Puppy Pen
My puppies are raised in the home. I start litter box training between 3 and 4 weeks of age to set them up for long term success with potty training. As they get older and more mobile they start going outside for potty breaks. I have lots of toys, different tacticle and wobbly obstacles that get rotated in the puppy pet when they are a safe and appropriate age. The pen gets cleaned 2 or 3 times a day to encourage clean living habits. Below you can see some examples of the set ups that I have had over the years from whelping to weaning.
Crate Training
All of my puppies are almost completely crate trained when they go to their new homes. I start at about 5 weeks by feeding in the crate with the door open, then the door closed, then I give them a bone or chew in the crate, then start putting them in there for a nap after a long play session and finally putting them in there when they are not tired. Utilizing this method sets the puppies up for immediate success and minimizes any crying in the crate.
Outings
Outings are a very important component in creating a confident, well socialized puppy. In the pictures below you can see a variety of the different places our puppies go including but not limited to stores, brewerys, farms, friends houses, the lake, pool, vets office, patio resturaunt, dog shows and more.
Objects, Experiences and Training Sessions
This category would be things such as play sessions, meeting new dogs or people, going on car rides, getting groomed, new objects, toys, obstacles and sounds. Puppies are exposed to something new almost every single day. They also get several individual training sessions each week and are started on cooperative care for grooming, clicker training, proper toy play and leash introductions.