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The Puppy’s Rule of Twelve
Positive Paws Dog Training ©2002 – Margaret Hughes -
707-935-6142 – mags@positivetrainer.com
Adapted with permission from Pat Schaap’s Rule of 7’s
Make sure all
experiences are safe and positive for the puppy. Each encounter
should
include treats and lots of praise. Slow down and add distance if your
puppy is scared!
By the time a puppy is 12 weeks old, it should have:
(If your puppy is over 12 weeks start right away with
this socialization guide.)
Experienced 12 different
surfaces:
wood,
woodchips, carpet, tile, cement, linoleum,
grass, wet grass,
dirt, mud, puddles, deep pea gravel, grates, uneven surfaces, on a
table,
on a chair, etc...
Played with 12 different
objects:
fuzzy
toys, big & small balls, hard toys, funny
sounding toys,
wooden items, paper or cardboard items, milk jugs, metal items, car keys,
etc.
Experienced 12 different
locations:
front
yard (daily), other people’s homes, school
yard, lake, pond,
river, boat, basement, elevator, car, moving car, garage, laundry
room,
kennel, veterinarian hospital (just to say hi &
visit, lots of cookies, no vaccinations),
grooming
salon (just to say hi), etc.
Met and played with 12 new
people (outside of
family): include children,
adults (mostly men), elderly adults, people in wheelchairs,
walkers, people with canes, crutches, hats,
sunglasses, etc.
Exposed to 12 different
noises (ALWAYS keep positive and watch
puppy’s comfort level – we don’t want the puppy scared):
garage
door opening, doorbell, children playing, babies screaming,
big trucks, Harley motorcycles, skateboards, washing
machine, shopping carts rolling, power boat, clapping, loud
singing, pan dropping, horses neighing,
vacuums,
lawnmowers, birthday party, etc.
Exposed to 12 fast moving
objects (don’t
allow to chase): skateboards,
roller-skates, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, people running, cats
running, scooters, vacuums, children running,
children playing
soccer, squirrels, cats, horses running, cows running,
etc.
Experienced 12 different
challenges:
climb on, in, off
and around a box, go through a
cardboard tunnel, climb up and
down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide & seek, go in
and out a doorway with a step up or down, exposed to an
electric sliding door, umbrella, balloons, walk on a wobbly
table (plank of wood with a small rock underneath), jump over a broom,
climb over a log, bathtub (and bath) etc.
Handled by owner (& family) 12
times a week:
hold under arm (like a football), hold to chest, hold on
floor near owner, hold in-between owner’s legs, hold head, look in ears,
mouth, in-between toes, hold and take temperature (ask veterinarian),
hold like a baby, trim toe nails,
hold in lap,
etc.
Eaten from 12 different shaped
containers:
wobbly
bowl, metal, cardboard box,
paper, coffee cup, china, pie
plate, plastic, frying pan, Kong, Treatball, Bustercube, spoon
fed, paper bag, etc.
Eaten in 12 different
locations:
back
yard, front yard, crate, kitchen, basement, laundry
room,
bathroom, friend’s house, car, school yard, bathtub, up high (on work
bench), under umbrella, etc.
Played
with 12 different puppies (or safe adult dogs) as much as
possible.
Left alone safely, away from family
& other animals (5-45 minutes) 12 times a
week.
Experienced
a leash and collar 12 different times in 12 different
locations.
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