LOOKING BACK

Three weeks old already – how quickly time passes! This week Ellie’s puppies have been progressing rapidly. They continue to gain weight and grow bigger with each passing day. Their eyes are fully opened and vision is improving. Their ears have open and they are reacting to sound. The puppies’ hind legs have become much stronger and they are becoming steadier when walking. The puppies are aware of their surroundings and have begun to play with each other during their short “awake” time. They have become quite noisy as they practice their vocalizing. The puppies still sleep much of their day/night.

Critical Socialization Period (weeks 3 – 12)

The puppies have started to react to sounds. When this happens, it is the sign that the puppies have entered the Critical Socialization Period. We raise our puppies following many of the Puppy Culture protocols. Following these protocols helps us reach our goal “To Raise Healthy, Calm, Confident, Well-Adjusted Puppies“. Over the remaining weeks we will be working on as many new experiences for the puppies.

Socializing puppies by exposing them to as many new experiences as possible while the puppy is young is only part of the process of Socialization. Our goal is to raise dogs that have the emotional intelligence to connect with you. Emotional intelligence can be taught to young puppies and is one of the goals of the Puppy Culture Program. There are 7 key things that will nurture the emotional intelligence of a puppy.

1. Communication – giving a puppy his own voice i.e. Communication Trinity: power up clicker, box game, manding and attention/distraction protocols
2. Emotional stability – the ability to recover easily from fear as well as stress i.e., startle recovery, barrier challenges etc
3. Habituation – familiarity with the maximum number of things (Puppy Parties, sound protocols, household noises , meeting different people, dogs etc.)
4. Enrichment – teach that novelty and challenges are opportunities for enrichment not things to be feared or avoided (Ongoing introduction of new novelty items, Activity Centre, car ride, outdoors, etc.)
5. Health – physical wellness and motor skills that will allow the puppy to develop in a neurologically and physically sound way (daily weight checks, grooming, proper nutrition, fecal checks, and deworming, if necessary, vet health checks and vaccinations)
6. Skills – learned behaviors which teach the puppy to function in human society i.e. recall, manding, simple commands, potty box training, crate introduction, resource guarding, bite inhibition etc.
7. Love – teach puppies to seek out the company of both dogs and humans as emotionally positive experiences: i.e., Daily cuddles with humans and puppy’s mom.
8. Shaping emotional responses: happy and calm CER (Conditioned Emotional Responses)

Maui the Nanny

Our poodle Maui is almost two years old. She is a sweet gentle dog that loves to interact with our puppy litters. Maui has been waiting on the sidelines watching as Ellie cares for her puppies. Over the past few weeks I will find her peeking in the whelping box entrance or lying on the bed just watching the puppies.

A new experience for the puppies today

Today while Ellie was feeding her babies, Maui decided it was time to jump into action and begin interacting with the puppies. Ellie didn’t seem to mind. They were both in the whelping box together. When Ellie decided to leave, Maui stayed in the whelping box for a few more minutes until the all of the puppies had drifted off to sleep.

Sweet Dreams

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK FOUR

• Puppies will still sleep much of the day/night as they continue to grow rapidly
• Puppies will play with each other developing important social skills
• Puppies hind legs will continue to become stronger as they walk more
• Hearing will improve 
• Puppy milk teeth will erupt
• Puppies will be moving to the main floor towards the end of the week