Puppy Starter Program

During Your Puppy's Two Week Stay

Week 1 - Introduction to the house:

Your puppy will be exposed to all the things in the home that initially resemble ‘the boogey man’ to them. Hard wood floors, stairwells, television, radio, washer/dryer, pots and pans and kitchen activity, and the dreaded vacuum cleaner.

They will learn their house manners amidst these distractions, which include correction when jumping up on furniture, counters, etc., garbage sniffing, and other bad behaviors. They will be taught that people are not ‘chew toys’ and encouraged to re-direct toward suitable toys when they try to chew on people or furniture, etc., during this early teething stage.

The pups will also be introduced to crate training in incremental periods as well as learning to lay quietly on a dog bed if asked to do so. Your pup will learn to follow along outside using food motivation. This is a relaxed ‘let’s go’ happy approach where, like their mother, we encourage them to follow along for both sustenance and safety, just as they did when they were younger. We try to imitate mom’s behavior to build a foundation of trust and dependence which will transfer to you once they get home. This is an informal introduction to the heel and recall. Off leash sit and down are also loosely taught at this time as well.

Week 2 - Introduction to the leash:

By the second week, the goal is that they can now make it throughout the night in their crate, as a 12-14 week old pup or mostly through the night if they are 10—12 weeks of age. Now that the handler-pup connection is well in place, we introduce the pup to their first collar and leash, which usually comes easily, as they have now learned that being close to their handler equals safety, nourishment . . . and love.

They will learn to handle leash commands such as let’s go, sit, and down, under the distraction of other dogs and people while here on site. We are not looking for a formal heel at this time as that will come as the pup matures. They will have the recall practiced over and over as that command, in my opinion, is the most important. When we say ‘HERE’ that pup needs to know we mean NOW.

The pups will get exposed to the beautiful coast of Maine surrounding Meer Küste, as they get exercise and fresh air, vital for proper conditioning at this age. They will experience the sights and sounds of the Port while learning that it is imperative to stay close to the handler. They will also have the opportunity for play time with other pups in the program for social skill building and canine companionship!

Introduction to the world beyond Meer Küste:

Lastly, with heightened confidence, they will take a car trip off site to a city setting to experience their first ride in a car. They will learn to behave on leash in a busier environment, where they will meet and greet with new people, be exposed to traffic, and make a trip into a pet friendly store, usually a pet store, where they can pick a suitable toy for the progress and bravery they are showing!

 

From there they are ready for further education in the form of private, group or protection training which can help them to become the dog of your dreams! We would highly recommend Mike Pinksten and Olympia Kennels in beautiful, Chester, NH.