In the life of a dog, the first 12, respectively 16 weeks, are very important:    for good imprinting, socialisation and bonding

Read along how we experienced this important stage with our Eurasier puppy dog Don

Diary 2:   4th to  6th month

Diary 3:   6 months to 1 year

Diary 4:   from 1 year onwards

Diary 5:   from 2 years onwards

Diary 1:   until the 4th month:

Our Eurasier female Blikki knew Cher and A-Pia from several ZG walks in the past. When Don and Dinah were 7 seven weeks old, Cher and A-Pia even allowed Blikki to carefully take up contact with Don and Dinah on neutral ground (see picture). Blikki was therefore not surprised to see Don get into our car. To ease any heartache and longing for his old home, a blanket that had accumulated lots of "homey smell" also came along. Our trip home was without any problems. After we arrived at our home, we went into the garden. It was already dark and Blikki helped Don find his way in his new surrounding. Then it was dinner time and after another round in the garden, we were all tired. Don slept at my side in the bedroom (on his blanket on the floor) all through the night. 

Don already knows a lot:  He sits nicely while his collar is attached, he knows his name and will come when called (that is, if no other "pressing business" is on his mind - but "human" quickly learns to realize such situations and then just waits for a better occassion). When watched carefully, Don actually tells when he needs to go out. And puppies need to go out often ! Don also knows the word "NO" and reacts accordingly to it.

Now it is up to us to manifest the things Don already learned and to expand on new things to learn - playfully and by using dog language. Puppies love to learn! With lots of fun and lots of praise. But also with being consistent (a "No" is a "NO") and setting limits. In the next few weeks a few well chosen books are in my easy reach. All in all, Don is our fourth Eurasier, but these books are a welcome reminder and assist me while trying to do my best with bringing up a puppy. Especially the time until the 12th, and 16th week are so very important, as this is the time for imprinting, socialisation and bonding.

Our neighbours are happy with us and also want to cuddle and pat this cuddly little furball called Don.

9 weeks old

On Sunday afternoon we had friends come and visit. A puppy is like a magnet ... Blikki and Don showed our visitors how well they can play and romp in the living room. When we humans all sat at the table, Blikki and Don rested underneath ... and then slept. After our "German coffee and cake" we all went for a short walk together. 

Apart from that, we kept this weekend calm and quiet again to make settling into his new home easier for Don. We also maintained the routine he was used to: playing, cuddling, eating, resting, walking, sleeping make good stepping stones for such a routine.

Don also showed us that he already has a few hobbies: He loves to dip his front paws into the water bowl. He also loves plants very much ... He decorates the garden and also the living room with them according to his own personal taste, preferably using such plants that still have wet earth clinging to them.

Blikki has already started training and educating Don. Now she also included the "taboo game": Blikki took a rawhide chew and let Don see it. Every time he wanted to take it, she held her head so high that he could not reach the chew. Sometimes Blikki would let him chew along, another time she would not. When she did not want Don to have the rawhide, she moved a short distance away from him. Don rolled towards her or carefully sneaked up on the ground to her, always waiting for his chance. To get this chew, Don tried pouncing on top of Blikki. Without success. Maybe pulling her tail will do the trick? Nope. Blikki even sometimes used her paw to ward off Don's attempts to reach the chew! (A show worth watching ... daily. Both apply a lot of thought into what they are doing and every now and then they come up with new ideas and tricks in this game!) 

During our walks - or at our fence - we sometimes meet other dogs. Don is slowly getting to know his new world.  

Dogloving children in the neighbourhood cannot resist coming by every so often. I allow them to cuddle and play with Don for a little while - under my supervision. Blikki is slowly warming up to these children, too, and she will now sometimes even let one or the other child pat her. The children know that Blikki has a "noble reserve" and that she sometimes does not want to be touched. Then she simply keeps a certain distance and the children have learned to respect that.

We make short trips in the car on a daily basis. As the weather is still cool, I feel okay to leave Blikki and Don in the car for a very short while - for just as long as it takes me to dash to the bakery and get a loaf of bread. 

