Breeding and socialising vision
Breeding
Our vision with breeding is to coordinate both the health and character of the father and mother dog as is possible, with the emphasis on both physically and mentally healthy working dogs. Genetically speaking, breeding with a frightened dog or bitch, can give rise to a frightened puppy. So not only do we breed with the focus on the breed / bloodline, but we specifically select our animals for health and character. We only use our own stud dogs for this.
This having been proven over time, with our own stud dogs.
Socialising
The socialization process can also be a decisive factor in the development of a puppy. When socializing a puppy properly, a few game rules come into play that are really important.
Give your puppy control over the pace and the distance at which he/she meets the new incentive. Because there is only one person who can determine whether something is scary or not and that is your puppy. The ability at which your puppy can learn and fully absorb something differs per puppy.
It is important to spend the time you share together, in a good way, as your puppy begins to explore the "new world". Walking with your buddy at a fair, for example, can be very demanding for the puppy and actually unnecessary. Unless there is a fun fair a few times a year at the end of your garden path, or if you work at the fun fair yourself. But say for example, horse riding is your hobby, and you would like to take your buddy to the horses, then this is something you want to spend your time on.
Socializing your puppy is nothing more or less than building up positive associations with different incentives. If you make it too big or you go too fast, it is impossible to have positive experiences for your puppy. Be selective, always take the time and make it fun for your puppy by giving your buddy control over the situation.
We should also discuss the possibility of "oversocialising". By this we mean basically forcing a puppy to play with other dogs. This is often seen in puppy lessons. The words "Oooh dont they play nicely" would not sound too unfamiliar. But unfortunately the opposite is often the case. The puppy is snowed under or bullied by the other dog. Something that can be a negative experience for the puppy and could later cause some problems.
Letting my pup loose to walk freely - dare i do that?
Many people feel a bit tense or nervous to let a puppy run freely and instead prefer to keep him or her on a lead. Of course the intention is completely right. After all, we are responsible for the safety of our puppy. But one of the first things you should try to teach your puppy is to walk free, so that the puppy learns not to pull on the lead and learns early on that watching you will be rewarding. Find a safe and quiet place in your neighborhood where the puppy can walk freely. Every time the puppy comes to you, you reward him. Be enthusiastic and praise him, you will soon see how much pleasure you can have together.
We work in close cooperation with our local care centre. We take some puppies to the care centre where the clients can "puppy hug". In this way the puppies, together with the clients, also learn to get used to a different environment. The puppies are also often picked up for lessons with clients.