A lot of information is available on the Internet regarding puppy rearing. I will continue to develop these pages in hopes of making it easy to reference specific information. As we anticipate a spring 2012 litter of Brittany puppies I will take time to puruse our extensive library of books, highlight those things which are of specific information to me, and jot notes to refer to later on. I am not sure where the 'Rule of 7's' originally first appeared in print. Pat Hastings, in her book 'Another Piece of the Puppy Puzzle' does attritube it to Pat Schaap, as originally published in an article Ms. Schaap wrote called "Properly Socialized" in 1987.
By the time a puppy is 7 weekd old, he/she should have:
Been on 7 different types of surfaces - carpets, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips, etc.
Played with 7 different types of objects - big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal item, sticks or hose pieces, etc.
Been in 7 different locations - front yard, back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, crate, etc.
Met and played with 7 new people - children, older adults, someone with a cane or a walking stick, someonein a wheelchair or walker, etc.
Been exposed to 7 challenges - climb on a box, climb off of a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out of a doorway, run around a fence, etc.
Eaten from 7 different containers - metal, plastic, cardboard, glass, china, pie plate, frying pan, etc.
Eaten in 7 different locations - crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom, etc.
And last but not least - if it's a Brittany puppy - it should also have been introduced to live birds and enjoyed treks into the woods to explore the type of cover where they eventually will be huntng in. Gundog training begins early for the young Brittany puppy!
ATB
Welcome to the ATB blog "J & A's Brittanys" where we love to write about, share stories, post videos and pictures featuring our beautiful, well bred Brittany family bird dogs. With their established and recognized hunting heritage our dogs also measure up to the breed standard regarding health, appearance, movement, and temperament. Enjoy the stories of whelping puppies, tips on field training, bragging rights on accomplishments, sharing joys and sorrow, announcements and as the name implies - ALL THINGS BRITTANY! With a love of God, family, friends, and dog we welcome you.
