Understanding your Puppy - what you need to know about descent, traits and mindset

In order to provide a happy life for you pup and also a safe environment for it, for yourself and for all others, there are some things you should know. It is important to understand how dogs think and behave. Otherwise you might end up with a dog that is difficult to handle, unhealthy or a danger to others.

Let´s start at the beginning. The ancestors of dogs were wolves (photo). They were domesticated gradually over many years by Stone Age men because the partnership between humans and wolves were benefitial for both.

It began about 15,000 years ago. It is thought that humans began to feed and take care of wolves, step by step creating a bond with the animals. In return, the wolves proved themselves useful in warning their human partners of potential threats or helping them ward off an attack, for instance by a hostile tribe.

The concrete process of domestication was driven by the desire to have a docile companion that would fulfill certain functions. It involved humans selectively breeding animals to create a new species of domesticated animals. Wolves were initially domesticated for use as guard dogs or to help with hunts.

The domestication involved a long process of trial and error. As said, it meant certain individuals were selected for breeding to produce puppies with desired characteristics. Wolves were bred for traits such as size, strength, and obedience, and over time this process led to the domestication of the animal.

How does a wolf pack work?

To understand your puppy and its behavior, it helps to know how wolves think and act. Wolves are social and territorial predators. This means they live in packs claiming an area as their home. They are large, carnivorous mammals that are native to much of the Northern Hemisphere. Wolves typically hunt in packs and will cooperate to take down large prey. They primarily feed on ungulates such as deer, elk, and moose, but will also eat small mammals, birds, fish, and carrion.

Wolves are territorial animals and will defend their territory fiercely against competitors, including other wolves and other animals. Their survival depends on their territory because they hunt for food within its boundaries. The size of a wolf pack territory can vary widely. In some cases, a pack may occupy an area of up to several hundred square miles. However, in other cases, a pack may occupy an area of just a few square miles.

Wolves are highly social animals that typically live in packs of two to twelve animals, though larger packs are known to exist. The social structure of packs is based around a hierarchical system, with a dominant pair of wolves, usually an alpha male and alpha female, at the top. There are numerous rules each individual is supposed to adhere to. The alpha wolves are responsible for leading the pack, directing them to food and water sources, and protecting them from danger. They are the only ones allowed to have pups. Subordinate wolves in the pack are expected to follow the alpha wolves and obey their commands.

Wolves communicate amongst each other using a variety of vocalizations, such as howls, growls, barks, and whines. Howling is used to communicate location and identity, and is often done together in a chorus by members of the pack. Wolves also use body language to communicate, such as tail wagging, lip licking, and bowing.

Wolves display a variety of other social behaviors, such as grooming, play fighting, and cooperative hunting. Grooming is used to maintain social bonds between wolves and to form new ones. Play fighting is used as a form of practice for hunting, and serves as a way for wolves to bond and strengthen their pack. Cooperative hunting is used to increase the success rate of the hunt, and is usually done in packs of three or more wolves.

Wolves are highly adaptive animals and can quickly adjust their behavior to changing environments. They are also intelligent and can learn from their experiences. Wolves can be fiercely loyal to their pack and will work together to defend and care for their young.

What does a wolf have to do with my puppy?

The reason this knowledge can be useful to a dog owner is because the traits of a wolf still play a major part in the way a dog behaves. To put it in a nutshell: because wolves are hunters, are territorial and are social, the following traits can be found in puppies:

Most have a hunting urge (the degree varies strongly from breed to breed).
Most are territorial (the degree varies strongly from breed to breed).
All are social and need a family. They are wired to a hierarchical structure.

The hunting urge can become problematic when your pup has the tendency to chase viscously after other animals or children. It might appear cute and playful at first, but it means that a hunter is chasing its prey. For the prey this is a life or death situation. It is running for its life (they can even die from this fear despite the fact that they have actually escaped). Whether or not the dog would kill the quarry when caught is irrelevant to the rabbit, squirrel, deer or whatever it is that is being hunted. Please be aware of this fact and control your pup´s hunting urge.

The urge to protect its family and territory is one of the main reasons why wolves were domesticated in the first place. It´s what makes most dogs great guard dogs. This usually only gets problematic when the instinct to guard is excessive and uncontrolled. It has two sides. First, if your dog sees other people and animals as a constant and serious threat, it might attack them. It does so without male intentions - on the contrary, it has the intention to protect its handler and its home. What dogs fail to understand in our complex and modern world is to distinguish between a simple passerby and a real threat such as a gang of robbers. If your dog bares its teeth at nearly every stranger or at other animals, you need to put a stop to it. This helps the dog to understand where a real danger might lie and where not, because the negative side of the urge to guard is that an overly territorial dog can not relax when it feels constantly threatened and constantly in the duty to warn and defend its home and family. This feeling causes stress. If you, as the owner and handler, communicate with your dog and make it clear that there is no need for a fierce defence because there is no serious threat, your dog can feel at ease, relax and enjoy its day with you.

The social aspect of a pup is a very important and impactful one. It provides the basis for the tight and loving bond you form with your pet. It is the reason why puppies are so unbelievably loyal. It also means that there are some things you should consider when getting a puppy. In the very beginning you can´t leave your pup alone - it will feel abandoned and terrified. Don´t put a puppy in a kennel and leave it locked in there with no contact to you or other people. Even when grown up your pet should not be left alone for too many hours per day.

Their social wiring also means that you can train your pup easily. There are various methods to choose from. Most importantly is, however, that you teach your puppy the two main commands: ´Come here´ and ´no´ (or ´stop´). Dog owners should understand that due to their social wiring, dogs love to learn, they need rules to be able to live safely in this human-made modern world and keep others safe as well. Puppies are keen on learning, especially if they receive praises for their accomplishments. Teaching them tricks, which is not a necessity, can also strengthen your bond with your dog and be a playful pastime to engage in together.

Their social wiring has a further implication: Puppies think in ranks and hierarchies, meaning either you are the boss or they are. Of course, being so young and vulnerable, they see you as the pack leader. This is not a given fact once they become adults. As dogs have been bred to be docile and friendly pets, most will more or less automatically accept you as the top dog and never challenge that hierarchy. They are and will remain inherently submissive. Do not misunderstand this: It does not signify anything bad to them. Being the boss does not entail being mean. On the contrary: Being the leader helps your dog to be guided through this, from a dog´s perspective, chaotic world.

Take one example: If you are at a road with heavy traffic, take into account that your pet might not understand how dangerous cars can be and how fast a collision can occur. Cars do not exist in the natural world. Thus, puppies rely on you to guide them through these situations and to keep them safe. So you need to be able to tell them to stay at your side and not run onto the street. This only works if you accept the role of the pack leader. Take another example: If your dogs sees another person and perceives him or her as a severe threat because it can´t distinguish the stranger as being either friend or enemy (or in the case of children: prey), you need to make that distinction. You need to tell your dog not to growl or bare teeth and not to charge at the person. If you fail to do this, situations can end in severe injuries or death. In most cases of the latter, children are usually the victims.

Set up rules for your pup and teach them in a possitive and encouraging way. This way you can keep your pup, yourself and others safe. Teaching a dog commands and tricks is something they enjoy.

For more information, visit our page on basic training or consult with a professional dog trainer.

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