Inside the Puppy Pen • Days 40 and 47

One of the things we’ve been continuing to work on is sound desensitization. Over the past several days, the puppies have been hearing the vacuum from a comfortable distance. Today, we took the next step with the vacuum.

Rather than just letting them hear it from across the room, we introduced the vacuum directly into the pen. First, I let the puppies investigate it while it was turned off so they could sniff it, climb around it, and realize it was nothing scary. Once they were comfortable, I turned it on and sprinkled dog food around the area to help create a positive association with the sound.

Some puppies barely even noticed the vacuum and kept playing like nothing had changed. Others were a little more cautious at first, which is completely normal. But as they came closer to investigate, they were rewarded with food, helping them learn that new sounds and experiences can lead to good things.

This is one of the many ways we intentionally work on desensitization during this critical developmental window. The goal is not to force puppies into situations they fear, but to help them build confidence through positive experiences and gentle exposure to the kinds of sounds and environments they’ll encounter in everyday family life.