What is the rule of 7 dog training?

The rule of seven states that by the time your dog is 7 weeks old they should have been exposed to different locations, eat from different containers, meet different people, drive 7 miles in a car. As well as Crate exposure at least 7 times, exposed to seven different toys, 7 times with no litter mates or mom, exposed to 7 surfaces and the list goes on. This rule is to help guide you to molding a well mannered older dog. Many behavior cases can be traced back to a lack of adequate socialization. Most dogs go home from breeders at 8-9 weeks old.

The Rule of Sevens is a series of socialization guidelines for a puppy. It includes several milestones your puppy should have reached by the time they’ve reached seven weeks old. Your puppy needs to have seen seven different locations aside from home by the time they’re seven weeks old. Make your puppy more adaptable by having them eat from seven different containers at mealtimes. Some dog owners are scared of having new people around their precious puppy, however, you need to let your dog meet at least seven people who aren’t you before they reach seven weeks old. Riding in the car is just a part of life for dogs, make sure to take them for at least one ride in the car for at least seven miles before they turn seven weeks old. Been in a crate is also part of being a dog, get them used to the crate early. Don’t let your dog get too possessive and attached when it comes to toys, mix their toys up and let them play with a wide variety of different toys. Your dog should have been in places with different “feels,” like the store, the vet’s office, large public gatherings, the dog park, and so forth. You should make sure you play with your puppy without other dogs around them at least seven times before they turn seven.

People always ask me what I mean by the rule of 7. This is something that whether I am teaching a group class or doing a private lesson I make it a priority for all puppies to experience at some point before the age of 4 months. Number 1 Been in 7 different environments. This could include inside your house, your backyard, a training facility, a local park, a local pet supply company, etc. Number 2 Have met at least 7 different types of people. Number 3 Heard 7 different types of sounds. Number 4 Puppy has played with 7 different types of toys. Number 5 Eaten from 7 different food containers and in 7 different places. Number 6 Been exposed to 7 different types of surfaces. Number 7 Meet 7 different types of animals. When exposing your pup to these new situations take it slow and make it positive.

Dr. Carmen Battaglia created the Rule of 7’s as a guide to increase a puppy’s exposure. By the time a puppy is 3 months, make sure he/she has: been on 7 different types of surfaces: carpet, tile, linoleum, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, and wood chips. played with 7 different types of objects: rope toys, plush toys, big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal items, and sticks. been in 7 different locations: front & back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, kids room, living room, hallway, Vet’s office, groomers. met and played with 7 new people: include children and older adults, someone walking with a cane or in a wheelchair or walker, someone tall, someone in a hat. been exposed to 7 challenges: climb on a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence. eaten from 7 different containers: metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, human hands, pie plate, tin pan, frying pan, Frisbee, elevated bowl. eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, exercise pen, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom, back yard. We start applying the "rule of 7" at four weeks, we allow the puppies 7 new items they hadn't had contact with before. Around four days later, we changed these to 7 new items/things. By the time you take our new puppy home, he or she has been exposed to 49 different or new changes/items. The rule of 7 is a trick we learned to help introduce our golden retriever puppies to new environments and get them used to many different things they may encounter in their lives. Much like ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) the Rule of Seven introduces the pups to small stresses that will help boost confidence, social behavior, and their train-ability.

By the time a puppy is 3 months, make sure he has: Been on 7 different types of surfaces: carpet, tile, linoleum, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, and wood chips. Played with 7 different types of objects: rope toys, plush toys, big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal items, and sticks. Been in 7 different locations: front & back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, kids room, living room, hallway, Vet’s office, groomers. Met and played with 7 new people: include children and older adults, someone walking with a cane or in a wheelchair or walker, someone tall, someone in a hat. Been exposed to 7 challenges: climb on a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence. Eaten from 7 different containers: metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, human hands, pie plate, tin pan, frying pan, Frisbee, elevated bowl. Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, yard, exercise pen, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom, back yard. The rule of 7 is a technique we learned to help introduce our Golden Retriever puppies to new environments and get them used to many different things they may encounter in their lives. Our rule of 7 works by introducing pups starting at 4 weeks of age to 7 new things they hadn’t had a lot of contact with before. By the time puppies are 8 weeks old they will have been introduced to several new things and areas. This improves their ability to cope with stress, socializing, and train-ability.