Understanding Your Puppy’s

A well-socialised mother dog is more likely to have well-socialised puppies as the puppies ‘feed’ off of their mother’s calm or fearful attitude toward humans.

Puppies are usually weaned at six or seven weeks, but are still learning important skills as their mother gradually leaves them more and more. Ideally, puppies should stay with their litter mates for at least 12 weeks

Puppies that are separated from their litter mates too early often don’t develop appropriate ’social skills’ such as:
• Learning how to send and receive signals,
• What an ‘inhibited bite’ means,
• How far to go in play wrestling, etc

Play is important to help puppies to improve their physical coordination, social skills and learning limits. Interacting with their mother and litter mates helps them to learn ‘how to be a dog’, and is also a way to explore ranking (i.e. who’s in charge).

Skills not acquired during the first eight weeks may be lost forever. While these stages are important and fairly consistent, a dog’s mind remains receptive to new experiences and lessons well beyond puppy-hood. Most dogs are still puppies, in mind and body, through the first two years.

Dogs communicate with their actions, movement of their eyes, ears, mouths, etc, body gestures, tail wagging and more. Know to tune into your dog’s body language, you’ll realize what he’s talking about and what he needs. Of course, each dog, like each human, has his own personality traits. Over time, you’ll no doubt come to learn these individual traits. But there are general moods and behaviors that you can expect from dogs.

Barking
Dogs bark for many reasons, such as when perceived intruders (humans, dogs, or other animals) approach its territory, for identification, when hearing an unfamiliar or unidentified noise, when seeing something that the dog doesn’t expect to be there, or when playing. Barking also expresses different emotions for a dog, such as loneliness, fear, suspicion, stress, and pleasure. Play or excited barks are often short and sharp, such as when a dog is attempting to get a person or another dog to play.

Dogs generally try to avoid conflict; their vocalizations are part of what communicates to other dogs whether they mean harm or are in a playful mood.

The bark of a distressed or stressed dog is high pitched, atonal, and repetitive (and tends to get higher in pitch as the dog becomes more upset). For example, a dog left home alone and who has separation anxiety might bark in such a way.
Some research has suggested that dogs have separate barks for different animals, including dog, fox, deer, human and cat.

Growls
Growls can be used to threaten, to invite play, and to show dominance. Growling should be watched with special attention because it can indicate dominance or aggression. A soft, low-pitched growl often indicates aggression; the dog may feel threatened and may be provoked to attack. An intense growl, without showing any teeth, may often indicate a playful attitude. Always consider the context of a growl, and exercise caution.

Whines and Whimpers
Dogs whine and whimper to show that they are either in pain, or are afraid, or when excited, such as when greeting another dog, or in anticipation of a treat or an outing. Some dogs may use whining as a means of getting attention.

Howls
Howling provides long-range communication with other dogs or owners. Howling can be used to locate another pack member, to keep strangers away, or to call the pack for hunting. Sometimes dogs howl in response to high-pitched or loud noises such as alarms, sirens, music, or singing.

Confidence
Dogs that are confident and comfortable will stand erect. Their tails will be up and wagging in a sweep. The ears may be pricked up or relaxed, and they will look directly at you. The mouth will be partially open in what some call a smile.

Fear
Dogs that are fearful will lower their stance. The tail will usually be down, tucked between his legs, although some dogs actually wag their tails when they are unsure and evaluating a situation. The fearful dog will not look directly at you. When he turns his head away, he’s thinking, ‘hmmm… if I don’t see you, you don’t see me, and nothing bad is going to happen to me.’

Dogs that are fearful or unsure may use “calming signals” to reduce stress for themselves or others with whom they’re interacting. Some of these signals include yawning, barking, intentionally becoming distracted, lip-licking, circling, sniffing the ground, or just sitting or lying down.

Aggression
Certain breeds are hard to read - their tails are naturally curled up, and their ears are always perked up. Some dogs don’t ever give any indication that they are going to bite so watch the dog’s muzzle. A muzzle will twitch before a bite.
Other signs of aggression include stiff legs and body with the tail straight out, ears “pinned” back close to the head, a lowered head with eyes fixed intently at you. The lips are sometimes drawn back in a snarl and a low growl is heard.

Many people mistakenly believe that hackled hair on a dog’s back means they are aggressive. However, these are usually dogs who aren’t at all confident - they’re apprehensive so hackled hair makes them look bigger.

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Kum Chee, SG
Internet Business Coaching

Read more dog tips and pets issues….
More about house training dogs.

Rottweilers have received a bad rap over the years, to the extent that some cities make it illegal to own this breed of dog. The truth is that Rottweilers are usually not the problem at all. Instead it is the owner who does not know how to exercise proper Rottweiler training and socialization. While this breed can have an instinct toward aggression in some circumstances, with proper training, a Rottweiler can make an excellent pet for many families today, including those with children. In addition to becoming a friendly and gentle pet, the Rottweiler can make a good watch dog because he will generally only bark for a reason, and his appearance can be intimidating to potential intruders.

