Stay The Course (core)Some Routines are good!Like an airplane, we’ve been in “take off” mode, changing our weaning pen size, our crates, feeding routines, and building duration. At this point in our work we are done taking off, and are now at our “cruising altitude”. While we will be introducing a few new things in the coming weeks, our primary focus is now on building voluntary duration inside the crate, reinforcing enthusiastic crate entry, and polite crate exit.Set the Stage for Night.I want to circle back and make sure this week you are doing the following for most duration building chew/nap sessions right through send home.1.Dim the lights and close the blinds.2.Play soothing music (Ideally something your clients can also use, I use an Amazon Music channel of soothing music for sleep, or a You Tube video with soothing music for sleep, then I can share the exact link with the new puppy family, so the puppy has their sleep soundtrack in the new home).3.Use aroma therapy such as Dog Appeasing Pheromone (Adaptal) or Diffusers/spray of Vanilla or Coconut. Again, these scents can be replicated for the drive home and in the new home, creating for more comfort during transition week.4. Load tired puppies into crates with pacifier(s)5. If you are going to leave the room set a time to remind you to check on the puppies every few minutes and let out any who want out, and load back up any puppies who want back in. This becomes a “context cue” for the puppy to learn that crate rest is happening. Not only do these things actually calm our puppies, but they also create predictability. Remember that knowing what is happening is calming, so when we “set the stage” for our puppies’ crate duration session we increase calm behavior through predictability. Plus it’s nice if the puppies can fall asleep!This will help the puppies predict when a duration session is going to happen, which in turn will help them remain calm on the drive home, during transition week, and if we start overnight In crates.This is a huge help for our new puppy owners because they can recreate this environment in their own home, down to choosing the same scents and music. This becomes a comforting behavioral bridge from the comfort of home to the new environment, something most puppies find very soothing in the face of so much change.Resting time routine (for clients).1. Define your routine (Spray soothing scent, load crate with chew, then puppy, dim lights, turn on soothing music)2. Use this routine as often as humanly possible with your puppies.3. Create an email or Facebook Post to your Page and/or Group that showcases your routine. Put links to the scent, chews, and music (I use You Tube links) in that post.4. For clients not on SM, do the same as a handout for your puppy pack.5. For all clients send the routine as part of your Pre Puppy Pick Up educational materials.

Schedules: Resting Routines & Consistency is Key (core)

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