The puppies ventured outside for the first time on Monday, and they were not fans! They liked their new toys, and enjoyed the soft bed. But outside was too big, the grass too prickly and there were way too many new smells! It’s the same with every litter, the puppies are always overwhelmed at first.
They definitely like the new toys, but prefer to play inside in the air conditioning! They also like being downstairs now, so they can see everyone.
Nolan, who is not quite 8 months old and is still very much a puppy, was so happy they were moved into the living room. He got to meet the girls for the first time, and fell in love with them. (he is shedding like crazy right now!). Morgan really seemed to like him too. Rory was a little more hesitant about the big guy.
It was a very big day for them, with lots of new experiences. But they recovered quickly, and seemed very happy.
We have so many more adventures planned for them, but we are taking it slow, this was enough for a few days.
They are becoming such beautiful collies, I love their sweet little faces!
Morgan
Rory
Rory
Please check back, as we will posting more of these two cuties in the upcoming weeks!
There are three kinds of stimulation that influence how a puppy develops. The first, as previously discussed here, is ENS or early neurological stimulation. The second is called socialization. To be the most effective, the ideal time for puppy socialization is between 4 and 16 weeks old. Too much or too little socialization during this period can negatively impact the puppies development, creating fearful, anxious or shy adults.
I’ve written posts about puppy socialization in the past, and they can be found here:
Of course our new puppies aren’t here yet, but we have already reached out to friends in anticipation of their arrival. We’ve asked friends to plan on visiting our puppies, to help socialize them. And they’ve all said yes, because who doesn’t want to cuddle a collie puppy?
The third kind of stimulation is called enrichment. This stimulation has no time limit, as you can begin as soon as the puppies have opened their eyes and have begun to explore their environment. Enrichment provides puppies with positive experiences. This allows the puppies to explore and investigate the world around them while helping build their confidence. Puppies supplied with many different forms of enrichment typically grow up to be more inquisitive and intelligent adults.
There are many forms of enrichment, and we have enjoyed creating new methods with our past litters. I thought it would be fun to share some of the videos from when Peyton and Addi were puppies, as I don’t think I ever shared them here. They show some of our efforts to provide socialization and enrichment.
In this video the puppy with the white on her nose and head is Peyton.
Hungry little puppies, can you spot Peyton?
Melody, now Lilac, was the only rough puppy in the litter. This was her trying out the tunnel for the first time.
This is when we introduced some puppy play equipment.
The puppies can be seen here learning about new, loud noises as a large truck drives by the yard.
Here the puppies met a new friend! They were definitely unsure, but curious, about the talking dragon!
This was the day we introduced the snuffle mat
And here is the first day we introduced their pool. They quickly became fans of the pool, with the hot Summer weather we were experiencing!
I am researching new ideas to provide both socialization and enrichment for the new puppies. I can’t wait to meet them!
I have listened to my coworkers complain about how their dogs do not get along with other dogs. They complain about how they can't take their dogs anywhere. They question why their dogs behave this way, but in may cases, this behavior is the result of a lack of socialization when the dog was young.
For a puppy to mature into a friendly, confident adult dog, he or she must be exposed to many different people, animals, experiences and places. Your puppy should have a variety of interesting experiences, and every new experience should be treated as a fun, new adventure. Your puppy needs to bond with you, so that they trust you to lead the way in these new situations that are potentially frightening to a young puppy. From the time a puppy is 8 weeks old, until she is 16 weeks old, is the ideal time to introduce your puppy to new people, animals, places and experiences.
This includes giving her a first bath, trimming her nails so she doesn't mind you touching her paws. And invite young children, who are gentle, to interact with your puppy under close supervision. If you are a woman, living alone, introduce your puppy to friendly men, especially those in uniform. Begin leash and collar training, most puppies do not like being led by a leash at first, so make it a game and reward them for following you.
But one of the best things you can do for your puppy is help her to learn how to play with other dogs. Many dog training facilities offer Puppy Kindergarten classes, where puppies can play and interact with each other in a safe environment with supervision by trainers.
There is a checklist of things/people you should introduce to your puppy before he or she is 16 weeks old. Unfamiliar People
Men
Women
People of different ethnicities
Men with deep voices
Tall men
Men with beards
People in uniforms
Elderly
People wearing hats
People wearing hoodies
People with canes, walkers or crutches
People in wheelchairs
Teenagers
young children
toddlers
babies
People running/jogging Unfamiliar animals
Older dogs
other puppies
Dogs who play well with others
cats
horses and livestock
New Surfaces
concrete
slippery surfaces
metal surfaces
standing on a table, for examination
wet grass
mud
snow (if possible) Unfamiliar sounds
Vacuum cleaner
blender
microwave
fireworks
knocking on the door
ringing the door bell
sirens Things with wheels
bicycles
skateboards
wheelchairs
cars
buses
motorcycles Places
stores (like Petco/Petsmart
city environment
country environment
The idea is to expose your puppy to as many new things, in a fun and positive way, as possible. This will help to prevent your adult dog from reacting with fear or aggression. After all, you could have a dog who never leaves the house/yard and is afraid of strangers or other animals. Or you could have a dog that can go anywhere with you, and who thinks each new experience is an adventure. Which would you want? Kori is very happy that we took her to puppy socialization classes as a puppy, you can see it when you watch her visit Doggie Daycare with my daughter. It's up to you!
