At Driftwood Farm, as soon as puppies are whelped I handle them to be sure they are healthy and happy.  I do daily weight checks early on and cuddle them a little so I am familiar to them when they open their eyes and ears and can finally connect those smells with a person.   After the eyes and ears open, I increase the noise level and add new sounds to get them used to the loud world out there. I begin to take individual puppies out of the puppy room, away from mom and litter mates for some one-on-one every day after the eyes and ears are open. It's very important for each puppy to have time away from "the family" to help them develop as individuals and not be co- dependent. Often we sit and “watch” TV. When the weather permits, the puppies go out on the grass at 4 - 5 weeks of age (a lot depends on the litter as to when they are ready).  I sit on the ground with the puppies on in my lap and let them leave when ready to explore.  I create "problems" for the puppies to solve (climbing over a low box to get out of or into the whelping box - walking into a narrow box to get a toy or treat. I change the toys in the X-pen often to keep interest up.  I hang windsocks over the outside pen so they learn to look up.
				The Rule of Seven
	By the time a puppy is 7 weeks old, it should have: *Been on 7 different surfaces; Carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, woodchips, etc.; * Played with 7 different types of objects:  big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal items, wooden items, milk jugs, etc.; * Been in 7 different locations with accompanying sounds:  front yard, back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, crate, kennel, etc.; *Met and played with 7 new people, include children and older adults; *Been exposed to 7 challenges;  climb on a box, climb off a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence; * 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, bathroom, playpen, etc.