Now the real fun starts! Puppies learn the beginning of a recall or “come” as they are called to their food dishes at mealtimes. They sure learn fast to come when we call, “Pup, Pup, Pup”.
They are exposed to the “barrier challenge” where we see how good they are at solving the problem of a "barrier” or gate between them and something they want (either food or people). Pups also start on their individual clicker training sessions during these weeks. They play with new toys daily to stimulate their brains, and now they can tug, shake, and carry objects. In the video below, our pups quickly figure out how to get around the barrier to the food dish. Note the crying puppies in the background who have already had a turn and want another try!
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Puppy Culture - Barrier Challenge
One of the most fun things we start during weeks 5-6 is the “Puppy Adventure Walk”. A puppy walk occurs when we take all the pups and their mama out into the bigger world of our .5 acre yard and they have a blast scrambling over uneven ground, sniffing new things, and follow their mama out into the world. Puppy Adventure Walks assist pups with good bone and muscle development, reduce the chances of hip dysplasia, as well as stimulating puppy brains.
Puppies are introduced to new pieces of equipment daily, so they develop their minds and bodies by climbing, crawling and moving over a variety of surfaces. We put puppies up on grooming tables, and make sure they have a positive introduction to bath- time and blow dryers.
All puppy living areas are kept meticulously clean so they learn to pee and poo in the potty box. This takes a lot of work but really helps make housebreaking easier for new owners once puppies go home. We encourage pups to pee and poo in the right spot when they get up in the morning, wake up from a nap, after they have been playing hard, after nursing etc. Obviously us being with the puppies full time is crucial to this part of training.