Month: June 2023

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HAVE A LOOK AT OUR SIX WEEK OLD CUTIES

six weeks old

Can these puppies get any cuter?

Ellie and Brinkley’s puppies are now six weeks old. We have had another busy week caring for the puppies and introducing them to so many new things. They have grown bigger, and you can see each unique personality developing.

Ellie continues to wean her puppies and they are doing well eating the softened kibble puppy food. The puppies are still working on potty training. They enjoy running and chasing each other during outside play time. 

the girls

Pink Collar Girl – Flatcoat Goldendoodle
Purple Collar Girl – Flatcoat Goldendoodle

the boys

Blue Collar Boy- Flatcoat Goldendoodle
Red Collar Boy – Flatcoat Goldendoodle
Orange Collar Boy – TeddyBear Goldendoodle
Yellow Collar Boy – TeddyBear Goldendoodle

Puppies First Taste of the Outdoors

Another first for our Puppies – On Monday we took them outside for the first time. The puppies spent their first few minutes slowly walking around and smelling as they went.

Tom set up fencing to enclose a large outdoor area for the puppies to explore and play. There is a tree for shade, rocks to climb, slopes for the puppies to practice walking on uneven ground and lots of room to run.

Progress being made

Potty training continues

This week we are continuing to encourage the puppies to use the potty boxes while they are in their puppy enclosure. As with each litter, some puppies are more consistent than others but all the puppies are making progress

introducing CRATES

Crate Training Begins

We start crate training by exposing puppies to the crates with the doors opened. It is important for the puppies to explore the crates on their own, choose when to enter and if they wish take a nap in them. They should think of the crate as their “safe place”. I put a blanket over the crate to make it feel safe and cozy much like a wild dog den.

On Thursday when the puppies were outside, I spent some time giving the puppy area a thorough clean, set up two crates on one side and put a Snuggle Puppy into each crate. When I brought the puppies inside after their outdoor playtime, they were curious about the new addition to the puppy area. They walked in, smell around, and some puppies even decided to take a nap in the crate.

A new toy

Puppies Play With Their New Water Bottle Toy

Saturday was raining so it wasn’t the best weather to have outdoor play. I decided the puppies needed something new to investigate. I made them a water bottle toy.

This is something that I do for all our litters. It is made from an empty water bottle and an odd sock from my sock bin. (Where do those sock matches go LOL!) I insert the water bottle into the sock and tie a knot in the end. and there you have it – A new FREE toy!

The puppies always love the water bottle toy because it makes a “crinkling sound”.

Watch the puppies enjoying their new toy
such fun!

A LOOK BACK AT

THE PAST WEEK

SWEET DREAMS PUPPIES

Lots to experience

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK SEVEN

  • Puppies time spent awake will continue to increase
  • Puppies will begin dry kibble by the end of week seven
  • We will continue to encourage puppies to use potty box
  • Puppies will continue to socialize and learn from each other through play
  • Puppies will continue exploring and playing together outdoors as weather permits
  • Puppies will continue learning from their mama as she disciplines them and teaches them to behave 
  • As always, puppies will continue to get lots of cuddle time
  • Puppies will meet their forever families
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Look At Ellie’s Adorable Five Week Old Puppies

Five Weeks Old

And So Adorable

Ellie’s puppies are now five weeks old. They have developed from the helpless newborn puppies that fit into the palm of my hand to the “mini dogs” they are today. The puppies are now awake for longer periods and enjoy playing with their toys, littermates, Nanny Maui, and cuddle time. We are seeing their personalities starting to develop. 

Solid Food

Introducing solids to puppies begins with a “Puppy Smoothie” I grind puppy kibble in my blender to a powder and then add water that is filtered, boiled and cooled. The consistency of it is very watery at first making it easy for the puppies to lap up. With each passing day I gradually reduce the water and the food becomes thicker. 

Today the puppies transitioned to softened kibble. By eight weeks of age, the puppies will have transitioned to eating dry kibble.

Loving Mama Ellie

Ellie is a loving mama that adores her sweet babies. She has a kind gentle disposition and is very patient with her puppies. With the introduction of solids and sharp puppy teeth, some mamas would end their nursing obligation but not Ellie. She still allows the puppies to nurse a few times a day. In addition to this, Ellie will regurgitate her food to feed the puppies. (Something wild dog mothers do to feed their young)

Ellie loves to share with her puppies. Yesterday all our dogs got a treat – a prime rib bone. As this is not a regular occurrence, when each dog received their bone they trotted off in the yard to enjoy their bone in their own spot. Ellie on the other hand went to the door and wanted back into our house. When we let her in, she proceeded into the puppy area and gave her bone to the puppies to chew on which they enjoyed. Such a sweet mama!

Ellie cuddling with her puppies while they sleep
Grooming

We handle our puppies from birth, touching their ears, mouth and paws and give them lots of cuddles. We want them comfortable with the human touch. Another thing we introduce at a young age is grooming. We brush our puppies daily so they will be accustomed to this when they go to their forever homes. Brushing helps keep mats from forming and removes dirt from their coat helping keep the puppy clean.

