When more
Stimulation,
Socialization,
and
Enrichment.
Early Sensory Stimulation we
examined last month with photos and
explanations on how to do the five
exercises on neonatal puppies each day
from three days to sixteen days of age.
ESS is obviously the job of the breeder.
That same breeder will also begin
the Socialization and Enrichment
segments of The Plan, and the new
owners will continue the project,
training in those two areas intensively
until the dog is over a year of age with
frequent reinforcement throughout the
dog’s lifetime.
S
tageS of
S
ocialization
in
P
uPPieS
3
to
7
weekS old
At this stage, puppies can hear and
see. They are eager to explore their
environment and to learn how to
play with their dam and littermates.
They have already received ESS, so
they can now handle the stress of
new and strange elements in their
environment. Some behaviorists
indicate that individual handling of
each puppy should begin now, but
most long-term, successful breeders
would tell you that such handling
should begin the first day of life.
For instance, in addition to the
carefully regulated ESS exercises,
neonates should be weighed every
day to ensure that they are thriving
as they should. This is a great time to
cuddle and stroke and kiss those new
puppies. Their sense of touch is quite
developed even if they can’t see or
hear very well, so that first exposure
to humans handling them is critical.
They need to look forward to being
picked up and loved on by the human
members of their pack. They need
to know through touch that they are
valued and loved, because such tender
handling goes a long way toward
imparting a confident and affectionate
nature to a pup. Remember, heredity is
only 35% of performance. Those first
few weeks of life begin the process of
producing a “super dog”.
Weaning will begin at three to four
weeks of age and provides a marvelous
opportunity to desensitize puppies to
loud noises. As soon as the pups are
eating well, albeit messily, from the
communal feed pan, I drop pots and
pans on the floor just before putting
the food down for them. For the first
few times, the puppies run for cover,
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
When More is Better
a
lthough
too
many
a
mericanS
tend toward excesses in certain areas
of their lives, in one area, at least,
“
more is better” rings true. Where
puppy socialization is concerned, it’s
hard for breeders and new puppy
owners to do too much in the way of
carefully introducing all sorts of new
and strange experiences to a puppy.
Many breeders diligently provide
their litters of puppies with what
is essentially desensitization to all
manner of stimuli that could be
construed as suspicious or frightening
to a puppy. Breeders ensure that each
new encounter becomes a pleasant
experience for the pup.
Then the new owners must take over
and continue the process throughout
the first year of their dogs’ lives. In
doing so, humans can create “smarter,
braver, more athletic” dogs (a phrase
from Parelli Natural Horsemanship).
Such long term projects always go
better and are more successful with a
plan, and that is exactly what a number
of dedicated canine trainers and
behaviorists have given us. The Plan
has three parts to it: Early Sensory
Sandra Murray
“
Weaning will begin at three to four weeks of age
and provides
A MARVELOUS OPPORTUNITY
TO DESENSITIZE PUPPIES TO
LOUD NOISES.”
70 •
S
how
S
ight
M
agazine
,
D
ecember
2012