The puppies are growing restless now and they're ready to begin socializing with other dogs, people, places and things. To foster this positive adjustment we create an environment that is stable and capitalize on their natural inquisitiveness, with a proper blend of new experiences.

Once the puppies start getting out of the nest we remove the nest and provide a bed for sleeping. Newspaper and wood chips in a small children's pool, provide a place for them to eliminate away from their sleeping area. The kennel is kept clean at all times as this is essential for proper socialization.

Weaning take place around the beginning of the forth week, when the mother shows signs of reluctance to nurse the puppies. Slowly, over several days, we introduce the puppies to semisolid food, cottage cheese, milk and yogurt from goats, baby rice cereal, high quality canned meat and eventual work up to moistened dry puppy food. We begin conditioning the puppies by jingling keys when we put their dinner down. This helps them to start associating the key sound with good experiences.

With everything new and exciting, the puppies basic orientation is one of openness. During the first week and a half of this period, we make sure not to overwhelm them or over stimulate them with noise, so as to not create fear.

There are two phases in this period. The first is socialization with dogs and the second is socialization with people.

Phase One - Socialization with dogs (Weeks 4-6)
During this time human contact is not absent, but it is not the main focus. The puppies are given more space both indoors and outdoors to foster this relationship building time with each other and their mother. The puppies now begin acting like a pack, playing and inventing games. Puppy play is not frivolous, but develops muscle coordination and spontaneous social situations for them to handle. They begin to learn social roles with dominance and submission games, teasing and play-fighting. This interaction establishes a loose hierarchy within the litter and forms the basis for their healthy adjustment with other dogs and their own self-identity. When a dominant pup becomes too aggressive in play, we are there to intervene with a quick shake by the scruff of the neck, in the same way their mother would correct them.

Phase Two - Socialization with People (Weeks 5-12)
This is when the main emphasis of socialization begins to shift from littermates and mother, to people and the world beyond. They display an eagerness to explore and investigate everything, and they don't hesitate when approaching people or objects.

Sexual play becomes obvious with mounting by both sexes. This is an ordinary part of their development and helps them develop normal adult sexual responses.

During this time puppies need all the attention they can get, so now is when we step up the human interaction. Several times each day we devote time to play and handle the puppies as a group and individually. We intentionally make eye contact with each of them, with animated, friendly facial expressions and voices, and reinforce contact with patting and stroking. Fostering non threatening eye contact during this socialization period lays a solid foundation for training and for long-term relationships.

We provide a variety of sights, sounds and textures that contribute to the emotional development of the puppies, including safe experiences and environments that challenge curiosity and intelligence. First, we have the mother lead the puppies over different types of surfaces like grass, wood chips, dirt, gravel, cement, linoleum and carpet. Next, we take short walks to the surrounding woods where they explore everything with enthusiasm, from plants and sticks to bugs and smells. These sessions take place over several days and are only about 10 minutes in length. Sessions are ended with a jingling of the keys and lots of praise and petting which is foundational for teaching the recall later in their training.

It is important to vary environments, and even the puppy room has new sights and sounds regularly. From radios, whistles, bells and vacuums to rolling toys and mountains of blankets. In private sessions with individual puppies, we encourage them to inspect a noisemaker before and after the noise.

We never praise or comfort a puppy that shows fear, but a puppy is rewarded with much praise when it shows alertness and curiosity.

From the 5th to seventh week each pup is handled individually by different people, men, women, and children, every day. In these sessions we include play and and a restraint/petting exercise, touching front and rear paws, opening mouth. Along with the weekly grooming sessions, this helps with touch sensitivity.

This play is creative in the deepest sense of the term, allowing the finest elements of a puppy's personality to develop.