I started with short training intervals - following me (heel) and sit, having ears, paws, etc. checked. etc. - indoors and outdoors and I give lots of praise with my voice, and reward with a treat. During the next few weeks I repeat these short training sessions two, three times a day, whereby each training session never takes longer than five minutes (later ten minutes). Inbetween things Don already does well, I can start adding something new. We always do this with lots of fun and lots of praise. At the end I ask for something very easy, something I know Don can do well. That way I hope to maintain his joy in learning and the following romp and play (and cuddle) session will assist me in building up a close bond with Don. And playing and cuddling with a puppy is so much fun!

10 weeks old

In the afternoon I was visited by a family interested in Eurasiers. Don seemed to sense we would be having visitors  - short before the visitors arrived, he decorated the small rug in the living room with plants he found outside ... Once the visitors were here, Blikki and Don stayed with us for a while, then they played in the garden, Don also played with the two children. But there had been so many new impressions during this day that Blikki and Don were soon tired and then took a long rest ...

Don recognized his breeder family immediately. Greeting them took place outside on our terrace. It was so heart warming to see Don and his breeders so happy. Cuddling, patting, playing and taking pictures inbetween blended into one big activity. Blikki then also accepted Cher and A-Pia in our garden and our home. Another greeting session took place, this time Don with his four-legged mom and grandma. They happily romped and played in the garden. 

Then we went into the living room and playing and cuddling continued on the carpet for a while. 

While we humans sat down at the table for German "coffee and cake", all the dogs settled around the table on the floor and rested ... 

Before the breeders left, another round of roughhousing took place in the garden. 

Don did not have time to feel sorry for himself after his breeding family had left. Three girls from the neighbourhood had an appoinment with us. They had hoped to see Don's mom and grandma, but the girls were just as happy to cuddle and play with Don.  Don was really tired out that evening ...

After all, Blikki and Don are also hungry ... as you can see :-)

11 weeks old

I notice more and more that Blikki is expanding on her training methods with Don. On the way back from our walks, she "attacks" Don and rolls him in the ground. Over and over again. When he stands still and does not dare move on, she invites him to carry on with a play bow. Then she runs quickly in a big circle around him and starts all over again with her wild attacks ...

In the ZG Eurasier club we have a few "younger Eurasiers" at the moment. Here we also exchange hints and tips. It is also great fun listening to and  exchanging the most recent funny experiences ...

Don played more during this lesson than the last time. This time he preferred to play with puppies that were more his size and age (although size normally does not matter much to dogs. "Small dogs" often know how they can command respect in the dog world!). On our way home Blikki and Don slept again, deep and sound. At home we had lunch, and then a long round of roughhousing in the garden and - finally - a rest ... 

After our walk in the late afternoon, two boys from the neighbourhood played with Don in our garden. I stayed with them for light supervision. A lady from the neighbourhood also came by with her elderly dachshound and we (Blikki and I) had a nice chat with them over the fence. After dinnertime both Blikki and Don were bushed. For once, I could find some time to do a bit of computer work.

Apart from a good free run and some play time, our afternoon walk included a large part on the leash for Don again, and he did so well. According to the instructions of our trainer, I did not tell Don to "heel" and did not make him stay that close. Don never pulled, simply followed me or was a little in front, always with a loose leash.

12 weeks old

Our next puppy training session is planned to take place in the town of Bad Münstereifel. So far, I have not "done" much "down town", and so, to prepare Don for this, I walked Blikki and Don up and down a not so busy shopping street. Don did really well. I also noticed that walking with such a cute little furball at your side draws some attention !

On our way back home, I made a short stop at the flower shop to get another spring plant (Guess why !? Correct, my little "decorator" had his own ideas over the weekend). I left Don in the car for that short moment.  This went so well that I had the courage to go and get a fresh bread as well. When we came home, I left Don in the car again to just quickly deposit the plant in a safe place first, but this was asking TOO much. Don protested. (Okay, I admit, he saw we were home and he probably wanted to see Blikki, now, too). I did not open the car as long as he was still protesting, as I did not want to reward that behaviour. I told Don "No" and gave him the hand signal to "sit". He calmed down, and then sat. Then I opened the door and carried him out of the car.

