6 weeks & on.... ideas wanted.

[northwoodsGSD]

The pups are now 6 weeks old. I am looking for a few more ideas to keep them entertained, learning, ect.
Momma is still nursing them, but they have been on food since 3 weeks old. They currently get fed dry kibble 3x daily. Momma is also seperated while they get fed & a few extra hours thru-out the day.
The pups stay in a rather large fenced area with axcess(dog door) to a inside kennel. The fenced area has a mixture of grass, dirt, & rocky areas.
They also get "free time" a few times a day(outside when nice, in the house otherwise). This involves romping thru the yard, fields, & woods. They also get to chase/play with the other dogs, run thru the sprinklers, play in the puppy pool, & bite the kids/vistors ankles They have axcess to a few tugs & toys at all times also.
I also spend one on one time with each pup daily. We play with the assorted tugs, ball, & they get to chase/play with the "drag". I spend time doing handling things such as brushing them, handling their feet & mouths. I have just started working on sit, using small pieces of bait/food.

There are a few that are clearly showing potential for serious work/sport futures. I want to make sure I give them (all the pups) the best basics possible. Just looking for more ideas or thoughts.

[Chris Wild]

6 weeks is the time to really start ramping up socialization and exposure to different things, and continue until the pups go home. Things we would be doing with our own pups during this time:

LOTS of socialization with all sorts of different people of different ages and ethic backgrounds.

Social/play time with older dogs who are good with pups, not just the dam.

Exposure to other animals (cats, horses, etc...)

As many different flooring/footing surfaces we can get, both walking over and playing on top of: carpet, hardwood, vinyl, wet (IOW *slippery*) vinyl, wood decking, concrete/pavers, gravel, loose rock, sand, grass, dirt, plastic tarp on the ground, e-pen laid out on the ground, plastic baby gate on the floor.

Different obstacles, taking advantage of ordinary household things, plus a few designed specifically for pups: climbing up and down the couch, in and out of showers and bathtubs, up and down stairs, walking a plank/dog walk, up and down the a-frame, in and out of enclosed spaces (a trash can laid on it's side, bucket laid on it's side, cardboard box laid on it's side, behind the furniture, under bushes, etc...), walking across a ladder laid on the ground.

Heights: dog walk, on top of a table, kitchen counter, stack of hay bales, etc...

Sounds: gunshots, whip, cars, car horns, lawn mower, vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, washing machine, TV, radio, dropped stainless steel bucket, pots and pans clanging around in the kitchen, etc...

Car rides.

Crate training.

Lots of ball and rag play, both individual and in groups.

Scent work (puppy scent pads), both individual and in groups.

That's about all I can think of for now.

All of these things not only help the development of the pups, but also serve well as a means to evaluating them. Observing each pup's reaction to all those new things sheds a lot of light on each one's temperament and nerve.

[Crookedcreekranch]

All great things! Here's a couple more.....

Grooming...nail trimming, brushing, inspecting ears and body parts, washing, blow dryer, etc. so they get used to that sort of touch.

Do you have collars on them? I put mine on very early (by 3 weeks for sure) (safe ones) so they don't even notice them...if you wait until they are older to put them on... they will scratch, scratch ....roll to get them off

Introduce the leash to the puppies.

At this time of year when it is warm enough you can put out the little kiddie pools. Oh...what fun it is to see them play and splash and I turn on the hose and let the water trickle out on the concrete...so much fun to watch reactions,,,,float some toys in the pool....and get the camera ready... many buyers really have no idea shepherds love water and love to swim especially if exposed early in life.

[northwoodsGSD]

Thanks for the good ideas! I do incorporate a lot of the above, but will also start adding the few things I hadn't thought of & changing around what we are currently doing.
They are placed on a table/counter area when being groomed, nails & ears done, but will add other height variations & obstacles.
We have tile, vinyl, wood, & carpeting in the house, so they get exposure to those floor surfaces daily. The kennel house/barn area is concrete inside so they are use to that too.
They have had collars on since day one, but will start adding leashes to daily exercises.
They got to go in the puppy/kiddie pool earlier this week for the first time. We built a ramp so they can go in or out w/out scrambling over the side. Most of them disregard the ramp & just climb over the side to get into the pool then use the ramp to get out. Silly puppies!! They do LOVE the water though.

I really enjoy watching them explore & check out new things. I don't have any cautious/shy pups. They pretty much go **** bent for leather any time they are not sleeping!!