preserving the future
Some things To Do
Make sure all experiences are pleasant and non-threatening. If puppy's first experience with something is painful and frightening you may create a phobia that could last a lifetime. It is better to take it slowly than to rush or force puppy into meeting new things and people.
õ Invite friends over to meet your pup. Include men, women, youngsters, older people, different ethnic backgrounds, etc.
õ Invite friendly, healthy, vaccinated dogs, puppies home to play with your new puppy. Take your puppy to the homes of these pets.
õ Carry your pup to shopping centers, parks, school playgrounds, etc; places where there are crowds of people and plenty of activity.
õ Take your puppy for short, frequent rides in the care. Stop the car and let your puppy watch the world go by through the window.
õ Introduce your puppy to umbrellas, bags, boxes, the vacuum cleaner, etc. Encourage your puppy to explore and investigate his environment.
õ Introduce your puppy to new and various sounds. Loud noises should be introduced from a distance and gradually brought closer.
õ Accustom puppy to seeing different and unfamiliar objects by creating your own. Set a chair upside down. Lay an empty garbage bin on its side, set up the ironing board right-side up one day and upside down the next.
õ Accustom your puppy to being brushed, bathed, inspected, having its nails clipped, teeth and ears cleaned, and all the routines of grooming and physical examination.
õ Introduce your puppy to stairs, to its own collar and lead/Introduce anything and everything you want your puppy to be comfortable with and around.
Make sure all experiences are pleasant and non-threatening. If puppy's first experience with something is painful and frightening you may create a phobia that could last a lifetime. It is better to take it slowly than to rush or force puppy into meeting new things and people.
õ Invite friends over to meet your pup. Include men, women, youngsters, older people, different ethnic backgrounds, etc.
õ Invite friendly, healthy, vaccinated dogs, puppies home to play with your new puppy. Take your puppy to the homes of these pets.
õ Carry your pup to shopping centers, parks, school playgrounds, etc; places where there are crowds of people and plenty of activity.
õ Take your puppy for short, frequent rides in the care. Stop the car and let your puppy watch the world go by through the window.
õ Introduce your puppy to umbrellas, bags, boxes, the vacuum cleaner, etc. Encourage your puppy to explore and investigate his environment.
õ Introduce your puppy to new and various sounds. Loud noises should be introduced from a distance and gradually brought closer.
õ Accustom puppy to seeing different and unfamiliar objects by creating your own. Set a chair upside down. Lay an empty garbage bin on its side, set up the ironing board right-side up one day and upside down the next.
õ Accustom your puppy to being brushed, bathed, inspected, having its nails clipped, teeth and ears cleaned, and all the routines of grooming and physical examination.
õ Introduce your puppy to stairs, to its own collar and lead/Introduce anything and everything you want your puppy to be comfortable with and around.
Do Not
õ Put your puppy on the ground where unknown animals have access. This is where your puppy can pick up diseases. Wait until your puppy's shots are completed. Do not let your pup socialize with dogs that appear sick or dogs that you don't know, that may not be vaccinated.
õ Reward fearful behavior. In a well meaning attempt to sooth, encourage or calm the puppy when it appears frightened, we often unintentionally reward the behavior. It's normal for the puppy to show some signs of apprehension when confronting anything new and different.
õ Do not allow the experience to be harmful, painful or excessively frightening. This can cause lifetime phobias in your dog.
õ Force or rush your puppy. Let your puppy take things at his own pace. Your job is to provide the opportunity.
õ Do too much at one time. Young puppies need a lot of sleep and tire quickly. It is much more productive to have frequent and very brief exposures than occasional prolonged exposures.
õ Do not wait! Every day that passes is an opportunity that is lost forever. You can never get these days back.
õ Put your puppy on the ground where unknown animals have access. This is where your puppy can pick up diseases. Wait until your puppy's shots are completed. Do not let your pup socialize with dogs that appear sick or dogs that you don't know, that may not be vaccinated.
