Month: July 2025

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Already Seven Week Old and Learning so Much

Nova’s puppies are now seven weeks old. She has done a wonderful job raising them. She continues to be a loving and caring mama. During grooming time, while I brush each puppy, Echo licks them, giving them a good cleaning. Such a good mama.

This week has been busy. The puppies have mastered going in and out of the house on their own, were introduced to water, and had free play in the big yard. They puppies love to chase and wrestle with their littermates. They have also transitioned to eating dry kibble.

Seven weeks old

Water Play

It has been another hot week, so we added water play to help keep the puppies cool during outdoor play. In the puppy enclosure, we placed a container filled with water for the puppies to cool off in. It is important to let the puppies explore the water independently so they do not have a negative first experience with it. Pink girl and blue boy were brave and climbed in; the rest of the puppies use it as a giant drinking bowl and sometimes put their front paws into the water.

New Puppy Area

This week we moved the puppies to a new puppy enclosure. It is close to the back sliding doors. The puppies can now go in and out on their own.

Puppies Meal Time

The puppies have now transitioned to dry kibble. No more grinding puppy food to make it into mush or waiting while the kibble soaks in hot water. Feeding is simple now because I just measure the dry kibble into the dis and watch the waiting puppies gobble up their meals.

Teaching time from Willow

Nova’s mama Willow helps with the puppies. Willow was my strict mama who demanded her puppies listen. This week, she has been helping Nova with her puppies. This video shows her in the puppy enclosure working with them.

A look back week seven

Things to look for:

  • Puppies explore the big yard
  • Nova cleaning puppy
  • Willow visits puppy enlosure
  • Water play
  • New puppy enclosure
  • New bed
  • Playing in the red tunnel


Looking Ahead to Week Eight

  • Puppies will continue exploring and playing together inside and outdoors as weather permits
  • The puppies will contunie to explor in the big yard where we will work on recall 
  • Nova along with our other dogs will continue teaching the puppies dog manners
  • Crate training with the door closed during nap time
  • We will continue to encourage puppies to use the potty area 
  • Puppies go to the vet for their wellness check, vaccinations, and microchip
  • Puppies will continue to get lots of cuddle time

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Nova’s Adorable Six Week Old Puppies

Nova’s sweet babies are now six weeks old and becoming more adorable each day. 

We’ve had another busy week caring for the puppies and introducing them to many new things. They have grown bigger, and you can see each unique personality developing. The puppies love the outdoors and enjoy running and playing together. We’ve experienced very hot weather this past week and had to limit the puppies’ outdoor playtime to mornings and early evenings. We brought them inside for their lunch, playtime, and a rest where it was cooler. The inside puppy enclosure includes crates, a potty area, and new toys. It is important to introduce the puppies to something new each day.

Puppy Selection Day

One of the highlights of the eight weeks of raising puppies is Puppy Selection Day. We love meeting the forever families and feeling the excitement. 

We had a great day meeting everyone, and I know that each of our puppies has found a lovely forever home.

The puppies were exhausted after a lot of interaction with their forever families and spent the rest of the day having long naps.

A look back at week six

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 area inside
  • Puppies will continue to socialize and learn from each other through play
  • Puppies will continue exploring and playing together outdoor 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.
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Nova’s sweet babies are now five weeks old

Nova’s sweet babies are now five weeks old and have developed from helpless newborn puppies to the “mini dogs” they are today. The puppies are now awake for more extended periods and enjoy playing with each other, their toys, and cuddle time. We are starting to see their personalities develop.

It is important when raising puppies to socialize them, which means introducing them to as many new experiences as possible when they are young. The puppies have been introduced to different floor surfaces, new toys, our other adult dogs and Paisley, our eleven-week-old puppy. The puppies continue to get lots of interaction with humans of all ages.

Our main focus this week was teaching the puppies to go potty on the grass in their potty box and outside in the play area. They have done a great job of going in the right spot, so now it is time to remove the whelping box and add crates.

