Читать книгу Puppies - Amy Fernandez - Страница 12

By six weeks, the puppy has a complete set of primary, or puppy, teeth, and weaning on to solid food is nearly complete. Although she no longer needs her dam for sustenance, the puppy still depends on her for training, comfort, and moral support.

Puppies at this age easily accept new experiences, so breeders generally make this the time to introduce the pups to handling and grooming. This introduction is part of socialization, a term dog professionals use to refer to the exposure of puppies to people, places, and experiences in an effort to prevent them from growing into fearful (sometimes aggressive) dogs. An experienced, reputable breeder starts the socialization process early, teaching her puppies about regular household noises such as blenders, vacuums, and slamming doors. Sound effect CDs can be used to introduce other new sounds, such as thunder and the cacophony of a busy city street. (See chapter 7 for more on socialization.)

Breeders normally begin training their puppies to be handled and groomed during these weeks because they easily accept new things at this age. A puppy should be introduced to important aspects of her lifestyle by eight weeks because she is mentally programmed to accept unusual and potentially startling events such as noisy vacuum cleaners, slamming screen doors, and talking parrots. If she is born and raised in a home, this happens as a matter of routine. If a kennel-raised puppy is introduced to these things at a later age, it is more challenging for her to absorb them.