Socialization
Along with routine attention to health and physical development, our puppies also receive gentle handling and cuddling from day 1. Puppies will gain experience being rubbed and examined around their ears, muzzle, mouth, toes, tail, etc. to help them become comfortable with any future handling and gentle restraint they may need. Because our puppies are born and raised in our home they are handled by multiple people (men, women, responsible children) every day. They will have the opportunity to meet "strangers" and experience numerous social interactions with people, cats, kittens, other dogs, and various farm animals.
Our goal with puppies is to give them the opportunity to experience many of the things they will encounter for the rest of their life in a controlled, safe, environment in order to build their confidence gradually without overwhelming them and creating fear responses.
Rule of 7
One of the ways we accomplish socialization is by using the Rule of 7 developed by Dr. Carmen Battaglia. These experiences should be kept safe and positive. There is no specific training occurring in these situations, but rather just exposure to new experiences in a supervised environment. By the time a puppy is 3 months old he should have experienced the following:
Been on 7 different types of surfaces: carpet, tile, linoleum, concrete, etc.
Played with 7 different types of objects: rope toys, plush toys, balls, metal items, etc.
Been in 7 different locations: front & back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, etc.
Met and played with 7 new people: include children and older adults, someone tall, someone in a hat, etc. (We have adapted this rule by increasing the number of people)
Been exposed to 7 challenges: climb on a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, etc.
Eaten from 7 different containers: metal, plastic,human hands, pie plate, elevated bowl, etc.
Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, exercise pen, basement, laundry room, etc.
Desensitization and Conditioning
A puppies eyes and ears are closed for about the first two weeks of life. But they are still experiencing scents, touch, vibrations, taste, and other sensations. As a puppy begins to hear and enters a stage of low fear response we will provide them with opportunities to hear a variety of sounds and vibrations that they will experience later in life. By exposing puppies to these sounds and sensations incrementally and in a secure environment they will become desensitized to them. The goal is to eliminate fearful behaviors by using controlled early exposure. By carefully simulating different handling sensations, puppies will be gently desensitized to the bumps, squeezes, and grabs that often accompany being around children.
Along with household sounds, puppies will also be exposed to recordings of thunder, fireworks, traffic, a variety of music at different volumes, animal sounds, crying babies, gun shots, objects of different types being dropped. All of these things will be done below the fear response threshold. A puppy can learn that even when they are startled that there is nothing to fear. Even though the puppy may startle, how does he recover? Does he panic and become inconsolable or does he startle and quickly return to a calm state? This is one step in achieving more confident puppies.
Cognitive Challenges
One of the ways to jump-start your puppies brain for problem solving is by building her confidence with cognitive challenges. These challenges such as finding her way over a low barrier to reach her food, or around a gate to reach her food, will gradually increase in difficulty so that the puppy can think through a solution without being defeated and overwhelmed. A variety of challenges will be introduced such as going through tunnels, in and out of boxes, searching for food or toys by scent, using a food dispensing ball, etc. All of these challenges are done in a puppy secure environment with supervision.