Pipers’ adorable puppies are now three weeks old and have progressed rapidly this week. Not only do they continue to gain weight and grow bigger with each passing day, but their eyes have fully opened, and their vision is improving. Also, the puppies’ ears have opened and are beginning to hear and react to sound.
The puppies are more aware of their surroundings and have begun to play with each other during their short “awake” periods. During this time, they become quite noisy as they practice vocalizing. However, they still sleep much of the day and night.
Puppy Culture
This week the puppies were in the Transitional Period. We continued our ENS exercises which cause tiny stresses to benefit our puppies with greater tolerance to stress, greater resistance to disease, faster adrenal system, stronger heart rate and stronger heartbeat. Friday was Day 16 of the puppies life and the final day for our ENS exercises.
Critical Socialization Period (weeks 3 – 12)
The next period for Piper’s puppies is the Critical Socialization Period. We know that puppies have entered into this period when the react to sounds. We raise our puppies following many of the Puppy Culture protocols. These protocols helps us reach our goal “To Raise Healthy, Calm, Confident, Well-Adjusted Puppies“.
Over the remaining weeks we will be working on new experiences for the puppies by exposing them to as many new experiences as possible in order to raise the best possible companion for their forever families.
Emotional Intelligence
Because Goldendoodles are companion dogs, it is important to teach emotional intelligence from young puppies and start them on a great beginning. With this intention we follow 7 key things that will nurture the emotional intelligence of a puppy.
- Communication – giving a puppy his own voice i.e. Communication Trinity: power up clicker, box game, manding and attention/distraction protocols
- Emotional stability – the ability to recover easily from fear as well as stress i.e., startle recovery, barrier challenges etc
- Habituation – familiarize the puppies with the maximum number of things during their Critical Development Period. In particular, Puppy Parties, sound protocols, household noises as well as meeting different people and dogs.
- Enrichment – teach the puppies that novelty and challenges are opportunities for enrichment not things to be feared or avoided. For example, ongoing introduction of new novelty items, activity centre, car ride, outdoors, etc.
- Health – physical wellness and motor skills that will allow the puppy to develop in a neurologically and physically sound way . For instance, daily weight checks, grooming, proper nutrition, fecal checks, and deworming, if necessary, vet health checks and vaccinations)
- 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.
- 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.
- Shaping emotional responses: happy and calm CER (Conditioned Emotional Responses). For instance, treats and encouragement during puppy training.
Changes to the Whepping Box
- Now that the puppies can void on their own, they have an instinct to move away from their sleep area to go potty. To encourage the puppies to “go in one spot, “ we have divided the whelping box into a sleep/play area and a potty area with the addition of bolster beds and washable potty pad
- Notice the “wet spots” on the potty pad – it shows the puppies are making significant progress.
- The next step in potty training is to expand the whelping box with the Potty Box Addition. The puppies are not quite ready to climb through the door and into the new section, but they progress quickly and will soon be able to master this.
- This is when we begin using litter boxes with pine pellets.
The Puppies Get A Visit
Tuesday, Nash came to visit the puppies. Soon after, Piper stepped in and warned him he was too close.
Over the next couple of weeks we will introduce our adult dogs to Piper’s puppies.
Puppies at play
This week, the puppies have become more aware of their surroundings. The video shows them interacting with their littermates.
They wake for a short time, play and go back to sleep.
Look at Piper’s Three Week Old Puppies
In this video we show each puppy and their markings.
- Most of the litter, as all Goldendoodles, will experience clearing (lightning) as they age. We can see this beginning when the puppies are around five weeks old.
- Please take a look at the FAQ tab on our website. The clearing process is explained there, along with pictures showing the progression of the puppy’s clearing from birth to adulthood.
Looking Ahead to Week Four
- Puppies will still sleep much of the day/night as they continue to grow rapidly
- Interact with littermates through play which will help develop important social skills
- Whelping box will expand with the introduction of litter box
- Becoming steadier on their feet
- Practicing walking on all fours strengthens their hind legs
- Hearing will improve
- Puppy milk teeth will erupt
- Puppies will be moving to the main floor towards the end of the week
