Puppy Training
Early Neurological Stimulation/Puppy Culture/Temperament Testing
The moment our puppies are born they are cared for and nurtured with love. While in our care, we ensure that emotional support and human connection are incorporated daily. When the pups 3-16 days old, we integrate Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) to help shape their neurological development.
After 3 weeks, they are socialized with people of all ages, dogs, cats, and various noises including fireworks, thunder, and all kinds of music! We believe the socialization protocols we have in place help our dogs become better therapy dogs once they are older. At 4 weeks, once weaning begins, the puppies are introduced to the outdoors for potty training, and play sessions.
As we work with our pups, other Puppy Culture practices are integrated. Watch them engage in activities for early neurological stimulation in the video clip below, and can 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 McCorcle (Hearts for Paws) help administer the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT) for each pup. The results are used as a tool for training after puppies go home and Luke begins working with our families. And, Luke is also our “Mid-Woof”, so he is one of the first to meet most of our puppies!
Socialization
Socialization and stimulation are key. From day one our puppies are hand raised in our home and have ongoing exposure to little children, various sounds like thunderstorms and fireworks, smells, dogs, cats and more. We allow special visitation sessions with socialization as the key focus. During these sessions we take extra precautions to protect puppies from being exposed to any diseases since their immune systems are developing. Our dedicated helper with these sessions while ensuring the puppies are well loved and stay safe.
Once our puppies go their forever homes their socialization protocols continue. We provide many suggestions for opportunities to expose the puppies to safe interactive opporutnities. Here is one of our 9-week-old pups at Lowe’s Garden Center helping pick out some plants.
Our puppies are always a big hit in public with many visitors wanting to say hi. One family said they feel like a celebrity with all the people approaching them to say “hi”. This is a win-win for the puppies socialization process, and the community who gets some puppy therapy during their encounters.
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 a certified Therapy Dog trainer.
