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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 sectionsโ€” 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. Itโ€™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 puppiesโ€™ 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 โ€œthere is an acceptable place to go potty.โ€ 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
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Three Weeks Old Already – See How Much Nova’s Babies Have Grown

Looking Back

Nova’s beautiful three-week-old puppies have been developing quickly this week. The puppies are becoming more aware of their surroundings and have started to play with each other during their brief โ€œawakeโ€ periods.

Nova has experience assisting as a puppy nanny for one of Willow’s litters, so it’s no surprise that she is a wonderful mama. She is very attentive to her little ones’ feeding, cleaning, and care.

Since she has a smaller litter, it’s no surprise they’re getting a little chunky. Well done, Nova!

This week, the puppies were in the Transitional Period. We continued our ENS exercises, which cause tiny stresses to benefit our puppies by increasing their tolerance to stress and disease resistance, speeding up their adrenal system, and strengthening their heart rate and heartbeat. Monday was Day 16 of the puppies’ lives and the final day for our ENS and ESI exercises. This video is double speed of our last day of ENS exercises.

Puppy Culture

Critical Socialization Period (weeks 3 – 12)

The next period for Novai’s puppies is the Critical Socialization Period. We know that puppies have entered this period when they react to sounds. We raise our puppies following many of the Puppy Culture protocols. Following these protocols helps us reach our goal of “Raise Healthy, Calm, Confident, Well-Adjusted Puppies.”

Over the remaining weeks, we will be working on new experiences for the puppies, exposing them to as many new experiences as possible to raise the best possible companions for their forever families.

Emotional Intelligence

Because Goldendoodles are companion dogs, teaching emotional intelligence to young puppies and starting them with a great beginning is essential. With this intention, we follow seven key things to nurture a puppy’s emotional intelligence.

  1. Communication โ€“ giving a puppy his voice, i.e. Communication manding and attention/distraction protocols
  2. Emotional stability โ€“ the ability to recover quickly from fear as well as stress, i.e., startle recovery, barrier challenges, etc
  3. Habituation โ€“ familiarize the puppies with the maximum number of things during their Critical Development Periodโ€”in particular, Puppy Parties, sound protocols, household noises, and meeting different people and dogs.
  4. Enrichmentโ€”Teach the puppies that novelty and challenges are enrichment opportunities, not to be feared or avoided. For example, they can be introduced to new novelty items on an ongoing basis at an activity centre, car ride, outdoors, etc.
  5. Health โ€“ physical wellness and motor skills that will allow the puppy to develop neurologically and physically soundly. For instance, daily weight checks, grooming, proper nutrition, fecal checks, and deworming, vet health checks and vaccinations)
  6. Skills โ€“ learned behaviours that teach the puppy to function in human society, i.e., recall, manding, simple commands, potty training, crate introduction, resource guarding, bite inhibition, etc.
  7. Love โ€“ teach puppies to seek out the company of dogs and humans as emotionally positive experiences, i.e., Daily cuddles with humans and the puppyโ€™s mom.
  8. Shaping emotional responses: happy and calm CER (Conditioned Emotional Responses). For instance, treats and encouragement during puppy training.

See How We’ve Grown

June 10
June 17
June 27
Blanket covering basket to keep puppies contained

The puppies have grown so much that they’re running out of space in the basket I place them in when we clean their whelping box. They’re hard to contain, so I cover the basket to keep them inside.

Puppy Cuddles

Two of my grandchildren enjoyed holding the puppies. It is beneficial for the puppies to be handled by people of various ages. I am blessed with thirteen grandchildren ranging in age from nearly one to fourteen. 


