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Look at how adorable Piper’s three week old puppies are

Pipers’ adorable puppies are now three weeks old and have progressed rapidly this week. The puppies have grow bigger with each passing day, their eyes have fully opened, and their vision is improving.The puppies’ ears have also opened and now react to sound. 

Piper’s puppies are becoming more aware of their surroundings and have started playing with each other during their brief “awake” periods. During this time, they get quite noisy as they practice vocalizing. However, they still sleep most 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.

  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 – 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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)
  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). For instance, treats and encouragement during puppy training.

Puppy Cuddles

The puppies had a visit this week from some of my grandchildren. I am blessed with fifteen grandchildren who love to cuddle puppies. This interaction is very beneficial for the puppies as they are introduced to people of all ages.

Starting Potty Training

  • 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 potty pads.
  • 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.

Look at Piper’s Three Week Old Puppies

A Look Back At Week Three

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
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Maui’s Darling Puppies Are One Week Old

We’ve had an especially busy week—looking after a two-week-old litter of twelve, Maul’s newborns, and then our daughter’s baby girl (grandbaby #15) decided to make an early arrival. Something had to give, so Maui’s one-week blog is a day late. 

Maui’s puppies are already one week old. Both mama and her little ones are doing well and growing rapidly. Maui is a wonderful mama and cares beautifully for her puppies. She spent the first few days in the whelping box and only left for bathroom breaks. After a few days, she began taking longer breaks, but it wasn’t long before she was back in her room to look after her puppies.

Whelping Day

Maui kept us waiting again. Just like her previous litter, Maui’s puppies were born well past the due date. She deliveried on Day 68 of her pregnancy.

As always, whelping day is filled with anticipation and awe. Even though we had two whelps this month, I never tire of the miracle of birth and the instincts God has given animals.

Maui’s labour started on Thursday, January 15th, late in the afternoon. Throughout the night, I didn’t sleep well because I could hear Maui moving around the bedroom and being restless. Morning arrived, but no puppies yet. I kept Maui quite in our bedroom so that she could rest before her puppies finally made their arrival.

I went into the whelping box with Maui just after 11 am when it was clear her time was about to begin. Maui’s first puppy arrived at 11:12 am., a beautiful black male.

Maui settled into caring for her new arrival as her labour continued. Over the next few hours, Maui delivered seven beautiful puppies – five boys and two girls. Well done, Maui.

A look back at whelping day

Settling into a Routine

Mothers Pudding

Our mamas have a big job looking after their newborns. We pamper the mothers so they can give the best care to their little ones. One thing that all our mothers love is “Mother’s Pudding.” It has lots of calcium and ingredients to help them regain their strength. Maui didn’t want to leave her puppies, so we fed her right in the whelping box next to her puppies.

Neonatal Period

Newborn puppies are in the Neonatal Period. During this stage, they spend their days eating and sleeping. Sleep, eat, and more sleep. Did you know that newborn puppies sleep over 22 hours a day.

Daily Weigh-In

Each day, we weigh each puppy to monitor their growth. If a puppy doesn’t gain weight, it indicates something might be wrong. We’re pleased that Maui’s puppies are all gaining weight quickly. 

ENS

On Monday, day three we began our ENS exercises. These exercises are done daily from day 3 – day 16. Through ENS, we introduce little stresses to the puppies which has been proven to produce calmer puppies. It also produces greater tolerance to stress, greater disease resistance, a faster adrenal system, a stronger heart rate and stronger heartbeats. 

Socialization

We handle our puppies from birth for daily cuddles in addition to ENS. This is to make them comfortable with the human touch early in their life.

Looking Back at Week One

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO

  • Much the same as week one – Eat, Sleep, Repeat!
  • Puppies will continue growing rapidly 
  • Puppies still crawl; hind legs will become stronger
  • Contunie ENS
  • Eyes should begin to open towards the end of the week – so exciting !!!

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Wow, Piper’s puppies turn two weeks old already

Two Weeks Old Today

Our puppies are now two weeks old and progressing very well. We have had another busy week caring for Piper and her puppies. There is plenty to keep us busy while raising puppies, including ENS, cleaning, weighing, and laundry, just to name a few.

MILESTONES 

During the first two weeks of a puppy’s life, it is important to watch for milestones to confirm they are doing well. 

Doubling Birthweight

Piper has done an incredible job feeding her puppies. With a large litter, they sometimes need a bit more time to reach this milestone. However, no extra time was needed because all of Piper’s puppies doubled their birth weight, and then some. 

