​Our Expectation of Puppies

Do we have fair expectations when we are dealing with baby puppies (4-10 weeks or so)?

A smart trainer once taught me to be more realistic in my expectation of baby puppies.
Dogs, he said, have a fight or flight mechanism. But baby Puppies have only flight. In the wild, a wolf or coyote pup that struts confidently into a new space, or charges at a loud sudden sound, is typically a dead pup. They have no ability to fight and defend themselves. Nature is unforgiving.
We as breeders of domestic dogs have such high expectations of our puppies. We want to see no sense of caution. No self preservation. No hesitation. Immediate recovery when startled. Indifference or even bold curiosity of new footings, spaces, noises, other animals (including humans). We want to see our puppies leap into water and immediately swim like fish. Drag us up to new people and dogs and confidently say hi. Boldly strut through those automatic doors into our favorite pet friendly department store.
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We’ve been selectively breeding these dogs for generations, to be fearless. To lack caution. To have no sense of self preservation. And sometimes we achieve that. Sometimes an individual puppy, sometimes a whole litter, sometimes an entire line of dogs possess those traits and produces puppies who have no concept of danger.
Sometimes we allow ourselves to become spoiled by it, and to think less of a baby puppy who may need a moment. We need to remind ourselves that it’s not only ok, but NATURAL, for a baby puppy with no ability to defend itself to show a bit of caution, to pause and take everything in before proceeding, to look before he leaps. As breeders and handlers, it’s our duty to help our puppies gain confidence in new situations and spaces so that as they grow from baby puppy to rambunctious pirhana, they learn to trust us to never put them in a dangerous situation. They learn to be bold and fearless and they gain confidence with every successful venture. Every time they encounter a loud sound, unsteady footing, new person/animal, or cross a new threshold, and nothing bad happens, their trust in us and in themselves grows exponentially, leading to a self assured adventurous and courageous adult.
While those bold fearless babies are certainly fun, their confidence can also be the thing that causes fear issues as they mature, if they don’t have a very attentive and thoughtful handler. Puppies who tend to rush into things will eventually find themselves in over their heads- possibly even injured- and it doesn’t take many bad experiences to undermine a puppy’s self confidence. Fear can turn into a near phobic response if mishandled, and lifelong baggage can be created much more easily than you’d think. Puppies require careful and attentive handling, whether they are a bit cautious by nature or tend to charge in without a second thought. Both types of puppy can grow to be successful, outgoing, forward dogs with the right handling!!
Now, not EVERY puppy has the genetic makeup to conquer the world, regardless of how well they are handled and socialized. Some dogs have genetically weaker nerve, that can be somewhat masked with good training but will always be there. When you have a puppy that has had every advantage and after months of work is still overly cautious and wary of strangers, new places, loud sounds or even just being handled, an honest breeder/handler has to acknowledge to themselves what that puppy is, and what it isn’t, so they can make the best choices both with that dog and with their potential breeding plans in the future. Not every dog has the genetic ability to take on the world, and that’s ok! But it’s imperative that the breeder/owner understands the weakness and admits to themselves that it’s there, so they can make the best choices moving forward. Those breeders that convince themselves their puppies are all superior, even when the weaknesses are clear to others, fall into the category of kennel blind. An affliction that has resounding negative affects that ripple out to their puppy owners, and those that add those weak genetics to their own program without knowing the issues they are bringing in.
So remember when you’re looking at your next litter, or your new baby puppy, to have fair expectations, to be honest with yourself about your pups’ genetic strengths and weaknesses, and to be conscientious in their development and upbringing to help them reach their potential.