Good Dogs Need SOCIALIZATION LbNA #5200 (ARCHIVED)
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Dec 24, 2002 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Prudenville |
| County: | Roscommon |
| State: | Michigan |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Planted by: | DogIsMyCoPirate  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | Jeff_Cindy |
| Last found: | Aug 12, 2004 |
| Status: | Faa |
| Last edited: | Dec 24, 2002 |
Good Dogs need Socialization
(#1 in the Dog Scouts of America Good Dog series)
The clues for finding the letterboxes in this series all have to do with creating a good dog. To “decode” the clues, answer the questions on the clue “puzzle”. For more information about properly socializing your dog, see the Dog Scouts of America web site www.dogscouts.org
Location: Wa-ku-i park in Prudenville, in Roscommon County, Michigan
Placed: December 24, 2002
By: Dog Is My CoPirate (Saikou and me)
Clue difficulty: Easy
Terrain: Easy (mostly flat trails in a township park)
Distance: About 1 ½ miles to the box & back
Walking time: 45 minutes
Contact to report problems or condition of box: Lonnie@dogscouts.com
Hyperlink to web page with this and other boxes in this series on it: http://www.geocities.com/dogscout2000/DogIsMyCoPirate.html
This letterbox is in. It is a little roadside park, but actually includes many acres with woods and hiking trails. Park in the parking lot (near the picnic table) and proceed to locate the correct trail by answering the following question:
1. True or False By properly socializing your puppy during his critical socialization period, your dog will be less likely to fear unusual situations as an adult, and less likely to bite because he is terrified of new stimuli. He will have fewer phobias and behavior problems and will be very self-confident and intellegent. In short, taking the time to socialize your puppy to all environments, people, sights, sounds, and surfaces is critical to having a calm, attentive, easily trainable dog.
T If you answered “True” then take the trail that goes west of the lake.
F If you answered “False” then take a the trail that goes east of the lake, and promise you’ll only ever get stuffed dogs.
Continue on this two-track a while, until you see a small playground off in the woods beside the trail. Just past this spot, there will be a circular turn-around spot. To find out where to go, answer this question:
2. True or False The critical socialization period for puppies is from 8 weeks to 16 weeks, during which time they must be introduced to as many different kinds of people, other animals, places and situations as possible to maximize their learning as an adult. After the age of 16 weeks, you have pretty much lost your window for making an impression, so it is critical to introduce your puppy in a neutral or positive way to as many things as possible before he reaches 4 months of age.
T If you answered “True” then continue on down the two-track that winds around behind the small lake
F If you answered “False” then take a the trail to the left, beyond the turn-around, and promise you’ll only ever get stuffed dogs.
Up ahead, you will come to another trail splitting off to the right. Answer the following question to see where to go:
3. True or False There is no such thing as a “fear imprint period.” If your puppy is frightened or has a traumatic experience between the age of 8 to 9 weeks, he will not be scarred for life. So you don’t need to be particularly careful during this time not to startle your puppy, or allow him near unsupervised children, and you should not postpone traumatic surgeries (like ear cropping) until after this period is over.
T If you answered “True” then take a compass heading of EAST and increase your homeowner’s insurance coverage.
F If you answered “False” then take a compass heading of NORTH and stay on the main trail.
You’ll notice some signs that warn “no hunting or firearms” on the left as you continue down the trail. You’ll come to a spot where the road splits and you could go right or left. Answer the following to get your compass heading.
4. True or False The “rule of sevens” says that during each of the 8 weeks of your puppy’s critical socialization period, you should introduce your puppy in a neutral or positive way to:
7 different people (old, young, male, female, wearing hats, using canes, walking funny, etc)
7 different surfaces (carpet, tile, linoleum, grass, dirt, sand, gravel, cement, carpet grass, steps, wet surfaces, etc.)
7 different places (vet’s office, park, pet shop, baseball game, friend’s house, back yard, woods, puppy training class, buildings with elevators)
7 different kinds of food
T If you answered “True” then take a compass heading of WEST
F If you answered “False” then take a compass heading of EAST and think about getting a goldfish instead of a dog.
