Week by Week
Raising Guide

We created our own week by week guide that sheds some light on what each week looks like for the pups. The steps in this guide are in addition to following the puppy culture protocols!

We keep puppies until 8 weeks of age and put a heavy emphasis on early socialization, exposure and training before they go to new homes and it should be noted that this is just a "guide" and depending on our schedules and the puppies development, may not be followed exactly.

Visit the "How We Raise Our Pups" page for some information on our raising practices

Week 1-2 (0-14 days)

Puppies arrive and will be in the "potato" stage for the first two weeks with their eyes and ears sealed closed. Although they are too young to walk, see, or hear yet, we begin following our early raising protocols such as Early Neurological Stimulation and Early Scent Introduction to stimulate their brains and the central nervous system!

ENS and ESI begin on day 3 and continues until day 16:

Tactile Stimulation: Q-Tip between paws 3-5 seconds
Hold Up-right 5 seconds
Hold downwards 5 seconds
Hold on back 5 seconds
Thermal stimulation 5 seconds

Car rides begin on day 4 and we aim for 2 car rides this week

Nail trims begin sometime during the first week

Each puppy is weighed twice a day for the first two weeks of life and they are handled each day multiple times a day.

Week 2

The puppies come alive this week with ears, eyes and teeth beginning to erupt! Now the real fun begins!

14 days: eyes and ears open.

16 days: eliminating on their own ( start the nest and non-nest box setup).

18 days: teeth erupt, can drink goats milk now, can be introduced to raw meaty bones

We aim for two car rides this week!

Vocalizations are used to communicate and to explore surroundings and littermates, we record the tiniest little details of how the pups are the dam are progressing.

This week we begin introducing tactile objects and toys once pups start toddling around. They start to play with each other and the new toys, we introduce one new large toy per day for them to explore, toys made of different materials, that make new and fun sounds!

This week we also begin playing music for the pups!

Week 3

The socialization period, the critical time period during a puppies life where they form their conceptions about the world around them, begins! The socialization period starts at 21 days and ends at 12 weeks. The brain learns what is safe and what is not safe and we introduce as many new things as possible for the remainder of our time with the puppies! Early exposure is essential!

This week we introduce mush and begin conditioning the recall sound when food is placed down- this carries over into practicing group recalls by the end of the week when they have figured out that the puppy call means good things!

This week we are aiming for at least one car ride, another nail trim and our first very short trip outside the whelping box to a new room! We are also placing down new textures in their whelping box each day, tile, crinkly foil, wet towels, cold stone, warm cloths, metal, different types of fabric etc.

Puppies will begin to use vocalizations to avoid or solve conflicts with each other. Lots of growling, barking etc.

New toys are still being added each day along with some meet and greets with our mature adult dogs, who will help us raise the pups and teach proper social manners.

This week we also begin playing new sounds for the pups, city ambiance, animal noises, bird calls, playground sounds, loud trucks, all the things!

Litter box is added this week and we officially begin our potty training journey!

As soon as the first puppy startles at a noise, we begin the puppy culture's startle response recovery protocols for the whole litter.

Week 4

This week the puppies really start to become fun and explore everything they can!

The communication Trio is starting to form, can be anywhere between 4-5 weeks old.

Communication Trio:

Conditioning: using a marker word “yes,” or a clicker we can begin conditioning responses to the behaviors we want.
Offering: Operant conditioning can teach puppies that their behaviors can get them things, “touch the box” game, challenges them to use their brain and problem solve by working with their handler and paying attention to their own bodies. Leads to greater impulse control and handler attentiveness later in life.
Manding: puppies learning that they can “sit” when they want something rather than jumping or vocalizing. We start rewarding puppies who sit with attention and treat for sits during training sessions.

The Startle Recovery Response should still be under way, we start small by dropping items, slamming doors, making abrupt loud noises and allowing pups to startle to the noise, we want to see them recover quickly and then go about their business like nothing happened.

This week is all about exploring and introducing new things. We invite new people over, new toys, meet our adult dogs, new surfaces, new sounds are continued. They may be ready to move to the grow out pen during the day and back into the whelping box at night. Make their daytime pen as enriching as possible, toys, moving boards, things to grab and shake, run over/under/through etc. We set up the puppy gym and the rattle can curtain to build confidence and allow the pups to explore at their own pace.

We also start deliberate potty training this week, we set pups in the litterbox if we catch them pottying outside of it, and then reward them when we see them making an effort to potty in the box.

If the litter is mentally ready this week, we begin training! Each pups gets a small one on one training session each day. We introduce small treats and begin treat taking sessions. Start training lure, manding, down and recall cue, as well as rewarding eye contact.

This week we start traveling outdoors if the weather permits and exploring their new outdoor play area!

We also begin crated group sessions for a few minutes at a time and introduce the puppy stroller that we take pups on walks around our neighborhood with!

Problem solving activities and challenges such as the food barrier challenge and obstacle courses will happen either this week or the next, this helps pups manage frustration later on in life and gives us an idea of early drive levels and critical thinking.

Week 5

Puppies are entering the first possible fear period this week! We pay close attention and watch for this as startle response recovery continues this week. Puppies are susceptible to single event learning this week, one bad experience will stick with them!

If any puppy does not immediately recover from SRR protocol, we stop and scale back!

This week we are exploring more areas and conquering fears! Exploring new areas of the yard and house the pups have never been in, as well as meeting new people, being crated by themselves during the day and going on at least 2 car rides this week!

