We asked new puppy owners from over 25 SIRIUS® puppy classes to list their most burning questions about raising a puppy. Below Dr. Dunbar answers the most frequently asked questions from our survey in rank order. 

Even though few of us are fluent in the many dog languages, most of us can tell the difference between a friendly dog and an unfriendly one. The dog seems to get the message across with very little difficulty. It is as easy to sense the aura of a confident, relaxed and easygoing dog as it is to observe specific behaviors and body postures. Such dogs fairly exude warmth and friendliness — head held high with a big doggy laugh, gamboling gait and curved tail wagging the dog's rump. Similarly, one can literally feel the tension emanating from a dog that is not friendly — head lowered, ears flattened, piercing stare, teeth bared and growling, pilo-erection along the back, stiff-legged, and tail held high, straight, stiff and usually vibrating.

Survey results are often accepted unquestionably without considering the representative database, the validity of the results, or even, whether or not the findings make sense. Because it is written down, it must be the gospel truth. Quite frankly though, I have yet to read even a single published survey on the breed incidence of biting, which would receive a grade better than F in a kindergarten midterm examination. More disturbing, once these hopelessly unreliable and unrepresentative surveys are edited, expurgated, bowdlerised and summarized to an hundred words or less for popular consumption by our ant-brained tabloid media, the remaining newsprint is hardly fit for paper-training puppies. It would not be so bad if the surveys were merely frivolous.

Socialization is the process of becoming familiar with all kinds of animals, people, places, and things; as well as learning how to behave in society. All puppies need socialization regardless of breed, type, or temperament. Please do not take this for granted, regardless of your breed description. Even dogs from breeds that have a very good reputation for loving people will need to be thoroughly socialized as puppies, to make sure that they have lots of great experiences being around all kinds of different people. And more importantly, breeds that are known to be less social (often described as aloof) must be socialized to grow up to love to be around people in order to be good canine citizens (and not end up in news headlines).

Many breeders and trainers employ aptitude/temperament tests for the evaluation of litters, or to determine the tractability and trainability of individual puppy prospects. The several tests in existence are basically variations on the same theme, and the prototypical test comprises evaluations of: eagerness to approach and follow (both assessments of social attraction towards people); response to handling and restraint; activity level; and reactivity to sound, sudden movement and other physical and social stimuli. However, the maximal benefits of testing are seldom realized because test scores are not validated, test results are frequently misinterpreted, and tests are rarely used in the intended manner. Understanding the limitations of aptitude tests considerably enhances their usefulness for the evaluation and prediction of behavior, temperament and above all, training.

Validity of Test Scores