puppy development: enrichment and socialization enrichment.pdf · puppy development: enrichment and...

These materials are provided for you as a way to review behaviors previously discussed in training sessions. It is important for the success of both you and your dog, that these materials are used for reviewing, not for teaching. Do not skip ahead, even if you think your dog is ready. Every dog, every owner, and every situation is specific and requires a training program

catered to fit; because these handouts are very general, please talk to Kelsey before attempting any of these training techniques on your own.

Puppy Development: Enrichment and Socialization

Often we hear the key words “enrichment” and “socialization”, but what do they actually mean? How do we enrich and socialize our puppies? Are there correct and incorrect ways to do so? Am I at risk for ruining my puppy? How much of a role do genetics, personality, age, breeder conditions, home environment, etc. play in my puppy’s future?

Let’s explore these questions and go over what, I believe, a solid puppy program should look like. The Pawsitive Puppy Program is based on Jane Killion’s Puppy Culture series, which covers, in great detail, every developmental phase and important step to take with our growing puppies. I highly recommend watching the Puppy Culture series, which you can access through the Puppy Program page on my site, to receive more extensive information on your developing pup.

Definitions:

Enrichment - Environmental enrichment is the process of providing stimulating environments for animals in order for them to demonstrate their species-typical behavior, to allow them exercise control or choice over their environment, and to enhance their well-being.

Natural Socialization - Natural socialization occurs when youngsters explore, play and discover the social world around them. Natural socialization is easily seen when looking at the young of almost any mammalian species (and some birds).

Planned Socialization – Planned socialization occurs when people make plans for teaching or training others. Both natural and planned socialization can have good and bad features: It is wise to learn the best features of both natural and planned socialization and weave them into our lives and the lives of our animals.

Positive Socialization - Positive socialization is the type of social learning that is based on pleasurable and exciting experiences. We tend to like the people who fill our social learning processes with positive motivation, loving care, and rewarding opportunities.

Neonatal Phase (1-2 weeks)

When puppies are born, their eyes and ears are closed o This creates a very tactile creature that is

primarily dependent on their sense of touch and smell to navigate the world

o Puppies can also detect heat so the moment the mama dog comes close, they will squirm their way over for a meal

Puppies cannot regulate their own body temperature at this stage and need to be kept warm and in a small area where they cannot get too far from the puppy pile

Puppies need to nurse regularly to stay healthy o Feed mom at least double her normal food intake to help support the nursing

babies



o Weigh puppies daily to monitor proper weight gain

o Make sure all puppies get turns to nurse, but allow them to work it out amongst themselves if possible

Enrichment/Socialization Protocol

Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) exercises should happen daily from days 3-16 o Tactile stimulation - holding the pup in one hand, the

handler gently stimulates (tickles) the pup between the toes on any one foot using a Q-tip. It is not necessary to see that the pup is feeling the tickle. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds.

o Head held erect - using both hands, the pup is held perpendicular to the ground, (straight up), so that its head is directly above its tail. This is an upwards position. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds.

o Head pointed down - holding the pup firmly with both hands the head is reversed and is pointed downward so that it is pointing towards the ground. Time of stimulation 3 - 5 seconds.

o Supine position - hold the pup so that its back is resting in the palm of both hands with its muzzle facing the ceiling. The pup while on its back is allowed to sleep. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.

o Thermal stimulation—use a damp towel that has been cooled in a refrigerator for at least five minutes. Place the pup on the towel, feet down. Do not restrain it from moving. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.

http://breedingbetterdogs.com/article/early-

neurological-stimulation

Transitional Phase (2-4 weeks)

Puppies eyes and ears begin to open o Usually eyes open first, then a few days later, ears open

Puppies become more aware of their environment

Puppies begin having more control over their movements and their potty habits o Until puppies transition to solid food, the mama dog will lick the puppies to

stimulate them to potty and to keep them clean o As the puppies mature, they no longer need mom to stimulate them, but she will

often still rush in to clean up the mess

http://breedingbetterdogs.com/article/early-neurological-stimulation

http://breedingbetterdogs.com/article/early-neurological-stimulation




3 weeks old o Allow momma dog to get away from whelping area to give her relief and teach

puppies separation from mom Additionally, separate each puppy from litter for one on one time with you

o Begin clipping nails and extensive body handling to desensitize and keep puppy nails short to prevent injury to mom or other pups

