Good Breeding Practices that Prepare a Litter for a New Home

Good Breeding Practices That Prepare a Litter for a New Home
By Leah Morse

When considering a good breeder choice it is important to consider not only the health testing and pedigree but also what is being done to prepare the litter for their forever homes. More can be done besides breeding two quality animals and then nutritionally supporting them until the time comes to let them go to their new homes. 
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As a dog trainer I see many problems that stem from lack of socialization, handling and exposure to the world that we live in.

Early Neurological Stimulation is a set of exercises done with the puppies very early on. The series consists of securely but gently holding a puppy head down, then holding head up, then “supine” position or on their backs, tickle the toes of one foot with a Q-tip then on placed on a damp cool towel and returned to the mom. Each exercise is only done for 3-5 seconds but if done daily during the first few weeks of life (3 days old to 16 days old) have been shown, by studies, to help develop healthier more stable puppies. Specifically these studies showed.

Improved cardiovascular performance (heart rate)
Stronger heart beats
Stronger adrenal glands
More tolerance to stress
Greater resistance to disease
A great example of this is shown with the following link.
http://www.howcast.com/videos/210187-Creating-Super-Puppies-Early-Neurological-Stimulation
Another good practice is the Rule of 7s (by Patricia Hastings, AKC Judge and Author of the Puppy Puzzle)

By the time a puppy is seven weeks old he/she should have:

Been on 7 different types of surfaces: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips
Played with 7 different types of objects: big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper of cardboard items, metal items, sticks or hose pieces
Been in 7 different locations: front yard, back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom
Met and played with 7 new people: include children and older adults, someone walking with a cane or stick, someone in a wheelchair or walker

Been exposed to 7 challenges: climb on a box, climb off a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence
Eaten from 7 different containers; metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan
Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom

The state of Colorado has a law that states that puppies should be left with their mothers until they are 8 weeks old. This is so important as they learn many valuable lessons in canine communication and discipline. This extra time (past 6weeks) is beneficial as it sets up the puppy for accepting rules and discipline from their owners. Puppies teach each other bite inhibition as they play together and this also can be carried over with proper training in their new homes. When puppies are playing and one bites another too hard, the recipient of the bite yelps and then stops playing. This is effective as play is a very valuable commodity for puppies. The loss of play is a good lesson that helps the pup to play more gently in the future. We can effectively teach young puppies to not put their teeth on us by yelping loudly even at the slightest contact with puppy teeth and then ending the play by ignoring the puppy.

Throughout the entire time a breeder has a litter of puppies they should be getting them used to being handled, cuddled, having their toes touched (as prep for nail trimming) introduction to crate training is also very beneficial so that there is less stress when they go home and are put in a crate.

Taking these preventative measures helps to ensure a better training experience for the new owner, but should not be seen as a replacement for the socialization process to be carried on through the first year of life. Training should also be done through at least the first year of life. Breeders should be willing to educate new owners of the training process and how to properly socialize these puppies that have had such valuable preparation for their new homes.

Committing yourself as a breeder to being responsible for creating potential ambassadors for your breed and carefully screening your puppy buyers will again help to prevent shelter admission or troubled owner dog relationships. I know that when I put my heart and soul into a project such as this I am very particular about who gets my puppies as I don’t want them to become a public or even just a family nuisance as even the most well bred well prepared puppies can become in the wrong hands.

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Leah Morse is the owner of Rocky Mountain Classic Canine and a certified canine trainer. Leah writes a weekly blog for Denver Dog Works.