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Early Puppy Development

Benefits of Early Puppy Development

Training Your New Puppy

Learning begins early, from the moment of birth. When your puppy finally comes to live with you teaching and training good manners and habits should begin immediately. Your pup's mind is like a sponge waiting to absorb information. With early puppy development programs you can begin teaching your puppy good habits, rather than have to retrain or break bad habits when the puppy becomes the adolescent dog at 6 or 8 months of age. It is always easier to teach good manners early, than to undo an unwanted habit or manner later.

Your puppy is always practicing manners and learning habits, good or bad. We know from experience "good practice makes perfect". So why not teach a good habit rather than try to undo the undesirable or bad habit.

In early puppy training we focus on: Housetraining (potty training), Jumping, Puppy Biting, Mouthing, Chewing, Digging, Boundaries, Barking, Whining, OFF furniture (if desired), Crate Training (if Desired), Socializing, and, leash Introduction.

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For many years we were told to wait until a puppy was 5, 6 or 8 months of age to begin training. Now with the acceptance of positive, humane, training methods it is possible to begin a puppy as early as 8 weeks of age. I start training my own personal puppies at 8 weeks of age and after 12 years in the dog training business there is nothing that can match this early training. 

A good puppy program will teach your pup to sit, come, walk on leash without pulling, how to eliminate, puppy biting, and  how to greet people without jumping on them. We will teach your puppy what are appropriate toys to chew and learn all about house-training.

In addition and possibly the most important aspect of an early puppy program, is the socialization your puppy will gain. It is crucial your puppy be socialized to have only positive experiences with strangers and with other dogs before the age of 20 weeks. Good socialization helps to reduce cases of separation anxiety, unwanted barking, destructive chewing, digging, unwanted elimination, aggression, fear or anxiety issues, and gives owners the tools to deal with handling, grooming and visits to the veterinarian. A good puppy program will allow time for puppies to meet other puppies and people.

Aside from socialization and preventing unwanted behaviors, our puppy program will enhance your relationship with your new puppy. Positive, humane, training is another way to be effective when communicating with your puppy.  

Additionally, training will help reduce the chances that your puppy, as he or she enters adolescence, that your puppy will not be surrendered to a shelter or re-homed because "the puppy is simply out of control." Training does reduce the number of surrendered dogs, helps teach good manners and behaviors, and is a nice chance to learn how dogs think, learning theory - classical and operant conditioning. 

Often times, owners are discouraged from enrolling in an early puppy program, because of infectious diseases or encouraged to not allow the puppy to "go anywhere." We pride ourselves in feeling comfortable we are able to provide you and your puppy with a safe environment for teaching your puppy. We are often asked about the vaccinations, and feel it is important to have all the facts before new owners make critical decisions regarding their new puppy's safety, health and well being. 

Puppy Vaccinations And Socialization Should Go Together

Let's look at Dr. R. K. Anderson's take on Socialization:  Robert K. Anderson DVM, Diplomat ACVB and ACVPM, Professor and Director Emeritus, Animal Behavior Clinic and Center to Study Human/Animal Relationships and Environments at the University of Minnesota.

Common  questions I receive from puppy owners, dog trainers and veterinarians concern: 1) What is the most favorable age or period of time when puppies learn best? 2) What are the health implications of my advice that veterinarians and trainers should offer socialization programs for puppies starting at 8 to 9 weeks of age. Puppies begin learning at birth and their brains appear to be particularly responsive to learning and retaining experiences that are encountered during the first 13 to 20 weeks after birth. This means that breeders, new puppy owners, veterinarians, trainers and behaviorists have a responsibility to assist in providing these learning/socialization experiences with other puppies/dogs, with children/adults and with various environmental situations during this optimal period from birth to 16 weeks. The first 7-8 weeks should be with the breeder and the next 8 weeks with the new owners or trainers who are equipped for proper training. This socialization program should enroll puppies from 8 to 20 weeks of age as a key part of any preventive medicine program to improve the bond between pets and their people or trainers and keep dogs as valued members of the family for 12 to 18 years.

At 8 to 9 weeks of age puppies should have (and can be required to have) received a minimum of their first series of vaccines for protection against infectious diseases. This provides the basis for increasing immunity by further repeated exposure to these antigens either through natural exposure in small doses or artificial exposure with vaccines during the next 8 to 12 weeks.

Experience and epidemiologic data support the relative safety and lack of transmission of disease in these puppy socialization programs over the past 10 years in many parts of the United States. In fact; the risk of a dog dying because of infection with distemper or parvo disease is far less than the much higher risk of a dog dying (euthanasia) because of a behavior problem. WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS SPECIAL SENSITIVE PERIOD FOR LEARNING IS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR FOR DOGS AND THE MOST IMPORTANT AND LONGEST LASTING PART OF A TOTAL WELLNESS Plan. 

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