õ Reward fearful behavior. In a well meaning attempt to sooth, encourage or calm the puppy when it appears frightened, we often unintentionally reward the behavior. It's normal for the puppy to show some signs of apprehension when confronting anything new and different.
õ Do not allow the experience to be harmful, painful or excessively frightening. This can cause lifetime phobias in your dog.
õ Force or rush your puppy. Let your puppy take things at his own pace. Your job is to provide the opportunity.
õ Do too much at one time. Young puppies need a lot of sleep and tire quickly. It is much more productive to have frequent and very brief exposures than occasional prolonged exposures.
õ Do not wait! Every day that passes is an opportunity that is lost forever. You can never get these days back.
Puppy's first year
Isolation during puppy’s first year can csuse problems to develop. A few may become aggressive but most may become overly shy or timid. They lack confidence around new people or situations. Cower or hide when meeting strangers. May jerk at their lead to get away from children or other pets.
Forced into new situations your dog may sit shaking behind you.
Worst case scenario, is fear biting. A behavioural pattern where a dog does not know how to react. If they are afraid when meeting new people or animals they attempt to bite out of fear. If this develops, it can be difficult to work through.
Remember, socialising your puppy exposes it to many experiences it can store away in its memory bank. Giving puppy a wide range of experiences influences its reactions to future situations - positive and negative.
Involve puppy in your daily activities and you will have a well adjusted, happy dog.
Isolation during puppy’s first year can csuse problems to develop. A few may become aggressive but most may become overly shy or timid. They lack confidence around new people or situations. Cower or hide when meeting strangers. May jerk at their lead to get away from children or other pets.
Forced into new situations your dog may sit shaking behind you.
Worst case scenario, is fear biting. A behavioural pattern where a dog does not know how to react. If they are afraid when meeting new people or animals they attempt to bite out of fear. If this develops, it can be difficult to work through.
Remember, socialising your puppy exposes it to many experiences it can store away in its memory bank. Giving puppy a wide range of experiences influences its reactions to future situations - positive and negative.
Involve puppy in your daily activities and you will have a well adjusted, happy dog.
World experiences
In the old days dogs were confined to the backyard for fear of disease or because they weren’t welcome n many places.
Today so many dogs are living in suburban backyards so things have changed. It is critical to continue their exposure to the world.
You can help your dog experience the world:
õ visit the local shops to pick up the bread and papers together
õ go to the beach for a swim and play in the sand
õ sit with coffee at an outside cafe and watch the world go by
õ going for a family picnic in a park
õ going to a fete or the Million Paws Walk
õ going to an obedience club
White shepherds are our companions and deserve to share your life as much as possible.
In the old days dogs were confined to the backyard for fear of disease or because they weren’t welcome n many places.
Today so many dogs are living in suburban backyards so things have changed. It is critical to continue their exposure to the world.
You can help your dog experience the world:
õ visit the local shops to pick up the bread and papers together
õ go to the beach for a swim and play in the sand
õ sit with coffee at an outside cafe and watch the world go by
õ going for a family picnic in a park
õ going to a fete or the Million Paws Walk
õ going to an obedience club
White shepherds are our companions and deserve to share your life as much as possible.
Things to occupy the mind
White shepherds need something to occupy their minds when left alone. You really don’t want your garden torn up or holes dug in the lawn out of boredom.
A whole range of toys should be kept to entertain your whit shepherd. Toys divert their attention from destructive activities — and should be a key element in playing with your dog.
Some ideas:
õ Visit your pet shop and check out the range of commercial toys. Choose robust toys and make sure no parts can be swallowed or cause damage!
õ Make toys from things you have. A piece of garden hose; rags tied in a bundle; a plastic bottle. The only limit is your imagination. Make sure what you give your dog can not cause harm. Always supervise your dog when giving them a new toy.
õ Have at least 10 toys your white shepherd can play with unsupervised. Rotate them and leave four or five out each day. Also have special toys only brought out when you are interacting and playing with them.
õ Enjoy your white shepherd. Spend time playing. Run around, chasing, play wrestle - but only on your terms. You do not want this game as a way of developing dominance over you. Such games should only be played with a well socialised dog that shows no aggressive tendencies.
