The newest members of the Ward canine team turn 15 weeks old

You might have seen that earlier this year we welcomed three puppies into the Ward canine team, and now they’re 15 weeks old, we wanted to share an update with you!

Since the puppies, Dax, Ace and Chief, were 8 weeks old, they have lived with their dedicated handler, building trust and bond, and it’s safe to say that they’ve settled into life at home very well.

As they come to the end of their first imprint period (the first 6-16 weeks), where the pups learn more than at any other point, our handlers have exposed them to as many people and environments as possible, they’ve even been to one of our sites to check it out! Getting the puppies used to the public and new environments is so important as the majority of our work is in the public domain.

Our handlers have introduced basic positive reward-based obedience training – the start of their ongoing training. As the puppies go through different stages, the approach to training will adapt and develop. For example, during the teething process, play games, such as tug of war, will be replaced with the puppies searching for a toy and retrieval exercises.

Hide and seek games will also be introduced, where the puppy will use its nose and enthusiasm to find their handler, providing the foundation for a search person exercise.

Great work so far Dax, Ace and Chief! More pupdates to follow!