o Add potty area to pen to begin good potty habits and teach den cleanliness Keep rest of pen very clean to encourage potty area usage

o Have family and close friends play with, hold, and handle pups (keep in mind that puppies have not yet had vaccinations, but also should retain mom’s immunity at this age – use caution and good sterilization protocol)

o Begin startle recovery exercises Puppies have the physical ability to startle but cannot

yet feel the emotional fear response associated with startling

Make loud noises, drop objects, run vacuum, use hair dryer, etc…

This teaches puppies how to physically recover from startling noises and sights without needing the training component to manage their emotional state

o Begin offering platters of liquid to slowly transition puppies to eating on their own

Raw goats milk is recommended, but pasteurized goats milk or milk replacer can also work

Critical Socialization Period (3-12 wks)

Starts when puppies are able to hear sound, ends when puppies are more suspicious to new things and take many more repetitions to desensitize to novel stimulus

Puppies show maximum approach and minimum retreat towards new stimulus

Puppies do not have brain capability to process fear until around 5 weeks

5 week fear period and 8 week fear period dictate spikes in cautious behavior o keep enrichment and socialization exercises easy and fear free during these

weeks to minimize future negative associations and trauma

(watching and listening to

power tools at 3 weeks old)



Puppies have single event learning during this time and will “imprint” on new stimuli/environments/exercises/etc. that are introduced before 12 weeks

After 12 weeks, introductions and emotional conditioning will take MANY more repetitions, if you are able to be successful at all

The better socialized a puppy during this phase: The easier it will be to introduce new stimuli in the future The less likely the dog will develop fear/anxiety issues The fewer behavioral problems will surface as the dog matures The better the dog’s social skills and communication skills will be with

animals and people The more calm and confident the dog will be throughout its life The less time/money/effort you will have to spend on training the dog in

the future The more likely the dog will stay in its home vs getting returned to the

breeder/rehomed/surrendered to a shelter/euthanized…


4 weeks old o Begin mixing in slightly solid food with goats milk and feed multiple times per day

Kibble dust, pre-soaked kibble, or ground meat are good options o Add a “puppy call” before setting the food on the ground

This is a high pitched, rapid, repeating sound that helps encourage the puppy to come to you, plus helps them locate the source of the food

I use “puppypuppypuppy”! o Upgrade to a larger weaning pen with potty area

We want puppies to begin moving around, going to a designated potty spot, playing with littermates, and investigating enrichment items

o Enrichment items may include: Folded tarp, large plastic bottles, new

crinkly or squeaky toys, slightly (only a couple inches, depending on size of puppies) elevated areas for sleep and play, new textures to walk on, shiny items, noisy items, smelly items, etc…

Only add one item at a time to avoid overstimulation and remove after puppies have thoroughly investigated it



o Teach problem solving skills Barrier exercise

Using the end of an ex-pen or other physical (but not visual or smell) barrier, place food bowl on the opposite side of barrier from puppy

Let puppy figure out how to walk around barrier to get food

Small levels of frustration is ok! As long as the puppy eventually figures out how to access the food, they will learn how to work through frustrating situations

Make this exercise INCREDIBLY simple to start by limiting the distance and providing a very smelly food reward

Slowly add difficulty with each feeding if the puppy masters the previous level of difficulty

Obstacle exercise

Similarly, set up a physical obstacle in between puppy and food bowl

A “speed bump” that the puppies need to climb over is a good example

o Begin simple training exercises! Load a clicker or marker word (clicker

seems to work better for the young pups) Capture 4 on the floor (with click and treat) Capture a voluntary sit (with click and treat)

Also do this with all of the puppies when you walk up to the pen o Mark and treat any puppy that sits and ignore other pups

Only do 1-2 minute sessions with each puppy Puppies should have at least 30 min of rest between sessions 3:1 ratio of Rest:Active

This ratio helps puppies properly process what they have learned and prevents unnecessary frustration, puppy tantrums, and failed training sessions

Their brains and bodies are growing! Rest is crucial for success.