Nova’s adorable three-week-old puppies In order of appearance:

Girls – Pink, Yellow Collars
Boys – Blue, Orange, Black Collars

Note: Blue collar is a chocolate (not chocolate merle as I mistakenly describedhis coat colour in the video)

Looking 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 essential social skills
  • Practicing walking on all fours strengthening their hind legs
  • Becoming steadier on their feet
  • Hearing will improve 
  • Puppy milk teeth will erupt
  • Potty training started
  • Puppies will be moving to the main floor towards the end of the week
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A Look Back At the Puppies’ Second Week

Transitional Period

Novaโ€™s puppies are now two weeks old and have entered the Transitional Period from day 14 to 21. Each litter is different and enters the next period, the Critical Socialization Period, when the puppies โ€œfirst startleโ€ at a sound.

The first twelve weeks of a puppyโ€™s life are incredibly important. This is an almost magical time during which a breeder has the power to influence the outcome of a puppyโ€™s life based on what we choose to teach them. By doing the right things at the right time, we can give your puppy the best possible start.

Two weeks old – We added a panel to the entrance of the whelping box because one of the puppies escaped.

Daily Cleaning

Newborn puppies are susceptible to disease. For this reason, we need to maintain a clean environment for them. We place the puppies in the basket while we clean and disinfect their whelping box.

Milestones

When raising puppies, we watch for milestones to gauge their progress. This week, Nova’s puppies achieved two important milestones.

Weigh-In

The puppies’ first milestone this week was doubling their birth weight. We pay close attention to this milestone because when a puppy isn’t gaining enough weight, it signals a potential issue. With Nova only having five puppies to feed, her pups gained weight more quickly than our larger litters. Three puppiesโ€”yellow, orange, and blackโ€”doubled their birth weight during the day seven weigh-in, while the other two puppiesโ€”pink and blueโ€”achieved this milestone on day eight.ย 

Eyes Opened

Another milestone was reached later in the weekโ€”eye-opening. The puppies’ eyes opened between Days 10 and 14. Our Pink Collar Girl was the first puppy to open her eyes on Day 10.

So exciting!

ESI

DAY EIGHT – SOIL

Watch each puppy’s reaction when they smell the soil.

Such a Dedicated Mama

The puppies still require stimulation (lick) to void. Observe as Nova cleans each puppy before settling down to nurse.

During the upcoming week, the puppies will start going potty on their own. We will set up a sleeping area and a potty area in their whelping box.

Socialization

We expose our puppies to human touch from birth. We always consider the motherโ€™s comfort level, as we don’t want to impose unnecessary stress on her. Nova stays nearby, watching over her puppies as they interact. This week, two of my grandsons visited to interact with Nova’s puppies. Sometimes, little hands aren’t so gentleโ€”this serves as a teaching opportunity for children to learn to be gentle and to respect animals.

Looking back at week two

Looking Ahead to Week Three

  • ENS exercises will continue until day 16
  • Puppies will continue to eat and sleep for most of their day
  • Sight will become clearer
  • Ears will open, and they will begin to hear.
  • Puppies will practice walking on all four legs, strengthening their hind legs.
  • They will become more aware of their littermates and start to interact 
  • Puppies will start to vocalize
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Nova’s Puppies’ Amazing First Week

Whelping Day

Nova arrived at our house on Sunday, June 2nd, to settle in before her puppies arrived. She has spent most of her days outside, enjoying the fresh air. Sometimes, she would go under the deck, but she always came out when I called. However, on the morning of June 7th, when Nova went outside and under the deck again, she wouldnโ€™t come out. After much coaxing, I finally convinced her to emerge. She had been digging, which signalled that she was getting close to delivering her puppies. I would now have to keep Nova on a leash whenever we took her outside. 

Later in the afternoon, Nova started panting intermittentlyโ€”a definite sign that labour had begun. While we spent the evening watching TV, Nova alternated between lying with us on the couch and returning to her whelping box. She remained quite calm and didn’t seem anxious. I thought we would have a long night of labour before she whelped her litter. 

To my surprise, her puppies arrived quickly in the late evening. She did an amazing job delivering and caring for her five beautiful pups. 

Warning: This video has live births

Things to look for:

  • Sterilize whelping tools
  • Nova’s tail is wrapped to help keep it clean
  • Nova delivered some of her puppies on the elevated bed just outside the whelping box
  • Puppies in the warming basket while she delivers

Warning: This video has live births. 

