Developmental progress:
Awareness or Identification Period (21-28 days). Because puppies are too young to have a sense of fear, this is best time to expose them to loud sudden noises. (Hello, pot banging!!) This encourages puppies to return to normal activities after being startled, a life skill they’ll need later. Puppies are also “play-fighting” this week, with a loose pecking order starting to form. Barking increases. Mamma dog is now growling and baring teeth at puppies when they try to nurse. Puppies respond by rolling over and backing off (learning to accept discipline). Puppies have also been weaned onto real food.
Audible exposures:
- Television
- Coffee grinder
- Lawnmower
- Microwave
- Piano
- Vacuum
- Airplanes (we’re under some flight paths to John Wayne Airport)
- Clucking from backyard chickens
- Fireworks (we can hear the nightly Disneyland fireworks at our house)
- Adult conversation
And what they were visually exposed to:
- Stranger adults
- Crate
- Blanket
- Plush toys
- Rope toys
- Tennis balls
- Kitchen country
- Backyard patio
- Backyard chickens
New surfaces:
- Area rug
- Rubber mats
- Baking plans
- Granite countertop
- Wood floors
- Concrete patio
Photographic updates:
Click on these links to see puppies at four weeks of age:
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