Puppies are raised totally outdoors(in a barn or doghouse, not without shelter) unless I have a winter litter. Winter litters are usually in a warm building for the first 3 weeks of life, and then acclimated to the outdoors. I raise my puppies with an odd mixture of being hands off and letting the dam raise her own litter, and being very hands on and using extensive socialization and desensitization.
What I mean by letting the dam raise her own litter:
-Not interfering with the bonding between pups and dam
-Letting the dam do things her own way, unless it is dangerous to do so
What I mean by letting the dam raise her own litter:
-Not interfering with the bonding between pups and dam
-Letting the dam do things her own way, unless it is dangerous to do so
I loosely follow the Puppy Culture Program and Avidog when raising my puppies. Some of the things that are included are:
-Litter box training puppies starting at 3 weeks
-Desensitization to various noises, objects, and surfaces as soon as they are able to hear and move around
-Teaching puppies to use their brain at a young age by training, challenges, and scent trails
-Teaching puppies self control and "manding" at a very early age
All puppies will come when I call "puppies!" which gives you a solid foundation for a recall with its name later.
Puppies are also kept on a strict parasite and coccidia prevention program, beginning at 2-3 weeks of age. Pens are kept clean, and litter boxes are cleaned regularly to minimize feces from being tracked all around the pen and thereby spreading parasites all over. Vaccinations begin at 3-4 weeks of age.
-Litter box training puppies starting at 3 weeks
-Desensitization to various noises, objects, and surfaces as soon as they are able to hear and move around
-Teaching puppies to use their brain at a young age by training, challenges, and scent trails
-Teaching puppies self control and "manding" at a very early age
All puppies will come when I call "puppies!" which gives you a solid foundation for a recall with its name later.
Puppies are also kept on a strict parasite and coccidia prevention program, beginning at 2-3 weeks of age. Pens are kept clean, and litter boxes are cleaned regularly to minimize feces from being tracked all around the pen and thereby spreading parasites all over. Vaccinations begin at 3-4 weeks of age.