Puppy Training Journey With Nae Nae!
Welcome to my vlog starring puppy Naenae. I will be documenting her journey starting from day 1 and giving you a realistic view on training a puppy while giving tips and tricks along the way. Each dog is different so not all ways of training work for every dog. I will be using science based positive reinforcement training techniques to help Nae Nae and her owners build the best relationship possible as well as getting her ready to become a therapy dog. I am very excited to start this journey and I hope you enjoy it too!
Breeders
Since Nene is coming from a breeder I want to talk about finding the right one. Find a breeder that lets you visit where the puppy is being raised the first weeks of their lives. Ask a lot of questions. Meet the doggy parents. If they do not meet any of these I would consider it a red flag. Finding right breeder takes time and patience, do your research.
This is one thing I find super important and an additional plus for breeders to do. They should understand the importance of socialization and use puppy culture to help these puppies get the best start in life!
What is Puppy Culture?
Puppy Culture is a program developed by professional dog trainer and breeder, Jane Killion. It is a comprehensive, organized program for breeders to follow during the first weeks of a puppy's life. The first 12 weeks of a puppy’s life are incredibly important. This is a near-magical time when a breeder has the power to change the outcome of a puppy’s life by what they choose to teach.
Puppy Culture is used all over the world to improve the lives of their puppies and to limit behavioral issues by helping puppies to cope with and move past things that would otherwise cause issues as adults
Here is a little break down on what the breeders are doing when using Puppy Culture
Puppy Culture Program
0-16 Days
Early Neurological Stimulation Exercises
Tactical stimulation (between toes)
Head held erect
Head pointed down
Supine position
Thermal stimulation
Week 3 & 4
The Enrichment Effect: Puppies receive an expertly enriched environment, the benefits of which will last a lifetime. This continues every week until puppies leave.
Week 5 & 6
Puppies learn to communicate with us in socially acceptable ways, learning the Communication Trinity, how to solve problems, and finding their voice.
Week 7 & 8
Problem behavior prevention protocols are started.
We teach the puppies to LOVE having someone take their food, food bowl, toys, bones, and other items. This helps prevent resource guarding later.
Start basic puppy obedience: sit, down, crate, etc.
AND SO IT BEGINS!
Lets Start Training The Name Game
I wanted to start right away! I went to visit the litter of puppies twice before the 8 weeks. The first visit was entirely about giving them love and praise and treats! The second time I went, the puppies were given names by their adoptive parents so I decided to start loading their names. Loading refers to associating their name with good things, in this case treats. The video below shows me rewarding the puppies every time I said their name. Naenae -Treat, Naenae - Treat.