Smarty Pups

[Samba]

I know about the BioStim program. I plan on socialization early on. But, was wondering what others do throughout the first 8 weeks of puppyhood to improve possible abilities in pups.

I think I saw some video of pups bred for service who were taught behaviors lured by a milky fingertip. I don't know all that the pups were introduced to though?

Any ideas?

[Samba]

It 4 weeks now. We have been supplementing with probiotics and DHA in weaning food. The pups know luring and in one session they have learned to offer sit.

We have had them walk on tin foil and big bubble wrap. They have been carried into a store. Offered them several small toys too. Intro clicker training with pairing clicks with food.

They have met children and the cat.

What other things should we do?

[Liesje]

Do you have those rubbery wobble discs or balls for balance and rear awareness?

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6229/6...9334b5eb9e.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6056/6...ca175157_z.jpg

[Guardyan]

I think in your original post you might have been referring to the Puppy Prodigies program. They do some amazing things with their pups. Here is a link which might give you some ideas:

Video Clips

I will try to post later with a few ideas . . .

[Guardyan]

This is a topic I am really passionate about. We believe in introducing pups to as many novel experiences as possible while they are here. I typically will use food so the pup's perception of each event is positive. Here are a few things we have done to socialize or imprint behaviors in our pups.

Introduce pups to kids. Kids have this funny way of coming up with weird noises and spastic behaviors that no sane adult could possibly replicate.

Introduce pups to a variety of livestock and domestic pets. Each creature smells and moves differently than other canids. Good to meet as many as possible while young.

Exposure to traffic noises, as well as car rides.

Crawl into a cave. You can create this out of cardboard (watch for chewing) or a half of a plastic crate.

You can introduce some obedience training. Start doing recalls to meals, follow the lure hand, tuck sit, folding down. (There should be a bunch of other ideas on the puppy prodigies site.) You could also check out the 'videos' section on Competitive Obedience Toolbox . She has a great puppygarten section.

You can introduce puppy tracks. We use a food drag as pups seem to need a continuous trail in the beginning. At the end of the track, they get to chew the 'yummy sock' (a sock filled with canned food).

New toys! Puzzle games get pups using their noodle.

Visit an obedience class . . . what a great way to expose your pups to new people and dogs. Just be sure to carry them to avoid the risk of parvo.

Expose pups to as many surfaces as possible; gravel, grates, slick floors, etc.

Introduce agility equipment. The balance board suggestion is awesome! You can also introduce pups to tunnels, pause table, a wobbly pile of jump bars, baby teeter, chute, etc. We have a pup from our last litter coming out for regular training and early exposure to agility equipment definitely makes a difference. He jumped right up on the teeter with no issues, a definite difference from most dogs in our agility classes.

Crate training. We introduce our pups to crate training in pairs. They will spend some time in a crate with a littermate and a bit of kibble. Then, they will spend some time in a crate alone. You can also introduce a small crate with a comfy blanket to the whelping box. Some pups will climb in and teach themselves that the crate is a good place to be.

Noise desensitization. Probably one of my favorite noise desensitization exercises is to put some kibble in a plastic bottle and turn a pack of puppies loose. Trust me, it's a noisy endeavor.

Introduce pups to water. You can introduce pups to a shallow kiddie pool . . . very funny how they pick up a paw like "Oh yuck, what is this?!"

Don't be afraid to get creative . . . our last litter had one of their meals on top of a noisy baby gate on a slick kitchen floor, after playing in an old pop box. Or maybe you want to work on body desensitization, how about placing 5 million rally cones around the living room and adding a bit of kibble under each one.

Just a few ideas . . . have fun with those puppers!

[Samba]

Brilliant links, info and suggestions!

[Samba]

I got something to fashion a wobblely board with. Where do you get those cool rubber discs? I have had the pups in a big crate some but will put a little crate in their area to go in and out. I got a play yard thingy so I can begin taking them all about and have a place to put them as I work in the house etc.

I do not formally train in agility as yet. I did start my GSD pup early and he really takes to the equipment. Seems that early learning sticks in a unique way, perhaps.






Hogan is over two now. I had him out at my trainer friend's place one night. He went into a dark room of an out building filled with storage. Then we heard a "whap". In the dark he found the stored teeter and was giving it a go. I can tell you his attraction is not from consistent reinforcement in the agility arena. I think a lot goes back to early pup experiences.

The pups I have are not GSDs but pups is pups as far as exposure and learning. I do think I can definitely see breed differences, for instance in propensity to tug. Certainly, I will encourage it but you can see things very early on as far as genetics and basic temperamental approaches to things.

Really fascinating stuff. I used to teach pre-natal and neonatal infant stimulation classes in another lifetime. I was always interested in early brain development, brain plasticity and dendritic proliferation. I remember that repetition was important in establishing pathways in the brain for specific behaviors. I don't know if anyone has studied puppy brains though. At least we do know enrichment of environment helps pups.

I don't want to over stress them so that is something I am trying to watch.

[Guardyan]

I think it's great that you are trying to give your pups the best start possible. Your point about not stressing pups is also right on point. I like to use a little kibble when introducing something new and then just let pups decide if they want to be part of an activity.

The "Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior & Training" is full of scientific research related to canine behavior. It includes some very interesting info about neurobiology, temperament testing, and puppy developmental stages.

You can pick up balance discs at some of the big department stores. I saw some at our Target a few months ago. If you want discs specific to dogs, FitPaws has a wide variety of conditioning equipment. Here is a link: Ball Dynamics - Exercise Balls, Accessories and Wellness Products for your Healthy Lifestyle

This is slightly off topic, but I think the following video has some interesting balance exercises for older dogs. Obedience Training Video Tip - How to Physically Strengthen your Dog for Group Stays | TNT Kennels

Hope you will share some photos of your pups socialization adventures! * :-)

[Samba]

More fun stuff, thank you for taking the time to post.

I have all three volumes of those behavior texts. I will go look in them again.

We will get some pics and video soon. Todays video was of three of the show dogs gaiting and training because weather permitted. Pups did some obedience ... Learning to walk with head up, sit, shake,etc. Terribly cute!

[Samba]

5 weeks old and first time for a wobbly thingy...

Dash Blitzen 5 weeks - YouTube