Kona Doodles is a small breeding program located in Memphis, TN. Puppies are raised in our personal home with lots of love and attention.
Around the middle of their first week of life, we begin our very purposeful puppy socialization program in order to strengthen each puppy’s neurological and social development, maximize their natural resilience to stress, and give them the best possible start in life. Their little systems are like sponges! Weeks 3 – 12 are the critical socialization period when puppies are learning about their environment and how to interact with it. It’s a unique, biologically pre-determined time period when a puppy’s emotions and behaviors are easily influenced. Yes, their attitudes and actions can be shaped later in life via training, but this early period is marked by the ease with which they learn. It’s so much easier to teach them to be happy, successful members of society NOW rather than correcting maladaptive behaviors LATER. Since puppies are with us during the first part of that time, we do everything possible not to waste a minute of it! The ENS, or Early Neurological Stimulation, protocols come first, between Days 4 and 16. Around week 3, we transition to Puppy Culture protocols. This is when the real fun begins! We expose our puppies to all sorts of developmentally appropriate experiences and stressors.
Puppies are typically ready for their new homes at 8 weeks of age. They’ll be sent home with a Go Home Kit filled with goodies to help their transition. Each puppy will be given a thorough check-up by our vet, including their first round of vaccinations and microchipping. **We do not dock tails or remove dew claws. Doodles typically have their natural tails, and dew claw removal is a personal choice that can be done at the time of spay/neuter.