If you have decided a Rottweiler is the right choice for your next family pet, you need to be prepared to begin Rottweiler training the second your puppy sets foot in your home. This breed is intelligent and eager to please, but can also be willful if you do not establish your dominance and house rules right from the beginning.
While some dog owners have experienced common Rottweiler problems while trying to train their pets, you can do much to prevent issues by establishing yourself as your dog’s leader right away. First, always make sure that your dog knows that you control his food source. This never means depriving your dog of a meal, but it does mean that you should be able to pick up his dish during a feeding session without him growling or snapping at you. It can also be established by eating your own meal first, before you feed your pet.

Other ways to establish dominance over your Rottweiler are to always go through a doorway before your pet and to never step around your dog when he is lying in your way. Instead, gently nudge your dog out of your way to let him know that you are in charge of your pack at home. You can also roll your puppy onto his back and rub his tummy. This is a submissive pose that tells your dog that you are in charge of him.
There are horror stories abounding regarding Rottweiler problems that many owners have run into. Keep in mind that most of these problems probably could have been avoided if the owners had trained their dogs properly in the beginning and established their authority over their dogs as the leader of the pack. Rottweilers need regular training sessions until about the age of two, since this is when a Rottweiler is considered fully mature. If you are consistent in your training, you will more than likely end up with a Rottweiler that will obey your commands and respect your authority.

Any dog is a long-term commitment for the owner and Rottweilers are no exception. The time and effort that you put into training your puppy in the beginning will lead to many happy years with your pet and few Rottweiler problems to speak of. Most Rottweilers are intelligent and eager to please, making them a good choice in pets for many dog lovers. Train your Rottweiler right and he will bring you enjoyment and companionship for years to come.

To ensure that your new Rottweiler puppy becomes a welcome member of your family, you must be willing to commit the time to proper Rottweiler training. Since Rottweiler training is such an important component to a successful relationship with your dog, read all you can in articles like this and dog training books to make your training sessions as effective as possible.

Rottweilers are German by origin and have served their masters well from antiquity and were at first, best used to drive cattle as well as to keep guard for their masters. They are affectionately also called Rotty and Rott and are well loved by their owners and by anyone else that comes in contact with them. They are large and very strong dogs and among their Rottweiler problem behavior is the tendency for them to bully others and to be very domineering.

However, a lot of Rottweiler problem behavior has more to do with poor training and less to do with actual faults in its personality, though due to the training requirements may not be the right pet for every family especially the first time dog owner. Proper Rottweiler training to rid this breed of any behavioral problems is not difficult, as the breed like to please it’s owners. Rottweilers are well loved for the companionship they give their owners and they are very affectionate and loyal.
Rottweilers can be good companions and because they are very affectionate and loyal will generally not give their owners many problems, though common areas of concern include being a bit too aggressive and destructive. There are a few questions marks concerning Rottweiler problem behaviors when it concerns old people, little children and those that are frail, though generally the Rottweiler will tolerate these groups of people quite well. However, the major problem most people face with regard to Rottweilers and which cannot be solved through Rottweiler training is their size, which can often cause inadvertent injuries to those who cannot cope with a big high bundle of energy that also has a strongly muscled body.

One common Rottweiler problem behavior is that of bumping and also trying to herd people, which are characteristic of this working type breed. Another Rottweiler problem behavior is that of being destructive and generally it will dig up the ground and chew on whatever it can sink its teeth into. The situation is its worst when the Rottweiler is either a puppy or in early adulthood and thus requires timely and proper Rottweiler training to get it to come out of such problematic behavior. It is also recommended to crate train the Rottweiler in its infant stage and also ensuring that the Rottweiler is confined when the owner is away.
Rottweilers are great companions that will loyally serve you and protect you and they can impress anyone with their calm and confident nature. You will not experience many Rottweiler problem behaviors, as they are loyal, protective and affectionate pets. Your entire family can enjoy your Rottweiler as they are often dubbed gentle giants by most that know the breed. They are, in fact, very courageous and able to keep from suspecting others and thus will socialize well and yet because of their great size make great guard dogs.

Any Rottweiler problem behavior that you notice in your pet can easily be resolved through proper Rottweiler training, and provided you devote enough time and give it much attention, it will remain under your control and not prove to be a difficult pet to own. With proper training, a nutritional diet and quality veterinary care will ensure that your Rottweiler will live a long and happy life.

Although Rottweilers can be bullying and will sometimes show over aggression, with proper Rottweiler training these problems are easily rectified. Though there are few Rottweiler problem behavior, this article and dog training books should provide you with the required information.