Now we are 7 (weeks)

It was an uneventful weekend, though we did have a few visitors.

Amazing the entertainment value of a rope and a milk jug - Ranger

Here are some pics from the weekend:

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjGGevGx

The pups are very active and noisy in the mornings.  After the babies ate breakfast this morning, we lobbed a couple of raw turkey necks into the pen with them.  It has been an hour and they are entertaining themselves quietly by gnawing away on them.  Ahhhhh, silence!

The "Rule of Sevens"

Pat Hastings, AKC judge and author of The Puppy Puzzle offers these hints for socializing very young puppies.
By the time a puppy is 7 weeks old it should have:

• Been on 7 different surfaces, such as: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips, newspaper, etc. 
• Played with 7 different types of objects, such as: big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy balls, squeaky toys, metal items, wooden items, paper/cardboard items, milk/soda jugs, etc.
• Been in 7 different locations, including: front yard, backyard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, crate, kennel, etc.
• Been exposed to 7 challenges, such as: climbed a box, climbed off a box, gone through a tunnel, climbed up steps, climbed down steps, climbed over obstacles, played hide and seek, gone in and out of a doorway with a step, etc.
• Eaten from 7 different containers: metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan, etc.
• Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, bedroom, x-pen, etc.
• Met and played with 7 new people, including children and the elderly.

Early socialization, including stimulation from a variety of sources, is important and can go a long way toward producing an outgoing, confident adult.