Early Conditioning, Socialization & Training
The moment our puppies are born they are cared for and nurtured in our home with love. We are intentional to provide emotional support and incorporate human connection daily.
To ensure success, we start early by introducing two valuable science-based practices to each individual puppy from 3–16 days old, as this is a critical period of brain and nervous system development.
Early Neurological Stimulation & Early Scent Introduction
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) involves brief, controlled exercises that help strengthen neurological resilience and improve a puppy’s ability to handle mild stress and recover quickly. Early Scent Introduction (ESI) introduces puppies to new, natural scents in a calm way, building sensory confidence.
Together, ENS and ESI help puppies learn that new sensations are safe and manageable, laying an important foundation for adaptability, emotional steadiness, and confidence—qualities that support future therapy work, as well as a smooth transition into family life.
Check out the video where our puppy helper Lucia is demonstrating ENS & ESI with one of our puppies ❤️ 🐾
Puppy Culture & Temperament Testing
As we work with our pups, other Puppy Culture practices are integrated including the introduction of toys designed to promote early neurological stimulation. Watch them engage with one of these toys in the video clip below, and find out more about Puppy Culture in this short video.
When the pups are 7-weeks old, both our certified dog trainer Luke Scanlon (CPDT-KA) of Copper Clover Dog Training and our Therapy Dog trainer Rae McCorkle (Hearts for Paws) help administer the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT) for each pup. The temperament testing results are used as a tool for training after puppies go home and Luke begins working with our families.
Socialization
As our puppies mature, we transition into structured socialization and foundational training designed to build confidence and adaptability. Puppies are exposed to a variety of real-world sounds (including fireworks, thunderstorms, and construction noise), along with positive interactions with people of all ages.
They begin early crate training and learn to navigate both indoor and outdoor play environments. Once weaned, weather permitting - puppies are taken outside six or more times daily to reinforce the concept of “potty outside,” giving families a strong head start before their puppy goes home.
Once our puppies go to their forever homes, their socialization protocols continue. We provide many suggestions for opportunities to expose the puppies to safe, interactive opportunities, including the weekly training sessions with Luke once they are 12-weeks old, with bonus puppy reunions at each session. Here is one of our 9-week-old pups at Lowe’s Garden Center helping pick out some plants.
Our puppies naturally draw people in wherever they go. One family joked that they felt like a “celebrity” with how many people that stopped to say hello. These moment are a win-win: the community enjoys a little puppy therapy and our puppies gain invaluable experience calmly and confidently greeting new people in real-world settings.
Obedience Training
Many of our families in the Raleigh area have the benefit of our local trainer Luke. He offers special packages for a 6-week puppy training class with private consultation options to give the puppies a solid start.
We send weekly newsletters to prospective puppy families to ensure everyone is prepared. Luke also provides guidance prior to his classes, which start when puppies are 12-weeks-old. The classes are not only informative, they also provide a sibling reunion each week that the puppies and their families enjoy.
We highly recommend all puppies have obedience training so they can be a part of your family and join you on outings and vacations, whenever possible. Goldens like to be with their people; this means having a well-trained dog is critical and necessary for a happy and healthy dog/human relationship.
Canine Good Citizen (CGC)
CGC is an AKC ten-skill training program that focuses on teaching the basics of good manners and obedience, instilling the values of responsible ownership, and strengthening the bond between you and your dog at home and out in the community.
We recommend CGC certification once your puppy is old enough (typically at least 1 year), and CGC is a pre-requisite to the 7-week Therapy Training class. Luke can certify local families for CGC, and we can connect anyone who is interested to our trainer for therapy dog certification.