By now puppies should be moved to the "grow out" pen in our dog room, where they will spend the rest of their indoor time and sleep at night.

Weaning should be well underway by now and they are eating either much or softened kibble at this point.

We keep up with the playing various sounds for them throughout the day and introducing some new and weird objects, like talking stuffed animals, moving electronic toys etc.

This week we also start “crating” as a group at night if the dam will allow, using a large crate with a potty and a smaller door-less crate to act as a "den."

Group crate time during the day continues and amps up!

Outdoor time continues if the weather permits, as well as their first small water introduction.

Multiple car ride this week!

We work with each puppy on confidence building each day, treating for checking things out, and even for sniffing new objects etc. Within these short sessions we build commands such as "sit," "down," and continue with our recall cue! If they can nail down lureing, we begin introducing a slip lead and begin the basics of leash pressure. We also play the puppy culture "box game" during training sessions this week!

Week 6

This week we begin our very first outings! We start small and aim to do at least two trips to public places. The pups are kept in our puppy stroller the entire time and we do not allow any strangers to pet them.

This week is all about preparing our puppies for the next two weeks of socialization trips!

This is the time to get the puppies ready for the next two weeks of outings and get them familiarized with whatever sounds they may be hearing in our upcoming socialization trips. We knock metal water bottles over, play sound tracks of laughter, shouting, screeching etc, snap yoga mats and trash bags, and ensure they are comfortable with car rides!

We aim to get them out of the house on the first field trip without the dam! Keeping it very short, 5-8 minutes of exposure in a public area, we make sure puppies are not touched by strangers and do not leave the crate or stroller they are in during the trip.

Outdoor time can increase this week in addition to possible visits by puppy families and new people!

We formally start water introduction with shallow pan or overflowing bucket and allow them to play and splash in it all they want.

This week we also begin resource guarding drills and take-away/ swap chews with chunks of meat or cheese as a high value resource.

In training sessions, begin introducing the building block to a drop command ( we freeze while playing tug with the puppy and wait for them to make the choice to let go of the toy on their own), and work on retrieving items like balls, foam rollers, dummies, and even quail wings!

This week we also begin introducing dog doors and potty cues.

We handle the puppies daily, of course, but this week we make a point to introduce grooming and restraint for handling/ body inspections and tolerance of touch exercises.

Week 7

Only one more week left with the babies and this week is all about field trips and matching puppies to their new homes! If families have sent their scent items to us, we begin imprinting the scents this week!

When we do field trips to yoga classes, the prison or the swim facility, we make sure each puppy is fully comfortable in the environment and yoga students/ faculty are made to wash their hands before they enter the sanitized environment and instructed to respect the pup's bodily autonomy. We ask students and staff members not to grab puppies, force them to be pet, or force them to sit still, it is as much the puppies experience as it is the students/staff and we want it to be a positive experience for all.

We kick Week 7 off right away with the Volhard Temperament Test! ( more info) This test is completed on day 49 ( 7 weeks) and with the results, we make our final decisions on matches! We match puppies to the homes that best suit their individual needs, personality, drive/ energy and temperament.

Once puppies have been matched to homes we begin family scent introductions right away. We ask families to spend 1-2 weeks sleeping with a small stuffed toy, and then to mail that toy to us, along with hair samples of their family pets or any other animals living in their homes that they would like their new puppy to be familiarized with. We then begin imprinting the scent with the toy and put the hair samples into a tin and work to build a positive association with the scents!

In addition to the daily training sessions we are also amping up crate training this week! We are having each pup spend some time alone in different types of crates throughout the day and working up towards being alone in the crate at night.

Field trips to the yoga studio, prison, and the Boise K9 Fitness Facility begin this week! These trips are so much fun and we take every possible precaution to ensure puppies are safe and happy throughout each experience. They are never forced to interact with anyone and we always set up a "safe" corner for them to retreat to if they are tired, thirsty, or need a break. They treat the yoga classes as their personal play ground and usually spend the entire time terrorizing each other as well as the yoga students. There are lots of toes bitten, hair being pulled, socks stolen, water bottles knocked over and usually a potty accident or two, despite having a potty patch in the "safe" corner. The puppies absolutely love getting to run through people's legs and zoom around as fast as they can.

Swimming lessons are also this week! We take the entire litter to our local dock diving facility, Boise K9 Fitness and let them all swim or check out the water at their own pace! It's an awesome way to introduce them all to swimming and usually there are one or two pups that really come alive and channel their inner duck dog!

Week 8

It's time to pack up and say goodbye to the pups!

We let pups go to new homes as soon as they have been vet checked and deemed healthy and are at least 8 weeks in age.

The pups start leaving after the 8 week mark and after they have been checked over by our mobile veterinarian and given a clean bill of health, vaccinations, and their microchip!

Puppies can stay with us up until 8.5 week of age, after that, they must begin formal training with us if they are staying for longer. We have several options for formal training and offer a week long mini- train at our home. We have also partnered with a professional trainer to offer 2-4 week long board and trains for pups bred by us.

All of our puppies are sent home with a puppy pack that includes

- ALL their health information and documentation

- COMPLETED AKC registration ( we register puppies for you and foot the bill)

- Pre-registered microchip information with your information already logged!

- Custom litter theme sticker.

- A customized slip lead in a color of your choosing.

- A water bowl and packed meal for the road in addition to a bag of kibble

- A bag of treats and goodies

- A pre-packed meal with some calming herbs for travel

- A blanket that smells like littermates and mom

- Toys and chews!

Week by Week Raising Guide