õ Play hide and seek with an extra person. Know how to read your dog and make sure your dog isn’t acting from aggression.
õ And of course train your dog; find a local obedience club. And love your dog.
White shepherds need something to occupy their minds when left alone. You really don’t want your garden torn up or holes dug in the lawn out of boredom.
A whole range of toys should be kept to entertain your whit shepherd. Toys divert their attention from destructive activities — and should be a key element in playing with your dog.
Some ideas:
õ Visit your pet shop and check out the range of commercial toys. Choose robust toys and make sure no parts can be swallowed or cause damage!
õ Make toys from things you have. A piece of garden hose; rags tied in a bundle; a plastic bottle. The only limit is your imagination. Make sure what you give your dog can not cause harm. Always supervise your dog when giving them a new toy.
õ Have at least 10 toys your white shepherd can play with unsupervised. Rotate them and leave four or five out each day. Also have special toys only brought out when you are interacting and playing with them.
õ Enjoy your white shepherd. Spend time playing. Run around, chasing, play wrestle - but only on your terms. You do not want this game as a way of developing dominance over you. Such games should only be played with a well socialised dog that shows no aggressive tendencies.
õ Play hide and seek with an extra person. Know how to read your dog and make sure your dog isn’t acting from aggression.
õ And of course train your dog; find a local obedience club. And love your dog.
Backyard blues
Many white shepherds will spend a lot of time in the backyard.
So it has to be a good environment for your dog. Consider this, if you walked your dog 2 hours a day, 7 days a week most dogs will still spend around 90% of their life in the backyard.
There is always something we can do to improve our dog’s life at home. Many owners work all day; go out; and the dog spends much time alone.
But, it is simple to change their life. Here are some things to consider:
õ Can your dog see outside his environment? If your dog can see what is going on outside this will entertain for hours. What blocks that view for your dog? Think about putting in a section of see-through fencing, or turning your front yard into the ‘backyard’.
õ Give your white shepherd room to move. Does the backyard have lots of ‘no go’ area? A vegetable garden; flowerbeds? How much is actually your dog’s? Give your dog its own areas; a digging pit, an activity area. Remember your dog uses the backyard more than you. Break up the monotony of the square yard with a few trees. Give your white shepherd some privacy; a kennel … somewhere safe and warm.
õ If your dog sleeps outside, position the kennel close to the kitchen or a window where he can see in to the house. Watching you go about daily life will relieve the boredom and they can see what is going on.
Many white shepherds will spend a lot of time in the backyard.
So it has to be a good environment for your dog. Consider this, if you walked your dog 2 hours a day, 7 days a week most dogs will still spend around 90% of their life in the backyard.
There is always something we can do to improve our dog’s life at home. Many owners work all day; go out; and the dog spends much time alone.
But, it is simple to change their life. Here are some things to consider:
õ Can your dog see outside his environment? If your dog can see what is going on outside this will entertain for hours. What blocks that view for your dog? Think about putting in a section of see-through fencing, or turning your front yard into the ‘backyard’.
õ Give your white shepherd room to move. Does the backyard have lots of ‘no go’ area? A vegetable garden; flowerbeds? How much is actually your dog’s? Give your dog its own areas; a digging pit, an activity area. Remember your dog uses the backyard more than you. Break up the monotony of the square yard with a few trees. Give your white shepherd some privacy; a kennel … somewhere safe and warm.
õ If your dog sleeps outside, position the kennel close to the kitchen or a window where he can see in to the house. Watching you go about daily life will relieve the boredom and they can see what is going on.
© UWSA 2007 all rights reserved
All photos & text are the property of UWSA. Contact us for permission to use anything on this website. We are not affiliated with any other orgsnisation unless specifically stated.
a kymdunbar.com design
Learn More about White Shepherds
Early socialisation is important to your new puppy's development. The more puppy experiences the better.
The critical socialisation period is from 3 to 14 weeks.
Traditionally pups were kept away from the outside world for fear of infectious diseases. A pup that experiences few other dogs and humans before this age may not be as confident and friendly as it could be.
