We work on exposure and curriculum for 8 weeks, now it is your turn. The first 16 weeks of a puppies life will have a huge influence on their future as an adult dog. Below are some goals for you and your puppy from weeks 8-16. **Remember not to let your puppies paws touch the ground until they are fully vaccinated! “Four Off the Floor”
HANDLING
Continue the 10 point handling exercises we have been doing for the first 8 weeks of life. Every day you should touch their ears, cover their eyes, touch their their paws (in between toes), lift and hold their paws while they are standing, tug at their tail, rub thei hair the wrong way up their back, rub their belly, touch their nose, pat their back, open their mouth and touch their teeth and tug at their collar.
SOUNDS
Continue to give exposure to sounds. You can google or Youtube most of these: sirens, doorbells, thunder, echos, clapping, lawn mower, garage door, blow dryer, blender, vacuum, ice maker, clapping, fireworks, gunshots, screaming, shouting and banging metal.
MEET 100 PEOPLE
Meet all kinds of people. Including young, middle-aged, elderly, disabled, loud and confident, shy and timid, delivery drivers, jobbers, uniformed workers, people wearing hats, glasses, motorcycle helmets, people with umbrellas, crutches, walkers, wheel chairs, people with different ethnic skin colors, babies, toddlers, preteen and teenagers. *Keep a plush toy close to distract puppy and avoid biting.
VISITS
Make lots of visits to lots of places. Friend’s house, store (automatic doors), park (just observe – “four off the floor”), off-leash hike, vet’s office, groomer, variety of flooring (slippery, uneven, bumpy, tile, carpet), elevators, escalators, bridges, decks, gravel road, sandy beach and a body of water.
MOVING VEHICLES
Get exposure to cars, trucks, pickups, semi-trucks, construction trucks, garbage truck, mail delivery vehicles, motorcycle, 4-wheeler, side-by-side, bicycle, stroller, airplane or jet.
ANNIMALS
Be cause to not allow altercations, but expose the puppy to stable adult dogs, other puppies, cats, small pets, birds, livestock, horses etc.
