Here are some other things to help create a well rounded pup!
Adapted with permission from Margaret Hughes
1. I will do Relaxation Protocol both in a crate and on a mat daily. My end goal is a dog who can relax tethered on a mat or happy in a crate while I teach training classes.
2. Everyone will ignore the puppy for the first 5-10 mins of coming home. I want to make coming and going a non issue, as it is with our adult dogs.
3. Crate games will start immediately. See number #1.
4. The puppy will be worked daily on recalls. The plan is to do a lot of off leash attention work.
5. The puppy will start Puppy K and a Puppy Sport Foundations class with me within 2 weeks of coming home.
6. The puppy will be crated or wall tethered and ignored for 15 minutes a day while everyone is home to learn that this is a "no big deal" activity. There will also be times when the puppy is left totally alone so that she will not be stressed by it as an adult.
7. The puppy will be in a crate, X-pen, wall tethered or tethered to me at all times. I want to prevent bad habits.
8. The puppy will be conditioned to love a head halter until loose lead walking is installed.
9. The puppy will wear a front attached harness when we are not actively working on loose leash walking to prevent bad habits.
10. No one will be allowed to "carry" the puppy around like a stuffed toy.
11. The puppy will get at least one daily trip off the property.
12. The puppy will only be petted, talked to or looked at if she has all four feet on the floor.
My 10 Training Rules
I will keep a behavior log/ dictionary to track the signals and cue words.
I will keep a training log to track where in the learning the puppy is for each behavior.
I will keep a socialization / public assess log to track how much the puppy is getting out.
I will install verbal’s by training without body language and train as cleanly as I can.
I will consider weaken behaviors as "untrained" and go back to the beginning to re-teach it.
I will only train one behavior at a time in a session.
I will focus on "How can I change it?" instead of "Why did she do that?"
I will remember that any interaction with the dog is training the dog.
I will prevent or interrupt undesirable behaviors, rather than ignore them.
I will keep the end goal insight was I train each behavior.
By the time my pup is 12 weeks old, she will have:
Experienced 12 different surface: wood, wood chips, carpet tile, cement, linoleum, grass, wet grass, dirt, mud, puddles grates, uneven surfaces, on a table, on a chair, etc...
Played with 12 different objects: fuzzy toys, big & small balls, hard toys, funny sounding toys, wooden items, paper or cardboard items, milk jugs, metal items, etc...
Experienced 12 different locations: front yard (daily), other people's homes, school yard, lake, pond, river, boat, basement, elevator, car, moving car, garage, laundry room, kennel, vet hospital (just to say hi and visit, lots of cookies, vaccinations) grooming salon (just to say hi) etc...
Met and played with 12 new people: (outside of family) include children, adults (male and female) elderly adults, people in wheelchairs, walkers people with canes, crutches, hats, sunglasses, etc...
Exposed to 12 different noises: (ALWAYS keep positive and watch puppy's comfort level-we don't want the puppy scared) garage door opening, doorbell, children playing, babies screaming, big trucks, Harley motorcycles, skateboards, washing machine, shopping carts, power boat, clapping, pan dropping, vacuums, lawnmowers, etc...
Exposed to 12 fast moving objects: (Don't allow to chase) skateboards, roller-blades, bikes, motorcycles, cars, people running, cats running, scooters, children running, squirrels, horses running, etc...
Experienced 12 different challenges: climb on, in, off and around a box, go through a
cardboard tunnel, climb up and down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide & seek, go in
and out a doorway with a step up or down, exposed to an electric sliding door, umbrella,
balloons, walk on a wobbly table (plank of wood with a small rock underneath), jump over
a broom, climb over a log, bathtub (and bath) etc....
Handled by owner (& family) 12 times a week: hold under arm (like a football), hold to
chest, hold on floor near owner, hold in-between owner’s legs, hold head, look in ears,
mouth, in-between toes, hold and take temperature (ask veterinarian), hold like a baby, trim
toe nails, hold in lap, etc…
Eaten from 12 different shaped containers: wobbly bowl, metal, cardboard box, paper,
coffee cup, china, pie plate, plastic, frying pan, Kong, Treatball, Bustercube, spoon fed,
paper bag, etc......
Eaten in 12 different locations: back yard, front yard, crate, kitchen, basement, laundry
room, bathroom, friend’s house, car, school yard, bathtub, up high (on work bench), under
umbrella, etc....
Played with 12 different puppies (or safe adult dogs) as much as possible.
Left alone safely, away from family & other animals (5-60 minutes) at least 12 times a week. (for my pup that means crated.)
Experienced a leash and collar 12 different times in 12 different locations.
Potty in at least 12 different places on as many different surfaces as I can manage.
Attend at least 12 different group classes sessions and or play sessions.
Eat from a Scent Pad in 12 different places.
Eat from 12 different food toys
Moms