How My Pups Are Raised

How I raise my pups has evolved over the years.  I have developed my “method” or "style of raising" by studying the research and results of animal behaviorists, researchers and experts such as Scott & Fuller, Fox, Pfaffenberger, Freeman, Appleby and others. The time & attention I give my pups from minute one, provides the best opportunity for the pups to have an early learning and behavior enhancement experience.  The exercises I do, one-on-one with each pup has evolved into specific exercises.  These short exercises are based on the concepts I mined from the research of the experts as well as my years of observing litter behavior.  I have years of practical experience teaching, raising and working with my puppies.  I believe that pups that are exposed to these exercises from the first day will enjoy a more stable temperament, adapt easier to changes within their litter, environment and be physically advanced with respect to motor skills and coordination.  Exposure to a variety of activities and exercises are necessary to enable the best learning experience.  Working with puppies from birth helps establish a natural, instinctual bond with people.  IMO these exercises also help “level” the dominance and submissive personalities – the lesson learned is that being submissive to its handler is a behavior that is expected and rewarded.  This natural relationship between you (pack leader) and your puppy (pack follower) builds their confidence, encourages their enthusiasm for work/training, & instills a desire to please you which evolves into a willingness to work with/for you. I really believe that all this early handling helps puppies to develop their fullest potential.   

The reason I keep the pups until they are 10-12 weeks old, is that I believe it is vital to the puppies natural development, and evolution to spend time with their littermates and mother to learn proper canine social behavior.  It is very important that the puppies get the right balance of stimulation, play and rest so they enjoy learning.  I ensure that a significant amount of time is devoted to socialization with people of all ages. 

Because the pups are whelped and raised in my home they also become familiar with the TV, Microwave, vaccum etc.  By ensuring pups are exposed to these normal household activities, I believe these experiences ensure I am raising a puppy who is confident, socially adept and prepared to go to his new family because he has grown up in a sensory enriched environment.

The best “drive” to use when working with pups at this early age is the food drive.  I start teaching the pups to sit @ 3 weeks. I use little raw hamburger balls.  Those pups that I have been given a call name for I use when giving the “sit" command.  These pups know their names and come when called pretty reliably by the time they go home.  As I raise the pups there are lots of teachable training moments to use this command – I love it when I can get a whole litter to sit on command!  They have to sit before their food bowl goes down.  The puppies will have learned that if they want to be petted, picked up, or taken out of the puppy pen, they must sit first (learning self control & patience). I try to provide an enriched environment for the pups mental and physical development. The only thing at this point that I won’t be able to expose your puppy to is stairs – at my age I live in a rambler so I don’t have any stairs.

Raising pups the right ways starts in the beginning:

During Gestation:

Stressful situations encountered by the dam during gestation can affect her puppies, so I take great care in ensuring my girls have a calm, non-stressful environment for the duration of their pregnancy.  I also ensure my girls receive exercise, excellent nutrition and lots of loving attention.  Especially the last 30 days my girls get body massages and lots of gentle brushing each day.  Studies have shown that when a pregnant animal is petted, the litter is more docile.  The petting activates the parasympathetic system, facilitating relaxation, emotional attachment and socialization.  Puppies from a petted mother have a greater tolerance to handling than puppies from a mother that is not petted.  By doing these things I feel I am doing the best I can do to give the pups great start in life.

Neurological Stimulation:

I utilize neurologic stimulation based on Dr. Fox's research as well as the U.S. Military's "Bio-Sensor" program.  Incorporating exercises from both sources, my puppies are gently handled using a series of exercises to produce brain wave activity that would not naturally occur otherwise.  Early brain development is enhanced by creating more neuro synapses.   This early stimulation has significant and lasting effects which include improved future performance as well as the ability to withstand stress better than pups that are not-stimulated. 
 

Grooming Conditioning/Desenitiziation:

I touch puppies all over from the time they're born in an effort to desensitize or familiarize pups to someone touching them.  Because many puppies/dogs have an aversion to grooming, I make it a very positive bonding experience.  By the time my puppies leave between 10-12 weeks, they are comfortable with bathing (with damp cloths), brushing, ear cleaning, nail dremeling, and being held and touched everywhere.

Crate Training

I begin Crate training my puppies at approximately 5 weeks of age, at this age they have developed the instinctual desire to eliminate away from where they sleep.  I acclimate puppies to crate training at an early age because it's a great help in house training.  It also gives the puppy a safe place of its own so it gets accustomed to being confined for short periods of time and associates it with positive events. When the pups go home they will be sleeping from 11 pm to 6 am without mistakes in their crates.  Crating helps them develop control over elimination because they do not want to eliminate where they sleep.  This is the first step to house breaking.  The pups will be paper trained when they come to you but they quickly transfer to eliminating outside.