Puppy training by breeder

[CamillaR]

Are there anyone else in this forum, who are able (= has time and ability) to give their puppies basic training, before they leave to their new homes?

I have a training plan for Ciara?s puppies as follows:
1. Transport box behaviour ( = puppy nest so from the beginning - later on staying alone for a couple of minutes in transportbox)
2. Toilet training (from 3 weeks old)
3. "Come here" -commando by whistling when giving them food (from 3 weeks old)
4. Companionship with people and other dogs from 4 weeks old
5. Being calm in moving car (from 6 weeks old)
6. Walking free by following the pack leader (from 6 weeks old)
7. "Stop" -commando by clicker training (from 6 weeks old)
8. Learning their names (as soon as the new home is found and they give me the decission of the puppy name from 3 weeks until 9 or 10 weeks when puppies are delivered to the new home)
9. Tricks by clicker training method ie. agility tunnel.
10. Mobility training (ie. following the lure)

Any ideas what else should the basenji puppy know before moving to the new home?

Regards,
Camilla

[tanza]

I think that is a great list of things to begin with training… one thing that I would add that I think is important is many different sounds. TV, radio, vaccum cleaners, pots/pans banging, door bells, telephones... all the normal noices that you have in a household every day.
And I start my pups with "companionship" as soon as the eyes are open (people/visitors and other dogs).
Also wearing collars, I start with yarn around the neck and then buy little collars that they wear for a couple of hours each day (only when being supervised).

[khanis]

I put collars on my pups at 3wks old.
This year I had 6 b/w with identical markings.. so this kept the right pups with the right litter [um, after I had switched two inadvertantly and my son noticed it! lol].
I also have the kids [all the kids friends that come over each day] holding pups constantly from birth.
My pups are bomb proof … there isn't a noise or person that bothers them... all noises and people are just "there" and no big deal.

Until 7-8 weeks you cannot make a final decision which pups go where, so calling them by other names is kind of hard. You can give basic names but be well aware they will be changed.
I say 7-8 weeks because you aren't going to have puppy eye exams until at least that age... final decisions should not be made prior to that appointment, IMO.

We don't generally have more than a week of teen temperatures.. so my pups start going potty outside at 4 weeks of age and are virtually potty trained when they leave my house at 8-10 weeks old.

I also start them in the plastic crates about 5 weeks old... so they are used to both wire and plastic crates at an early age. With this comes feeding separately. My pups eat 2 of their 3 daily meals in their crates. One meal is eaten in the big puppy pan together. I want them to be okay with another dog next to them eating... but also want them to learn that eating in their crate is okay too... makes them more than happy to go in their box!!

I am sure there is more that I do... but can't think of it right now!

[CamillaR]

Thanks for the ideas! I had forgotten the collar training totally - as well as walking in leash nicely. Fortunately I have some training collars at home, before my order of measure made sighthound leather collars will arrive (at age of 8 weeks).

We have now -20 Celsius and 1 meter snow in South-Finland, so it is impossible to start potty training in the garden

More ideas are welcome!