Puppy should go its new home is before 10 weeks as they adapt well to new sights and sounds before 16 weeks old.
Teach your new puppy to accept handling from you and your family, and from visitors to your home. Teach your puppy to sit before being patted; and gently handle different parts of their body such as the ears, teeth, and feet.
Puppy needs to accept food being removed from its mouth and having its food bowl touched while eating. This teaches acceptance and reduces food aggression. Scold puppy if it shows resentment when removing or touching its food. Lavishly praise and return the food if it allows it to be handled. Never tease a dog with food.
Dogs love to accompany their humans wherever they go. Even if they don’t take many car trips make sure your pup is familiar with the car. Do not take puppy in the car after a meal as it may suffer motion sickness initially. Keep trips short and encourage puppy to sit or lie on the back seat.
A week or two after the first injection , most pups have a good level of immunity against disease.
Puppy can now meet other vaccinated dogs; expose them to a wide variety of environments and places. High risk areas where lots of other dogs go (e.g. the local park) are best avoided.
But the risk must be balanced against the benefits gained from early socialisation.
Once the puppy is fully protected then it is time to expand its world.
Never have your dog on the street unless on a lead, especially an untrained young dog.
Walk puppy on a loose lead on your left side with puppy's head level with your left leg. If puppy surges ahead gently tug on the lead and simultaneously give the command ‘heel’. When the pup returns to the correct position lavishly give praise and even use food treats. Remember to keep walks short until puppy is 12 months old.
Socialise your pup in busy areas; subject it to crowds and traffic. Allow people to pat puppy if they ask.
Dog training classes are held in most areas and are an excellent, inexpensive way to train your dog to be a good companion.
Many vets hold puppy preschool sessions and are good for a young pup’s socialisation.
At 16 weeks puppies should be fully immunised, so before this age socialisation is balanced against guarding puppy from getting sick.
The critical socialisation period is from 3 to 14 weeks.
Traditionally pups were kept away from the outside world for fear of infectious diseases. A pup that experiences few other dogs and humans before this age may not be as confident and friendly as it could be.
Puppy should go its new home is before 10 weeks as they adapt well to new sights and sounds before 16 weeks old.
Teach your new puppy to accept handling from you and your family, and from visitors to your home. Teach your puppy to sit before being patted; and gently handle different parts of their body such as the ears, teeth, and feet.
Puppy needs to accept food being removed from its mouth and having its food bowl touched while eating. This teaches acceptance and reduces food aggression. Scold puppy if it shows resentment when removing or touching its food. Lavishly praise and return the food if it allows it to be handled. Never tease a dog with food.
Dogs love to accompany their humans wherever they go. Even if they don’t take many car trips make sure your pup is familiar with the car. Do not take puppy in the car after a meal as it may suffer motion sickness initially. Keep trips short and encourage puppy to sit or lie on the back seat.
A week or two after the first injection , most pups have a good level of immunity against disease.
Puppy can now meet other vaccinated dogs; expose them to a wide variety of environments and places. High risk areas where lots of other dogs go (e.g. the local park) are best avoided.
But the risk must be balanced against the benefits gained from early socialisation.
Once the puppy is fully protected then it is time to expand its world.
Never have your dog on the street unless on a lead, especially an untrained young dog.
Walk puppy on a loose lead on your left side with puppy's head level with your left leg. If puppy surges ahead gently tug on the lead and simultaneously give the command ‘heel’. When the pup returns to the correct position lavishly give praise and even use food treats. Remember to keep walks short until puppy is 12 months old.
Socialise your pup in busy areas; subject it to crowds and traffic. Allow people to pat puppy if they ask.
Dog training classes are held in most areas and are an excellent, inexpensive way to train your dog to be a good companion.
Many vets hold puppy preschool sessions and are good for a young pup’s socialisation.
At 16 weeks puppies should be fully immunised, so before this age socialisation is balanced against guarding puppy from getting sick.
Socialise your White Shepherd from the Beginning
Main Menu
.jpg)
