STARTING WITH DAY 2 OR 3, I BEGIN EARLY NEURAL STIMULATION WHICH IS PERFORMED DAILY FOR 16 DAYS.  IT INCLUDES HANDLING THE FEET, HOLDING THE PUPPY UPRIGHT, THEN UPSIDE DOWN, THEN HORIZONTALLY, EACH POSITION FOR 4 SECONDS.

HOW THE PUPPY IS HELD IS VERY IMPORTANT.  THE PUPPY MUST FEEL SECURE AS THEIR BIGGEST FEAR IS THAT YOU WILL DROP THEM.  I WRAP THE PUPPY AROUND MY WRIST AND HOLD THE BACK OF THE PUPPY FIRMLY WHENEVER I HANDLE THEM.

MY PROTOCOL #2 EXTENDS FROM DAY 17 UNTIL THE LITTER IS TRANSFERRED FROM THE QUIET OF THE NURSERY TO THE NOISE AND BEDLAM OF THE KENNEL AT 4 1/2 TO 5 WEEKS OLD.

PROTOCOL 2 IS MORE FLEXIBLE AND OFTEN DEPENDS ON PUPPY RESPONSE. I START WITH HOLDING THE PUPPY A DISTANCE FROM MY FACE SO THAT HE CAN SEE ME AND TRY TO GET EYE CONTACT. THEN I PUT THE PUPPY ON A TABLE AND HAND FEED HIM CANNED FOOD WHICH IS VERY YUMMY . FOR EXTRA FEARFUL PUPPIES I MAY REPEATEDLY PICK HIM UP, PUT HIM DOWN, PICK HIM UP AGAIN, ETC OR JUST PACK HIM AROUND UNDER MY ARM.

ONCE THE LITTER IS TRANSFERRED TO THE MAIN KENNEL BUILDING, DAILY PUPPY KINDERGARTEN BEGINS. PUPPIES ARE GROUPED BY AGE AND SIZE AND GET A CHANCE TO EXPLORE THE BUILDING, PLAY WITH TOYS, GET TREATS OF MEAT AND BONES AND OF COURSE GET TO PLAY WITH PEOPLE.  BY 6 WEEKS OLD THEY ARE ALL MICROCHIPPED BTW

ON NICE DAYS I LOAD THE PUPPIES UP IN MY SHOW TROLLEY AND TRANSPORT THEM TO THE FRONT YARD PUPPY PEN WHERE THEY EXPERIENCE ROAD NOISE, CARS AND ANY COMPANY.  THEY GET TO PLAY IN GRASS, DIG HOLES, PLAY WITH TOYS, AND INTERACT WITH OTHER LITTERS.

THEY ARE ALSO GETTING USED TO GOING POTTY OUTSIDE WHICH THEY ALL DO AS SOON AS THEY GET IN THE PEN.

MY GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT PUPPIES LIKE PEOPLE, FEEL SECURE AROUND PEOPLE, ARE ADAPTIBLE TO NEW ENVIRONMENTS, ARE FREINDLY AND SELF CONFIDANT.