used to the leash, reward her for moving with it on, get her confident that it is a good thing.
I don't know if you have considered any training, but have a look at clicker training. It can be a hugely helpful tool to steer then in the right direction and making them feel it's rewarding.
We'll be careful with the fruit. We usually shout NO! when she starts sniffing it.
We got the clicker just yesterday, still need to learn how to use it properly.
We'll definitely enjoy her to many training courses. I still need to research whether to bring her to local Petsmart training, or those held by specialized Dog trainer school.
The leash thing is quite tricky, Leonberger. I think I need to balance out when to be strict and when to be slack. When I'm too strict with her, she'll just ignore later, and only stick to Vanessa. Following and moving with leash is ok, except we still need to reprogram her not to bite the leash; but she doesn't seem to take potting training with leash too well.
There's another issue with sleeping that I'll share later which is quite amazing.
Thank you very much again Leonberger. Please continue to give us your advice, we really appreciate it.
It may not translate to your situation but what we did was just get the muzzle out and let him investigate it, we then held it in our hands and encouraged him (verbally) to sniff it. When he lost interest we approached him with it and used cheese to reinforce him when he was showing the behavior (interest). Then we would put the muzzle on without doing it up, leave it and reward him when he stopped reacting (ie, trying to take it off). This would continue for about an hour where eventually we showed him that the muzzle equated to a walk. Now it's like shouting to a dog "WALKIES", in terms of his reaction
Also, using "uh-uh" instead of no is a good alternative. Our trainer suggested doing that for everyday things and reserving NO for emergencies. Also, reward her generously and praise when she goes potty while on leash. Are you planning on enrolling her in classes? Will you start training her before then? We started with basic commands with Violet the 2nd or 3rd day after we brought her home. She picked up very quickly, but the other good tip we were given (if you plan on training her before getting her in class, which is what we did since we wanted her finished with shots first) is that you speak the command first, pause, then do the hand gesture. Doing it simultaneously makes it more confusing (the analogy used was watching a subtitled movie in a language you understood, if they're both going on simultaneously you'll automatically go to the one that is easier-listening- and block out the one that takes more effort).
She is a cutie pie! I think I would let her have her way too. he he he, but Rui is right.
We'll be using the Uh uh method. We've been just using No all the time.
You guys are so right. She is SMART and quick to learn. By combining leash, firm Nos, and enthusiastic praise, she shows great improvements in a very short time.
I don't know how to express my amazement, deep in my heart, I continue to be impressed by the intelligent and character of Akitas. I can honestly say that I learned from Aki too.
When the owners take charge, it makes both the puppy and the owners live happier and harmonious. It's not so much sometimes the method or words, I think it's the "mindset" of the owner that influences the pet the most.
We're continue to learn as much as we can. This forum provide us with great personal experience that we can learn from.
We will definitely without question enroll ourselves and Aki to classes, both to socialize and learn when her rabies shot is done at 3 months old. Some suggest we should confine her for another month before interacting with other dogs.
Some more photos from Aki's mommy (she's taking this week off, and me the next one, to properly acclimate Aki to her new home):
I realize Aki hunch up her back when she's apprehensive and unsure. I need to give her more confidence to correct her posture. She's rather timid.
And keep it up with the spam! It is much appreciated.
So true. Your confidence will give her confidence. Be a strong leader, just remember that our Nihonken take better to a strong kind leader.
Just so you don't think this is all coming from my head and is only my opinion, I'll share with you a report that I found today on the Canadian Shikoku Club website, a report from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. It encourages puppies be socialized before the vaccine series is complete. I find this almost revolutionary, that a veterinary society will come out and say this.
The website is here: http://www.shikokucanada.org/socialization2.pdf
"The guidelines state puppies can start socialization classes as early as seven to eight weeks of age. In general, they
should receive a minimum of one set of vaccines at least seven days prior to the first class, as well as a first
deworming.
Additionally, puppies should show no signs of illness during the classes and should be kept up to date on vaccines
throughout the class.