Introduction to Solids

This week, the puppies began eating puppy mush. Each meal we gradually increased the thickness.

The puppies have now advanced to softened kibble. Initially, it is very waterlogged. Over the next two weeks, we will gradually decrease the soaking time until the puppies are seven weeks old and ready for hard kibble.

And then we soak the kibble – Notice the difference in the dry and softened kibble
Kibble with boiled water
Lid on to help kibble absorb water
soften kibble

The puppies are still nursing from their mama any chance they get but, Nova limits this and makes a quick exit from the puppy area. They also get plenty of fresh water

Looking back at week five

Looking Ahead to Week Six

The puppies will begin their outdoor play. We have the puppy enclosure set up and ready to go – just add puppies!
  • Crates introduced
  • Awake time will continue to increase
  • Socialize with each other through play
  • 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.
  • Puppies will meet their forever families in one more week ❤️
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Nova’s Puppies Are Now Four Weeks Old

It is hard to believe that Nova’s puppies are already four weeks old. They have made significant progress in such a short time.

So much has happened this past week! The puppies’ milk teeth have come in, their hind legs have grown stronger, and their awake time has slowly increased. The puppies still sleep much of the day, but when they are awake, they socialize with their littermates through play and love to sit on my lap for cuddles.

Potty Training Begins

Last Saturday, on the twenty-first day, potty training began. We divided the whelping box into two sections— a potty area with potty pads and a sleep/play zone with bolster beds. Puppies naturally tend to move away from their sleeping area when they need to go potty. It’s impressive to see the potty pads being used on the very first day of training (see red arrows).

Whelping Box Separation
Puppies went on potty pad

A Visit To The Main Floor

On Tuesday, the puppies visited the main floor, where they interacted with some of my grandchildren. It was an exciting day for humans, adult dogs, and the puppies alike. The puppies enjoyed all the cuddles.

Nova was especially excited to have her babies out of the whelping box. She remained very relaxed as our other adult dogs interacted with the puppies.

 The next day, before the puppies were moved, Nova had all the puppies out of her whelping box and walking around the whelping room with her. It was definitely time to make a move.

 

Moving To The Main Floor

On Wednesday, the puppies moved to the main floor. The puppies are in the Critical Socialization Period, where socializing them involves exposing them to as many new sounds and experiences as possible.  This is part of teaching the puppies Emotional intelligence, one of the goals of the Puppy Culture Program. 

We placed the puppies in a large container while setting up their whelping box. Nova was surprisingly calm during this move. She is ready to progress to the next stage of motherhood – disciplining her puppies.

Notice the new addition to the puppies’ whelping box. Now that the puppies have had time using the potty pads in their whelping box, it is time for the potty box extension. This extension is lined with a washable pad and grass on top, and we encourage the puppies to use this area when they need to go potty. It is essential to keep their sleep and play area clean. Until the puppies are consistently moving into the potty box to relieve themselves, they will remain in the whelping box most of the day. We will take them out for a little exercise and exploring.

Puppies need to learn they can’t go anywhere. We teach them that “there is an acceptable place to go potty.” Teaching this early helps prevent bad habits from forming, which can be hard to break later. This effort benefits forever families by making housebreaking easier for puppies as they transition to their forever homes.

 

Puppies at play
Sleep with littermate
Sleeping with snuggle puppy
Nova cleans her puppy
Puppies nurse in standing position

A Look Back At Week Four

Notice:

  • puppies making use of the potty area
  • toys have been introduced to the puppies
  • starting to nurse standing position

Looking Ahead to Week Five

  • Puppies will continue learning to use the potty area
  • Start on puppy food
  • Awake time will increase as the puppies socialize with each other through play 
  • Introduce different toys
  • Mama will add the invaluable teaching phase to her caring & protecting responsibilities over the next few weeks.
  • Lots of cuddles