The puppies are doing well at their daily weigh-in

Puppies Eyes Open

In addition to the weight milestone, we were excited to see that two of Piper’s puppies reached another milestone on Wednesday, day 10. Yellow and Fluorescent Green Girl were the first puppies to open their eyes. It is always so exciting when I see the puppies looking back at me!

All the puppies eyes have opened except our little man. Blue boy has one eye open and the other partially opened. We will take their two week puppy singles in the next day or so.

Yellow and Florescent Green Girl were the first puppies to open their eyes.

Puppy Culture

We raise our puppies using many of the protocals from the Puppy Culture program.

Neonatal Period: Day 0-14 

The first 12 weeks of a puppy’s life are incredibly important. This is an almost magical time when a breeder has the power to change the outcome of a puppy’s life by what we choose to teach them. Consequently, by doing just the right things at just the right time, we can give the puppies the best start possible.

Early Neurological Stimulation

This week we continued our ENS Exercises with the puppies. As we have previously mentioned, ENS begins on day 3 and continues through day 16. Research shows that tiny struggles and stresses in small doses are good for puppies and will help them grow into strong, healthy well-adjusted adults. The benefits include greater tolerance to stress, greater resistance to disease, faster adrenal system, stronger heart rate and stronger heartbeat. This is a gift that a breeder can only give their puppies during the 3 – 16-day window.

Transitional Period @ Two weeks old

Now that the puppies’ eyes have opened, they have entered the Transitional Period. Every puppy is different so “Behavioural Markers” are used to identify the beginning and end of each developmental period. These timelines are simply guidelines. The transitional period (approximately Day 14 – 21) begins when the puppy’s eyes open and ends when they first startle upon hearing sounds.

Learning to Walk Hind Legs

When puppies are born, they crawl around the whelping box in an army crawl because their hind legs need to strengthen before they can support their body weight. The puppies are starting to walk on their hind legs, although very wobbly. It is so adorable to watch!

A Look Back At Week Two

Near the end, check for a couple of the puppies’ eyes!

Looking Ahead to Week Three

  • Puppies will continue to eat and sleep most of their day
  • Sight will slowly improved vision will become clearer
  • Ears will start to open and they will begin to hear 
  • Practice walking on all fours, strengthening their hind legs
  • Grow stronger and more mobile 
  • Become more aware and start to interact with their litter-mates
  • Start to vocalize

COMING SOON—Look for puppy two week single pics

L

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Piper’s Puppies First Week

Looking back at first week

Whelping Day

The excitement builds as Whelping Day approaches. Piper lives with her loving guardian family. She arrived at our home on Tuesday to settle in before her puppies arrived. Each day, her tummy grew larger. And then, right on schedule, she began to deliver her puppies.

Piper was very independent during whelping and didn’t want me to touch her puppies. She took care of cutting the cord and cleaning each pup. Normally, I handle the puppy after birth to dry it with a clean towel, weigh it, and check its gender. Not this time; every time I tried to handle the puppies, Piper was very agitated. I was curious to see the genders and took the opportunity throughout the whelp to peek. All I could tell from a quick glance was that they were girls, except for the sixth puppy – a boy. 

When Piper was settled and taken out for a potty break, I did a final check. There was no mistake — Piper and Rocky’s litter of twelve had a gender split of eleven girls and only one boy! 

I wondered how rare this is since it’s usually a 50/50 split, maybe with one or two more of either gender. This is what Google said:

That is an incredibly rare and surprising litter gender split! A typical canine litter usually has a nearly even distribution, so a ratio of eleven girls to one boy is quite an unusual occurrence in a litter of twelve.

GOOGLE
Eleven Girls, One Boy
Whelping day

The Beautiful Girls

Florescent Green
Black Female
Pink Female
Dark Green Female
Dark Blue Female
Yellow Female
Burgundy Female
Fuschia Female
Red Female
Orange Female
Purple Female

The One and Only BOY

Light Blue Boy

Taking care of Mama …so she can care for her babies

It is important to care for our mamas so they can care for their babies. Our mamas receive lots of TLC after their whelp. They are given daily vitamins. We make a special mother’s pudding, which is full of calcium and usually the first thing all our mamas eat. We also feed them boiled chicken breasts for the first few days. 

Settling into a Routine

Neonatal Period

Newborn puppies are in the Neonatal Period. During this time, they spend their days eating and sleeping. 

Newborn puppies are very vulnerable, so it is important to watch them very closely during the first week. I sleep in the whelping room and spend most of my time watching them, making sure everyone is eating well and sleeping. If a puppy is complaining, it is a cause for concern. 

