We raise our pups with lots of TLC. They get handled from birth, as they are collared with colored ribbons during whelping and then carefully tracked daily as they grow. We do the early puppy stimulation from day 3-16, and also follow methods mentioned in Puppy Culture.  We really enjoy playing with the pups and seeing that they get lots of human handling, interaction, and exposure to new environmental stimuli. This makes them noticeably calmer and easier to train when they go home with you. There are studies that suggest certain extra stimulation at this time also improves the mental capacities of the pups and their ability to handle stress. (See Bruce Fogle’s book The Dog's Mind or research “early puppy stimulation” to learn more on that subject.) Pups are whelped in our puppy room, specially designed and built for their first few weeks of life on heated floor and completely tiled so we can keep it really clean. We give them cotton mats for good footing (never a slippery surface) and wash bedding once or twice a day.

At about 4 weeks they transition to their 10x20 outdoor space, with room to explore and also a play yard with real lawn where they play with visitors. 

Our fabulous puppies: birth to 5 weeks