You’ll be walking beside an area that has been clear-cut. There are many stumps of Maple, Birch and Pine trees. Answer the question below to find the number of steps you take before you arrive at your next clue:
5. True or False It is okay to adopt a puppy any time after it is weened at 5 weeks of age. Your puppy will can make up for all of the valuable training, social skills, and dog language he would have learned by staying with the litter until at least seven weeks of age by reading books. Your puppy will not bite your hands because he never learned bite inhibition from his littermates between 6 and 7 weeks of age. He will also not ever accidentally bite down too hard when he is an adult, possibly causing the need for stitches, because he never learned to inhibit his biting from age 6 to 7 weeks with his littermates.
T If you answered “True” then count off 50 steps, buy some bandages and increase your homeowner’s insurance coverage.
F If you answered “False” then take count off 200 steps.
After the correct number of steps, to your right, you’ll see the stumps of three large Maples cut off near ground level, with lots of little baby Maple shoots springing out of the trunks. It makes them look like three shrubs parallel to the trail about 12 feet off the trail. When you reach the third of these “triplets” answer the question below to get the compass heading for where to go next:
6. True or False Some people’s concern about taking a puppy out before he has received all of his shots prevents them from properly socializing their puppy. When this dog grows up without proper socialization, he’s probably going to be fearful, overly excitable, difficult to train, and possibly dangerous to own. Chances are, he’s going to end up being banished to the back yard because of his poor behavior, or taken off to the pound. Eighty percent of dogs that are surrendered to animal shelters and pounds are given up due to behavior problems. Only 20% of dogs that are surrendered to pounds and shelters ever find homes. We can guess which 80% are having to be euthanized (killed). When forced to choose between socialization and possible exposure to germs and viruses that could potentially harm your puppy, remember that an unsocialized dog often ends up a dead dog, anyway. Socialization is the first step in a long and happy relationship with a good dog.
T If you answered “True” then take a compass heading of 45’ NE
F If you answered “False” then take a compass heading of 315’ NW, and go visit your nearest animal shelter.
You’re going “offroad” 25 steps in this direction, where you will find a double-trunked pine. The letter box is at the root of this stump, just as lack of socialization is at the root of most behavior problems.
HINT: Terry Ryan has written several books about dog behavior and games people play with their dogs. If you’re not familliar with this author, look under www.Legacycanine.com to find the title and fill in the blank:
“The _____ stops here”.
(#1 in the Dog Scouts of America Good Dog series)
The clues for finding the letterboxes in this series all have to do with creating a good dog. To “decode” the clues, answer the questions on the clue “puzzle”. For more information about properly socializing your dog, see the Dog Scouts of America web site www.dogscouts.org
Location: Wa-ku-i park in Prudenville, in Roscommon County, Michigan
Placed: December 24, 2002
By: Dog Is My CoPirate (Saikou and me)
Clue difficulty: Easy
Terrain: Easy (mostly flat trails in a township park)
Distance: About 1 ½ miles to the box & back
Walking time: 45 minutes
Contact to report problems or condition of box: Lonnie@dogscouts.com
Hyperlink to web page with this and other boxes in this series on it: http://www.geocities.com/dogscout2000/DogIsMyCoPirate.html
This letterbox is in. It is a little roadside park, but actually includes many acres with woods and hiking trails. Park in the parking lot (near the picnic table) and proceed to locate the correct trail by answering the following question:
1. True or False By properly socializing your puppy during his critical socialization period, your dog will be less likely to fear unusual situations as an adult, and less likely to bite because he is terrified of new stimuli. He will have fewer phobias and behavior problems and will be very self-confident and intellegent. In short, taking the time to socialize your puppy to all environments, people, sights, sounds, and surfaces is critical to having a calm, attentive, easily trainable dog.
T If you answered “True” then take the trail that goes west of the lake.
F If you answered “False” then take a the trail that goes east of the lake, and promise you’ll only ever get stuffed dogs.
Continue on this two-track a while, until you see a small playground off in the woods beside the trail. Just past this spot, there will be a circular turn-around spot. To find out where to go, answer this question:
2. True or False The critical socialization period for puppies is from 8 weeks to 16 weeks, during which time they must be introduced to as many different kinds of people, other animals, places and situations as possible to maximize their learning as an adult. After the age of 16 weeks, you have pretty much lost your window for making an impression, so it is critical to introduce your puppy in a neutral or positive way to as many things as possible before he reaches 4 months of age.
