Behavioral Wellness & Socialization Plan

1. Purpose

This Behavioral Wellness & Socialization Plan describes how Stokeshire supports the emotional, cognitive, and behavioral health of every dog in our program, from birth through adulthood. It fulfills the Behavioral Health pillar of the Canine Care Certified™ (CCC) standards and is tightly integrated with our training and recordkeeping in the Stokeshire Method App (app.stokeshire.com).

Our goals are to:

• Raise confident, resilient, people-focused puppies.
• Provide meaningful daily enrichment and exercise for adult dogs.
• Use structured temperament evaluation to guide placement and breeding decisions.
• Document behavioral progress and concerns in a transparent, trackable way.

2. Frameworks & Tools

• BAB Empowered Breeder® Curriculum: We follow the Empowered Breeder approach for early neurological stimulation, handling, exposure, and “choice-based” confidence building during the neonatal and transitional weeks.
• Volhard Temperament Testing: Around 7–8 weeks of age, we complete a Volhard-style temperament evaluation (adapted for doodle mixes) to assess traits such as confidence, human focus, sound sensitivity, and recovery. Results are logged in the Stokeshire Method App and used for placement and breeding decisions.
• Stokeshire Method App (app.stokeshire.com): Daily and weekly socialization tasks, enrichment activities, and behavior notes are recorded digitally so we can track patterns over time, share data with guardian families, and provide owners with a clear behavioral history.

3. Puppy Socialization & Enrichment Curriculum

The Stokeshire Method organizes puppy development into clear phases. Each litter has a digital checklist inside the app that must be completed by staff or trainers.

3.1 Neonatal (Days 3–16)

• Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) following BAB guidelines.
• Early Scent Introduction (ESI) exposure using gentle, positive scents.
• Daily weight checks and calm handling for brief, positive sessions.

3.2 Transitional (Weeks 3–4)

• Short handling sessions by multiple trusted adults.
• Introduction to new textures and surfaces (rugs, rubber mats, turf, wobble boards at low intensity).
• Soft sound exposure (white noise, gentle household sounds) at low volume.

3.3 Awareness & Curiosity (Weeks 4–6)

• Puppies moved into enriched weaning pen with age-appropriate toys, tunnels, and low platforms.
• Daily “confidence challenges” based on BAB Empowered Breeder games (novel objects, mild startle-and-recover).
• Structured “puppy parties” with calm visitors, supervised children when appropriate, and a variety of clothing, hats, etc.
• Beginning of crate exposure in short, positive sessions.

3.4 Pre-Placement (Weeks 6–9+)

• Short car rides and outings where appropriate.
• Crate training continued with individual crates, stuffed Kongs, and gradual duration increases.
• Start of potty patterning to a consistent surface and exit door.
• Daily micro-training: name recognition, recall foundations, “sit” and “wait,” gentle leash introduction.
• Volhard-style temperament testing and BAB personality observations recorded in the app.

4. Adult Dog Enrichment & Exercise

Adult dogs in the Stokeshire program (including guardian dogs when on site) receive daily physical and mental enrichment appropriate to their age, breed mix, and health status.

• Daily movement: Free play in secure yards, structured walks, or training sessions that allow dogs to achieve a comfortable running stride when appropriate.
• Enrichment rotation: Puzzle feeders, sniff-and-search games, chew items, and training games rotated on a weekly schedule.
• Calm time: Rest periods and quiet crate or mat time to prevent overstimulation and teach dogs how to settle.
• Guardian homes: Receive written and video guidance through the Stokeshire Method on meeting daily enrichment and exercise targets.

5. Handling & Training Philosophy

All staff, trainers, and guardian homes are expected to use low-stress, reward-based handling and training methods.

• Use of positive reinforcement (food, toys, praise) to reward desired behavior.
• No harsh physical corrections, alpha rolling, or dominance-based techniques.
• Respect for canine body language; dogs may step away or take “breaks” from interactions when safe.
• Desensitization and counterconditioning protocols for sensitive dogs (sound sensitivity, handling aversion, etc.).

Handling guidelines and video demonstrations are stored in the Stokeshire Method App for quick reference by staff and guardian families.

6. Behavioral Logging & Stokeshire Method App

The Stokeshire Method App (app.stokeshire.com) serves as our central behavioral record system. For each litter and adult dog, we track:

• Completion of daily / weekly socialization and enrichment tasks.
• Volhard-style scores and BAB personality notes.
• Health and behavior flags (sound sensitivity, confidence level, startle recovery, toy/food motivation, people focus).
• Training milestones (crate duration, potty progress, recall response, leash skills).

These records support CCC audits, guide breeding decisions, and help match each puppy to a family and lifestyle where they are most likely to thrive.

7. Behavior Concerns & Intervention

If a puppy or adult dog shows behavior that could impact welfare or placement (e.g., persistent fear, reactivity, resource guarding), Stokeshire will:

• Log incidents and patterns in the app with clear notes and dates.
• Adjust the socialization and training plan to include targeted exercises.
• Consult with our attending veterinarian if medical causes are suspected.
• Refer to a qualified trainer or behavior professional when needed.
• Disclose relevant behavior information transparently to prospective families.

8. Placement, Matching & Follow-Up

Stokeshire uses data from the BAB curriculum, Volhard-style testing, and daily observations to match puppies with families:

• Therapy or service prospects are selected based on confidence, human focus, recovery, and environmental stability.
• Active family companions are matched with puppies who show social, athletic, and resilient profiles.
• More sensitive or handler-soft puppies are placed in quieter, experienced homes that can support them.

New owners receive written and video guidance through the Stokeshire Method App to continue the puppy’s socialization and training plan at home, keeping the same language and structure the puppy already knows.

9. Review & Continuous Improvement

This Behavioral Wellness & Socialization Plan is reviewed at least annually, and whenever CCC standards, veterinary guidance, or our internal data indicate that an update is needed. Changes are documented and rolled into the Stokeshire Method App so that staff, guardians, and new owners always have access to the most current version of our behavioral care approach.