While veterinarians are appropriately concerned about infectious disease in young puppies, the fact is that behavioural
issues-not infectious diseases-are the number one cause of death for dogs under three years of age, according to the
AVSAB. Veterinarians contribute to these behavioural issues when recommending pets be kept away from possible
germs until their vaccine series is complete, the AVSAB stated."
Please read this article. The most important point to come away with is this, my emphasis:
"BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, NOT INFECTIOUS DISEASES, ARE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR DOGS UNDER THREE YEARS OF AGE - VETERINARIANS CONTRIBUTE TO THESE BEHAVIORAL ISSUES WHEN RECOMMENDING THAT PETS BE KEPT AWAY FROM POSSIBLE GERMS UNTIL THEIR VACCINE SERIES IS COMPLETE."
Take your puppy to your friends' houses, to the park (not a dog park), to places like Home Depot and Lowes), for walks outside your house, down the street, up the street. Attach your leash and just follow behind her wherever she goes for the first few times. Take her for a short car ride to someplace fun, with grass, bring a toy, play a little, walk around a little and go home.
"Puppies go through a sensitive period of socialization when they are uniquely prepared to benefit from exposure to
social opportunities. From the time the owner adopts the puppy until three to four months of age, it is critical that the
owner get the puppy out to meet other animals and people, and experience many different kinds of environments," said
AVSAB president, Dr. E. Kathryn Meyer.
I'm known to be pretty pushy about this whole idea, but I just think it is terribly important if you want a happy, well-adjusted puppy that you can go everywhere with later. Your critical time is 8 to 16 weeks for experiencing new situations -- NOT later. Please please please read the article. We all want you to have success with this new puppy and that all of you are happy.
When it comes to raising puppy the right way, we appreciate and love inputs. You are not sounding pushy at all Montanadoglover. We've been walking her daily in our neighborhood and having some treats with us so strangers can give her some. That Leerburg guy Ed Frawley says the same thing in his video "puppy 8 weeks to 8 months" to bring the puppy to a new place every week. Like you, he also stressed the importance of that. He is also against over vaccinating dogs, and that's why we are seeking more opinions from different vets in our area.
She behaves nicely when Vanessa and I are around, but she can be unruly when we have other family members puppysit her.
There is still so much to learn that the whole thing is still confusing and overwhelming. Like I've mentioned in another threat, there are so many schools of thought in raising puppy and so many contradictory theories.
I've been studying:
1) Natural Dog Training by Kevin Behar - haven't gotten the book yet. Found him through a link by Jessika.
2) Don Sullivan Dogfather - Heavy correction and Alpha Theory. The immediate results shown on his youtube videos are nothing short of miracles to me. I'm gullible.
3) Ian Dunbar - Positive training with lures, mainly food for puppies.
4) Ed Frawley - still studying his video, seems like a mix of positive reward and correction.
5) misc information all over the web
I feel like throwing up sometimes with all these contradictory information, and everyone asserts their way is the best.
We would appreciate any experience you can share.
Thank you very much.
Another thing to watch out is too much stress on her joints, she's from a large breed that grows very intensely for quite a long period of time. So keep her of beaches, don't let her jump on/off the sofa for now, don't let her jump out of the car, and be careful with stairs. Basically keep it smooth for her. I carried Kuma into the car and off the car until he was about one year old :-)
"BEHAVIORAL ISSUES, NOT INFECTIOUS DISEASES, ARE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR DOGS UNDER THREE YEARS OF AGE - VETERINARIANS CONTRIBUTE TO THESE BEHAVIORAL ISSUES WHEN RECOMMENDING THAT PETS BE KEPT AWAY FROM POSSIBLE GERMS UNTIL THEIR VACCINE SERIES IS COMPLETE."
Please read the whole article: http://www.shikokucanada.org/socialization2.pdf
I found it on the Canadian Shikoku Club website - and kudos to them, btw, for finding it and keeping it on their Resources section.
You will do so much more harm than good, by keeping an 8 to 16-week old puppy isolated and "carried" around until the puppy is 4 months old and finished with the vaccine series.
I've said it before and I'll say it once more: I would risk the slight chance of my puppy catching something over the very real risk of having to live with a spook for the next 14 years of my dog's life. Imagine FOURTEEN YEARS of living with a dog that is shy, spooky, afraid of people, reacts violently to normal everyday outdoor things, because you kept it in the house for 4 months. This is NO fun and will only bring you ENDLESS disappointment.
