How We Raise Our Puppies
We are proud to combine two amazing science backed puppy rearing protocols - Avidog and Puppy Culture. We utilize these programs continuously from pre-natal care and pregnancy to the moment our puppies go home. Due to our infrequent litters and the small litter sizes that Lowchen have, we are able to put a large amount of work into each puppy. This page will discuss all the various things these programs cover and how we utilize them in our program. If you have any questions or are looking for sources not listed, feel free to reach out at any time. We love to talk nerdy!
Avidog, created by master breeder Gayle Watkins of Gaylan's Golden Retrievers, worked for many years to provide science based education and courses on breeding to thousands of people. She created a structured, science-based program designed to help breeders raise confident, resilient, and behaviorally sound dogs. Avidog was eventually sold to GoodDog, and they have provided these amazing courses free of charge. We have completed the Your Litter A-to-Z course, the Transformational Dog Breeding course, as well as studied their hundreds of hours of archived coaching/mentorship calls.
We fell in love with this program due to its intensive focus on peer reviewed research - it is always science first in its approaches. Avidog also covers much more from pre-breeding, pregnancy, and neonatal states than other puppy rearing programs do. Its focus on epigenetics, prenatal nutrition, and parental stress during pregnancy is one of our favorite parts of this program.
Avidog
Puppy Culture was developed by Bull Terrier breeder Jane Messineo Lindquist with Madcap Kennel. This program is known and loved by an enormous percentage of caring breeders worldwide. While they are best known for their original video series detailing socialization for the first 12 weeks of a puppy's life - they have also produced a thorough workbook as well as many additional courses that we utilize. These include "Killer Freestacks," "Attention is the Mother of All Behaviors" and "Scentwork Games," all of which are included as exercises within the workbook. We also own their detailed course "From Newborn to New Home." Jane has also written "When Pigs Fly," one of our favorite training books to date.
We love Puppy Culture because it focuses on developmental markers, age appropriate exercises, and letting the puppy lead their own development. This program focuses on keen observation of the individual puppies and tailors their education and experiences based on this. Puppy Culture does not use outdated dominance theories and is a positive-only training program, which aligns with our own preferred training methodology. We find that this produces a confident puppy who finds training and their humans a joy to work with.
Puppy Culture
Prior to breeding, we are feeding our girl with an all life stages food (Purina ProPlan Sport 30/20) and supplementing our dam with fish oil, folic acid, and probiotics. We continue this through pregnancy to whelp.
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Fish Oil: Science backed benefits to feeding pregnant dams DHA in the form of fish oil include
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Improved Fetal Brain & Retinal Development ​
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Improved Puppy Learning and Trainability
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Anti-Inflammatory Effects
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Read more:
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Probiotics: Science backed benefits to supplementing pregnant dams probiotics include
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Improved Maternal Gut Health & Reduced Digestive Upset​
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Enhanced Immune Function — Especially Important for Newborn Puppies
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Healthier Early Colonization of Puppies (Microbiome Seeding)
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Reduction in Pregnancy-Related Stress & Cortisol
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Reduction in Postpartum Mastitis Risk
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Folic Acid: Science backed benefits to supplementing pregnant dams folic acid include
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Reduced Risk of Cleft Palate in Puppies
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Supports Neural Tube Development of Embryos​
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Supports Rapid Cell Division in Placenta & Embryos
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Pregnancy
From whelping to around 14 days, puppies are unable to see and hear. They fully depend on mom for warmth, food, and comfort. Puppies at this time are extremely sensitive to disease so good biosecurity is a must. We sanitize the entire box from the walls to the base flooring twice a day, and switch out the bedding 1-2 times. Mom is protective and sensitive to stress so she has her own safe room where foot traffic is low and other dogs are not permitted yet.
We utilize deep vet bedding for traction. Studies have shown that puppies with proper traction are far less likely to develop hip dysplasia. Unlike the neonates sliding around on newspaper that you used to see many years ago, puppies are able to stand to nurse very quickly as long as they have proper bedding.
