Day: November 13, 2026

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Millie’s Puppies Are Already Four Weeks

The puppies have grown and changed so much in such a short time. This week, their milk teeth have come in, their hind legs have grown stronger, and they’re staying awake for longer. They still sleep most of the day, but when they’re awake, they enjoy playing and socializing with their littermates.

Potty Training Started

This week the puppies started potty training. First we divided the whelping box into a sleep/play area and a potty area. Then when the puppies moved to the main floor we expanded the whelping box with a potty box extension. Puppies need to learn that they can’t “go” just anywhere. We teach them that “there is an acceptable place to go potty.” Teaching this early helps prevent bad habits that would need fixing later. This effort will benefit their forever families by making housebreaking easier when the puppies go to their forever homes.

Starting to Wean

Millie has been an amazing mama, patiently feeding and caring for her twelve puppies. On Monday, I decided to give her a hand by offering them some puppy formula. They were curious at first, sniffing it, walking through it, and lapping it up. As the week went on, they learned it was food and now lap it up quickly. Next week, we’ll mix ground kibble into the formula, working toward dry kibble at seven weeks of age.

Now that the puppies’ milk teeth have come through, it’s time to start weaning and introduce solids. Millie began nursing while standing. It’s so adorable to watch the puppies try to balance on their hind legs to nurse.
The puppies have started eating puppy formula and happily lapped it up .

Moving to the main floor

On Tuesday, the puppies moved to the main floor, and we expanded their whelping box by adding a potty box extension.

Looking Back at Week Four

It has been a week filled with new things–puppy area, toys, floor surfaces, and socialation — children and dogs.

My next task — puppy pictures.

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Keep an eye out on our website for the puppies four-week pictures.

Looking Ahead to Week Five

  • Puppies will continue learning to use the potty area
  • Puppy will start puppy mush that will get thicker as the puppies start eating softened kibble
  • Awake time will increase as the puppies socialize with each other through play 
  • Introduce new toys
  • Mama will add the invaluable teaching phase to her caring & protecting responsibilities over the next weeks.
  • Lots of cuddles