I wouldn't take a puppy out totally unvaccinated, but by 9 weeks or so they have had at least one, if not two shots.
I would think that this principle is even more important in these six breeds, given their possibly suspicious, and/or aloof, and/or timid nature. I don't mean to start an argument about this, but almost every dog expert under the sun knows to socialize/expose puppies to new and novel situations, people, places, things.
Try not to let a un-vaccinated puppy go near or touch things that may have come into contact with another dog or possible disease carrying animal. Puppies are so susceptible to these things, and it's so heart wrenching when you have to deal with a puppy possibly dying because you took them to the wrong place or let them touch something they weren't supposed to. Until you have been through a situation where you may lose your puppy before really getting to know it, you wouldn't understand how terrible it feels. But this is an argument for another thread.
There are places you can take puppies so they will less likely catch something, some home improvement stores for example, just be careful with who and what your puppy interact with as there's no guarantee that he won't catch something. Try to keep dog interactions to those that you KNOW are vaccinated, and try not to take Aki anywhere where dogs often frequent for now.
Also, keep everything as positive and fun as possible. Try to give tons of good experiences and do what you can to avoid or reverse a bad experience. Socialization means nothing if your pups is having lots of bad experiences.
We'll limit the places where go.
Most likely go to friends house, or have friends come over like we are doing already.
Aki seems to be very happy already when we walk her around our neighborhood, watching every car passes by, garage door opens, kids noises, and all the outdoor liveliness.
We have our 2nd vet's appointment on Friday. Aki just turned 3 months old yesterday on the 13th.
I'll move it back if it's an inconvenience.
Introduction section was the only place we were allowed to post when we first join.
Thank you very much again for all the help and advice.
"Socialization means nothing if your pup is having lots of bad experiences."
and it doesn't even take a LOT of bad experiences. some pups are very impressionable. Additionally, they pick up on your vibe, so while you DO want to expose them to a lot as Marion says, it is detrimental to be a "helicopter parent" and be nervous while doing it. He'll know you are nervous and worry. Focus on the places and things that make up his homeworld first, the things he'll see often, the places he'll go, and consider new things that pop up bonus (ie. "Cool! Horses!" or "There must be an election, that's just a paper sign" or "Is that a grocery cart? maybe we can go see it.") Don;t tie yourself in to a pretzel over it but do as much as you can do calmly and ensuring as best you can a happy encounter for pup. Everybody is pleasant, and the new thing is truly no big deal. I don;t know if your dog is shy or fearful but I will just supply this analogy in case: With shy or fearful dogs, every good encounter is like one bubble in a figurative sheet of bubble wrap around your pup, but every bad encounter is like wringing the bubble wrap and popping 100 bubbles, so minimizing bad stuff outweighs adding one more good thing by a lot, but in a single walk around the block you can inflate many good "bubbles" in everything a pup sees for the first time, so keep collecting and enjoy it! Lots of bubbles in his bubble wrap will help him to absorb a bad experience in the future!
I have never given one thought to where my puppy went when he was little, any of my last 4 puppies (but we also did not have a Petco here in town at the time -- one place where I WOULD carry him). I do provide the full puppy vaccination series. Most all other adult dogs are vaccinated; distemper is relatively rare. Not unheard of, but rare. The biggest danger is parvo, so I'd be more inclined to keep my puppy away from other PUPPIES for several months, rather than adult dogs.
It also pays to know when your breeder gave the puppy for shots before she was shipped over, and what they vaccinated the mother with before she was bred. That gives you (or more accurately, your vet) additional information to play with and make an informed decision with. In fact, your vet is your BEST answer as to whether there is a parvo epidemic in town or in your area so that a few extra precautions could be taken.
There are no guarantees about anything. You have to decide what kind of dog you want as a companion for the rest of that dog's life. And Calia, if I lost a puppy to parvo, I'd be heartbroken. And I would expend the same amount of time and effort getting my next puppy out all over again. I will not live with a spook for the next 14 years.
