Helen wrote to Oz Doggy as below, in reply to our October 2006 eNews letter about dog training:
We said: Did you know that 60% of puppies' learning is between the 8th and 16th week?
Helen agreed:
Yes I definitely do know about the importance of the 3 to 16 week period in the life a dog.
As a breeder i know that a lot more should be done during the 3 to 8 week period before the puppy leaves his litter mates. I do think that breeders need to work harder at providing stimulating surroundings, access for the mother at all times, and changes of area around the home where the pups are kept as well as regular human handling. Of course not selling the puppies before they are 8 weeks to allow interactive play with litter mates and their mother should be the norm. Allowing puppies to go to pet shops at 5 weeks and then making them toilet in their bed area is just creating problems for the new owner who is stupid to buy a puppy from a pet shop in the first place.
Helen Read - Delta Canine Good Citizen Trainer , Victorian Canine Association Certified Trainer