Puppies at this stage need to be kept warm as they cannot regulate their own body temperature. We maintain the room at 80 degrees with a space heater and have a heating pad under half of the whelping box, which the puppies can move to when Piper goes out for a potty break. Piper spends all her time with her puppies during the first few days of their lives, feeding and cuddling with them to keep them warm. 

Piper feeds and cuddles with her babies keeping them warm
Puppies huddle together to keep warm when mama is away on a potty break

Daily Weigh-in

Weighing the puppies daily is important. If a puppy isn’t gaining weight, it indicates a problem. We weigh the puppies each day and keep a record. This helps us know if each puppy is doing well. During the first twenty-four hours, puppies will often lose weight. With a large litter, gaining weight can be a challenge. I was so excited with the weigh-in results on day one because every puppy gained from their birth weight. Piper has done a fantastic job feeding her babies and rotating them through, as she can only feed eight puppies at a time. Such a good mama!




ENS exercises

We start ENS (early neurological stimulation) exercises on day three and continue until day 16. Through ENS, we introduce little stresses to the puppies, which has been proven to produce calmer puppies. It also results in greater tolerance to stress, resistance to disease, a faster adrenal system, stronger heart rates and heartbeats. 

  • 1. Touch feet
  • 2. Hold upright
  • 3. Hold head down position
  • 4. Lay on back in palm of hands
  • 5. Place on cold gel pack wrapped in blanket
  • above excerise stresses for three to five seconds each
Cold Gel Pack
Gel pack wrapped in blanket


Socialization

Part of raising well-adjusted puppies is socialization. We handle our puppies from birth. This helps develop a well-adjusted puppy. In the upcoming weeks, the puppies will have lots of socializing with young and old alike.

A LOOK BACK AT WEEK ONE

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO

  • Much the same as week one – Eat, Sleep, Repeat!
  • Puppies will continue growing
  • Puppies still crawl; hind legs will become stronger
  • Eyes should begin to open towards the end the week – so exciting !!!
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Millie’s puppies are eight weeks old and ready for their new homes

Millie’s sweet puppies are now eight weeks old. They have grown from helpless newborns into the adorable, lively pups they are today. They love to play together, wrestle, chase each other outside, and explore.

The puppies have made great progress exiting the house. Watch them — they love to go outside!

Vet Visit

On Wednesday, the puppies headed to the vet. This was their first car ride, and the puppies did well, with only a little complaining here and there. You can really see each personality when the puppies experience something new. Some puppies were a little nervous, while a couple were very curious. All the puppies were very well behaved.

The puppies received their first vaccinations, microchip, and wellness check. All of our puppies are in good health..

Crate Training

The puppies have started crate training this week. Some puppies love their crate, while others love to protest. We give the puppies a couple of biscuits to help them settle. Some puppies settle quickly and eat their biscuits, but others complain loudly, settle for a few minutes, and then start to complain again. Yesterday was their best day yet. We will continue to give the puppies their afternoon naps in their crates, and their forever families will keep working on crate training at home.

Running in the Big Yard

Watch the puppies run in the big yard. So exciting!

Looking Ahead

This week, the puppies will be leaving for their forever homes. You have a lot of work ahead in correcting, training, and caring for your new puppy, but be patient — they are still learning. The time and effort you invest in training your puppy will pay off when you have a loving, well-behaved dog that will love you unconditionally, as only a dog can. You will be the most important person in their world. 

It’s always bittersweet to say goodbye to our puppies. It has been difficult with a broken ankle, but I am thankful for my daughter and husband’s support in caring for them. While it’s sad to say farewell to Millie’s puppies, it warms our hearts to see the happy smiles of the families and to know that our puppies are going to such wonderful, loving, forever homes. 

Wishing each puppy lots of adventures and a long and happy life.

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Seven weeks old and learning so much

Another week has passed, and Millie’s puppies are now seven weeks old. They’ve experienced many new firsts, such as discovering new toys, learning “puppy call,” and entering and exiting the house on their own. As they grow, they are becoming a bit more independent. 

Puppies exit the house for the first time. Some puppies are a little more hesitant. Notice the puppies have to discover the gate entrance to the puppy play area working on their problem solving skills.

Puppies’ Mealtime

Newborn puppies get all their nourishment from their mother’s milk. When Millie started weaning her puppies, it was time to introduce them to solid food.

During weaning, the puppies gradually start eating solids. First, they eat a ground, watery puppy mush. Second, we soak kibble in hot water to make it soft and waterlogged. Lastly, the puppies transition to dry kibble. This week, the puppies have completed the transition to dry kibble.

