The proof is in the puppies

We pride ourselves in giving our puppies the very best start in life from day one.Everything is planned and put into place ensuring the best upbringing position for our puppies.

The best foundation

As the breeder we would like to take the opportunity to give our puppies the best start in life and lay the correct foundations for them and their new families.
We use a variety of methods right from the start.

early neurological sent introduction 
early neurological stimulation 
puppy plan
puppy culture 
puppy school sounds
dogs trust puppy school methods 

from day one our puppies are carefully observed and there progress monitored ensure they have reached all there millstones.

Socialised puppies

Our new puppy owners can be confident that their puppy has encountered the things that they may to be expected to accept as part of their social group (socialisation) and also all the things they need to learn to accept and ignore – such as loud noises, cars, periods of separation etc (habituation). Our puppy families  will leave with a record of their puppy’s early weeks, and they are able to carry on the Puppy Plan exactly where their puppy left off.


Introduction of the puppy plan to our litters

We will make sure the puppies get to hear as many sounds as possible. These will include: doorbells, TV, doors opening and closing, vacuum cleaners, music, bangs, clatters, conversation, and an introduction to fireworks and thunder we have  CDs with these noises on them .These won’t be playing all the time and will not be loud but We will play the c.d occasionally throughout the day at times when the puppies are awake. We are looking for the puppy to notice them and then quickly return to normal. Puppies will be familiar to household sounds but we want to get them to hear the unexpected ones too such as fireworks and thunderstorms! We will start these sounds at a very low level and will increase later in the weeks to come .


Below is the plan we follow closely .we also ad some ideas from puppy culture ,dogs trust , the kennel club and the puppy school.

A lot of the plan is covered in the general daily living alongside us as a family .

      The Puppy Plan - Week 3
1. Make sure the puppy gets to hear as many sounds as possible. These should include: doorbells, TV, doors opening and closing, vacuum cleaners, music, bangs, clatters, conversation, and an introduction to fireworks and thunder. You can buy CDs with these noises on them or you can download them from the internet if you can’t find them all. These shouldn’t be playing all the time and do not need to be loud but should happen unexpectedly throughout the day at times when the puppies are awake. You are looking for the puppy to notice them and then quickly return to normal. For most people who rear the puppies in the house with the family, most of these noises will be nothing new but make sure the pup- pies get to hear the unexpected ones too such as fireworks and thunderstorms! These sounds need to start at a low level and can increase later in these weeks.
2. Provide lots of different things to look at. Roll things across their puppy pen, flash torches (not at the puppies but around the room), change the light levels. Bounce a large soft ball outside the pen. Roll or drag things past the outside of the puppy pen so the puppy gets used to movement he can’t chase. Hang a baby’s mobile above the pen for 30 minutes a day (out of reach). Some puppies will show very little reaction during this early period of life – but having these things around them will make a difference

3. Handle, cuddle and pick up the puppies regularly, making sure they are being held in a comfortable, up- right and natural position, and are being fully supported. They need to begin to bond to humans, and en- suring they are handled in an appropriate way will help this. The mother may be slowly starting to wean the puppies in the next couple of weeks, and when she does you can let them lick a dab of fish paste or pureed meat off the tip of a finger so they associate human hands with positive experiences. It is good for different people to do this (starting with any new people just sitting on the floor so the puppies can ap- proach them in their own time).
4. Stroke the puppies gently with different textured things – woollen glove, a piece of sheepskin, a rubber glove, a very soft baby’s toothbrush – as this will stimulate and develop their sense of touch.
5. Introduce different surfaces for the puppies to walk on (more of this in Week 4). Don’t underestimate how much puppies learn through their feet!
6. Let other dogs (as long as they are calm, friendly and vaccinated) and cats (if you have them) wander around the outside of the pen. Some may have been doing this already.

Weeks four to five

1. Introduce more different surfaces into the puppy pen. Vet bed, crunched up newspaper, carpet (you can get off-cuts or samples from your local carpet shop), lino, rubber mat – anything and everything you can think of that is safe and will give the puppies lots of different tactile sensations.
2. Add things that the puppies can begin to experiment with - tug toys, Kongs, tunnels, upside down card- board boxes with holes cut out, large pieces of sheepskin, handle-less bucket or basin on its side, bits of blanket tied at one end to the pen, a bundled up blanket that they have to clamber over... Anything that is safe – and always under your supervision.
3. Take each puppy out of the pen and spend progressively longer time with him away from his littermates – up to 10 minutes. During these times, go through the tasks for Week 3. Don’t do them all every time – just one or two each time. Make sure the puppy has some relaxing time too. Continue getting the pup- pies used to being handled – including ears, mouth, feet etc. Use tiny but tasty treats as soon as wean- ing begins, to ensure that he associates being handled with positive experiences.
4. Begin to teach each puppy to get used to being gently restrained. Kneel on the floor with him between your open legs with your hands linked in front of his chest. Hold him gently for 3 seconds and then let him go (as long as he is calm and not wriggling!). Build up very slowly to 30 seconds, with plenty of re- ward, so he gets used to dealing with the potential frustration of being restrained.
5. As much as possible, start to move the puppies as a litter around the house to different rooms with dif- ferent noises, surfaces, activity levels (this should include the garden or pa