Overstimulated puppies are naughtier, chompier, and less enjoyable to work with

o Upgrade puppy pen Add crates with comfy beds and open doors



Add passive enrichment equipment for puppies to explore

5 weeks old o First (unofficial) Fear Period

Take things down a notch but continue to enrich and socialize with methods described previously

You can help fearful puppies feel comfortable without coddling. Make sure there are PLENTY of safe places to retreat to and that we are not unnecessarily overstimulating

If stimulation was too severe and puppy is demonstrating true fear – ok to comfort and remove from area

You can also counter-condition fear producing stimuli by providing puppy with food rewards when in the presence of the stimulus

Discuss methods with Kelsey if you are not sure how to help puppy overcome fear

o Puzzles Use food puzzles to increase confidence and teach puppies problem

solving skills Make a kibble trail that the puppy needs to follow Use an open plastic food jar instead of a food bowl that the puppy needs

to roll around or go into Use slow feeder bowls and Kong type toys as food delivery methods Be creative but keep the difficulty level extremely low in the beginning!

6 & 7 weeks old o Time for a PUPPY PARTY!!

This is the age where we want to really begin to push the socialization aspect of puppy raising

Bring MANY guests to the house so puppies can experience a variety of human and dog based stimuli

Hats

Sunglasses

Hoods

Umbrellas

Beards

Long hair/short hair

Varying ages

Canes/walkers/crutches



Different dog breeds

Different dog ear types (pricked/floppy)

Different dog coat types (long/curly/short)

Different face shapes (husky vs boxer)

AND MORE! Make sure all exposures are positive, if

puppy has a negative experience with a particular stimulus – immediately replace it with multiple positive experiences with similar stimulus

EX. tail accidentally gets stepped on by child – find similar aged child to give puppy treats

It is much more important to focus on quality over quantity when building the foundation for your puppy’s future

Only use dogs that are good with puppies – meaning, they know how to show avoidance to communicate conflict resolution vs adding a correction to resolve conflict

Puppies should not be receiving corrections at this stage – keep interactions positive!

Having a literal puppy party with carefully chosen human and dog participants is a good way for puppies to get through their checklist in a controlled, safe, and enjoyable environment

Also, having a party will help teach puppies how to relax in a chaotic and noisy setting

Don’t forget the 3:1 Rest: Active Ratio! Have other people deliver treats and do simple capturing exercises with

puppy, so puppy also associates food comes from other humans as well o Add more intense and challenging enrichment equipment

Climbing on safe obstacles, stepping on unstable surfaces, adding toys that make strange noises or are animated, experiencing safe items falling/rolling, seeing the clothes tumble in a watching machine, standing in front of a fan, watching the lawn mower or sprinkler in the yard, etc

This is your chance to really prepare puppies for their future

Don’t skip steps! Expose your puppies to everything you can think of!



o Spend more time in the crate! This is SO important for puppies to practice

Get a really high value chew (like a raw bone) or use a meal, place in crate with puppy, close the door and sit right outside crate, let puppy chew for 30 seconds and take them out

The idea is that the puppy will want to go back in to finish eating

Practice again later for 1 min of chew time

Practice again later for 2 min of chew time

If your item is high value enough, you have been separating puppies from litter for training and handling exercises, and you have had crates available for sleeping in the puppy area – this should be easy

If puppy shows signs of distress, go back and practice simpler exercises

o Take the pups on the road! You can start taking the puppies on trips before this age also Add multiple car rides during this phase so puppies can experience

traveling Vary the duration and destination of car rides Feed high value chews, treats, and meals in the car Go on a long enough car ride for puppies to fall asleep (or spend enough

time parked in the driveway) o Continue transitioning to more solid food

Pups should be weaning from mom at this point and are more dependent on an additional food source

Puppies should be provided with meals 4-5 times/day

If feeding kibble, the kibble should be soaked or crushed so the puppies are able to chew it

Gradually, lessen the amount of liquid in the meal and increase the solid food until puppies are able to eat dry kibble

o Practice pottying outside Take puppies outside and give treat and excited praise EVERY time the

puppy potties outside Puppies are starting to hold it for longer so schedules become more

apparent. Puppies will potty after:

Eating

Drinking



Waking up from a nap

After a play session

And probably about every 20 min in between! Practice on different types of ground cover to prepare for future travels

Grass/Gravel/Pavement/Bark/Dirt/Shrubs/etc Also practice during different outdoor conditions

Daytime/Nighttime/Rain/Heat/Snow/Loud outside noises/Around other distractions/etc

8 weeks old o First official Fear Phase

Be prepared for puppies to show more fear/apprehension/nervousness during this period