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Neonatal
Some of the protocols used at this stage:
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Light daily handling
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Early Neurological Stimulation and Early Scent Introduction (on unstressed puppies only) from 3-16 days old
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Starting around Day 5, adding small physical challenges such as rolled towels under the bedding
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Nails are trimmed every 3 days for the comfort and safety of the dam
This is the period between eyes opening and the first response to sound. Typically they open their eyes around days 13-15, but varies between litters. Its so much fun getting to see their eyes for the first time! During this period, puppy's eyes are extremely sensitive to light and easily damaged so lights are dimmed and bright lights such as flash are avoided.
Puppies also start to walk and play at this point! Its a really fun week
Transitional Period
Some of the protocols used at this stage:
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Daily handling, cuddles, lots of kisses
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Nails done every 3 days
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Big hanging toys are added occasionally and easy physical challenges (rolled towels etc) continue
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Puppies start moving away from their "nest" at this point to potty on their own, but too young to climb into a potty box, so a potty area is designated on one side of the pen with a pad
Once puppies are responding to sound, the real fun begins! This is where age appropriate socialization starts and lasts until puppies go home. A LOT happens during these weeks - here are some things we do.
Sensitive Period
Some of the protocols used at this stage - not an inclusive list:
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Avidog's potty training protocols - starting with a litterbox at 3 weeks.
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Weaning - puppy and mom led. Meals are offered beginning at 3 weeks.
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Crate Training - Puppies are introduced to crates very early and are eventually fed in pairs and then individually in kennels. This is all introduced slowly and positively.
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Resource Guarding Prevention - Puppies learn that humans are not competition for food, we trade trade trade. Puppies naturally sometimes go through stages in which they try guarding food or items and we are always ready with a trade for an even better treat and a return of the original item. This type of prevention protocol should be continued for the life of a dog, especially in adolescence.
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Body Handling/Grooming - Puppies are stacked on a table frequently, have their mouths/ears/feet/tails handled daily, and are groomed fully once a week from 4 weeks. They are exposed to bath, drier, clippers, and more.
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Startle Recovery Protocols - Puppies learn to practice quick startle recovery within their abilities, through random object/book drops... sudden noises... surprises etc.
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Basic Training - see below for more details on some training covered. We train only positively, on both our puppies and adult dogs. Most importantly, we introduce them to marker words, attention, how to offer behaviors, and how to ask for things (manding). We also build food and toy drive to make future training much easier.
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Socialization - We take puppies out in public several times a week to new locations once they have one set of vaccinations. We are also introducing them to 1-2 new things daily indoors. Examples: different floor surfaces (slick/rough/bumpy/crinkly), surfaces that move, things that hang overhead or flap, loud things, soft things, weird objects, a huge variety of noises.
I train all my personal dogs with positive training methods only as I believe its the best path to a trusting/safe training space and happy/fulfilling relationship with my dogs. This is utilized well with puppies to help them develop into confident, outgoing, trusting individuals who may be a little "too" smart sometimes but a lot of fun to train. They are not afraid to make a mistake on their route to try to get it right. If you continue, you can expect a dog who pushes you for training, loves to look at you, and loves be involved in your life and anything you want to do with them. While I am not against aversive training or tools - I do not train in this manner and cannot give advice using tools (such as prongs/e-collars) or aversive methods (force fetch, upward pressure to sit, leash corrections, bonking, etc). I can refer individuals to other trainers who wish to pursue those paths.
Training Covered
Foundational Training puppies are exposed to (at their pace in short individual sessions):
These are not "finished" behaviors at this age, but a great start
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Marker training - conditioning a marker word "yes!" as well as a clicker. I am able to teach more specific placement markers at request such as (get it= chase reward),(good=reinforcement comes to dog where they are), etc.
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Drive Building - Building drive for toys and food through games
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Body Handling
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Crate Training
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Offered eye contact and a positive association with eye contact
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Stillness - for stacking/free stacking. This has very little duration at go home time but can be built easily
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Leash Walking - learning to follow a human and wear a leash
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Recalls
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Freestack/Stand
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Sit
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Nose-to-Hand Touch​​
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Down
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Waiting at Doors/Thresholds
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Place - learning to offer four feet on a mat and a place board like a Kato Board
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Impulse Control - very basic at this age, but learning that NOT diving for reinforcement = reinforcement
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Free Shaping introduction - puppies learn to OFFER behaviors to earn reinforcement. This is an amazing tool when done correctly that gives dogs tons of confidence. Smart dogs LOVE free shaping. "When Pigs Fly" is a great book that covers this
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And more depending on the puppy!