We were told that the vaccinations could make Don a bit sleepy and that he might even feel some discomfort. Sure enough, our little puppy whined a bit in the afternoon and so I did not take Blikki and Don for the "Games and Fun" course. We simply spent a calm day at home and in the garden, resting, cuddling, playing, and lateron a short walk helped to distract Don a bit.

Both photos:

Ramona Karnadi

Aragorn and Angi

also see:

www.doggen-zuechter.de

On our way home, Don had to stay in the car for a moment again as I needed to pop into the bakery. No problem. At home, Don and Blikki got their lunch, and had a long play session in the garden. Then Don was bushed. In the afternoon, I had an appointment with a family with children who were interested in meeting some Eurasiers and learning more about them. Blikki and Don came to the door to greet them and once we were all settled in the living room, I gave every child tiny pieces of treats they could give to Blikki and Don. Don was so tired from our morning that he soon fell asleep and slept through most of the time our visitors were here. Short before they wanted to leave, Don slowly woke up. We all went into the garden, where the children could enjoy a small play session with Don - using his fluffy and tug toys so that they had a "buffer" from his crocodile milkteeth.

Don still likes to decorate with flowers, and so I have to get a new flower every now and then. But, Blikki has been tattle-taling on Don! Whenever she comes to me without Don, I know there's something fishy and sure enough, Don usually just got hold of a spring flower. Blikki is a big help in trying to stop this flowery hobby becoming one of Don's obsessions ...

13 weeks old

We can enjoy a few days all together again :-)

Of course Don wanted to take a "close up look" at the Easter flowers that I had put outside for decoration. I therefore decided to make the flowers "taboo": I introduced each little flower pot one by one to Don and told him this flower pot was "NO". In addition, while we were having a photo session with him and the flowers to make a few nice Easter photos, we kept Don under close supervision (and control). This not only resulted in a few lovely Easter photos, but also: Ever since Don has not touched one flower !!!  

Remark: How a grown dog - male or female - makes things "taboo" for puppies, was once observed by Eberhard Trumler. He described many such observations in his books and films, and such observations from canine experts (Mead, Zimen, Bloch, Paquet, Coppinger, etc.) help us to understand dog language and find adequate ways of dealing with certain situations - by applying appropriate dog language.

I maintained our daily little training sessions and managed to include new things, too. A lot became necessary during normal, every day life. Instead of "heel", which would not YET be done correctly, I say "With". "With", "Sit", "Come" and "Down" are done reliably by Don. "On your side" is also very practical as it enables me to check his paws and tummy and/or brush his tummy. We have also used "Stand", "Path" (stay on the path), "Go on", "Stop", "Quick, quick" during our walks on the lead, but these things still need more practice before I can start using them without a lead. "Back" has also been applied (otherwise the door to the garden will not open) ... etc., etc. "Sit" and then having to wait while I take a few steps away from Don is still a bit difficult. Don wants to follow me then. We will keep practising :-) Whenever applicable, I also use hand signals together with the word.

Sunshine and warmer temperatures made it necessary to start leaving Don and Blikki in the house while I had a few errands to run. Waiting in the car would have been too hot. By now, we have found a regular daily routine, with set times for resting periods. I use these rest periods to run my errands. I assume that both Blikki and Don sleep while I am gone and while they are alone in the house. Every time I came back, everything was still where it was before I left, well, maybe one toy was somewheres else. Don sometimes snatched one of my hiking shoes. The shoe is still intact, and Don only seems to snuggle up to it. I can put up with that. Some books on dog training recommend to give a dog an old pullover with your scent when you leave him on his own. Instead of a pullover, Don gets my shoe ...

I can slowly expand our walks: We start off by foot from our home, on the lead, and explore the neighbourhood a little, before we get to the fields and acres right next to our living quarters. There, Blikki and Don can run free a bit. All in all, these walks should still be rather short, as the ligaments, tendons and muscles of a young dog have to build up in the first year. Voluntary free play on a meadow or grass is preferred. 

