How We Raise a Wavemaker Litter
The first weeks do not determine everything a dog will become. Genetics matter. The dam matters. Later learning matters. The new home matters.
But early experience matters too, and those weeks are too valuable to waste.
Our puppy program is built around observation, gentle handling, age-appropriate novelty, problem solving, recovery from small challenges, social learning and a gradual transition into the kinds of experiences a companion dog will meet later.
Days 3–16: brief structured handling
We use a short Early Neurological Stimulation-style handling routine during the neonatal period. The exercises are gentle, brief and performed once daily. We view them as one small piece of early handling — not a guarantee of superior health, stress tolerance or future performance.
Early Scent Introduction
We also offer one novel scent at a time for a few seconds and record each puppy’s response. This is an interesting early sensory exercise, particularly in a breed that may later enjoy scent work. We do not claim that it creates a detection dog or predicts future scenting ability.
As mobility develops
The environment expands with the puppies. We introduce safe surfaces, small obstacles, low platforms, tunnels, household sounds, novel objects, different feeding vessels, grooming and body handling, short individual sessions and opportunities to solve easy problems.
The goal is not to overwhelm puppies with a checklist. Novelty should be paired with agency and recovery. A puppy who is worried gets support; “socialization” is not flooding.
People, dogs and household life
Puppies experience appropriate people of different appearances and ages as circumstances safely allow. They learn about normal household activity and begin age-appropriate separation from littermates. Their dam and suitable adult dogs contribute valuable canine communication that people cannot replicate.
Foundations before leaving
We begin simple name recognition, recall games, marker/clicker learning, handling for nails and examination, crate/rest foundations, toileting routines, leash introduction, play skills and very simple cues. The objective is not a tiny obedience dog. It is a puppy who has learned that people are useful, learning is safe and the world is interesting.
Matching the puppy
Temperament and structural observations are collected over time rather than relying on one magical test day. Formal evaluations can add information, but they are interpreted alongside weeks of living with the litter.
When puppies leave, their development is only beginning. The new family becomes the most important part of the program.