Havtahava Havanese - Rules of Seven socialization explained

The Rules of Seven

At Havtahava Havanese, our goal is to have happy, healthy and well-adjusted puppies. One of our methods of doing this is using the expansive socialization process called “The Rules of Seven”. Below is our adaptation of “The Rules of Seven”.

By the time a puppy is seven weeks old he/she should have:

· Been on 7 different types of surfaces: carpet, tile, linoleum, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, and wood chips are some options;

· Played with 7 different types of objects: rope toys, plush toys, big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, squeaky toys, paper of cardboard items, metal items, sticks or hose pieces are some possibilities;

· Been in 7 different locations: living room, hallway, front yard, back yard, kitchen, car, garage, bathroom, our daughter’s room and Grandma’s house are some options;

· Met and played with 7 new people: include children and older adults, someone walking with a cane or stick, someone in a wheelchair or walker, someone who is tall and someone who wears a hat;

· Been exposed to 7 challenges: climb on a box, climb out of a box, climb off a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence, walk around the kitchen island to find us;

· Eaten from 7 different containers: metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, and human hands;

· Eaten in 7 different locations: crate, exercise pen, yard, kitchen, laundry room, living room, dining room, dog playroom and in the motorhome.

We also take several trips in the car and motorhome to help them grow accustomed to road travel, hoping this will help keep car sickness away.

If you would like to use a photo from this site, you must obtain written permission first.

Havtahava Havanese

Because you have to have a Havanese!