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This is a very good e-book, written by Turid Rugaas, to help new owners to understand and meet the needs of their puppy.
As a dogtrainer I really can highly recommend it. When it comes to raising a puppy, there are still so many myths that are stubbornly carried forward, despite the fact that they are now obsolete and completely outdated.
Too many methods, books or articles recommend to force very young puppies into a too early interspecific “socialization”, literally throwing young pups, that had left their mom and siblings some day before, into puppy classes, where the pups with bully characters easily scare the sensitive ones. And I forgot: while you are watching with a mixed feeling, you'll be told “they'll handle it among themselves”. No, they won't, because they don't know each other, they are not friends or siblings playing together. They just try to "survive" the class.
When the puppy arrives people overwhelm the baby from the very beginning with too much of everything like going Immediately to big shopping centers or inviting immediately friends and family over to greet the puppy and everyone calls the puppy from a different part of the room. And then, when the pup disappears under the couch, they wonder “why is he/she so scared, isn't he/she properly Socialized"?
Socialisation. Turns out that this is the most misinterpreted word of all!
Italy Greyhounds are more sensitive in everything. Often people are fixed on the word Early socialization but: nobody cares about the fact that for the puppy it is a big challenge to enter a new home. They have just lost momma, siblings and the humans that raised them, fed them, played, cuddled and walked them, and have now to arrange theirselves in a completely new environment. Far from momma dog, far from siblings, far from the humans they trusted even in scary situations (like the first walks on leash or all the vet visits etc etc)
Once they left their family, they only need calm environment to settle in. They first have to know you and the new home, the smells, the different routine, the absence of their siblings and momma. They first have created a bond with the new owner, as they don't know who these people are. The new family first needs to gain their trust first. If I can walk my puppy in an airport full of people and he/she is calm and relaxed, it's because he or she trusts ME. It won't be the same if I would give the leash of the same puppy to a complete stranger. In socialization “trust” is where it starts everything. You first need to gain the trust plus learn to behave calm and relaxed in front of your puppy and everything with be fine. A superstressed and anxious human will grow the pup in a superstressed and anxious dog. Lets keep things smooth and easy and then slowly increase. Just like we do with our human babies. the funny fact is, that with our human babies we are perfectly capable of dose the right amount of stimuli to our human children. No one would ever think about dragging a baby or toddler from one stressful situation to another, the same day. With children we don't feel the crushing weight of “socialize our baby”; it's natural to do that, without even thinking about it: we simply enjoy our time together, our walks, we enjoy to show them our world gradually, slowly increasing the stress level based on babies response. We don't allow people to wake up our babies when they're sleeping, we would not allow anyone to do this. So let's say that it's not as different with puppies.
I want my puppies first to learn to speak “dog” and properly read the body language of other dogs. They are dogs, not human babies and they first need education from momma dog and then the rest of the . That's important for their future life. That's why I never separate the momma from the babies and I never give medicines to interrupt the lactation. Example: momma gives important lesson telling NO when it's time to wean. Puppies must learn to read dogs body languages. That's so important for their development.
Turid has a natural approach, I like her points of view a lot as I am a big fan of her, I think this book could be a precious help that shows people what's going on in a puppy brain.
Maybe this book can help you to better understand your puppy and to stress yourself less.
Find out more from Lupavaro: Italian Greyhound breeders in Italy
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