Working on basic manners- helping the puppies wait for attention by sitting nicely before rewarding them.
Of course, with 7 babies and just one of me, it's a work in process- but I'm really proud of them for learning so quickly!
Exploring the house!!!
Not easy to do with a group of pups who are still learning about where to go potty, but such a great experience for them! Wood floors are always new and a little scary at first. Repeated exposure makes pups confident and comfortable!
Hiding in the house for a second chance (see post from earlier this morning)
Ps sorry I keep calling Sage "Liberty".... old habits die hard! You'd think I could remember that one .. 😏 😆
Trying to get a video of the pups playing outside.... foiled
Opening a trash bag- something we do so routinely that is normal for us, but can be super scary for a pup!! Sage did a great job introducing it slowly and gently
My husband and I often tell people that the worst fight of our marriage was over kennel training our puppy. 🤣 Is true. Very stressful and little sleep.
Ever since then, I vowed to help my puppies' families avoid all that.
Not only is it awesome for the family, but it's WAY gentler on the puppy to learn this skill in a comfortable and familiar place. Can you imagine going to a new home for the first time and being expected to sleep in a kennel- which you've never seen before?? Sleeping in the kennel here is not nearly as scary with siblings right next to you.
Plus- this is the perfect time for working on potty training skills. Every time the pups wake up in the kennel, we take them outside for a potty break- just like the families will do when the puppies go home!
Today's Desensitization!! Interacting with the puppies as they eat
Our goal is to decrease food aggression or resource guarding by showing the pups that we are no threat to their food source.
One more cute video because I just love the moment where America discovered the slide!
The pups are LOVING the outdoor play area.... until they get hot in the sun! (We'll have to get a shade up for everyone!!)
I love watching them learn and discover new places. At first, they all stayed pretty close to me but gradually branched out to explore!
Video 1 of 2
Sage is my awesome helper with the puppy’s Desensitization and Startle Recovery! Here she is working hard to show the pups some new sounds!
(This is from a couple days ago- sorry I forgot to post)