If you have gotten the first set or two of vaccinations you and pup go out and get to see some of the world in areas that are less "contaminated". By car by bike by stroller what ever works that keeps him/her away from really over used waste areas. Maybe a meet some friends who have nice dog friendly dogs that are up on their vaccinations. Puppy-K at a decent center may be helpful too if all the dogs have been checked in with medical.
Even after 16 weeks when your pup is up to date on all boosters and even as an adult there are no guarantees. Immunity varies from being to being. The majority will never have a problem but as always there is the 1% even with all the health precautions in the world. Actually the Vets office can be one of the worst places that spread diseases since that is where people take dogs when sick.
Good luck...
Snf
You can live a fairly normal life filled with fun and little to no disappointments with an under-socialized dog. Maybe it'll be filled with "ENDLESS disappointments" if taking him to the dog park every day is something you wont budget on. I'm not saying don't take them out or take them out. I'm just saying you're making it seem like it would be the end of the world. Sure it'll be harder but hell doesn't even sound like you've ever had personal experience with it so I wouldn't be talking.
If he turned out to be shy, timid, scared in spite of everything I knew how to do, I would at least know that his problem was probably a genetic propensity toward an unstable temperament, and yes, I've known a few of those who ended up that way in spite of their owner's best efforts. But if you DON'T put in the time early on to get them socialized/environmentally enriched/exposed, then you'll never know whether this was inherited, or lack of exposure. I would think the breeder would want to know.
What would I do? I would kick myself for having made a bad mistake in choosing this dog, this line, not doing my homework in checking out the sire/dam or the breeder, and then I would work with the dog as best I could. My dogs are with me for life. I don't give them up. I'd take what they could give me and work with what I had.
Let's face it though. Most dogs aren't like that. Most will come around with even small effort on your part. It doesn't take that much. A few outings a week, just so the puppy sees something new in his life, early on. It's not rocket science.
Point taken about diseases in more crowded areas, Jessica. I raised my first dogs in Fort Collins, CO, and Richmond, VA. There are still places that you can take them if you look -- places where you can enjoy walks with your dog, quiet, non-dog parks, soccer and baseball games, stores that allow them, park playgrounds, fairgrounds, college campuses, any club meetings you might go to -- you have to be looking and thinking about safe places all the time, which is why those two months should be such a commitment on the new owner's part. And part of taking them places is getting them into and out of a car, multiple times per week, which is good for the future adult.
I think the research has shown that if you put this kind of effort into a puppy at this age, you can relax after that. The imprinting into the puppy's brain has been done -- he can now generalize to new and different experiences with confidence and you could probably leave him home for a year. On the other hand, what you don't do during this period, you can never get back, you can never make it up later as well as you could have if you'd spent every free minute with the puppy that you could, from 2 to 4 months (8 to 16 weeks).
But all of the above applies for the companion dog too. You want a dog you can take to your friend's house and be comfortable around the kids, ride in the car, look forward to going for a walk no matter where it's at. I've seen dogs who go hide in the closet, for Pete's sake, if someone comes over to the house. And what about that dog if he goes to the vet? He's petrified. That's what I mean by no fun. It's hard to see them be that way if you love them.
And no, I've never had one like that but I've seen some results from rescue situations where the dogs never got off of their farm and never saw other people for their first five years (we had an English Shepherd rescue situation here not so long ago, 200 dogs -- some of those dogs were catatonic, frozen in fear).
I've never had one like that because I've chosen the companion I'm going to spend the next 14 years of my life with, more carefully than casually, and I've put in the early work during that critical period, to insure a stable, solid temperament.
@MnV: Ultimately, it comes down to a balance between protecting your puppy from health dangers or potentially bad social situations and exposing them to as much as possible as early as possible. Use your judgement. You've shown you care by taking the time to screen breeders and to travel to pickup your puppy. Use that same caring attitude to do what you feel is best for *YOUR* puppy.
Now, since this thread has gotten WAY off topic, I'll wrap up by pointing out that Akiko is ADORABLE! She's in that cute puppy gangly stage with those big ears. Love it! I wish you all the best with your new family member.