Puppy Culture & Avidog
You may have came across Puppy Culture or Avidog, or even Early Neurological Stimulation on our site, so let us explain a little more in case you aren't familiar. We will share below a little that goes on in the first 8 weeks of our pups development here at Crowders Creek Goldens.
Puppy Culture is a puppy-raising program for breeders, created by Jane Killion.
Avidog is a comprehensive program, starting before pregnancy and includes optimal nutrition and an Early Scent Introduction program for the puppies. It exposes the puppy to one novel non-food scent each day, from Days 3-16, for 5 seconds each time. This stimulates the development of the nose and scenting abilities, which can be very important for search and rescue or service dogs.
Early Neurological Stimulation is a prescribed series of exercises each puppy goes through, every day, from Days 3-16, for 3-5 seconds each time.
Early Toilet Training
When the puppies' eyes open around 3wks, and they start to toddle around, a toilet area is added to the whelping box. This greatly speeds up toilet-training for new owners, since puppies don't get used to going everywhere and to sleeping in their pee/poop. We use puppy litter trays at this age. Half the whelping box is a sleeping/play area, and the other half is a toilet area.
New Object Daily
As soon as the puppies' eyes have opened, a new object is introduced to the whelping box, daily. The puppies explore this novel object keenly. We try to vary the objects so they have different textures, sounds, smells and sizes.
Weaning - The Recall
From the start of weaning age, and throughout the time they are with us, they will hear a specific call before we put down their food - at every meal.
At first, this call means nothing to them. But, by the time they are 7-8wks, they will have a very enthusiastic response to hearing their recall. The recall command, or "come" command, is considered one of the MOST important commands you can teach your dog because it can keep them safe and be useful in emergencies.
The Weaning Pen
At the age of about 4wks, the pups are getting too big and too busy for the whelping box. Their area is expanded to a larger weaning pen with the litter pans and lots of toys to play with.. The pups have toys hanging overhead (mobiles); tunnels to climb through; a wobble board which moves under their feet (to get used to uneven surfaces - great for pups which will go on to be agility dogs); crinkly plastic as their 'new object' and much more. We will also introduced crates at this time. The Barrier Challenge starts at 4wks also, and we repeat it daily with each puppy until they are having no problems navigating the barrier. The pup is given a little taste of the food, then moved away a short distance behind a barrier. They must figure out a way around the barrier, to reach the food. This activity greatly enhances problem-solving and intelligence, as well as developing the capacity to think when frustrated.
The Default Sit
A 'default sit' is a 'sit-to-say-please'. When the dog wants something, they 'ask' for it by sitting, rather than jumping at it. Pups are also learning the important lesson that their behaviour has consequences which they can control. This concept leads to biddable and trainable dogs!
After starting the puppies off individually, we can train them in a group. We feed each sitting pup, and ignore any jumping pups.This results in huddles of puppies, sitting when people approach the pen - instead of jumping up.The default sit is really about developing the concept of self-control in a very young puppy.
Car Trips: 6-7 wks
Many pups have a long journey ahead of them when they go to new homes. We ensure they are used to the crate and have experienced car travel before going to their new homes. We don't put puppies down on the ground in public places, or allow them to meet strange dogs. We do hold them in our arms, carry them, and allow people to meet them. We also allow them to explore on the ground on our own land using the Avidog concept of 'Adventure Walks'.
Puppy Aptitude Testing
We test our puppies at around 7.5wks at the earliest. The later we can test, the better. This test helps us assess a puppy's temperament and confidence. For puppies intended for working homes, we look for traits like independence versus dependence - and natural retrieving ability. We use these assessments and our own observations throughout the development of the puppy, to place each puppy in the right home.