How our puppies are Raised
Our puppies will be raised in our home surrounded by people and dogs who will love and cuddle them for the first 8 weeks of life. Our children will handle them daily to get them used to kids. Being raised in our home will make the transition to your home even easier! We primarily follow the Badass Breeder curriculum to raise all of our puppies. This program focuses on handling exercises, scent introductions, sound desensitizations, and exposure activities. Our goal is to raise confident puppies by letting them know that “dogs are friendly, people are kind, and the world is safe.”
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS)
Early neurological stimulation consists of a series of exercises conducted between day 3 and 16 days after birth. This period is a time of rapid neurological development for the puppies. By exposing the puppies to certain stimulations during this time it can have life-long benefits. Studies have shown that puppies exposed to ENS had improved cardiovascular performance (stronger heart rate), stronger heartbeats, stronger adrenal glands, more tolerance to stress, and greater resistance to disease. This method was designed by the US military in order to improve the performance of working dogs.
Early Scent Introduction (ESI)
Early scent introduction consists of a series of careful exposures between days 3 through 16 after birth to a new scent every day from a variety of carefully selected scents. This process helps to increase nose awareness and confidence! This scent introduction is great for preparing puppies to be working dogs such as hunting dogs, tracking dogs, gluten alert dogs, and diabetic alert dogs! We also record each puppy's reaction to the scent (positive or negative) to assist people in choosing a puppy that is most likely to excel at one of these tasks if they are specifically looking for a speific type of working dog. Aside from service animals that may need an exceptionally great sense of smell, ESI can also help prepare puppies that are solely going to be human companions. By exposing them to these scents from a young age, we are preparing them to come into your home and live their life with you where they may frequently encounter scents such as normal household smells, nature smells, and animal smells. Some scents we introduce are soil, tennis balls, coconut, oatmeal, leather, allspice, alpaca fiber, pine chips, and more!
Demonstration of ENS/ESI curriculum
Socialization
Socialization is one of the most important factors when it comes to raising puppies. During the first16 weeks of their life, puppies go through a socialization period that shapes their future temperament and personality. The amount of human interaction, socialization, and exposure to new experiences that a puppy has greatly affects their temperament. Dogs that are socialized while they are young are less afraid of new people, other animals, and new situations. This decreases the likelihood of aggression and other unwanted social behaviors. Additionally, socialization with bathing and grooming is especially important for Goldendoodles as their coats require frequent grooming to maintain their coat. Exposing them to these grooming tools while they are young will decrease the stress of grooming appointments throughout their life. It will be very important to continue this socialization the first 8 weeks you have the puppy at home. We will help guide you on ways to get this socialization in safely as the puppy is not fully vaccinated until 16 weeks.
Sound Desensitization
Sound desensitization is one of the ways we socialize our puppies when it comes to new sounds. By exposing the puppies to many different sounds at a young age, they are less likely to fear them (or start barking) as adults. We expose our puppies to a wide variety of sounds to prepare them for a lovely future without fear such as fireworks, doorbells, kids playing, animal noises, doors shutting, items dropping, different voices (deep, high pitched, children), different genres of music, etc. This desensitization allows for more opportunities to explore and learn about new things while they are young instead of developing bad habits caused by fear.
Exposure Activities
We use exposure activities to introduce the puppies to new things and surfaces. By exposing the puppies to a variety of items and challenges at a young age they are able to build confidence and nerve strength resulting in them becoming a less fearful adult dog. We expose our puppies to a huge variety of tactile, balance, and surface activities to set them up for a successful future without fears of walking on reflective surfaces, uneven surfaces, raised surfaces, textured surfaces, steps/ramps, or wet surfaces. This exposure, like sound desensitization, allows for more opportunities to explore and learn about new things in their new environment while they are young and impressionable.
Potty Training
We begin potty training with the puppy as soon as they begin getting up and playing. We do this by creating a separate potty area starting in the whelping box for them to go to. Puppies have a natural behavior of moving away from their sleeping area to use the bathroom. By giving them this seperate space they are better able to differentiate between sleep, play, and potty areas as they grow, thus learning the importance of going potty in a designated area. Once they are older, we begin taking them outside (weather permitting) to allow them to learn going potty on the grass outside as their designated space. This helps tremendously with the transition from our home to yours. A puppy that is difficult to potty train causes a lot of emotional stress on your family as you explore your new family dynamic of raising a puppy. We want to make that process easier and less stressful for you by beginning it while they are young. It is important, however, to understand that they are still puppies and are NOT going to go home fully potty trained. They will still have accidents in the house without constant training and positive reinforcement with potty training.
Crate Training
We begin crate training with our puppies as we believe that it is important for their transition home, as well as their safety and potty training. By getting them used to sleeping in their crates alone at night before they go home, it makes the first few nights away from their littermates easier and less stressful for them as they are already used to it. By creating a safe comfortable space for them in their crate, your family will be able to keep them safe from anything that they could get into when you cannot watch them. Crate training is also extremely important in aiding with potty training. By crate training them, it is easier to prevent nighttime accidents since they cannot wander throughout the house to find a place to potty. We begin crate training by using a snuggle puppy for them to sleep with, covering their crates with a lightweight/breathable blanket, and playing classical music (which is good for their mental development and stress management). Although we start with crate training, it is important to understand that the first few nights away from their littermates can still be a bit difficult for them as they adjust. They may "cry" a bit at first, but our hope is that you and your puppy will have a peaceful transition.
Leash Training
We start on very basic leash training with the puppies. It is important to understand that they will NOT come home fully leash trained. The purpose of starting it with them early is to create a foundation upon which you can build your puppy's skills. Familiarizing them with the collar and leash allows you to easily transition into walking on a leash. By starting on their training when they are younger, they are easier to train how to not pull on the leash. This early training helps aid your efforts in training your new puppy.
Temperament Evaluations
Temperament evaluations will help you choose the right puppy for you! This test allows the puppy to show us his/her strengths and weaknesses. Some puppies may be more reserved and calm, whereas others may be more confident and energetic. Some puppies will show us they may need more reassurance, while others show us their independence. We will observe how they interact with each other, other people, new things, and new challenges. We do this testing once the puppy is at least 7 weeks old. We will score each puppy in a number of categories that will help us work with each family to determine if they would be best suited in their lifestyle. For example, a very active person may need a confident puppy that is high energy to keep up with them whereas a family with young children may need a puppy that has extremely low sight and sound sensitivity so that they are not as easily startled and frightened by the unpredictability of young children. This will help make sure that you have the best forever companion for you and your family.