Pat Hastings, AKC judge and author of The Puppy Puzzle offers these hints for socializing very young puppies, and we follow them here at Wayeh with each litter.

By the time a puppy is 7 weeks old it should have:

• Been on 7 different surfaces, such as: carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips, newspaper, etc.
• Played with 7 different types of objects, such as: big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy balls, squeaky toys, metal items, wooden items, paper/cardboard items, milk/soda jugs, etc.
• Been in 7 different locations, including: front yard, backyard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, crate, kennel, etc.
• Been exposed to 7 challenges, such as: climbed a box, climbed off a box, gone through a tunnel, climbed up steps, climbed down steps, climbed over obstacles, played hide and seek, gone in and out of a doorway with a step, etc.
• Eaten from 7 different containers: metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan, etc.
• Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, kitchen, basement, laundry room, bedroom, x-pen, etc.
• Met and played with 7 new people, including children and the elderly.