Early Life & Enrichment
How We Start Your Puppy On the Right Paw
Wooby's Early Life Program
How Red String Farmstead’s science-led eight-week early development method prepares puppies for life
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We believe the two most important things on Earth are family and friends. When you choose your puppy, it becomes both! Wooby’s Early Life Program was developed to maximize your puppy’s companion potential through neurological formation, social development, and exposure to common stressors and fears so that they can live happily and boldly.
This is not a training program. Like the “wooby” (or poncho liner) used by Marines and soldiers, it’s a blanket of
reassurance and comfort for all seasons that each of our puppies is issued from the very start. Wooby’s
Early Life Program is a tool that will start them off on the right paw!
The Process
Our puppies spend eight weeks receiving neurological and olfactory exercises, body handling, early potty training, desensitization to common stressors, experience with motion sickness, and temperament testing to maximize and gauge their readiness!
The Road to Resilience
Isaac and Kayla carefully developed Wooby’s Early Life Program based on feedback from customer families over the years. Who knew so many pups are afraid of the ice cube maker?
After consulting the finest reproductive vet in the National Capital Region, the rich trove of existing studies on early canine development, and the wisdom of our extended family of breeders, we put together our own system that we can feel confident in!
Eight Weeks of the World's Most Gentle Bootcamp
Isaac’s drill instructors once said “hurt now, live later.” With Wooby’s Early Life Program, we say “gently rub paws now, live best life and get treats later.” We know… it sounds brutal. But they somehow survive!
Every part of Wooby's Early Life Program is designed to challenge the puppy on a system level and is never physically hard or painful for them.
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We Don't Promise You a Rose Garden
The breeding business and preparing your puppy is not an exact science and, as your little fella or gal figures out their new world (your home), you’ll both have learning curves. Our method is designed to give your pup the confidence to overcome the early phases of home life and maximize their resilience, but we cannot guarantee perfect outcomes. After Take Home Day, regular behavioral training and housebreaking is up to you!
How We Prepare Your Puppy
If you have a Red String Farmstead puppy, you can rest easy knowing it was enriched using all eight parts of Wooby's Early Life Program!
Part 1
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS)
Weeks
1-2
A puppy’s body may form in the womb, but their brain and nerves surge in development during the first two weeks of life so they can use their senses for the first time! That’s where ENS comes in. This daily 5-step protocol stimulates key sensory points like cardio, adrenals, and nerves through simple steps like paw tickling and cool surfaces. ENS helps prevent anxiety and is even associated with disease resilience. No biggie!
Part 2
Early Scent Introduction (ESI)
Weeks
1-2
Every pupper needs a good, strong snoot! Much of a dog’s life, from problem-solving to socializing, is rooted in its olfactory sense.
During the same two-week period of daily ENS, our puppies receive a series of unfamiliar scents to bolster this key sense as it forms.
Part 3
Puppy Body Massages
Weeks
3-8
Socialization via basic body handling is key to ensuring a puppy is good with humans, which is essential for a puppy to be family ready by Take Home Day. So why not do it with a nice massage? No, we do not offer this for humans…
Part 4
Early Potty Training
Weeks
4-8
Puppies must live in hygienic environments, not only to keep them safe from illnesses, but to imbue them with a sense of cleanliness that will help during housebreaking later. We believe this is best achieved with special grates that teach the pups that there is always a “proper” place to potty, allowing them to transition to a yard or walking routine easier.
Part 5
Desensitization to Common Stressors
Weeks
1-8
It’s a scary world out there! A well-adjusted pup must be prepared to handle anxiety, and we achieve this by gently introducing stressful experiences. By the time our puppies go home, they are familiar with scary noises like thunder, fireworks, and construction sounds, as well stressful experiences like baths, paw handling, and car rides. We even
familiarize them with the dreaded crate so that crate training is easier
than ever!
Part 6
Natural Mom-Led Weaning
Weeks
4-8
Mother knows best! Every dog mama uniquely determines when to distance herself from her litter. This is natural and necessary! Besides creating an environment of choice for the mama at Week 4, we don’t interfere with her process because the health, emotional resilience, and acceptance of human strangers in puppies is heavily tied to this milestone. We believe in letting our mamas have the final say!
Part 7
Crate Exposure
Weeks
4-8
Puppies typically grow out of motion sickness with time, but to best prepare them for nauseating car rides, we work their vestibular systems through gentle handling, enrichment toys like swings, and exposure to vehicle rides using cars, farm equipment, and wagons.
Part 8
Temperament Testing
Weeks
7
The 7 previous parts will affect the overall temperament of the puppies. To help guide families on Take Home Day toward the puppy with the best possible personality fit for their home, we test each puppy’s temperament using the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT). This simple test is excellent for determining variables like social dominance and restraint.