Feeding time has become much easier now. No more grinding puppy food to turn it into mush or waiting while the kibble is soaked in hot water. We simply scoop the dry kibble into the dishes and watch the puppies eagerly devour their meals.

Dry Kibble
Puppies eat quickly
The smaller puppies eat separately

The puppies compete for food and eat quickly, so we decided to feed our two smaller puppies separately to give them time to finish.

Puppy Cuddles

Our puppies receive handling from birth and daily cuddles. On top of the regular handling, this week our puppies had two evenings of extra puppy cuddles. My grandchildren are a great help in this area.

Grooming

Regular grooming is part of a dogs life. This is why we introduce grooming to the puppies, making it easier for their forever families. We clip the puppies nails clipped weekly and daily brushing.

Looking Back at Week Seven

Looking Ahead to Week Eight

  • Puppies will continue exploring and playing together inside and outdoors as weather permits
  • The puppies will get to run in the BIG yard where we will work on recall 
  • Millie along with our other dogs will continue teaching the puppies dog manners
  • Crate training with the door closed during nap time will begin
  • We will continue to encourage puppies to use the potty area 
  • Puppies will visit the vet and have their first car ride
  • Puppies will continue to get lots of cuddle time
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Millie’s Six Week Old Sweeties

Well, the past few weeks have been quite eventful. During this time, the puppies have grown and experienced many new things such as potty training, eating solids, new beds, crates, and a new play area, to name just a few.

Introduction to Solids

The puppies have now advanced to softened kibble. Initially, it is very waterlogged. Over two week period, we 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,Millie limits feeding time. We have always have plenty of fresh water available.

Socalization

It is important to socialize puppies by exposing them to many new experiences while they are young. The puppies have been introduced to different floor surfaces, new toys, and our other adult dogs. The puppies continue to receive plenty of interaction with humans of all ages.

During week five, Millie’s guardian famly came for a visit. The puppies had a great time getting lots of cuddles.

Potty Training

Our main focus during weeks five and six was teaching the puppies to use their potty boxes. They have done a great job of going in the right spot. Some of our puppies are more consistent than others, but all are making progress.

New Play Area

The puppies have been enjoying their new play area this week, with lots of new toys to discover, including a crinkle tunnel, slide, crates, and wobble disc. We also have a potty box that the puppies are encouraged to use.

Puppy Selection Day

One of the highlights of the eight weeks of raising puppies is Puppy Selection Day. We enjoy meeting the forever families and sharing in their excitement. 

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

The puppies were exhausted after a lot of interaction with their forever families. They ate their dinner and settled in for a long sleep.

Outdoor Play

A little late, but the puppies finally had outdoor playtime. It was a bit cold and snowy, but Millie and her babies enjoyed running and playing.

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

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 and out
  • 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.
COMING SOON—Look for puppy six week singles pics
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Millie’s Adorable Four Week Old Babies

A Very Sad Update

💔

We are heartbroken to share that we lost one of Millie’s puppies this week—Purple Collar Girl. Losing a puppy is the hardest part of breeding, and it never gets any easier.

💔

Four weeks old already 

The puppies have developed so much in a short period. This week, their milk teeth have come in, their hind legs have grown stronger, and their wakeful periods have gradually increased. The puppies still sleep most of the day, but when they are awake, they enjoy socialising with their littermates through play.

Starting to Wean

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 watching the puppies try to balance on their hind legs to nurse.
The puppies have started eating puppy mush and happily lapped up the soupy food. 
The puppies are enjoying their first puppy mush. When they finished, we had very dirty puppies. 

Moving to the main floor

On Saturday, the puppies moved to the main floor, and we expanded their whelping box with the potty box extension. Puppies need to learn that they cannot “go” anywhere. We teach them that “there is an acceptable place to go potty.” Teaching them this early will prevent the development of bad habits that later need fixing. This effort will benefit forever families by making housebreaking easier when they go to their forever homes.

 

Checking Things Out

The puppies were eager to explore the new area. 

Adorable Faces

Millie’s puppies are exploring toys and their new play area. The puppies still sleep a lot of the time, and it wasn’t long before they fell asleep again.

My next task — puppy pictures.

📸

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 mush will get thicker and the puppies will 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

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Millie’s Adorable Three Week Old Babies

Millies’ adorable puppies are now three weeks old and have progressed rapidly this week. They have gain weight and grow bigger with each passing day,thanks to Millie’s dedication and me helping her out with puppy formula feedings. Although later than most of our litters, their eyes have finally opened, and their vision is improving. Also, the puppies’ ears have opened and are beginning to hear and react to sound. 

Three weeks old

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. Thursday 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.

