23/04/2022
Spring is just around the corner, yay!! With spring come puppies, Yay!!
If you have just brought a new pup into your home, or if you are waiting for your pup to join your family, here is a list to consider.
**5 Most Important Things to Teach your Pup**
1) Handling her World - Socialization and Emotional Stability
2) Comfortable with Touch - Grooming and Handling
3) Appropriate Play - Bite Inhibition and Self-Control
4) How to access all the Goodies - Dog Drives Reinforcement
5) Independence - Self Soothing and Learning How to be Alone
The first 4 months of a pups life are more influential in shaping future behaviour than any other time in their lives. Their little brains are a-whirl with neural activity, and synapses or connections are being made. The network of all those newly formed synapses allow information to flow. When a pup learns something new those connections that pass information become stronger, and that information is more readily available.
This chaotic activity in a young brain is tremendous, and ultimately cannot be maintained forever. So at about 4 months of age those synapses or connections start to close, and those that are not used frequently disappear while those that are used are kept.
The work that you do during the socialization stage, making all those great associations, is a form of pruning, maintaining those connections to help your pup thrive in his world.
A new puppy in your home is a joyous time, but it is also stressful and hard work and time consuming. If you want help making the best use of this relatively short time of influence, give me a call or check out my Puppy Programs at https://www.prdogz.com/puppy-programs
Private in-home dog training in Regina. Specializing in puppies as well as dog behaviour change programs for reactive behaviours caused by fear, anxiety, and aggression.