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Puppy Culture™

Doggy kindergarten, and the training behind every Bernerlandia dog.

What it is At Bernerlandia Puppy Culture FAQ Training

What is Puppy Culture?

In a nutshell, Puppy Culture is doggy kindergarten. The first twelve weeks of a puppy’s life are full of formative behavioral and psychological markers. The program gives breeders and owners a path to provide puppies the best building blocks for the rest of their lives, and helps cement a foundation for more resilient responses, physically and emotionally. In other words, it is learning, in doggy language, the human “ABCs.”

What is in the program

Early Neurological Stimulation

Enhances the development of strong nervous systems.

Barrier Challenge

Builds problem-solving ability and teaches frustration tolerance.

Clicker training

Teaches a puppy how to learn, to enjoy learning, and to seek it out.

Conditioned emotional responses

Positive associations with crate training, grooming, veterinary handling, enjoying people and having manners.

Habituation

Desensitization to loud noises and new experiences, such as a vacuum, lawn mower or roller suitcase.

Attention to people

Eye contact with humans as a way to communicate.

Puppy parties

Confident engagement with humans and enjoying activities together.

Manding

Offering polite behaviors and asking for attention, instead of jumping or barking.

Puppy obedience

Sitting, walking on a leash and waiting at doors.

Puppy Culture™ at Bernerlandia

See the program in action in our home.

See 9 more videos

Puppy Culture™ FAQ

Is Puppy Culture really worth it?

Yes. It truly makes a palpable difference in our puppies and dogs.

Can I do Puppy Culture experiences with my own dogs and puppies?

Yes, you can. We encourage you to learn as much as possible before trying any techniques. Every puppy is different, and there are developmental markers that should ideally be followed. Too much or too little exposure can create different results.

My puppy was exposed to a potty pad area. Will it be house broken?

No. Puppies will be familiar with a potty area and will need to get to know the new one in their home. Puppy bladders are tiny, and young puppies go on brain signaling: full bladder, pee here. For more, read our blog entry The Wet Sock Vortex.

Will my puppy be fully trained when it comes home?

No. Puppy Culture is like kindergarten. It provides foundational skills, and there is still a lot of work to do to build a well adjusted, well trained Berner.

Training: why post about it?

Tricks are not inherited, and neither is not chewing shoelaces. So why does training matter to a breeder? The key word is temperament. Happy, tired, worked and fulfilled minds make for excellent temperament, which goes hand in hand with the intelligence and disposition that can be inherited.

All our dogs and puppies receive obedience, breed-specific, crate and veterinary-specific training. It gives pets tools for interacting with people and other pets, and engages their minds in the things they were bred to do. That is passed on to their own pups: calm, gentle, people-oriented behavior that will, hopefully, one day enrich your family’s life.

Other than Puppy Culture

A word about training styles

There are four basic training styles. For a first-time owner they can sound confusing, so here is a short description of each.

Positive reinforcement

Giving the pet something they desire (treat, petting, toy) when they do what you asked. Example: the dog sits and gets a treat.

Negative punishment

Despite the harsh name, it involves no physical contact. It removes something positive (treat, attention, toy). Example: the dog jumps on a person, the person walks away, and the attention the dog wanted is gone.

Positive punishment

Adding something unpleasant to remove a behavior, such as swatting or hitting.

Negative reinforcement

Removing something unpleasant when the pet does what is asked. Example: perimeter electric fencing, where the pet is shocked until it returns inside the line.

Training: the secret sauce

To quote Mr. Ping from Kung Fu Panda: “There is no secret ingredient.” We use the simplest and most complex tools of the trade: clicker, buddy system, treats, patience and, most of all, repetition. Patience and repetition together are what we call discipline, meaning human discipline: making constant, repeated efforts to achieve a result.

Remember that dogs are individuals, and no dog responds to training like another. Dogs feed on our energy, so try to train when your mood is on an upswing. Have fun with your doggos, and if you need help, ask. We have all been there.

Want to learn more?

Our blog is all about education: raising a large breed puppy, training, health and choosing a responsible breeder. Start with our puppy series, or browse everything.

Have a question about our program?

We would love to hear from you.

Upstate New York • USA

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