When you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras
🌟 When you hear hoof beats, think horses before zebras. 🌟
If you’ve ever owned or been around a tricky dog, you are naturally more sensitive to behavioural changes than other people.
My current malinois puppy Halo was purposely chosen from very good stable lines, proven at the highest levels of sport and service. After the hard work of raising my kelpie Needle, this pup has been a breeze so far (touch wood) and so chill about most things provided her high drive puppy needs are being appropriately met. But ALL puppies go through different developmental phases, and this past week she has been a bit more sensitive around things she normally wouldn’t be bothered by.
Having owned and worked with the tricky dogs, I could very easily panic in this situation and over compensate. More exposure to the scary thing, throw the treats at it, panic on sight of possible triggers feeding that down the leash to her and make it a much bigger deal than it needs to be. Some of these interventions may help, but over reacting can also backfire and sensitise our dogs to things even more. I see this happen a lot in people who have their first dog after their challenging dog - like we’re holding our breath waiting for that fire to start so that we’re ready to extinguish the very first hint of an ember.
We really need to remember that like human children, puppies go through different sensitivity periods. It’s very normal and expected to see their world view fluctuate a bit as they progress through adolescence towards more independence as an adult. And for most dogs, if we take a breath, step back a little to focus on our relationship and just let them mature a bit without practicing the unwanted behaviours too much they tend to come through it. Sometimes it’s the first time dog owners who do this best, because they don’t know what the red flags are so they just let the dog be without putting too much pressure on it!
Now this isn’t always the case and there are some red flags I would still want to act on if I saw them coming up in a puppy, especially if I know their lines or breed lean a certain way. Early and precise intervention with a good trainer in those cases can be key, and in severe sudden changes in behaviour we may also do well checking in with our vets to rule out any pain related causes. If in doubt, a second opinion never hurts.
But if your usually really stable puppy from behaviourally sound breeding looks a little funny at something, take a breath and think horses before leaping to zebras. There’s a good chance it’s just another developmental stage, and with the right calm and steady support on your side they’ll come through just fine. Even the best dogs have to find their feet as youngsters!
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If you are struggling with your young dog or puppy and want some personal support, get in touch to discuss training options. Hello@wolfedogs.nz
