Socialisation and development of Puppies within the litter

I follow the advice in the Puppy Listener by Jan Fennell for the socialisation and development of my puppies in the eight weeks we have them.

First 10 days: puppies are blind and deaf and totally reliant on the mother for food and defecation. The mother leaves them once or twice a day to toilet herself. She is fed in the same room, sometimes in the whelping box if she won’t leave. There are no other visitors as they stress the mother too much.

Birth: as soon as Lupin has licked off the sac and cleaned the puppy we quickly weigh it and give it a health check, put the collar on and write up its weight and information on a check sheet. We continue to handle and check the puppy once a day for weigh in. Done at the same time each day and weights recorded, so we can adjust who is feeding to make sure they all get enough milk.

Up to 3 weeks the puppies stay in the whelping box until they can walk , see and hear. We then give them a little more space outside the box to start exploring. At 4 weeks every owner is invited to visit the puppies for 30 minutes. Sitting with them quietly and carefully stroking them on their laps.

I am with them all the time and hand them puppies to hold. To pick up a puppy I:

1. Bend down to floor level
2. Place my hands gently underneath and scoop it up gently but confidently.
3. Remain in crouched position and raise it up off the ground to eye level.
4. Reward the puppy by placing it in my arms or a guests and stroke gently making calm reassuring noises.

So from being little the puppies are used to different smells and different people and being handled. At this point humans will mean warmth, comfort and safety to the puppy so at any time in the future they feel unsafe they come back to us. This has been proved to work brilliantly with our previous two litters who when off lead literally are on an invisible elastic band.

From 4 weeks onwards each puppy is handled and cuddled twice a day. This is why its handy to have visitors who are more than keen to help!

Week 4/5 – there is a turning point when they are pooing and weeing faster than I can keep clean. So they are moved to the downstairs room where there is fake grass to defecate on and access to outside. The routine of being asked to go out and feeding outside starts the process of toilet training.

They are let out at 6.45 or as it gets light to get as many poos outside as possible as they wake up and move. The floor textures are: fake grass, vet bedding,  tiles and concrete patio. They all run happily about outside the concrete handily wearing down their claws. So far none of my puppies have been scared of anything, rather the opposite.

Handling: the puppies are still weighed daily but now I spend a little more time with them. I only do this when they are calm, so choose a time in the middle of two feeds.

As with all training you only ever do it when your dog is calm.

This is true for the rest of its life.

1. The puppy goes up onto the work surface in the puppy room and is weighed first.
2. I use a soft brush and run it over their coat and feet.
3. At this point we have been checking for teeth in the mouth so gently open it and check.
4. Hold the head gently and check the inside of the ears.
5. After the first day I then teach it to role on its side in a submissive position and gently rub the tummy. This teaches it that it associates humans with leadership.
6. Touch the pads of the paws, so that trimming the fur later is far easier.

Week 4 – owners visit to choose and name their puppy.

From now on I start calling each dog by its name.

I use soft inviting eyes and call the puppy name until the right one looks at me, if it comes towards me I praise it warmly and repeat the name. If they all come towards me I single out the right one and only praise that one.

By now the puppies are all eating softened kibble, occasionally topped up by Lupi feeding them once or twice a day. I introduce it by putting bowls of softened kibble down three times a day. Using my fingers as the puppies approach the bowls I put some under their noses so that initially they lick it off my fingers. It usually only takes a few days before they are all tucking in.

The puppies are given access to the outside 6 times a day to defecate

6.45am fed and let out

10am Usually visitors handle the puppies with me and let them out

12pm fed and let out

3pm Usually Visitors handle the puppies with me and let them out

6pm puppies are fed and let out

9pm puppies are let out.

From 6 Weeks onwards  The mother is completely weaned off feeding, though will still occasionally think she wants to for a second! The puppies are then weaned off the soft kibble. Once all their teeth are through the kibble is softened less and less until they are all eating dry kibble.  The same handling and toileting continues.

Week 8  – In the evening we will often will carry them upstairs to be in a normal room or let them run around the office. My dogs stay on the sofas out of reach while they romp around and explore.  We have large crates out for them to go in and out of, normal dog beds and the travel crate they would usually be delivered in, cardboard boxes, card tubes and normal dog toys to play with.  To date all the puppies have been fearless and full of confidence.