  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 – 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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)
  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). For instance, treats and encouragement during puppy training.

Eyes Opened

All litters reach milestones at different times, and Millie’s litter was slow to open their eyes. It wasn’t until Saturday (day 18) that all the puppies had their eyes open. Delivering early may contribute to the delay. It is always a highlight when the puppies look back at me!

Socialization

As I have said many times, we are blessed with a big family. We have thirteen grandchildren, with two more on the way. They are always eager to help me with puppy cuddles. It is very important to socialize the puppies at this early stage. 

Interacting and Vocalizing

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

Too cute not to share
The puppies are always excited when their mama enters the puppy room. Watch Dark Blue boy climb out of the whelping box to reach his mama LOL.

Changes to the Whepping Box

  • Another door panel was added to the entrance to keep the puppies inside.
  • Pig rails removed—puppies are too big to fit under, so it gives a little more space for them.
  • The whelping box has been divided into a sleep/play area and a potty area.
  • We have added bolster beds and potty pads.

Millie’s Three Week Old Puppies

  • Most of the litter, like all Goldendoodles, will experience clearing (lightning) as they mature. 
  • Please check 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. 
Dark Blue Boy – Cream Abstract – brown points – curly
Dark Green Boy – Dark Apricot Abstract-  brown points – wavy to loose curls
White Boy – Blue Merle Abstract – black points – looser curls
Turquoise Blue Boy – Blue Merle Abstract – black points – looser curls
Brown boy – Cream – black points – curly
Yellow Boy – Chocolate – brown points – wavy to looser curls
Red Girl – Apricot Abstract – brown points – wavy – looser curls
Black Girl – Apricot Abstract – black points – looser curls
Grey Girl – Apricot – brown points – curly
Fluorescent Green – Blue Merle Abstract – black points – looser curls
Purple Girl – Cream Abstract – black points – looser curls
Pink Girl -Cream Abstract – black points – looser curls

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 addition of the litter box attachment
  • 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
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Millie’s precious babies are already two weeks old

The Transitional Period

Millie’s puppies are now two weeks old and are entering the Transitional Period from day 14 – 21. Each litter is different and enters the next period, the Critical Socialization Period, when the puppies “first startle” at a sound.

Milestones

When raising puppies, we watch for Milestones to gauge their progress.

Weigh-In

The first milestone the puppies reached this week was doubling their birth weight. We are pleased to say that seven of Millie’s puppies have doubled their birth weight, and the rest are expected to reach this milestone within a day or two. Given the size of such a large litter, it is expected that this milestone would be reached later than with a smaller litter. We continue to supplement the puppies with puppy formula. Great job, Millie!

Eyes Opened

Day 14
Another milestone was reached later in the week – Eyes Opening. Puppy’s eyes open between day 10 and day 14. On day 14, Today at weigh in, four puppies eyes had started to open. Seeing the puppies look back at me is always exciting – I think they look more “alive”!
Because Millie’s litter was born early, it is expected to take longer to reach this milestone.
Soon the rest of the puppies will be looking back at me too.

Daily Cleaning

As we mentioned earlier, newborn puppies are vulnerable to disease. Therefore, it is crucial to keep their area clean. We clean and disinfect their whelping box daily.

Vet Bedding

What is Vet Bedding? At first glance, you might think it is sheepskin. It is a synthetic version of sheepskin, made from artificial fibres, with two layers: first, a mesh base similar to the “skin” part of a sheepskin, and second, the comfortable, soft, springy artificial fleece attached on top. Puppies need proper grip while nursing, moving around the whelping box, and learning to walk, as this traction helps protect their developing joints. We change this bedding several times a day, which results in lots of laundry.

Time to Add a Panel

A couple of Millie’s puppies have escaped from the whelping box so, it is time to add a panel to the entrance of their whelping box to keep them safe.

ENS

ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) begins on day 3 and continues through day 16. Research shows that tiny struggles and stresses in small doses are good for puppies and will help them grow into strong, healthy well-adjusted adults. Benefits include greater tolerance to stress, greater resistance to disease, faster adrenal system, stronger heart rate and stronger heartbeat. This is a gift that a breeder can only give their puppies during the 3 – 16 day window.

Looking back at week two

Looking Ahead to Week Three

  • ENS exercises will continue until day 16
  • Puppies will continue to eat and sleep most of their day
  • The rest of the puppies eyes will open and sight will become clearer
  • Ears will open and they will begin to hear.
  • Puppies will practice walking on all fours, strengthening their hind legs
  • They will become more aware of their littermates and start to interact
  • Puppies will start to vocalize