Dominant Puppy=Dominant Dog?

[Owen's mom]

When we picked Owen/he picked us/and the breeder approved, I was told he was the second dominant puppy in the litter. That was fine with us because we are an active family and wanted a dog with lots of confidence who would love to play soccer with his girl and go for hikes with the family. Also, I met both the dam and sire and they had fantastic temperaments. The first vet we went to kept going on about how he was very dominant as well--we don't go back to her as I don't think she likes Corgis very much.

However, Owen has turned out to be a very mellow 9 month old. He hardly ever barks and didn't bark at all until he was 6 months old, he is as happy with a lazy day snuggling at home as he is with an active day of playing, and has been a delight to train. Part of that may be due to the developing Perthe's disease--he may have been in pain before we noticed the limp--and of course he is just getting back to normal activity levels after his surgery, but he remains most adaptable and accommodating. His one foible is a passion for dirty socks--when he manages to get one he runs triumphant through the house, tossing it up in the air, and then frapping 'round the dining room table.

So my question to the group is: How did your puppies change as they matured. If Owen is a laid-back type of guy at 9 months who thinks every person, dog and cat is his friend, will he stay that way into adulthood? I guess he is in his adolescent stage now--are there other stages of development that I should be aware of?

Cathryn

[Bayoucorgi]

Liam is a SOX maniac too. He is thrilled with them. What's up with that!

I think there are many factors that go into who the dog grows up to be. Obviously, there is a hereditary factor because my wild nut dogs had wild nut dogs, but not always as wild. And there is the environmental factor because even tho some of my dogs were genetically crazy off the wall nutdogs by pedigree, they were hard-working, fun, liveable house dogs because they lived with me and I kept them in line.

One thing for sure - who they were in the litter environment was not reliable for who they become as adolescents and adults. A large puppy might feel superior to its litter mates and grow into that role in the box, but when it gets out in the real world it finds out that life is bigger than he is and mellows out.

Usually, I saw a peak of self-reliant, bossy, or wild attitude between 6 and 18 months and then things got more normal. So, since you're heading into the "teens" months, and you might see some weird stuff like possessiveness, or marking or possibly humping or whatever the little hormones think of today. I think what you see is probably what you get at this point for mellowness tho. I doubt he will do an about change and become a hard-charging, gotta do it my way kind of dog just because he gets older.

Good luck. Liam is 16 months and we made it.

[Cheetah]

Shippo was the dominant puppy in his litter. He came to me pretty hyper and spazzy, and nippy and growly. He tried to hump Eevee several times in the first week and got nailed bigtime by her. He stopped doing that. >^^;< He tried to hump my friend Daniel as well. Interestingly though, he never tried it with me. Also, he wasn't big on being still for being petted, or anything else.

He has calmed down IMMENSELY since then. I had him neutered at 9 months, and now he's a year and 3 months old. He's a big cuddle bug, hardly barks at all (I'm trying to teach him to speak, but so far, not much luck lmfao), and can actually concentrate lol... There are no dominance problems, although he does test other dogs (not aggressively, but you know what I mean lol).

[milles2]

It is interesting to watch them mature. Tucker was always very outgoing to people and dogs. He still is. But he was never cuddly as a puppy. Now he is the biggest Momma's boy, a total velcro dog.

His breeder said he was a "middle of the pack" puppy.

Lulu was the runt of the litter, extremely mello. And what a mouth she has become! I actually thought I saw signs of her coming out of teen years but it was just a momentary lapse on her part. She is very active, very bossy, and just plain fresh.

And she hasn't turned one yet. It will be intereting!

[LittlePonzo]

Well it sounds to me that what you see now pretty much what you will get, with the teen tantrum exceptions. Ponzo was exactly the same as Owen barking wise. Not a peep until 7 mths, now although he is not vocal when playing with other dogs, he will bark at us to our attention, which could be because he really needs our help like getting a toy from under the hutch or bathroom breaks but tends to often be for things like pet me, or look at what I am doing.
As far as pack status, Ponzo had no real litter mates, but he spent his time with Golden puppies 1 week younger than him and they treated him like Mr. Helpless. His short little legs had trouble making it over the partitions between the two whelping boxes, and he would just wait there half on one side half on the other until one of his step mates would nudge him all the way over! It seems though that he is a middle of the road, he will only defend himself when he absolutely can't take anymore pounding from another dog, as far as people I think he'd allow you to do just about anything to him without a care.