Ellie had her second vaccination this week. In 7 days she will be fully protected against the usually doggy diseases and we can go out into the big wide world. Whilst I wished we could go out earlier, I was not prepared to risk her health and we only went to places that I could be reasonably sure were not going to be sources of infection. Some vets will give the injections at an earlier age,however, there is an increased risk that the antibodies passed on to the pup by the mother will not have subsided enough for the vaccination to be fully effective.

Whilst we were at the vets, Ellie had a microchip inserted. There are obviously risks with chipping, mainly to do with the chip itself moving around under the skin and disappearing without a trace (or worse, ending up somewhere it shouldn't). However, I think the risk of her being lost or stolen is greater than the health risks, so we went for it. She didn't seem to notice the horribly big needle. Apparently puppies feel the needle less than older dogs whose skin is thicker and tougher.

Our obedience training is coming on very well. Ellie is very enthusiastic and focussed. She learns quickly and is great fun to interact with. My only concern is that she is not very brave! Whenever she faces something she is scared of, she stands and barks at it - she even looks quite aggressive...

I am aware that we are reaching that stage of her development when the fear-imprint factors are developed and it will be important to make sure that she is not badly frightened by anything in the coming weeks. A trauma at this time, in a dog who is already that way inclined, could do untold psychological damage! At the moment Ellie throws herself at the hoover, attacks my electric toothbrush and barks in a demented way at aeroplanes with flashing lights in the night sky! I am glad the fireworks are not going on at the moment.

Ellie has a strong "collie eye" and chases anything that moves. She has even developed that crouched stalking movement that only collies have. It is entirely instinctive as none of my other dogs do that! I have to insist that she does not chase the children. Although this is a great game at the moment, when she is twice the size, it may be a bit of a disaster, particularly if the excitement results in an ankle-nip. Best to stop it before it starts. I try to turn these mad sessions into training sessions and she lets off steam in a more constructive way.

Bite inhibition is something that puppies have to learn. When they play with each other they bite quite hard. Only when the other party retaliates do they learn that they have gone too far. This learning has not been completed when the pup leaves its litter so it is important that we complete the process. When dogs play with humans, we do not want biting at all. It is a very natural behaviour and needs to be taught sensitively. Whenever the pup bites my skin I shout loudly, pull my hand away and walk off. The game ends! If pup grabs hold of my clothes, I offer an alternative, a toy usually. (A treat would probably get the pup to let go but he/she might think of the treat as a reward for tugging clothes...)

This page was updated on 2nd February 2004