Weeks five to eight


1. Put more interactive toys into the puppy pen at times when you can supervise. These can include wobbly objects, tunnels, bits of cloth to climb over or burrow under, suspended tennis balls, larger balls that can be rolled about, empty plastic bottles with some pebbles in them that will roll noisily, small boxes that can be climbed on or in, trays filled with stones or shallow water... Anything you can think of to introduce new stimuli to the puppies.
2. Once the puppies are eating solid foods happily, feed them from different bowls – plastic, metal, from your hand etc.
3. Over the next couple of weeks, try and make sure the puppy meets as many different types of people as possible – women, men, children, people with beards, hats, high heels, hoods etc – and that they have rewarding experiences to associate with them (games, treats etc).
4. Having heard all the usual household objects, it is time for him to experience them – this includes the TV, vacuum cleaners, ironing boards... anything that will form part of his life as a dog in a busy household. As always, make sure these experiences are positive. Start very slowly with these things not moving or switched on, and reward the puppy with a treat or a game for ignoring them not playing with them. Slowly you can begin to move them, switch them on at a distance etc – always going back a step if the puppy is reactive towards them.
5. On occasions, feed the puppy separately from his mum and littermates – and a little bit away from you (in a crate, behind a baby gate etc). Start to teach him that good things can happen when he is on his own. Also on occasions, feed him from your hand – he also needs to learn that having humans around his din- ner is always a good thing.
6. Spend time with the puppy encouraging him to follow you, playing with him, making eye contact with him, stroking and handling him, picking him up and holding him – and generally getting him used to and enjoy- ing human contact. Make sure all these interactions are positive for the puppy, using treats if necessary.
7. Try to take each puppy out individually to sit in the car, drive round the block, see and smell things that will be part of his daily life (traffic, trains etc). As he is unvaccinated (although will still have immunity passed to him from his mother) he should be carried but he should have all these experiences in these really important two weeks when his confidence is at its highest and his fear responses are at their low- est.
IMPORTANT: Always be very aware of the puppy and that he is having a good time. If he looks worried in any way, take it more slowly. Each puppy must be treated as an individual – and all this socialisation and habitua- tion has to be fun and rewarding for him.
This is the time to start to teach the puppies to get used to wearing a light collar – only for a few minutes a day while they are thinking about other things, building it up over the next couple of weeks. Do not leave collars on when they are in a crate or play pen, or when unsupervised.
The 7 Week Checklist
The puppy’s early learning is nearly over – and it is time to check that you can tick as many as possible of the 7 Week boxes. These should have been done or experienced by the puppy on his own away from his mum and littermates.
While many of these things are never going to be part of a dog’s new life, it does mean that he has experienced lots of different things and situations – this will mean he is less likely to be worried by unexpected situations or things that may happen in his new home as the unexpected is expected – or at least well-tolerated.
By the time he is seven weeks old he ideally should have:
1. Met 7 different types of people (examples: babies, toddlers, children, women, men, people with walking sticks, umbrellas, hats, wheelchairs....)
2. Been on 7 different surfaces (examples: newspaper, carpet, lino, concrete, grass, pol- ished floors, vetbed, uneven ground...)
3. Played with 7 different types of toys (plush, hard, tuggy etc)
4. Heard 7 different household/natural noises (for example TV, radio, vacuum cleaner,
playing children, different traffic sounds, thunder, fireworks, things been dropped, cook-
ing timers....)
5. Been in 7 different locations – and ideally eaten in 7 different locations (different rooms
(or even different parts of the room), outside on concrete, on grass, hand fed, in a car,
with others, on own etc)
6. Done 7 different problem solving activities (for example climb over a step, over a blan-
ket, go through a tunnel, get a toy from under something....)
7. Ideally been out and about to see 7 different places or things (carried to watch traffic,
children in playground, vets, sat in car etc).

Different surroundings

Getting your puppy used to different surroundings is a very important part of socailisation.

keeping them occupied 

Puppies are fun outgoing and intelligent  .provide a home where they have lots of fun things to do.
wearing them out mentaly is very important part of getting a good nights sleep!

Trips out

The more places you take your dogthe easier they are to take.

Here are some of our adorable puppies in there new homes

The puppy plan is fantastic however they have unfortunately stopped the online version but we have followed it so for many years and know everything about it .

We will continue the plan ourselves and every puppy will leave us with there own individual puppy socialisation and enrichment certificate showing completion of the plan they have followed and the socialisation methods they have undertaken with us.

We get great comments on how confident our puppies are .That they settle quickly and are well adjusted to family life .

Remember socialisation must continue once they come to live with you we advise you to continue socialising and training your puppy everyday and attending puppy training and obedience classes .

The first 16 weeks is a crucial time for your puppies learning .



    Enrichment



Puzzles

Puzzle's are great for  brain stimulation.




Toys

Puppies need a variety for toys especialy whilst teething.


Snuffle mats

Hiding treats and food in the snuffle mat a great way to occupie your puppy.

Cheeky puppies!

Teddy having the time of his life in his fantastic new home.