Why Does Single Puppy Syndrome Happen?
A puppy’s critical socialization period occurs from 3 weeks of age to 12 to14 weeks. During this time puppies crawl over each other, play together, and squabble over access to mom’s milk bar.
Puppies bite each other in play, and if one bites too hard the other pup may yelp and stop playing. This is how puppies learn bite inhibition. Without littermates to teach this behavior, a puppy doesn’t learn to control her mouth pressure – much to the dismay of her future human family.
Other problems commonly found in singleton pups include being unable to problem-solve calmly, low tolerance for frustration, poor social skills, poor impulse control, and sensitivity to touch and handling.
My Dog Only Had One Puppy, Is That Normal?
A singleton is a litter of one puppy. And when this happens, not only are you heartbroken, you are now facing some extra challenges that may come with the singleton puppy pregnancy, delivery and beyond. Most dams will have multiple pups in a litter.
What seems to be a universal personality trait for singletons is the fear of being “enclosed.” That can mean being hugged, crated, and/or cornered. This fear makes sense: From the time of conception, the singleton had no other being surrounding them. Littermates would have “crowded” or touched them in the womb. They would have been pushed against or enclosed before and after birth as they nursed and piled together for warmth.
Luckily, training issues were overcome with Reigna. She earned her Amateur Field Championship, was a few points shy of her Dual Championship, and became a real star in obedience and rally. Had I realized her talents earlier, I was told she could have been an OTCH. Our “clicking” happened once I understood how to deal with her particular singleton issues. However, she would work only for me and no one else. I can only guess that happened because I had discovered the key to unlock her desire to work for me (as with any dog—but far more important, and difficult, with a singleton).
Having an overweight singleton can easily happen, being the only pup at the dinner-for-eight milk bar. Monitoring eating is extremely important. Being overweight can cause permanent hip and joint damage as well as creating the potential for being a flat or swimmer pup. This potentially deadly condition happens when small legs cannot get under the overweight puppy body to allow the puppy to get up on leg or even lie on his side. The swimmer appears to be moving around—and indeed is, but not normally. They “swim,” with all limbs “paddling,” but they are not up on leg to start the wobbly movements of trying to walk. They can only lie on their stomach. If caught early, a singleton will be perfectly normal. If not, however, being a swimmer can threaten the proper development of ribs, heart, and lungs if the pup can’t get up on leg to relieve body pressure on the chest and abdominal area. The pup will look totally flat on the dorsal side; this can be visible as early as 4 to 5 days of age. Some vets recommend euthanizing a swimmer, which is certainly not necessary; how to save a swimmer or flat puppy will be the subject of another column.
The biggest problem I had with my first singleton was in training. Once you are the “boss” of your universe, so you shall remain, unless someone or something intrudes. It takes a special owner-trainer to recognize the needs of a singleton in training, to make the proper “intrusion.” I am not speaking of housebreaking-type training or simple obedience. I am speaking of more formal, serious training, like fieldwork or formal training in obedience, rally, agility, tracking, and so on. Gordons can be stubborn anyway, but a singleton will often just quit (have a “tantrum”) and walk away with nose in the air if things are not done their way.
This type of pack behavior/play helps dispel some of the “dominant singleton” potential problems. Littermates as well as adult dogs set these limits and teach the puppy by yelping, and/or growling and play fighting. It is the owner’s job to set limits in these areas as well, by yelping if bitten too hard, and so on. This is the case with any puppy, but is far more important with a singleton. If no other dog(s) and/or people intrude on the singleton’s universe to set limits, the singleton could grow up to be a real terror to live with and a nightmare to train.
Problems with failed, single or small litter part 1
Occasionally a mother dog gives birth to just one puppy – often called a “singleton” pup. Fortunately it’s a relatively rare occurrence, although more likely to occur in small breeds, as they tend to have smaller litters anyway. Sometimes called “single puppy syndrome,” this can result in lifelong behavior challenges for the unfortunate baby dog who has no siblings to teach her important social skills. The good news is that while your singleton pup may offer you some behavioral challenges, she is not likely to suffer from significant health issues as a result of her singleton status.