And it is a big Saturday! We are 4 weeks old now and ready to embark on the first week of our Puppy Culture adventures.
Puppy Culture is a protocol developed to enhance a puppy’s natural growth and development, to capitalize on it so that they will grow up to be well adjusted and confident puppies which segways into their overall health and success…be it as a show dog or as a wonderful family pet! The ideal time period for this is 3 to 12 weeks. That is not to say a puppy can’t become socialized, well adjusted and confident after 12 weeks. It is just that after 12, maybe 13 weeks, these qualities take a little more time and effort to instill because the puppy is beyond the “sweet spot ” where this training is almost second nature.
Sienna’s puppies are just now leaving the “Transitional Period”. This period begins when the puppy’s eyes open and end when they demonstrate the ability to hear sounds.The Puppy Culture protocol puts this period at about 3 weeks. What I have learned is that Havanese (and probably other toy and smaller breeds) develop a bit more slowly…maybe as much as a week later. It is no big deal…it is just that applying some adventures too soon could be wasted effort. So, while the Puppy Culture protocol starts at Week 3 when larger pups eyes are open, Sienna’s pup’s eyes didn’t fully open until the very end of Week 3.
The orange, the water bowl and the pee pans…which they are using!!!
Last week, as part of the Transitional Period, we explored new things in our whelping pen. An orange…round, heavy and citrus-y smelling. Different toys. A water bowl. A pee pan.
The next period in the Puppy Culture program is the “Socialization Period,” a period that would be silly to address if they can’t see or hear! So while larger breeds may begin this period at 3 weeks, my Havanese puppies typically arent ready until about 4 weeks.
Some of the things I will be doing with them this week are moving their whelping box from my bedroom to a private space between our family room and the “dog room” where my other five dogs sleep and eat, and the outside (fenced in) play area where my dogs spend the rest of their time.
I will also be separating the puppies individually from their litter and giving them lots of tender 0ne-0n-one loving.
Inviting people to come visit (with certain precautions being taken) and play with the puppies.
Stay tuned for more posts about the wonders of raising dogs with the Puppy Culture protocol.
In the meantime, you can google it for more information and ways to continue the exercises once the puppy is in your home! https://shoppuppyculture.com/