Sound conditioning

This week we are working on pups' sound conditioning. They are being exposed to a variety of sounds and we watch closely their responses. Since their pen is located on the front lawn, close to the house, they can hear a lawn mower, car, tractor, weed whacker, and trap shooting coming from a nearby property. I also use bubble wrap. Popping bubble wrap creates a similar sound to that of a cap pistol. Most of the pups did not show any reaction at all, some noticed the sound but did not mind but one pup showed concern. It is interesting that this particular pup was not bothered by other loud noises (like the banging of metal dog dishes) but did not like the sound of popping bubble wrap. I also let pups play with the whole roll so they could pop the bubbles themselves.