14 weeks old

The grass was cut, and our weekend could begin. Although quite a few things had accumulated that were waiting to be done, my husband found time to accompany us on our walks. We enjoyed the lovely, warm weather and the precious time together. In the Photo Gallery you can find a few pictures as a result :-)

The rest of the week was "business as usual". We kept to our routine with our daily little walks, a car ride every now and then, and our daily little training sessions. During the resting periods, I left Blikki and Don on their own in the house for about an hour or even an hour and a half. Some things just could not be postponed any longer and needed to be done. It was good to experience I can leave Blikki and Don on their own for such a time span. 

During the week I also had plenty of time to play and cuddle with both Blikki and Don. Blikki and Don are often inseparably rolled together in a ball playing, and actually roll in front of our feet every now and then. But, a few occasions arise during which my husband and I can usually play and cuddle with just one of the dogs. This is important, too.

Up to now, the weather had been mostly dry during the evenings, and so our door to the terrace was mostly open while I cooked. Blikki and Don could go in and out as they pleased. Last week we had rain, and the dogs were inside while I was cooking. Suddenly I noticed that Don left the kitchen as soon as I switched on an electrical appliance that removes kitchen odours ... ( I must admit, that appliance even gets on my own nerves, but loud as it is, it does help to get the kitchen odours out fairly quickly). So far, I had not noticed this behaviour of Don, which was no wonder - after all, Blikki and Don were usually outside while I was cooking. So now that I knew, I first turned the appliance off. Then I lured Don into the kitchen and gave him a few treats. For a very short while, I switched the appliance on again, during which I gave Don the most delicious treats I had. The next evening I repeated this a few times, keeping the appliance on for a bit longer each time. This method worked. After two, three days, Don now comes close to this loud and noisy appliance again.

By the way, since Easter, Don has not plucked or stolen any flowers anymore :-)

Pictures from the open-air museum in Kommern: 

Travelling in Time

15 weeks old

A note about stairs: We were determined to not let Don walk any stairs with many steps during his first year. But already during the first few days he was with us, he attempted to climb UP the stairway. Per day we never let him do this more than once or highest twice. Luckily, he still does not (yet) feel courageous enough to walk DOWN the stairs. I rather carry him, up and down.

And finally I got to see the famous man with a barrel organ. He had been so kind to lend us his chapeau for the front page of this homepage. Experiencing this man wearing his chapeau and playing the barrel organ, was really a special treat, and having Don with us, made it even more special. This man has a really beautiful nostalgic barrel organ that can play so many wonderful songs. Great!!!

On Sunday we took Blikki and Don with us to an open-air museum in Kommern, where one can travel back in time: Freilichtmuseum Kommern. One can take well-behaved dogs along, but may not take them into the buildings that are exhibited. It was very interesting and we plan to go there more often. We walked from one building group to the next and took turns looking inside each old building, while one of us was always outside with the dogs. We were so lucky with the weather, the sun came through despite the many dark clouds. 

Now we had warm temperatures. On Friday we got a special treat: The trainer of the new puppy course was looking for a few owners with puppies who were willing to participate in an "extra lesson" for a special occasion. 8 to 10 puppies, aged 12 to 16 weeks, met in the afternoon and - much to our delight - were allowed to play free in a large living room first. Then we all went into the forest for that special lesson. For such joyful occassions we will gladly act as "statists" again :-)

16 weeks old

The Eifel in Germany offers a lot of places worth sightseeing. On Sunday, my husband took us to see the Kakus-caves near Eiserfey. One can imagine a group of stoneage people living in this cave system, and really: there are stoneage findings to back this!

Between 300 and 50 before Christ celts lived in this cave system.

It was fun to explore the cave inside and outside. Blikki and Don enjoyed this adventure, too.

On our way home, we made a stop at the "Roman Water Storage Room" near Kallmuth. This is one of the many documents from Roman times in the Eifel. This very well restored and documented water storage room describes the beginning of the Roman water pipes in the Eifel, which were 95,4 km long ...

You can find more information and photos here:

Kakus cave and Roman Water Storage Room in the Eifel, Germany

See picture: Don met his grandfather there! He also had a lot of fun playing with other young Eurasiers such as a young Eurasier female named Chiara

Here Don met his other grandmother and he found many, many Eurasiers to play with !

I was especially happy to meet 12 year old Arwen again and her family again.

The story continues here:  

Diary part 2:   4th to 6th month