Birth: 1st day....handle puppies carefully but not like they will break, pick them up, turn them side ways, upside down etc.
2nd day: Handle the same as before...also I turn on the clipper and run them ALL over the puppies (I'm not clipping just giving them the feel, sound and smell of the clippers). I also grind their nails as best I can.
3rd day: Visitors handle puppies. Handle as before, and now I add surfaces so by the end of 2 weeks they have been on about 12 or more surfaces , I let them wiggle around and stay there for a bit, even though they whimper some.
7-14 days: Repeat the above, even when there are no nails to grind the nails are held and the grinder is going. more surfaces and smells, lots of smells, clipper and brush the puppies. visitors welcome
14-21 days: Add water to the puppies play time, even if their eyes and ears aren't open yet, they are placed in a shallow dishpan with warm water. Just let them do their thing, pet them and talk to them. Then of course you need to blow them dry (something else new). Repeat some surfaces and start adding noise to their life. Place things in their whelping box that are soft, hard, rattle, bones that smell great and are hard.....go for a ride in the car, people, people, people.
3-4weeks: I start blowing the whistle when I give them food. Give them more bones, change the things in the box, I start playing obed dog with them. placing them in a sit, down, or stand. I start crating them alone for a short time and spend more individual time with each puppy. We are now playing in the bath tub 2-3 puppies at a time in nice warm water about 4inches deep. I also have the puppies sit, down and lie on their backs in the water....more grooming. I introduce the wing ..Have a cat toy that has feathers on a stick that I twirl around in front of the puppies, squeaky toys, ballons bobbing around. Re-do surfaces now that they are really mobile. Go for a car ride. More exposure to people. The TV is going, the pots and pans are rattling, the vacuum and the parrots are all making noise. This is NOT a quiet house until night time....
5 weeks: we are eating 3-4 meals, coming to the whistle, playing hard outside, learning to potty outside. They have had their faces and tails clipped. More water fun, either in a wading pool or in the tub. They go through tunnels, play on a tippy board getting ready for agility, and a dog walk puppy style (this is a board about 3inches off the ground to walk on), play tunnel. We play with wings and dead pigeons, I drag and run, puppies chase. They are riding in the car.
6 weeks: I need a rest, puppies are going strong. Mom is spending less time with them I need a rest. We go for car ride with each puppy alone. We are crated alone for longer period of time and more play time alone.
7-8 weeks: A repeat of week six, more places, things, people, more alone time, more individual time... .Temperament Test at 7 wks, puppies go to there new homes at 8 weeks.
