As I’m learning more and more about dog breeding, I stumbled upon the term “Puppy Culture”. What is the Puppy Culture method and who is it for?
The first thing that came to my mind was that this is a new approach or a movement around how puppies are raised. I looked into this concept and found out that The Puppy Culture method can be called an approach but it’s not exactly a movement. Let’s take a look!
What Is the Puppy Culture Program?
Puppy Culture is a trademarked 12-week puppy program created and designed by Jane Killion, a dog breeder, and professional dog trainer. The program aims to help breeders raise puppies from the whelping box to their new home.
With step-by-step instructions on what to do at each critical juncture in the first 12 weeks of life and beyond, Puppy Culture is your guide to raising your puppies to be calm enrichment seekers, ready to take on life’s challenges with love and joy to spare.
Puppy Culture
Jane Killion has created this program with a team of experts including veterinarians, breeders, and other trainers. She explains that the Puppy Culture program is based on the latest science and studies on puppy and animal rearing.
The Puppy Culture Program includes:
- Preparation and Prenatal Care
- Early Neurological Stimulation
- Weaning Setup and Suggestions
- Developmental Periods
- Understanding Behavioral Markers
- Age Appropriate Games and Exercises
- Handling Fear Periods
- Enrichment Effect
- Creating an Enriching Environment
- Puzzles and Problem Solving
- Active vs Passive Challenges
- Early Socialization
- Safety Measures
- How to Hold a Puppy Party
- Vaccination vs Socialization
- Communication Trinity
- Training Marker
- Offering Good Behaviors
- Manding
- Problem Prevention
- Emotional Resiliency Exercises
- Anti-Aggression Protocols
- Sound-Proofing Puppies
- Preparing Your Puppy Buyers
Puppy Culture Techniques Are Important
In Finland, puppies usually go to their new homes at the age of 8 weeks. In other places, it’s anywhere from 8-12 weeks.
Those first 12 weeks of the puppy’s life are crucial. There is a straight correlation between how well the puppy was raised by the breeder and how will the dog do later in life.
The Puppy Culture states that “Many puppies are labeled as having behavior or temperament issues when they are simply being served an inappropriate experience for their developmental age”.
Puppies need to get used to other dogs, different foods, noises, smells, handling and grooming, car rides, being on a leash, different people and kids, and more.
Early socialization with other dogs makes sure that the puppy doesn’t have behavior problems with other dogs later in life. I talked more about socializing your puppy and vaccines here.
Does Puppy Culture Make A Difference?
Properly implemented definitely yes! The program aims to produce (for lack of a better term) balanced and well-behaved puppies that are ready to face the world with their new families.
The Puppy Culture socialization and training program was specifically developed for puppies from birth through the end of their critical socialization period, with age-appropriate protocols and lessons laid out in an organized format:
- Early neurological stimulation: The Puppy Culture program includes a series of exercises that are intended to stimulate the puppy’s nervous system and improve their ability to handle stress.
- Socialization: The program emphasizes the importance of socialization during the first few weeks of a puppy’s life, and provides guidance on how to introduce puppies to new experiences, people, and animals.
- Enrichment activities: The program includes a variety of activities and toys that are intended to provide puppies with mental and physical stimulation.
- Training: The program provides guidance on basic training concepts such as crate training, potty training, and basic obedience.
- Communication: The program emphasizes the importance of communication between breeders and puppies, and provides guidance on how to read and respond to a puppy’s body language.
The Puppy Culture program is designed to help breeders produce puppies that are well-socialized, confident, and prepared for life in their new homes. The program has gained popularity among breeders and puppy owners and has been credited with helping to reduce behavior problems in puppies and adult dogs.
What Do I Think About The Puppy Culture Program?
I’ve completed a course by the Finnish Kennel Club that covers pretty much all the same topics. The course material is 140 pages and it addresses everything from dog’s anatomy, genetics, and procreation, to the birth of the puppies, and much more. The material also goes through puppies’ developmental stages week by week from their birth to when they are 9 weeks old.
As I mentioned above, the first 12 weeks of a puppy’s life are so important. A breeder must use those weeks wisely and efficiently.
I’m lucky to get this kind of education from our national Kennel Club. It has been a great resource and if your local Kennel Club doesn’t offer courses, I highly recommend this one.
I would love to know what kind of courses or material other countries’ Kennel Clubs are offering. If I’ve understood correctly, the resources are not all that comprehensive.