This Video shows Nova giving birth to her final puppy. When whelping, I like to observe and let the mama handle things. I only step in if needed. Nova, a first-time mama, did a fantastic job and knew exactly what to do!

Things to look for:

  • The puppy was delivered head first in a broken sac
  • Nova severs the cord
  • I clear the airway with a Bulb Syringe Aspirator
  • Nova cleans the puppy by licking it.
  • Four puppies are waiting in the warming box

Nova’s litter of five beautiful puppies; three boys, two girls

Male Chocolate Merle Abstract
Black collar
Male Chocolate Abstract
Orange collar
MaleChocolate Abstract
Blue collar
Female Chocolate Abstract
Pink collar
Female Chocolate Merle Abstract
Yellow collar

 

Caring for Nova

It is essential to care for our mamas so that they, in turn, can care for their babies. It begins with prenatal care, which includes consuming high-quality food, and continues with postnatal care.

Special Treats
After whelping, our mamas don’t have a big appetite. We want to encourage them to eat to regain strength and care for their babies. 
Their first few meals are boiled chicken breast. We also made a special treat called Mother Pudding. It is rich in protein and calcium, providing her with energy and helping her regain her strength. All our mamas love this pudding and are willing to eat it even if they are not ready to eat anything else yet.

ะžั…ัƒ Momma

We start our mama dogs on a supplement called ะžั…ัƒ Momma, a postnatal Vitamin that supports lactation and recovery. ย High-quality food and plenty of fresh water are a must to produce milk to feed her babies. Nova made a quick recovery and had a good appetite soon after birth.ย 

Caring for the puppies

Before puppies are born, they receive immunity and everything they need to grow from the placenta. After birth, newborn puppies do not possess immunity. A motherโ€™s first milk,ย colostrum,ย is a protein-rich, nutritious, balanced, and protective food. The special milk providesย passive immunity,ย which can last several weeks and protect them from various infections and diseases. For this reason, in the first twelve hours after birth, the puppies must nurse frequently and build up theirย passive immunity.ย (Passive immunityย is short-term immunity that results from introducing antibodies from theย puppyโ€™s mother. Compare this withย active immunityย โ€“ย the immunity which results from the production of antibodies by theย immune systemย in response to the presence of an antigen.

Expert Nursers

Puppies are born with their eyes and ears sealed shut; they cannot see or hear. They must rely on โ€œsmellโ€ and โ€œtouchโ€ to find their mother. Born with a natural instinct to nurse, puppies become more proficient as the days pass. The puppies are now nursing experts! 

Nova is a dedicated mama. She has a smaller litter so she has lots of milk for her babies. All the puppies are gaining weight quickly. Good job Nova!

As you watch the video, listen to the cute little sounds the puppies make as they nurse โ€“ so precious’s

Keeping the puppies warm

Newborn puppies cannot regulate their body temperature, so they depend on their mother and littermates for warmth. For the first few days, Nova spent all her time in the whelping box, feeding and caring for her babies and keeping them warm. 

Now that the puppies are a bit older, Nova relaxes on the elevated bed outside the whelping box. She also spends some time downstairs with us or outside for a short break. It isn’t long before she wants to return to her babies.

 Neonatal Period

The puppies are in theย Neonatal Period,ย which lasts from day 0 to day 14. During this period, puppies spend their time eating and sleeping. On Tuesday, day 3, we began ENS exercises (Early Neurological Stimulation), which will continue until day 16. We perform ENS daily during our weigh-in time. Research shows that these tiny struggles and stresses in small doses are beneficial for puppies. The advantages of ENS include greater tolerance to stress, increased resistance to disease, a faster adrenal system, and a stronger heart rate and heartbeat. This is a gift that a breeder can only provide to their puppies during the 3 to 16-day window.

