Saga loves her new home and is doing very well in Wisconsin. She is making progress on the housebreaking and is having loads of new experiences. There are turkeys (the feathered kind not the human kind) and deer in her area and she is sort of doing 'fetch' work.
Saga and her siblings started fetch work here with toys, balls and even dumbbells.
These are three of the dumbbells the pups were 'playing' with before they left. Two are wooden which puppies seem to prefer but they will chew them if you leave them out. The plastic one is more durable but this "toy" should also not be left out with them. You can estimate their size by the quarter in the middle. (Remember, clicking on the photos enlarges them. To return, click on the X in the upper right hand corner.) The dumbbells should be small enough to just fit comfortably between their lips when held by the bar. You can buy these at most pet supply stores. Saga will probably remember playing with a dumbbell from growing up. At this age they do NOT know the difference between work and play. Make everything a game. Make it all fun.
To begin with they were awkwardly picking up these dumbbells by their ends. Before they left their birth home, they had learned all by themselves that it was easier, much easier, to carry the dumbbell by the bar in the middle.
I would toss the dumbbell or the toy or the ball away from me and say at the same time, "Take It!" which is what obedience people say instead of "Fetch!". That expression (Take It) is a useful expression for them to learn. You eventually could use that with their leash, a collar, a newspaper, a ball, or anything. Hand them something or throw something for them to get and repeat, "Take It!". Then use the word "Release!" and take the object (Toy, Ball, Dumbbell, etc.) back. Be sure to give them a treat immediately and to say, "Good Take It!" and "Good Release!" so they know what they've done right. You could also teach them the expression/command "Hold It!" to encourage them to keep the object in their mouth until you tell them to "Release!"
You are teaching them the words for what they are doing. A smart dog, and Icelandics are all smart dogs, can easily learn 300 - 400 words. The earlier you start, the more they can learn - - just like humans. These games prepare them for later.
Their minds are like sponges when they are this young. Most people think they are too young to learn but the reality is that at this age they are really anxious to learn new things and to please their new families. Use that! Teach them stuff. Every thing they learn makes it easier to learn the next lessons. They are learning how to learn.
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