Puppy Education
A Well Adjusted Dog
Apart from the ongoing health care and regular grooming needs your puppy has extensive socialising needs too.
Our small team of breeding dogs and the Free Range Home Set Up with no kennels allows us to give your puppy personalised, responsive and dependable attention including daily handling and loving care essential to healthy development. Neuroscience research has shown that the young brain literally changes shape and size in response to everything encountered in this early period of development. We employ proven techniques that promote brain and body development and work with each puppy from their 3rd day of life till the last day at our home.
According to the RSPCA website Puppies have what is called a
'critical socialisation period' between approximately 3 -17 weeks of age.
It is believed that dogs go through two separate “fear periods” in their life. These are essentially the time blocks when the pup is extremely sensitive to bad experiences. After the initial ending at about 17 week, the second for most dogs occurs as a 2-3 week period in late adolescence, somewhere between 6 and 14 months of age. This is the time when fear responses imprint in your puppies mind and those periods affects how it behaves into adulthood.
At Superior Cavaliers we work on this aspect daily when the pup is in our home and you as the new owner will need to continue this education to ensure your fur baby grows into a very well adjusted, mannered and happy best friend. It is our responsibility to help the puppy make sense of the world around them.
We want you to feel confident on how to raise your new fur family member. During your visits to meet the pups we share our knowledge with every new home and we urge you to read the following section as well as search for more information that might be more suited to your specific circumstances.
Please practice responsible dog ownership. You are the most important person in your dog's life, they will love you unconditionally and follow your lead. You are the boss, setting boundaries and showing the pup your expectations of how to behave. Pups will not understand your words as much as tone and actions. Animals pick up on our moods and anxieties so it is important to show that you are the alpha in your pack no matter how small or big and they can rely on you and follow your lead.
Many things that we take for granted can be scary to our little fur friends. It is your responsibility to show them how you expect the pup to behave in various environments and in presence of people, animals and objects.
If you don't want to hold your puppy in your arms when going for a walk or to the shop, we recommend the use of a simple sling that leaves your hands free and keeps the pup safely elevated from other dogs while exposing them to new environments.
We schedule a short monthly siblings and mum reunion. This helps to socialise your dog and may renew the family bond. You are welcome but not obliged to join.
Please read Before You Bring Your Puppy Home and contact us with any questions.
Meeting People
Part of the Community
People come in a variety of sizes and ethnicities. We look and smell different. It is important that your fur baby learns to accept those differences.
Children of all ages can be loud, fast and colourful, their voices are hight pitched and often sudden.
Adults come in all sizes and clothing, men can have facial hair and deep scary voices; women may wear big skirts that move in the wind.
Where possible introduce your pup to people with hoods, hats, and head coverings, glasses, as well as people with crutches, canes, in wheelchairs, on motorbikes, bicycles, scooters and anything else you can think of.
We recommend that you show off your puppy every chance you get and aim at letting them meet a 100 different people before 17 weeks. Outdoor markets, city centre, parks or even out the front of a local shop or cafe are some great places to tick off a good number of friendly encounters.
The World Is A Friendly Place
Meeting Other Animals
It’s very important that you don’t allow your new puppy to interact with dogs from other homes before they have completed their vaccinations. Please discuss this with your veterinarian.
It is vital however to safely introduce them to the world around. This can be done while holding the precious cargo in your arms. Some shops allow animals, in our city a popular hardware store is one of them. Other ideas include visiting a dog friendly cafe or your friends house.
Your new family member will need to learn to communicate with dogs and other puppies but also other pets it might encounter, including cats, guinea pigs and rabbits and wild animals in your area.
Your local dog clubs or a pet store might organise puppy school, a perfect place to learn some basic etiquette.
Above all be patient, kind and friendly. Talk to pet owners and other people you meet along the way so that your puppy grows up into a confident, friendly and social family member.
Experiences and Objects
Remember that everything is new to your fur baby. Slowly introduce it to things around them. Even before the final vaccination take effect you can carry your pup and visit sidewalks, parks, kids playgrounds, parking lots, construction sites, ponds and rivers.
Allow your pup to experience various textures and materials under their feet. Safely show that plastic bags, cardboard boxes, vacuum cleaners, mops, opening doors, fridges, showers and hair dryers are not enemies out to get them.
Gently introduce them to water, various rooms in the house, including the concept of mirrors, windows and the fly screen. Encourage the puppy to be friendly to its reflection.
When outside put the lawn mower or leaf blower on, light the fire, sweep, use a swing or trampoline or any other potentially strange things.
Let the puppy hear, see and smell a bike, skateboard, rollerblades, car, motorcycle or shopping trolley.