Please watch the video in its entirety to see how licking the neck can calm the most fearful of puppies and dogs and let them know, without words or treats, that they are loved, safe and protected.
Dogs are not paternal. When left alone, a Dog Mother is alone in a den with her puppies until they are about 3 months old before she introduces them to the pack. On a psychological level, a 3 month old puppy is equivalent to a 3 year old child. How different of a relationship will children have with their Mother if they have no idea their Father, nor any other human, exists until they are 3 years old. This is how it is with puppies. That is a major difference between our species on a psychological level and is the basis for all behavioural issues people have with their dominant dogs and puppies. The Alpha male represents their leader, not their human Father. The Dog Mother is both the human Mother and Father.
Children need to learn how to socialize properly, how to play properly and to be respectful by the time they are 3 years old and start socializing with other children and adults outside the family. It is up to the Mother and Father to teach these lessons to their children. It is Important for children to learn and practice these lessons so they are socially accepted.
Puppies need to learn these same lessons by the time they are 3 months old and are introduced to the pack. It is Only the Mother Dog who teaches these lessons. For the first three months of their life, the Mother Dog is the sole nurser, nurturer, teacher, disciplinarian and protector of the puppies. It is very important to note that only dominant Mothers discipline their puppies. Submissive Mothers do not discipline their puppies because they instintually don't know how to and their dominant puppies are incorrigible by 3 months of age. Do we not see the same in the human world where some Mothers are disciplinarians while other Mothers let their kids get away with everything and never discipline them? A good Mother wants to make sure her puppies know how to socialize properly, play properly and to be respectful before she introduces them to the pack because the pack members are not going to tolerate disrespectful behaviour and they will correct the puppies if needed, but they won't be as patient as their Mother was, and the higher level dominant members of the pack will be way more assertive than the Mother was and a very disrespectful, dominant puppy could get hurt as a result. A Mother does not want this to happen which is why she teaches these lessons before introducing her puppies to the pack.
Acceptance and affection are the foundation of the Mother/puppy relationship. Does not a human Mother still accept her child even when they have done wrong and are shunned by others? When you send your child to 'the chair' or their room, you are not accepting them, you are doing the complete opposite. I totally agree with a 'time out', but wouldn't it be more beneficial to the child if that time out was done while sitting on your lap being hugged? When a puppy does something really wrong or disrespectful, a Mother Dog does not send them away, she gets them to lay down by touching their neck and asks them to relax. Then she nuzzles them and gives them affection in that moment or she will walk away and wait until the puppy comes to her before giving affection. This is where the Mother is waiting for the puppy to come to her to say they are sorry before giving affection. It is extremely important that you wait until your puppy or dog is doing exactly what you want them to do or their mind has calmed to the level of energy you want them to be in that moment before you give them affection.
The Alpha, nor any other member of the pack, lick the puppies' necks like their Mother does, and that is the major difference between the relationship puppies have with their Mother compared to the Alpha male. The Alpha male does give affection, but he does so usually by gently laying his head on the puppies' head or neck as a sign of dominant affection. A Mother Dog brings her head in under the puppies head and nuzzles and licks their neck. A Mother Dog does put her head over her puppies head, but she does so without dominance and as a means of telling her puppies that she is an umbrella of protection over them.
Puppies will remember this lick on the neck as sign of affection for the rest of their life and will associate EVERY human who licks their neck with their fingertips with their Mother Dog.
In loving and heartbroken memory of Bebe, the sweetest and most loving little girl who suffered greatly at the hands of humans, including veterinarians and vet techs in Nanaimo, the same ones who wanted to kill her because she was 'so fearful', until she felt the loving touch of my hand licking her neck. 💔😢
Cheers ✌️
• How a Mother Dogs Show...