Puppies continue to receive lots of handling to become accustomed to the human touch. Part of the โ€œPuppy Culture Protocolsโ€ that we follow when raising our puppies is socialization.

ENS

ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) begins on day 3 and continues through day 16.

Stresses below

  • touch each paw
  • hold upright for five seconds
  • hold with head down for five seconds
  • lay on back for five seconds
  • place on cold cloth for five seconds

Research shows that tiny struggles and stresses in small doses are beneficial to puppies and will help them grow into strong, healthy, well-adjusted adults.

Benefits include greater tolerance to stress, increased resistance to disease, a faster adrenal system, a stronger heart rate, and a stronger heartbeat.

ESI

A new addition to our program – ESI – Early Scent Introduction. Scent is how puppies perceive the world. These exercises are performed once a day from days 3 to 16. ESI exercises introduce puppies to new scents in a controlled manner. Itโ€™s important not to overdo these exercises, as they are effective because puppies of this age are highly sensitive to stimulation. Introducing natural scents early on can assist with:

  • Boosting brain development
  • Improved scenting ability in later life.
  • Boosts confidence and stability in adults.

Looking Back at week one

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO

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

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Can You Believe Willow’s Babies are already Seven Weeks Old?

Can you believe Willow’s puppies are already seven weeks old? They have come so far in their first seven weeks of life. They’ve grown bigger and are adorable little furballs full of energy and curiosity about everything.

Dry Kibble

The puppies have now progressed to eating dry kibble, which makes feeding time easyโ€”just measure into puppy bowls and serve.

Mama leaves…No Whinning

Willow has done an amazing job thus far raising her babies. She is a strict mama and gets respect with a growl.

Watch as Willow leaves the puppy enclosure — her puppies follow her to the fence but don’t whine. They watch her and no whining.

Willow has been working on teaching her puppies not to whine since they were two weeks old and could hear.

Outside Play

Our puppies love outdoor playtime where they chase each other and wrestle. Wrestling with their littermates helps develop a soft mouth. If a puppy bites too hard, the other puppy cries, letting them know it hurts. If the offending puppy doesn’t correct itself, no one will want to play with them.

Grooming

Puppies typically dislike being brushed, so we groom them daily to help desensitize them. When you bring your puppy home, itโ€™s important to maintain a daily brushing routine. 

Please excuse my attireโ€”Iโ€™m still in my P.J.’s. As I enjoy my coffee each morning, I hold and groom each puppy. 

Crates

The puppies have had access to the crates for a couple of weeks now. They can come and go as they please. The puppies are already comfortable playing in the crate, and some puppies love to go to sleep in them.

We want them to feel comfortable in their crates so that when we close the door, hopefully, they will quietly have their nap. In week eight, we will begin giving the puppies their afternoon naps in the crate and close the door. 

Enjoying the crate all to herself
sleeping buddy
Four puppies packed into one crate

Looking back at Willow’s puppies’s seventh week

The puppies had a couple of days of indoor recess due to the rain. On the second rainy day, they were able to enjoy an hour outside in the late afternoon.

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK EIGHT

The puppies still have a lot to learn from their mama and our other dogs this week. This is always a bittersweet week for me and our puppies; knowing that it is their last week together and that it will soon be time for them to move on to their forever families.

  • Puppies will explore in  the Big Yard
  • The puppies will continue exploring and playing together inside and outdoors as weather permits.
  • Mama and the rest of our dogs will spend time teaching proper puppy manners.
  • We will continue to encourage puppies to use the potty area
  • Puppies will be introduced to the crate with the door closed
  • A visit to the vet for Puppy Wellness Checks, Immunizations and Microchips
  • Puppies will continue to get lots of cuddle time
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Willow’s Six Week Sweeties

Willow’s sweet babies are now six weeks old and getting more adorable with each passing day. We took the puppies’ six-week photos one day early because Saturday was a busy one. Aren’t they adorable!

The Boys

The Girls

We have 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. Puppies have now progressed to eating softened kibble. The puppies enjoy running and chasing each other during outdoor playtime. 

