Dog Owners' Rules of Sevens
There are examples listed for each rule. They are suggestions and may have to be adjusted depending your circumstances. (Puppies who live in the south will probably never see snow.)By the time a puppy is 7 weeks old it should have:
1: BEEN ON 7 different surfaces:
Carpet, Concrete, Wood, Vinyl/Linoleum, Grass, Dirt, Gravel . . ..
2: PLAYED WITH 7 different types of objects:
Balls, Soft Fabric Toys, Metal Items, Wooden Items, Paper/Cardboard Items, Milk/Soda Jugs . . .
3: BEEN IN 7 different locations:
Front & Back Yard, Basement, Car Garage, Crate, Kennel, Family Living Area . . .
4: BEEN EXPOSED to 7 challenges:
Climb up and down a few Steps, Stand stacked for a Minute, Enter through a Dog Door, Walk
over Obstacles, Play Hide & Seek, Get in and out of something, Learn to Back Up . . .
5: EATEN FROM 7 different containers:
Metal, Plastic, Cardboard, Paper, Glass, Plate, Bowl . . .
6: EATEN IN 7 different locations:
Crate, Yard, Kitchen, Basement, X-pen, Car Garage, Kennel . . .
7: MET AND PLAYED WITH 7 new people:
Large Male, Baby, Child, Teenager, Grandperson, Someone dressed outlandishly, Someone disabled . . .
8: HEARD 7 different household noises:
Vacuum, Hair Dryer, Doorbell, Fly Swatter, Phone, Television, Alarm Clock . . .
9: HEARD 7 different outdoor noises:
Car Horn, Motorcycle, Garage Door Opener, Lawn Mower/Snow Blower, Vehicle Starting, Neighbors Yelling, Thunder . . .