On Raising Talisman Pups
Puppy notes: I started to write this, to remind myself with some notes, as I waited for pups to be born. My Ffire was due in two weeks or so, give or take. She delivered 6 gorgeous pups this past weekend-4 boys, 2 girls.
As reminder of how I raise pups...need to write some of it down, but really do tailor it to the pups as I see them grow and react. The experience of knowing dogs and empathetically observing, is crucially helpful in raising pups. I often wing it in raising pups, by adding new things or having access to different experiences, at different times of year. Thunderstorms are wonderful, but so is snow, grass versus ice, smelling flowers versus icy wind, walking in the woods versus the beach, all different at different times of the year. I am far from methodical, but do have a method!
I know I can always learn more, and really should probably be more specific to remind me of my timeline, even if my methods are not methodical :). These are things I have done for many, many years-I never believed in the basic ENS, knew there had to be more we could do to enrich their exploratory behavior, ability to adjust to the new and even basic senses prior to ears and eyes opening-all to help develop more stable pups. Granted, I have done more with field trips in recent years, as if think I was more protective of pups and worried about disease after caring for so many foster pups with parvo, distemper, etc.
But, I realize just how valuable the field trips are-not just in experiences for the pups, but to also gauge their response in new environments. Gives you a fantastic read on pups! If they never leave home In the first 8 weeks you are raising a pup, you really truly can't say how confident or not a pup is, or may be in new settings, if they don't experience variance in environment, how do you really say as a breeder that a pup is "confident"?
I love having pups that hit the ground running and explore in new places! Learned that from an English behaviorist seminar, many many years ago. A pup raised with no social variety, or has a very timid temperament may tend to sit in the middle of the floor or try to hide, In a new place. New places also help pups to further develop body awareness, as they learn to navigate new objects and environments.
Education and new learning is always good-for people too! I do find it funny/fascinating how the marketing aspect of raising pups is now a "brand". People, adding it to their websites like a badge of quality approved. Underneath any early learning, exposure or socialization-you are still dealing with the basics of the genetics, instincts and temperaments you started with and the experience of the "observer" to increase and modify, to enrich-not overly stress pups. I do think it is wonderful that more breeders are doing more things with their pups, and learning more about what is in their whelping box! It all leads to stable dogs! This is a win-win for us all! I'm sure there's much more for me to learn, and will always embrace new ideas if it helps raise my pups, but sometimes if something has been working pretty well, it is good to try to remember what you have always done. :) I don't write everything here, but happy to share...
Birth-14 days: Safe, consistent environment for the pups. I believe the social period begins at BIRTH!!! I handle newborns a lot!!! Touching pups kickstarts their metabolism and imprints them on us. Add toys to box on day 2, to encourage crawling and navigating in space-around, under, over-also becomes different textures as their noses and paws touch. on the 2nd day of their lives, begin basic ENS which continues until day 16 usually when eyes and ears open. Added to this, I do two new scents and two new textures or tactile/temperature changes. I add to that toward the 2 week mark, things that move under them-skateboard, wobble board, rocking on your arms, etc. At about 4-5 days place each pup in a low bowl, pie plate to see who crawls out fastest, who is complacent, who frets, etc. The opposite exercise of this-lay a piece of paper towel on top of them, who is first to move out from under, etc as above. That increases to other things, like a milk crate on its side, etc. Brief, but enough for them, to feel. Imprint on the sound/vibration of humans by being held on your chest and talking to them. Kissing the tops of their heads to get used to smooch noise, which will become recall later.
Period of Aware! 14-16 days to 21 days: the first day or so that pups are seeing and hearing (usually with my pups both occur within a few hours) this is the stage they start to "become". Mouthing at toys, mouthing at eachother, begin to notice motion, start the stage of hanging things above bed area that are different visuals, as well as sound making-like bells, etc,. Not as much ENS formally, but continued handling of feet, bodies, holding while carrying, etc. They start to "see" you and react socially with wobbly approach. Heart-melting tail wags usually start at this age too.
Period of Socialization: 21 days to twelve weeks- this is the most important phase a puppy will ever experience. 3-4 weeks they are still really infants but a good time to start lots more brief exposure to new things. I like to get them used to being carried outside and placed on stone walkway or grass, for a short bit. I like to have visitors hold them
Up to this point, usually let a couple of the adults visit, if mom dog is ok with it.
4-5 weeks area of bedding gets expanded and start working on them going outside to "go" and give area to get away from where they sleep to "go". Also, new stuff introduced and changed. Toys that move and make noise, dropping toys to help startle and recovery, lots of visitors where possible, music, they start to hang out with the adult dogs more, skateboards, tippy boards and planks, stuff to crawl on and under, start to take off by themselves for a few minutes to work on following and see how they handle being one of one without their littermates. Also, start to see who has prey drive, tug interest, more startle and recovery stuff, metal bowl hockey, baby retrieves, problem solving stuff.Iike can they find way around barriers, etc
5-7 weeks: really becoming little dogs! Start to hit the road for more field trips!!! Try for at least a new place every few days. Also, more environment changes and begin basic crate training, being able to handle confinement, people of all shapes and sizes of course, start getting used to wearing a collar and on a leash, more toy games, teach two toy game of live toy/dead toy, more work on recovery, get used to being handled on table/counter as for grooming and vet. Prior to seven weeks would schedule eye Cerf and Baer tests. Start to really look at them, decide who fits where the best and which people seem to have the best energy with that pup.