We also trim the puppies’ nails when needed. The puppies’ nails grow quickly so it is important to trim them. This not only protects our mama’s from getting scratched while the puppies nurse, but it also gets them familiar to having the paws touched and nails trimmed.

Potty Training

✓ Lots of practice and correction

✓ Accidents ✓ Cleaning and laundry ✓Becoming more consistent

Progress is being made

This week has been a busy one. The focus of the week has been on potty training. It always seems like a long week when we begin potty training. I put the puppies into the potty box when they wake and after they eat and hope that things will click. Some puppies are quick learners, but others take longer. It can be frustrating when you put a puppy into the potty box, but they climb back out. You put them back in and out they come again. Next thing you notice they walk away and have an accident. I wonder, will they ever get it?

Potty Training begins with the puppies in the whelping box with the potty box at the entrance. In a few days, most of my puppies “get it” so I then remove the whelping box and enlarge the puppy area.

This litter was more challenging than others. The puppies were just not catching on. I check on the puppies only to discover one, two or more puppies using it as their own personal sleeping area. How will the other puppies use it if puppies are sleeping in it? So, I decided to remove the whelping box and give them a larger puppy area. When puppies have too big of an area there’s a larger chance that they will have accidents. This was the case with this litter. It was a week of constant cleaning, laundry and, lots of correction! 

Finally on Saturday I knew we were making progress. The puppies were going into the potty box on their own. We will still have accidents and some puppies will be more consistent than others but, progress is defiantly being made!

Producing gentle loving puppies

Puppy Partys

✓Building a connection with people ✓Socializing with young and old ✓Socializing with other adult dogs

It is important when raising puppies to socialize them which means introducing them to as many new experiences as possible when they are young. Some of the new things that the puppies have been introduced to this week are music, various household sounds, new toys, access to a raised dog bed, our other adult dogs, solid food, and water. 

We are blessed with a large family so, when we have get-togethers, it is built-in puppy parties. Tom’s cousin was over from Finland for a visit so Saturday we had a large gathering of over 30 people for a BBQ. The puppies had lots of interaction with people both young and old. Everyone wanted to see and hold Ellie’s babies. This is great socializing for the puppies building a connection with people and in turn producing gentle puppies that will become loving companion dogs for their forever families.

Throughout the day there we many children in playing with the puppies. When the day was over, we had very tired puppies. LOL

This video takes a look back at the past week. The puppies have grown so much and have graduated to new collars. Hopefully this makes it is a little easier to distinguish our blond puppies from each other.

Lots to experience

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK SIX

  • Awake time will continue to increase
  • Puppies will continue learning to use potty box
  • Socialize with each other through play
  • Balance will continue to improve.
  • Puppies will be introduced to the outdoors
  • Daily Outdoor play time as weather permits
  • Puppies will continue learning from their mama and our other adult dogs as they teach them dog manners
  • As always, puppies will get lots of cuddle time.
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See How Much Our Four Week Olds Are Progressing

Four Weeks Old

Looking Back

This past week has been full of new experiences for Ellie’s puppies. They have progressed so much in that short period of time. 

Over the past seven days, the puppies’ milk teeth have erupted, their awake time has increased, their hind leg have become stronger and they are much steadier on their feet. Although the puppies still sleep much of the day, when they are awake they love socializing with their littermates through play. 

Time to Move to the Main Floor

GOOD-BYE

to the warm quiet space that the puppies have occupied since birth. 

HELLO

to the main floor, many noises of a busy household and many life lessons. 

moving to main floor

On Friday the puppies made the big move. We packed them into a laundry basket and brought them to the main floor. They were very vocal and tried to climb out of the basket on the way down.

Once there, I gave the puppies the challenge of trying to get to their mama. A few puppies climbed out and I helped the rest out of the basket. Ellie reassured her babies and fed them.

The puppy area has the Whelping Box in the centre, the potty box on one side and Ellie’s elevated bed on the other.

The puppies will only have access to the Whelping Box where they play and sleep and Potty Box that they will learn to move to to void.

Potty Training Begins

The puppies are now able to void without the help of their mother, so it is important to begin potty training. Because puppies have a natural instinct to move away from their sleeping area when they need to go, I want the puppies to begin learning “where to go” before they start on solids.

For the first few days after the puppy move to the main floor, I spend my time moving the puppies to the potty area when they wake and after they eat. It is important that puppies start learning that they cannot “go” anywhere. So, we teach them “there is an acceptable place to go potty”. Teaching them this at a young age will prevent them from developing bad habits that later need to be broken. This effort on our part will benefit forever families by making housebreaking easier for them when they go to their forever homes.

On the first day of of potty training, the puppies were curious and practiced going in and out of the box. We are making progress

The Potty Area is just outside the entrance to the whelping box. We use a plastic litter box filled with pine pellets.When the puppies were sleeping I walked by the whelping box and discovered that two puppies went to sleep in the potty box. 😂Lots of work to do before they start to “get it”.

