6 Weeks old. Shots ✔

Pup received their 6 week shots today!  Our vet recommends the next set of shots to be due August 18th.  Check with your vet to make the plan that they recommend. 

We've introduced a small crate to their space and they've had a great experience with it so far.   A few entered it immediately and eventually they all needed to know how chewable it was.  Pups are also learning to start doing "their business" in a separate place.  We've widened their quarters and separated their toilet area from their feeding/sleeping area and they're doing a great job keeping their pee/poo separate.

Playtime has reached a next level energy that comes with getting older.  We are in full fledged biting mode!  During playtime our toes are no longer safe and we have to wear closed toed shoes so they won't be tempted and so we don't have to always shuffle away from sharp teeth.   
Thankfully biting shouldn't be as bad when they come home to you.  They have the next 2 weeks to experiment with biting each other and get to experience being bitten by their littermates. By the time they come home they will be realizing that biting is not appropriate.  Though, you'll still need to stay on top of teaching them this lesson. 

Tin tub:  
I like using this to evaluate temperament because it is unfamiliar, it contains them making them have to think of how to get out, it rocks easily and is loud when it moved & potentially startling.  

How this relates to training 
For the pups that didn't focus on us when we tried to get their attention while in the tub and were quick to want to get out of this tin, you might have to put more effort in to redirection when pup is distracted or in unfamiliar settings.  Maybe be ready to up the level of currency your pup needs in training. Or in other words, work a bit harder to get your pup's attention when the senses are full or overwhelmed.   Zak George talks a lot about your dogs "currency" and this will be different for every dog.   We've had some dogs that just regular dog food was enough to keep his/her attention on us, but real bits of bacon or bits of chicken, even a packaged meat stick are of higher currency.  When going to an unfamiliar place where it'd be harder to hold their attention, we'd always bring the higher currency treats to keep their attention on us.   Keep this in mind as I describe below how each pup reacted to the tin tub. 

Toy & chase: 
I would never buy a toy like this for a dog.  It was a leftover baby toy and it's been enticing to all our pups as it makes noise and they can pick it up.  We used it to see if pups really wanted to engage with it or if they'd rather explore things outside of what we offered.  We also used it to try to get them to chase or follow us with it.

How this relates to training:
The more attention I can can get from the pup, the easier time I might have training him/her.  Good training starts with keeping their attention on me.   Similarly the pups that are willing to follow me, might more naturally keep their attention to me.   All these pups did great with these little tests and are still more easily trainable simply because they are Labrador Retrievers. 

Crash:
Crash just means tried to emulate a dropping sensation to see how fast they bounce back to being chill in our arms.   I won't mentioned these with each pup as every pup didn't seem to be phased by this and settled right back into my arms like nothing happened.   Another reaction that could have happened is that a pup might have stiffened and taken a bit to loosen up after the fall or try to wiggle out of my arms.  

Adopted but still Jane for now.
Black female - White collar now switched to Light Pink Collar

Oh how perfect you are.  Jane stood very curious in the tin tub and didn't try to get out very quickly but instead looked to us calling her from behind the camera.    She followed me extremely well while calling her.  

Adopted - Birdie Mae

Formally AJ
Black Female - Pink Collar

Sweet Birdie didn't stop to look at us while in the tin tub till she started to climb out.   She was well, but it took a bit more enticing to get her attention on me.  My kids noticed in one of her playtimes this week that she was playing so hard that she seemed to be breakdancing on our slippery tile floor.  So so cute & funny to watch!

Adopted - Daisy

Formally Darla  

Yellow Female - Purple collar

During playtimes this week Daisy showed some persistence in what she was after.  She's also probably the most affectionately free with her kisses.  She wasn't interested in looking at me while in the tin tub and tried to get out pretty quickly, but once out she followed me pretty well.  

Adopted - Lambeau

Formally Buckwheat
Black Male - Brown collar

Still one of my daughter's favorites (next to Froggy) because of his cuddly nature.   Lambeau wanted out of the tin tub, but took time to also pay attention to us.  He followed me very well. 

AlfAlfa
Yellow male - Light blue collar

Still winning the prize for the biggest pup!  (I try to hold him for a bit at every meal to give his litter mates a chance to get their fill first.)   Alfalfa like his mates looked around a lot to decide the best way out of the tin tub, though toward the end of his confinement, he did give us some eye contact.  At first he wasn't interested in following with the toy, but quickly changed his mind and did a great job at following.  

Spanky
Yellow male - Yellow Collar

Spanky had a mind of his own for this tin tub and only looked at me when I held his paws.  He was very ready to go and get on to the next thing.  He probably did more exploring the of perimeters than following me with a toy, though eventually settled in to playing with the toy.  

Adopted - Barley

Formally Waldo
Yellow Male - Dark blue collar

My kids call him smart.  He quickly tried to get out to the tin tub, but also looked to us while in it.  He also do a great job following me.   He sometimes wanted me more than the toy.  Such a good boy!

Porky
White Male - Black collar

Classic puppy dog shaped eyes that make you melt ... he was wanting to get out of that tin tub same as his sibs, but once he was out he was not interested in the toy but only wanted to be right on me!  I kept having to push him away just to try to get a few decent pictures.  

Like for Uh-Huh, I asked our vet about the spot on his snout pointed out last week that's been their since he was born.  She had no concern but said that it just looked like a spot where his pigment didn't get filled in. 

Uh-Huh

Yellow Male - Orange collar

So patient!  He waited a bit and inspected the tin tub and looking at us before perching up on the side.  And even there he took time to take in his surroundings as well as look to us before attempting to escape.   He was slow to be enticed by the toy but followed me more instead.  Then eventually warmed up to to the toy after taking time to inspect it.  

Like for Porky, I asked our vet about the spot on his snout pointed out last week that's been their since he was born.  She had no concern but said that it just looked like a spot where his pigment didn't get filled in. 

Adopted but still Froggy for now.
White male - Green collar

Froggy didn't want to stay in the tin tub any longer than he had to because he's always ready to play and he's persistent in what he wants.  Though he did take some time to give us some eye contact while was confined in the tub.  He followed me with the toy well.