6 1/2 or 7 to 8 weeks is usually the fear period, they might become a bit more cautious, some field trips and visitors but give them more down time. Visiting vet comes around now. They get vet exam, first shot. Fear period usually done by 8 1/2 weeks. More crate training, more one on one....soon they will be ready to go home. Around 9 weeks, they start to leave. <3 nbsp="" span="">
As reminder of how I raise pups...need to write some of it down, but really do tailor it to the pups as I see them grow and react. The experience of knowing dogs and empathetically observing, is crucially helpful in raising pups. I often wing it in raising pups, by adding new things or having access to different experiences, at different times of year. Thunderstorms are wonderful, but so is snow, grass versus ice, smelling flowers versus icy wind, walking in the woods versus the beach, all different at different times of the year. I am far from methodical, but do have a method!
I know I can always learn more, and really should probably be more specific to remind me of my timeline, even if my methods are not methodical :). These are things I have done for many, many years-I never believed in the basic ENS, knew there had to be more we could do to enrich their exploratory behavior, ability to adjust to the new and even basic senses prior to ears and eyes opening-all to help develop more stable pups. Granted, I have done more with field trips in recent years, as if think I was more protective of pups and worried about disease after caring for so many foster pups with parvo, distemper, etc.
But, I realize just how valuable the field trips are-not just in experiences for the pups, but to also gauge their response in new environments. Gives you a fantastic read on pups! If they never leave home In the first 8 weeks you are raising a pup, you really truly can't say how confident or not a pup is, or may be in new settings, if they don't experience variance in environment, how do you really say as a breeder that a pup is "confident"?
I love having pups that hit the ground running and explore in new places! Learned that from an English behaviorist seminar, many many years ago. A pup raised with no social variety, or has a very timid temperament may tend to sit in the middle of the floor or try to hide, In a new place. New places also help pups to further develop body awareness, as they learn to navigate new objects and environments.
Education and new learning is always good-for people too! I do find it funny/fascinating how the marketing aspect of raising pups is now a "brand". People, adding it to their websites like a badge of quality approved. Underneath any early learning, exposure or socialization-you are still dealing with the basics of the genetics, instincts and temperaments you started with and the experience of the "observer" to increase and modify, to enrich-not overly stress pups. I do think it is wonderful that more breeders are doing more things with their pups, and learning more about what is in their whelping box! It all leads to stable dogs! This is a win-win for us all! I'm sure there's much more for me to learn, and will always embrace new ideas if it helps raise my pups, but sometimes if something has been working pretty well, it is good to try to remember what you have always done. :) I don't write everything here, but happy to share...
Birth-14 days: Safe, consistent environment for the pups. I believe the social period begins at BIRTH!!! I handle newborns a lot!!! Touching pups kickstarts their metabolism and imprints them on us. Add toys to box on day 2, to encourage crawling and navigating in space-around, under, over-also becomes different textures as their noses and paws touch. on the 2nd day of their lives, begin basic ENS which continues until day 16 usually when eyes and ears open. Added to this, I do two new scents and two new textures or tactile/temperature changes. I add to that toward the 2 week mark, things that move under them-skateboard, wobble board, rocking on your arms, etc. At about 4-5 days place each pup in a low bowl, pie plate to see who crawls out fastest, who is complacent, who frets, etc. The opposite exercise of this-lay a piece of paper towel on top of them, who is first to move out from under, etc as above. That increases to other things, like a milk crate on its side, etc. Brief, but enough for them, to feel. Imprint on the sound/vibration of humans by being held on your chest and talking to them. Kissing the tops of their heads to get used to smooch noise, which will become recall later.
Period of Aware! 14-16 days to 21 days: the first day or so that pups are seeing and hearing (usually with my pups both occur within a few hours) this is the stage they start to "become". Mouthing at toys, mouthing at eachother, begin to notice motion, start the stage of hanging things above bed area that are different visuals, as well as sound making-like bells, etc,. Not as much ENS formally, but continued handling of feet, bodies, holding while carrying, etc. They start to "see" you and react socially with wobbly approach. Heart-melting tail wags usually start at this age too.
Period of Socialization: 21 days to twelve weeks- this is the most important phase a puppy will ever experience. 3-4 weeks they are still really infants but a good time to start lots more brief exposure to new things. I like to get them used to being carried outside and placed on stone walkway or grass, for a short bit. I like to have visitors hold them
Up to this point, usually let a couple of the adults visit, if mom dog is ok with it.
4-5 weeks area of bedding gets expanded and start working on them going outside to "go" and give area to get away from where they sleep to "go". Also, new stuff introduced and changed. Toys that move and make noise, dropping toys to help startle and recovery, lots of visitors where possible, music, they start to hang out with the adult dogs more, skateboards, tippy boards and planks, stuff to crawl on and under, start to take off by themselves for a few minutes to work on following and see how they handle being one of one without their littermates. Also, start to see who has prey drive, tug interest, more startle and recovery stuff, metal bowl hockey, baby retrieves, problem solving stuff.Iike can they find way around barriers, etc
5-7 weeks: really becoming little dogs! Start to hit the road for more field trips!!! Try for at least a new place every few days. Also, more environment changes and begin basic crate training, being able to handle confinement, people of all shapes and sizes of course, start getting used to wearing a collar and on a leash, more toy games, teach two toy game of live toy/dead toy, more work on recovery, get used to being handled on table/counter as for grooming and vet. Prior to seven weeks would schedule eye Cerf and Baer tests. Start to really look at them, decide who fits where the best and which people seem to have the best energy with that pup.
6 1/2 or 7 to 8 weeks is usually the fear period, they might become a bit more cautious, some field trips and visitors but give them more down time. Visiting vet comes around now. They get vet exam, first shot. Fear period usually done by 8 1/2 weeks. More crate training, more one on one....soon they will be ready to go home. Around 9 weeks, they start to leave. <3 nbsp="" span="">
