Week 7 Update for the AWEsome PC Raised Litter
Updated: Jul 4, 2020
We are coming up on week 7 of these AWEsome puppies and they are becoming such wonderfully smart and inquisitive Border Collies. I'd like to think that all of our hard work (and I mean dedicated work from my husband, my adult kids, and myself 24 hours a day!), as well as the organized "Building Blocks" Rearing Program, have contributed to these "super puppies" enrichment.
Here's a list of what we've done (most still ongoing) and what we have planned for these next final weeks so that you'll be updated as well. Hopefully, you've all finished or almost finished following our "Now What" Puppy Take-home Guidelines, since that will help you continue our training once they become part of your families! The final steps, from about 5 weeks on, are most important information for you as you go forward.
AWE BC "Building Blocks" Rearing Program :
Birth-Week 5:
ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation Birth to 16 days)
Done but still ongoing:
Potty training (started at 3 weeks)
Socializing with Humans and Siblings
Passive Enrichment play:
Activity Box
Lots of play with siblings
Lots of interaction with different people
Just plain "Playing" and exploring
Engaged Enrichment Play:
Ball Pool
Pool with water
Tippy Board
Tippy Board on balls in Pool!
Tunnel (18 foot long)
Slide (with 2 steps-they even get brave and jump)
Tarp (on top of/under/tunneled-did themselves)
Sound/Motion/Texture Socialization:
Assortment of noise-making toys, sounds, and textures introduced daily
People talking, preparing dinner, coffee machine, daily routines
Grinder (coffee beans and puppy chow)
Vacuum cleaner
Mops
TV (even politics!)
Dropping things (loud noises to startle/recover)
Thunder and rain
Other dogs barking
Other family dogs’ interaction: Young (Dreamer) and old (Nash)
Floor surfaces:
Light and dark tile
Wood
Carpeting
Weaning to puppy kibble:
(completely weaned at 5 weeks and on Puppy kibble/water)
Individual attention daily (for separation)
Engaged Enrichment Learning:
Clicker training (started at 4 weeks):
Activate clicker response
Focus their attention (when they see the clicker in my hands, they sit and look at me in preparation)
Sitting (with hand command)
Box association (action creates treat)
Standing (Stacking per PC for showing)
Recall training: Puppy, Puppy, Puppy call (as well as Come, Come, Come calls!)
Added cooked chicken and string cheese for value treat training
Started Week 5:
Started individual bowl feeding
Crate introduction (no closed doors yet)
Working with the play biting and chewing on inappropriate furniture and humans!
Happy Birthday Singing motion Monkey-assortment of other action/noisy toys.
Week 6-8:
Crate training continued (with short times of closed-door)
Resource guarding work (started to see this with a couple of puppies, but will work on all of them)
Dealing with Frustration exercises
Harness and loose leash work (following us and watching)
Some Clicker "tricks" for treats
Car ride to the Vet for checks (7/25) and all that goes with that outing
Puppy/Office Party with another car ride to a Marketing Company where I work part-time (hoping to show off their leash skills!)
Their "skills" test to see if they need work on anything (not a pass/fail thing as everybody wins!)
Those of you choosing to go home at 9 weeks:
More Crate Training so they will become very happy being in a crate
More separation from siblings
All of the above (because we just can't help ourselves)
Anything you would like us to work on, let me know!
I'm sure you'll agree, it's been a "trip" already and these will be wonderful new family members you'll grow to love as much as we have.
More info to come, so follow us from at Awe Border Collies Facebook page!
Thanks for all your support and encouragement,
Caren, Gregg and the Awe Border Collie Family