Bibliography & Sources
Early Neurological Stimulation Howell TJ, King T, Bennett PC. Puppy parties and beyond: The role of early age socialization practices on adult dog behavior. Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports. 2015;6:143–153. doi:10.2147/VMRR.S62081 Schoon A, Berntsen TG. Evaluating the effect of early neurological stimulation on the development and training of Mine Detection Dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. 2011;6(2):150–157. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2010.09.017 Foyer P, Wilsson E, Wright D, Jensen P. Early experiences modulate stress coping in a population of German shepherd dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2013;146(1–4):79–87. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2013.03.013 Early Scent Introduction Kokocińska-Kusiak A, Woszczyło M, Zybała M, Maciocha J, Barłowska K, Dzięcioł M. Canine olfaction: Physiology, behavior, and possibilities for practical applications. Animals. 2021;11(8):2463. doi:10.3390/ani11082463 Wells DL. A review of environmental enrichment for kennelled dogs, Canis familiaris. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2004;85(3–4):307–317. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2003.11.005 Fountain J, Fernandez EJ, McWhorter TJ, Hazel SJ. The value of sniffing: A scoping review of scent activities for canines. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2025;282:106485. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106485 Watkins G. Baby Noses: Introducing Scents to Neonate Puppies. Avidog International; 2019 [accessed 2025 Nov 7]. https://www.avidog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Avidog-Baby-Noses-Transcript.pdf Body Handling Massages Howell TJ, King T, Bennett PC. Puppy parties and beyond: The role of early age socialization practices on adult dog behavior. Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports. 2015;6:143–153. doi:10.2147/VMRR.S62081 Stölzlechner L, Bonorand A, Riemer S. Optimising puppy socialisation: Short- and long-term effects of a training programme during the early socialisation period. Animals. 2022;12(22):3067. doi:10.3390/ani12223067 Sound Desensitization Foyer P, Wilsson E, Wright D, Jensen P. Early experiences modulate stress coping in a population of German shepherd dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2013;146(1–4):79–87. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2013.03.013 Blackwell EJ, Bradshaw JWS, Casey RA. Fear responses to noises in domestic dogs: Prevalence, risk factors and co-occurrence with other fear-related behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2013;145(1–2):15–25. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2012.12.004 Fountain J, Fernandez EJ, McWhorter TJ, Hazel SJ. The value of sniffing: A scoping review of scent activities for canines. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2025;282:106485. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106485 Mom-Led Weaning Guardini G, Bowen J, Mariti C, Fatjó J, Sighieri C, Gazzano A. Influence of maternal care on behavioural development of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) living in a home environment. Animals. 2017;7(12):93. doi:10.3390/ani7120093 Malm K, Jensen P. Weaning and parent-offspring conflict in the domestic dog. Ethology. 1997;103(8):653–664. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.1997.tb00176.x Motion Sickness Gibeault S. Teach your dog to ride in the car: Preventing anxiety and motion sickness. American Kennel Club. 2024 Jan 18 [accessed 2025 Nov 7]. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/travel/teach-dog-ride-car-prevent-anxiety/ Foyer P, Wilsson E, Wright D, Jensen P. Early experiences modulate stress coping in a population of German shepherd dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2013;146(1–4):79–87. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2013.03.013 Wells DL. A review of environmental enrichment for kennelled dogs, Canis familiaris. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2004;85(3–4):307–317. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2003.11.005 Neer M. Motion sickness in dogs. Merck Veterinary Manual (Dog Owners Edition). [accessed 2025 Nov 7]. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/dog-owners/brain-spinal-cord-and-nerve-disorders-of-dogs/motion-sickness-in-dogs Temperament Testing Howell TJ, King T, Bennett PC. Puppy parties and beyond: The role of early age socialization practices on adult dog behavior. Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports. 2015;6:143–153. doi:10.2147/VMRR.S62081 Foyer P, Wilsson E, Wright D, Jensen P. Early experiences modulate stress coping in a population of German shepherd dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2013;146(1–4):79–87. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2013.03.013 Stölzlechner L, Bonorand A, Riemer S. Optimising puppy socialisation: Short- and long-term effects of a training programme during the early socialisation period. Animals. 2022;12(22):3067. doi:10.3390/ani12223067 Fountain J, Fernandez EJ, McWhorter TJ, Hazel SJ. The value of sniffing: A scoping review of scent activities for canines. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2025;282:106485. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106485 Guardini G, Bowen J, Mariti C, Fatjó J, Sighieri C, Gazzano A. Influence of maternal care on behavioural development of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) living in a home environment. Animals. 2017;7(12):93. doi:10.3390/ani7120093