Continue to expose puppies to socialization and enrichment stimuli but be careful not to introduce overwhelming stimuli or experiences at this time

It is recommended that puppies wait until after this phase before being placed in homes

If you acquire a puppy during this phase, keep introductions to a minimum and try to make the transition to a new home as relaxing and easy as possible

Do not invite friends and family over to meet the new puppy

Do not take the new puppy out to new places

Do focus on acclimating puppy to new home environment

Do focus on introducing puppy to immediate household members

Do practice all above training/enrichment/socializing exercises provided puppy is not showing signs of distress

Add pheromone collars or wall plug ins to help soothe worried puppies (DAP=dog affecting pheromone)

o 1st set of vaccinations should be given around this time (between 7-10 weeks), preferably not during their fear period

9-12 weeks old o Continue to socialize!

This phase is the most crucial for socializing since most puppies are placed in homes around this age

Exposure to all family members and activities likely to occur in the puppy’s future is very important

Think about creating positive associations with a variety of stimuli in these categories:

Dogs

People

Places

Sights

Sounds

Smells



Ground textures

Other animal species

Modes of transportation Think about expected future behaviors and begin training/managing the

puppy to encourage good manners and behavior

Stacking for a show

Handling by professional – vet/groomer

Not getting on furniture

Settling while humans are busy

Chewing on appropriate items when bored

Going to specific potty location

Allowing humans to trade treats for bones/toys/food dish/etc

Sitting when greeting

Waiting at the door and for meals

Climbing ramp or stairs to load into car

Wearing harness or other equipment

Getting bathed/brushed/groomed/nails trimmed/ears cleaned/etc

Etc Think about the future activities your puppy may be involved in

Being out in public

Walking through crowded areas

Visiting the workplace, gym, school, barn, sports field, etc

Swimming or boating

Traveling

Visiting other households

Going to the vet/groomer

Etc o Continue to train!

All of the exercises described above for the younger puppies are STILL relevant for older puppies

Practice the clicker exercises o Click and treat if puppy chooses to sit instead of jump or

climb on you o Click and treat if puppy sits calmly in the puppy pen

Practice the environmental enrichment exercises o Continue to reinforce investigating and interacting with new

things

Practice good potty habits o Add a cue immediately before puppy relieves themselves

to help transition to pottying at a specific time and place o Make potty area in pen smaller so the puppy learns to only

potty in that spot when inside

Practice crate training for longer and longer time intervals

Practice leash skills o Teach the puppy how to walk next to you off leash by

clicking and treating the heel position



o Add a leash but make sure to maintain slack in the leash at all times, to start

Continue to click and treat for a heel o Begin stopping if the puppy pulls and encouraging the

puppy to come back to the heel position Start walking and treating the moment the puppy

comes back o Start practicing in new areas o The puppy cannot be fed too many goodies while

practicing heeling – the more the better o Do not pull on the puppy

This creates frustration and a negative association with walks

Always encourage the puppy to do the correct behavior instead of punishing incorrect behavior

Practice handling exercises o Touch the puppy, then feed a treat, then stop, then repeat o Practice with every body part so the puppy associates

being handled with being fed

Practice resource guarding exercises o Give the puppy a good, high value, chew bone o Take away the chew bone (ignore any behavior puppy

offers) and immediately feed a higher value treat (chicken or hot dogs)

o Give the bone back and allow the puppy to chew again o Repeat the exercise until the puppy responds to you taking

the bone with a happy, expectant expression in anticipation for the food reward

o Do not punish guarding behavior, just ignore at this stage and simply teach the puppy that it is actually more fun when you take the bone away

o This exercise is for young puppies only. Do not try with older dogs.

Practice recall o Puppies should know the “puppy call” predicts food o Begin adding “COME” immediately before the puppy call

Begin practicing with treat rewards instead of meals Begin practicing in new locations

o Enroll puppy in a positive reinforcement puppy class Make sure trainer is experienced in current, science-based, positive

reinforcement methods Make sure class is held in a safe location, preferably indoors where the

floors are kept clean Make sure trainer does not use or recommend punishment for problem

behaviors – no pinching, yelling, swatting, startling, scaring, pulling on the leash, using choke/prong/shock collars, etc.

Make sure the puppy learns proper social skills, as well as how to settle and relax in group environment

puppy development: enrichment and socialization enrichment.pdf · puppy development: enrichment and...

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