T If you answered “True” then continue on down the two-track that winds around behind the small lake
F If you answered “False” then take a the trail to the left, beyond the turn-around, and promise you’ll only ever get stuffed dogs.
Up ahead, you will come to another trail splitting off to the right. Answer the following question to see where to go:
3. True or False There is no such thing as a “fear imprint period.” If your puppy is frightened or has a traumatic experience between the age of 8 to 9 weeks, he will not be scarred for life. So you don’t need to be particularly careful during this time not to startle your puppy, or allow him near unsupervised children, and you should not postpone traumatic surgeries (like ear cropping) until after this period is over.
T If you answered “True” then take a compass heading of EAST and increase your homeowner’s insurance coverage.
F If you answered “False” then take a compass heading of NORTH and stay on the main trail.
You’ll notice some signs that warn “no hunting or firearms” on the left as you continue down the trail. You’ll come to a spot where the road splits and you could go right or left. Answer the following to get your compass heading.
4. True or False The “rule of sevens” says that during each of the 8 weeks of your puppy’s critical socialization period, you should introduce your puppy in a neutral or positive way to:
7 different people (old, young, male, female, wearing hats, using canes, walking funny, etc)
7 different surfaces (carpet, tile, linoleum, grass, dirt, sand, gravel, cement, carpet grass, steps, wet surfaces, etc.)
7 different places (vet’s office, park, pet shop, baseball game, friend’s house, back yard, woods, puppy training class, buildings with elevators)
7 different kinds of food
T If you answered “True” then take a compass heading of WEST
F If you answered “False” then take a compass heading of EAST and think about getting a goldfish instead of a dog.
You’ll be walking beside an area that has been clear-cut. There are many stumps of Maple, Birch and Pine trees. Answer the question below to find the number of steps you take before you arrive at your next clue:
5. True or False It is okay to adopt a puppy any time after it is weened at 5 weeks of age. Your puppy will can make up for all of the valuable training, social skills, and dog language he would have learned by staying with the litter until at least seven weeks of age by reading books. Your puppy will not bite your hands because he never learned bite inhibition from his littermates between 6 and 7 weeks of age. He will also not ever accidentally bite down too hard when he is an adult, possibly causing the need for stitches, because he never learned to inhibit his biting from age 6 to 7 weeks with his littermates.
T If you answered “True” then count off 50 steps, buy some bandages and increase your homeowner’s insurance coverage.
F If you answered “False” then take count off 200 steps.
After the correct number of steps, to your right, you’ll see the stumps of three large Maples cut off near ground level, with lots of little baby Maple shoots springing out of the trunks. It makes them look like three shrubs parallel to the trail about 12 feet off the trail. When you reach the third of these “triplets” answer the question below to get the compass heading for where to go next:
6. True or False Some people’s concern about taking a puppy out before he has received all of his shots prevents them from properly socializing their puppy. When this dog grows up without proper socialization, he’s probably going to be fearful, overly excitable, difficult to train, and possibly dangerous to own. Chances are, he’s going to end up being banished to the back yard because of his poor behavior, or taken off to the pound. Eighty percent of dogs that are surrendered to animal shelters and pounds are given up due to behavior problems. Only 20% of dogs that are surrendered to pounds and shelters ever find homes. We can guess which 80% are having to be euthanized (killed). When forced to choose between socialization and possible exposure to germs and viruses that could potentially harm your puppy, remember that an unsocialized dog often ends up a dead dog, anyway. Socialization is the first step in a long and happy relationship with a good dog.
T If you answered “True” then take a compass heading of 45’ NE
F If you answered “False” then take a compass heading of 315’ NW, and go visit your nearest animal shelter.
You’re going “offroad” 25 steps in this direction, where you will find a double-trunked pine. The letter box is at the root of this stump, just as lack of socialization is at the root of most behavior problems.
HINT: Terry Ryan has written several books about dog behavior and games people play with their dogs. If you’re not familliar with this author, look under www.Legacycanine.com to find the title and fill in the blank:
“The _____ stops here”.