惭补苍测听first-time听辫耻辫辫测听owners听feel听overwhelmed听in the early weeks of bringing home their new听addition. As a responsible breeder, there is much that can be done to alleviate some of the more common issues owners have with new puppies before you send your precious litters out to their new homes.
Addressing听common problems before they begin听can set听your puppies听up for success in their new homes. By working with puppies early,听you can take advantage of their听early socialization periods and developing brains to build听confident resilient young dogs.听Early training听can听improve the chances of an easy transition into听a听new home听for both the puppy and your client.听听
Environment
An enriched environment creates an enriched brain.听Exposure to novelty before a pupp测鈥檚 first fear period (8-9 weeks of age)听helps听them to build resiliency to听things they may experience听later.听听
- Provide a variety of toys, including ones that move, light up,听or make sounds.听
- Provide听different surface textures to play on, such as听artificial听turf, metal, rubber mats, mulch,听etc.听
- Offer wobble boards, balance pillows, and other moving obstacles to听develop听body awareness.听
- Rotate toys and obstacles听often.听听
- Introduce听recorded sounds听such as traffic, thunderstorms, fireworks,听and barking.听Doing this at feeding time can听help build a positive association with noises听that commonly听worry dogs.听
Housetraining
Housetraining听should be听the first听thing on a new puppy owner鈥�s to-do list.听While听puppies听are still young, they can听begin to learn preferences for听where to eliminate. Encouraging puppies to eliminate in a litterbox and outdoors early can go a long way to helping owners have quick听potty-training听success.听
- Provide puppies with a separate elimination area by 3-4 weeks of age.听It鈥檚 good for the substrate in this area to be听tactilely different from the rest of their pen.听
- Feed puppies on a schedule. Once weaned, feeding puppies on a schedule helps to regulate their developing GI tract.听Always follow your听惫别迟别谤颈苍补谤颈补苍鈥檚听advice on how often to feed puppies.听
- What goes in on a schedule, goes out on a schedule. Predictability of bowel movements will help owners with making their potty-training schedule at home.
Crate Training
Crate training is another skill听that听puppy owners often struggle with. Being suddenly separated听from their dam and littermates can be very distressing for young puppies.听Familiarizing听puppies with crates听early will听help them be more comfortable when they are brought to a place full of strange people and smells.听
- Start with an open crate in the litter鈥�s playpen听or kennel and听put treats and toys inside听it.听
- Feed puppies separately听in open crates.听
- Put sleepy puppies in crates so they are more likely to听settle and rest inside.听
- Crate puppies for short periods of time and let them out before they begin to stress.
- Allowing puppies to 鈥渃ry it out鈥� can create negative associations with being crated.听
Handling and Grooming
Everyone knows听puppies should be handled to make them comfortable听with human touch.听听We can go even further by teaching puppies to听enjoy听handling and grooming. This is important for all breeds, not just coated ones.听Puppies that are听relaxed for husbandry procedures like nail trims, teeth brushing, ear cleaning,听and brushing听will make it easier听for听owners to care for them at home.听听
- Do grooming in short sessions to not overwhelm or flood a young puppy.听
- Pair grooming and handling with food treats to make it a positive experience.听
- Rather than expecting the puppy to 鈥済et used to it,鈥� teach them to look forward to grooming.
- Have听puppy playtimes in the bathtub, grooming tubs, and on grooming听tables. Likewise, give lots of treats so the puppies learn these areas are fun.
Resource听Guarding听Prevention
Puppies can learn early on to happily give up resources like food and toys.听Learning to give up high鈥�value items can prevent puppies from developing resource guarding down the road.听Sharing food bowls with littermates can create anxiety around food and lead to resource guarding in the future.听Intensity around food items and toys can lead to ingestion of foreign objects,听conflicts between a puppy and other pets in the home, or听the owners.听听
- Teach trades. Use treats听and other toys听to trade puppies for their toys.听
- Feed littermates in separate bowls听to听reduce competition over food.
- Teach听them to associate people coming near their food by dropping treats as you walk past.
- Never forcefully remove food or toys from a pupp测鈥檚 mouth.
- Teach a 鈥�Leave It鈥� cue that owners can use as a potentially life-saving tool.
Early Socialization
Entire books have been written on how to听successfully听socialize puppies. Good early socialization is perhaps the most important thing breeders can do before sending puppies home.听In this category,听quality is better than quantity. Puppies should be learning that the world is safe and fun, not scary.
Make early socialization experiences fun with treats and play. Don鈥檛 force unwilling puppies听into听situations听of which they are unsure.听Give each puppy in the litter individual attention, separate from their littermates, for short periods of time.听Confident puppies who are comfortable in various environments have the most success with their new owners. Exposure to other elements like car rides, strangers, other dogs, and new locations can also help develop early socialization skills.
Reliable Recall
One of the most lifesaving skills we can teach dogs is to come when called. Instilling a听strong recall cue on a dog can听protect them should they ever accidentally get loose. Since puppies can learn a strong recall cue at a young age,听this early learning often stays with them for years.听听
- Associate a cue with feeding time. Call the听litter听before you put down their meals.听
- High鈥�pitched听repetitive听vocal sounds make good cues听e.g. 鈥淧up, Pup, Pup!鈥�
- Always follow听the cue with a positive reward such as food, treats, or play.听
- Don鈥檛 call the puppies for things that may be unpleasant, such as听baths.听
Focused Training
Puppies can begin learning听more focused skills听as early as five weeks.听Dogs destined for the show ring can begin learning to stack.听听Puppies can easily learn to sit politely听when they want food or play.听Puppies should be introduced to听collars and leash walking early on as well.听Sending puppies home with some basic skills will set their owners up for success for future training.听听
- Introduce training in short sessions.听
- Use food treats to make positive associations with learning.听
- Teach basic skills such as sit,听stay,听come,听and loose leash walking.听
Successful Puppies Equal Successful Homes
The more early socialization and training puppies have in their听产谤别别诲别谤蝉鈥�听homes, the more success they will have in their new owners鈥�听homes. Of course, new owners often have the same difficulties with puppies. Housetraining, crate training, and early basic training听takes some of the early stress out听of听the process.
Owners will gloat far and wide about how easy听it was to train their puppy based on how well trained they were when they came home. Early socialization and training not only makes for听more confident and resilient dogs, but happier clients who will continue to refer to your breeding program.听 Setting owners and puppies up for a lifetime of success starts in the early weeks of a pupp测鈥檚听life and will reflect on a breeders program for many years.听听