During these weeks, activities involve the senses and are stressful in the
sense that these are new stimulations to the puppies. In the third week, pick
the puppy up and use your thumb and finger to put light pressure on the ear
or the foot. If he squeaks, he should calm quickly. For these pups, repeat by
touching, with no pressure at all, and progress to a slight pressure the next
day.
The fourth week, twenty-two to twenty-eight days, is a very stimulating
one for the puppy. He is aware of the many sights and sounds around him
and is quite excitable. About midway during the week, take the pup away
from his littermates and put him on a different floor surface than he has
experienced before. As well as being a stress activity for the puppy, this is
also valuable for observation of the pup’s behavior and doesn’t take more
than three to four minutes per puppy.
Put the puppy down on cement, wood, dirt, or fine gravel, or linoleum if
it isn’t too slick for walking. If the area is bare, place a jacket on the floor,
or place a chair or anything that represents a different object for the pup to
either approach or ignore. After you have put the pup down on the floor,
begin to record how he reacts to being alone, how quickly he begins to cry,
whether he walks around or stays in one place, or if he investigates with his
tail wagging.
You can already begin to see differences in personality in the litter, and it
is interesting to keep a record of these. Make a note of which pups are the
most aggressive feeders and which ones lose out in competition and always
seem to end up on the outside of the puppy pile. Which pups are the
noisiest? Which ones squirm and cry when picked up, and which ones settle
down and enjoy it?
The most extreme behaviors stand out first, of course, but don’t forget to
notice the pups that are in the middle range of temperament. These are the
pups that likely will be easily trained as they grow older. Infrequently, it can
happen that a pup will show signs of brain damage, such as being able to
move only in a tight circle. If you observe unusual behavior, consult your
veterinarian about the severity of your particular case.
If the litter is large and the same color, a dot of fingernail polish in
different areas on the puppies or a collar of different-colored rickrack tape
helps to identify them as individuals.
During the fifth and sixth weeks, give the pups mild auditory and visual
stress. On one day during each week, play a radio for a few minutes near
the puppies when the pups are awake. Play it at a loud but not blaring level.
If you have normal hearing and it sounds loud but not irritating to you, it
will be sufficient. On another day, give the puppies mild visual stress by
flicking the room lights (not in bright daylight) for two or three minutes.
By the fifth week, individual attention by the breeder will become one of
the mild stress activities because a small level of stress exists each time the
puppy is removed from his littermates and taken to a different area where
you are the main focus of his attention. Many pups show no evidence of
stress; others will be hesitant but will become more confident with each
experience.
