Newborn puppies (in the living room of course) are blind and deaf, although they cannot hear any squeaks and they do whine when hungry.

Their primary needs are milk and warmth.

It is important to handle the puppies a lot at this stage, and let them smell your breath, to make them as familiar as possible with the human scent.

We give them the bottle 1x a day as standard, not because they need it, but to give them a bond with people from an early age.
When they smell your hands after three days of giving the bottle, they get all excited.
They hardly see anything, only the difference between light and dark (contours).
In this phase, the ears also open, they respond to sounds and begin to urinate and defecate on their own.

We keep touching, touching and holding the puppies a lot, we also offer sound stimuli.
Well-known living room sounds such as TV, radio, vacuum cleaner, etc, but also a CD. With a range of sounds eg. Fireworks, cars, animals, thunder, chainsaw, train, children’s playground, mopeds, etc. etc.

When the puppies are three weeks old, they see well, the teeth are coming through a new phase.
The careful scanning of each other, clumsy bite movements, wanting to run and tripping over your own legs, wagging your tail.

Social ties are now being established within the nest.
Very regular sitting between the puppies.
The puppies learn how people feel, look and smell; this is essential for their further life.

It remains important to let your breath smell as a token of greeting.
Pups also do this to littermates to determine if the air is familiar.

Puppies are now developing very quickly, start to scratch clumsily because they feel comfortable, make grunting noises after a full belly, lift paws touchingly together, play silently, nipping at each other’s mouths; but can also scream sky-high as a flock of seagulls when mommy doesn’t give milk fast enough, or the solid food we’ve started with, doesn’t come fast enough.

From about three weeks, depending on the breeder, we start feeding meatballs by hand, porridge or soaked kibble.
A mess you don’t want to know, but also here the contact between puppy and human is very important.

From four weeks to about the 12th week is the socialization phase.
They will not forget all the impressions that puppies gain during this time for the rest of their lives.

We continue with the above only a little higher, the sound louder, a few hours outside, more stimuli, many toys such as a large barrel, tunnels, hanging cans on a cord, bell on a cord, empty plastic bottles with marbles, rattles , toys such as cars, a seesaw, sound mobile, waving flags etc etc..

Let your imagination work, this does not have to cost a lot of money, but….. above all people, a lot of people and children on the floor; sit on their ass between the puppies, cuddle and pet them.
Forbidden for children to run between the puppies, but petting and cuddling, lots of love, the puppies will live on that for the rest of their lives.
Physical contact and games between puppies and people are very important, this is one of the reasons that you should not take the puppy out of the nest too early, if properly socialized between 8 and 9 weeks.

Another story is:
Puppies raised in a barn without human contact, it is better to have them in the house as early as possible, but they will always remain more or less antisocial dogs.
With dogs bred within the LHCN you can assume that this does not occur (one breeder will do a little more than the other).

The space outside should be large enough to develop muscle and play.
A covered indoor and outdoor space is ideal, but not for everyone.
Approx. 50 m2 is needed for 10 puppies or more, also to keep it clean and tidy (puppies that can see a horizon have an advantage).
It is also important that the bitch can isolate herself from the puppies.

Breeders with too little space, muffle your pond, sacrifice your seat, it benefits your pups!

Between the 3rd and 5th week the puppy has hardly any fears, after that the puppy becomes more reserved, shows fearful behavior but recovers fairly quickly.

Continue with stimuli and physical contact (breath, mouth, nose; a puppy’s tongue is not dirty).

*explanation; in nestlings it is called socialization; this is a longer process.
In nest-flies it is imprinting; a short moment (eg Deer must be able to find mother).

After 7 to 8 weeks, the natural restraint will get the better of you, around this time you will receive your puppy.

Your breeder should have already introduced the puppies in this phase to the sounds of a market, schoolyard, driving, other dogs (breeds).

You go to the market with your puppy, to a schoolyard, into the city, over a busy road, bus, train, petting zoo, puppy course, a terrace …. taught, not

Henk van Lobenstein