We are making progress with each passing day
Puppy Party
Play Time

Discover New Things

This week the puppies had playtime outside their whelping box. This exercise will help develop strong muscles. Soon they will be running around.

Puppy Party – On Thursday my Grandchildren played with the puppies. This was great socialization for the puppies to interact with young children.

Play Time – Sunday the puppies explored the new area, toys and they experienced walking on a different floor surface.

The puppies love people. Whenever we sit in their whelping box, it doesn’t take long before we have a lap full of puppies who shower me with kisses.

🐾😘🐾

Weaning is beginning

Time for solids

Ellie is starting to nurse her puppies in the “Standing Position” This is the sign that she is ready to start weaning them. The puppies are ready to start eating solids.

❤️

Lots to experience

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK FIVE

  • Puppies will start eating solids
  • Puppies will continue learning to use potty area
  • Awake time will increase
  • The puppies will continue to socialize with each other through play 
  • Balance will continue to improve and puppies will begin to run
  • Enlarging the puppy area
  • Crate introduction
  • Mama will now add the invaluable teaching phase to her caring & protecting responsibilities over the next weeks.
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Look At Our Beautiful Three Week Old Puppies

THREE WEEKS OLD

LOOKING BACK

Three weeks old already – how quickly time passes! This week Ellie’s puppies have been progressing rapidly. They continue to gain weight and grow bigger with each passing day. Their eyes are fully opened and vision is improving. Their ears have open and they are reacting to sound. The puppies’ hind legs have become much stronger and they are becoming steadier when walking. The puppies are aware of their surroundings and have begun to play with each other during their short “awake” time. They have become quite noisy as they practice their vocalizing. The puppies still sleep much of their day/night.

Puppies In Action

Ellie’s 3 week old puppies are becoming very vocal – we have a noisy whelping box! 😂
Playtime before lunch – this video shows the puppies interacting with each other.

Critical Socialization Period (weeks 3 – 12)

The puppies have started to react to sounds. When this happens, it is the sign that the puppies have entered the Critical Socialization Period. We raise our puppies following many of the Puppy Culture protocols. Following these protocols helps us reach our goal “To Raise Healthy, Calm, Confident, Well-Adjusted Puppies“. Over the remaining weeks we will be working on as many new experiences for the puppies.

Socializing puppies by exposing them to as many new experiences as possible while the puppy is young is only part of the process of Socialization. Our goal is to raise dogs that have the emotional intelligence to connect with you. Emotional intelligence can be taught to young puppies and is one of the goals of the Puppy Culture Program. There are 7 key things that will nurture the emotional intelligence of a puppy.

  1. Communication – giving a puppy his own voice i.e. Communication Trinity: power up clicker, box game, manding and attention/distraction protocols
  2. Emotional stability – the ability to recover easily from fear as well as stress i.e., startle recovery, barrier challenges etc
  3. Habituation – familiarity with the maximum number of things (Puppy Parties, sound protocols, household noises , meeting different people, dogs etc.)
  4. Enrichment – teach that novelty and challenges are opportunities for enrichment not things to be feared or avoided (Ongoing introduction of new novelty items, Activity Centre, car ride, outdoors, etc.)
  5. Health – physical wellness and motor skills that will allow the puppy to develop in a neurologically and physically sound way (daily weight checks, grooming, proper nutrition, fecal checks, and deworming, if necessary, vet health checks and vaccinations)
  6. Skills – learned behaviors which teach the puppy to function in human society i.e. recall, manding, simple commands, potty box training, crate introduction, resource guarding, bite inhibition etc.
  7. Love – teach puppies to seek out the company of both dogs and humans as emotionally positive experiences: i.e., Daily cuddles with humans and puppy’s mom.
  8. Shaping emotional responses: happy and calm CER (Conditioned Emotional Responses)

Maui the Nanny

Our poodle Maui is almost two years old. She is a sweet gentle dog that loves to interact with our puppy litters. Maui has been waiting on the sidelines watching as Ellie cares for her puppies. Over the past few weeks I will find her peeking in the whelping box entrance or lying on the bed just watching the puppies.

Maui on the bed watching the puppies

A new experience for the puppies today

Today while Ellie was feeding her babies, Maui decided it was time to jump into action and begin interacting with the puppies. Ellie didn’t seem to mind. They were both in the whelping box together. When Ellie decided to leave, Maui stayed in the whelping box for a few more minutes until the all of the puppies had drifted off to sleep.

Great socialization – The puppies interact with another dog!

Sweet Dreams

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK FOUR

  • Puppies will still sleep much of the day/night as they continue to grow rapidly
  • Puppies will play with each other developing important social skills
  • Puppies hind legs will continue to become stronger as they walk more
  • Hearing will improve 
  • Puppy milk teeth will erupt
  • Puppies will be moving to the main floor towards the end of the week