Training a puppy is all about improvisation and training.

Breeders and vets will sometimes argue that puppies should be kept away from people and dog at least until they are 16 years old.

But animal behaviorists I respect say a puppy needs to meet at least 100 different people before they reach the age of 16 weeks, when their worldview – Weltanschauung as the trainers call it – is formed, almost certainly for life.

It is essential for dog and puppy trainers to know that a dog’s world view is very difficult to change after that, if not impossible.

This (and in the litter)  is when puppies become timid or aggressive or sociable animals, this is when service or therapy or hunting or search and rescue dogs  – or loving family pets – become set in their demeanor and temperament.

Zinnia is a calm and entitled dog, which means she got plenty of milk from her mother and was not whacked around too much by her siblings. She has poise and confidence.

Yesterday, she rushed up to Flo, our very tough barn cat,  to say hello (her tail wagging) and Flo clobbered her with a swipe on  her nose. She yelped backed off, and this morning rushed right up to Flo again and licked her on the nose.

Flo took it in stride, she’s figured Zinnia out.

This is a critical window in training, many behaviors can still be changed, supported or altered. When that window is closed, change comes hard. So I am focused on it.

Dogs don’t know from birth whether or not to trust people and accept strangers or be appropriate in strange situations. It is something we either do or don’t teach them. I know very few people who work actively to socialize their dogs – people leave that to the dogs – but I believe that is essential and I get right onto it.

I don’t care for dog play groups, I think they often over-arouse dogs and are perfect incubators for disease or behavioral problems (many coming from the people, not the dogs.)

Rescue dogs often get into trouble because they have been abandoned or mistreated and don’t get a chance to learn to be calm and flexible and easy around strange people. The same applies to purebred dogs from breeders.

So it’s my job to use that time well, even early on a frozen morning.

Zinnia will get to see her 100 different people and then some. When you have three dogs and one puppy life moves on, as does training, even when it’s 12 degrees outside and there is not time to shower and get dressed.

Puppies are great disrupters, they alter the flow of life in any household.

Bud and Zinnia have become pals, they are playing with one another, but morning is a good time to train – Zinnia is focused and alert – and Bud can be used as a model to show her how to “sit” or “stay” or “come.”

Fate is too hyper to let her out with Zinnia yet, she’s still startling and growing at her. She’ll come around.

So at the risk of looking foolish this morning, I put a sweatshirt on over a nightshirt and put a wool cap on and took Bud and Zinnia outside to eliminate – that can’t wait – and go through some early morning exercises. It’s more comfortable than rushing outside naked to take a picture.

Today I was teaching Zinnia about chasing balls outside. And working on come, sit and stay. We let Zinnia run free a bit too long in the house yesterday, she started to pee on our carpet.

I need to remember that  she doesn’t het have full bladder control, she just needs to go out often and be confined when she can’t be watched. In the chaos that occurs here regularly, it is hard to keep everything in mind.

She’s almost there.

Bud is in it for the treats, but he is helping Zinnia to learn.

He’s been through this, he knows the drill. Normally, I wouldn’t put up a photo of me  in this pose, but sharing is sharing, and openness is opennesss.