Our Puppy Program
We have already touched on how we raise our “dragons”, and promised to write a little more about it. Here’s how it’s been for us 16 weeks in and out of the puppy fence ❤️
Expanding their space
The puppies are born in the living room inside a whelping box. During the first four weeks, it’s crucial to pay close attention to the mother, and this arrangement is the most comfortable. We have to gently pray her out of the box from time to time—mothers are a bit reluctant to leave the little ones alone at the first days. We trust their instincts and don’t override their decisions, but we’re there if they needs us. At 4 weeks old, the puppies move into their own small house, where they spend their nights in a temperature-controlled, camera-monitored, secure environment. Here, they learn the daily routine and start getting used to the rules that their future owners will expect from them. The small house comes with a little garden, which satisfies their play needs until they’re about 6 weeks old. After that, they graduate to the “nursery,” which encompasses the entire backyard. We gradually expand their living area to help them adapt seamlessly.
Enriching their environment
The real playtime begins in the nursery, where we constantly update toys and activities that match the puppies’ abilities and developmental stages. They have free time to decide what they want to play with. It’s essential for them to encounter different materials, colors, scents, and shapes—our plush toy collection comes in handy. Beyond leisure activities, we actively engage with them during instinct tests, not just as observers but as participants.
Instinct tests: prey drive, herding, scent use, vertical solutions.
We start assessing the instincts that align with the breed’s original breeding purpose. We use flirt poles, observe their chasing drive, herding inclination, and emphasize conscious reward for scent use. The puppies meet interesting things not only within their field of vision but also vertically, as we aim to develop their analytical thinking. High-hung toys or the scent and sight of meat help us in this, along with timely rewards.
Human interactions, joint play, inhibited biting, prohibition, and praise
Our goal isn’t to create little professors for future owners (though it’s not against our wishes). However, there are things the puppies must learn during their 8-16 weeks with us to make life easier for their future families. Early socialization to human interactions is one of these. Shared playtime is essential, teaching them both boundaries and praise. We avoid excessive rules, but it’s much easier to manage a group of puppies if they quickly understand limits. Inhibiting biting is crucial to prevent harm to humans and each other. During this period, the garden echoes with “AAA-AAA!” (No-No) “Whoa!” and “Good job!” sounds.
Basics for obedience work: treats, attention, eye contact, calmness, deception, rest, crate training, recall
From a very young age, we ensure they have kindergarten-style activities that cover the above aspects. While it might seem self-evident, unfortunately, we’ve met puppies who haven’t received this attention… Proper treat handling is their primary lesson—we take treats from our hand, not along with our hand.
To achieve this, attention and calmness are necessary, which they can also learn this way. Once they understand why treats are given, our task becomes less challenging, and the world opens up for them—basic tasks can now be introduced. We’ve always believed that control is the most crucial lesson. When I call my dog, I want them to come happily and promptly, making me more interesting than external stimuli. Most of our puppies go on to perform some work or sport in their new homes, so we like to lay the groundwork for crate training. Traveling and resting are essential. We acclimate the puppies to their travel crates, which become their oasis of calm. Meanwhile, we ourselves melt with delight because there’s nothing cuter than an 8-week-old puppy doing heelwork, doing scent indication, or almost having a “full catch”.
Special needs
Sometimes, we know in advance that a puppy will end up in an environment with specific expectations. In such cases, it’s helpful to spend time individually with each puppy, showing them what their future environment will be like. For example, Diversity’s Will ‘Diesel’ lives in an equestrian environment. As soon as his vaccinations allowed, we took him to the barn so he could familiarize himself with that situation, even though we don’t own horses ourselves.
This is how the crucial 8-16 weeks goes for us—captivating all our attention, but we absolutely love doing it.