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 wonderful forever homes.

Becoming More Independent

The puppies are learning to come outside on their own. They are getting encouragement from our adult dogs. 

The last puppy came out at first but went back inside. He had to go potty and went where he was used to going.

This week, we have been working on teaching the puppies recall, with our โ€œpuppy callโ€. Recall is an ongoing learning lesson which our forever families will continue teaching their puppy when they take them home. 

This week we have been working on teaching the puppies recall, with our โ€œpuppy callโ€. Recall is an ongoing learning lesson which our forever families will continue teaching their puppy when they take them home. 

On Wednesday, we videoed them returning from their pen after eating. Two puppies needed my coaxing to go over the small fencing at the entrance of the puppy pen.

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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And Now They Are Five ……. Weeks Old

Willowโ€™s sweet babies are now five weeks old and have developed from helpless newborn puppies to the โ€œmini dogsโ€ they are today. The puppies are now awake longer, but still need lots of sleep. 

Socializing puppies is essential when raising them, which means introducing them to as many new experiences as possible when they are young. This week was packed full of new Firsts. The puppies moved to the main floor, explored outside the whelping box for playtime, walked on different floor surfaces, played with new toys, and progressed to eating softened kibble.

Enlarged Puppy Play Area

This week, we enlarged the puppy area, giving puppies room to play and explore. The new puppy area includes an elevated bed, a potty area, different toys, balls, stuffies, chew toys, a slide, and a Wobble Disk.

Intro to Crates

This week, we added a crate to the puppiesโ€™ Play Area. This is the beginning of the crates. We want the puppies to explore the crate independently and feel comfortable going in and out.

Intro to the Outdoors

Today was a beautiful sunny day and the perfect time to introduce the puppies to the Outdoors.

Lots of new things to explore, and Willow will take the opportunity to teach them in the larger area.

Watch a time-lapse of the puppiesโ€™ first experience in the outdoors. Willow’s litters are always sure of themselves, and these puppies are no different …. their confidence showed!

A Look Back at Week Five

Looking Ahead to Week Six

  • Awake time will continue to increase
  • Puppies will continue potty training
  • Socialize with each other through play
  • Daily Outdoor play time as weather permits
  • As they walk on uneven ground, their balance will continue to improveย 
  • 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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Four Weeks Old Already

It is hard to believe that our puppies are already four weeks old. They have made so much progress in such a short time. 

A lot has happened this past week! The puppiesโ€™ milk teeth have erupted, their hind leg have become stronger, and their awake time has increased. Although the puppies still sleep much of the day, they love socializing with their littermates through play while awake.

Moving To The Main Floor

On Wednesday, the puppies moved to the main floor. Now that they can hear, they are ready to experience the sounds of a busy household. We packed the puppies in a basket, carried them down, and returned them to their familiar whelping box. Notice that I started them in their potty box. They hesitated to go into the sleep/play area until I put their beds in, and Willow went in, too.

Potty Training

Because puppies instinctively move away from their sleeping area when they need to go, I want them to begin learning โ€œwhere to goโ€ before they start on solids. 

Puppies must start learning that they cannot โ€œgoโ€ anywhere. We teach them โ€œthere is an acceptable place to go pottyโ€.

This week, we added an addition to the whelping box. Last year, we invested in a new whelping box system from Pet Tech. I love this system. It is made of food-grade plastic and is easy to clean and disinfect. The puppies are contained and safe as they move back and forth between the two areas.

It is always easier for the puppies to succeed when the area is small, but the puppies are doing well with the bigger area too. Some puppies are better than others, but all are progressing. Keep up the good work, puppies!

Starting Solids

Willow is a strict mama. As soon as her puppies turn three weeks old, she starts weaning them. On Saturday night, I found the evidence: She had regurgitated her food for her puppies to eat. This continued daily, so we started the puppies on solids on Wednesday. We make a mixture of watery puppy mush containing puppy formula, ground puppy food, and boiled water. We gradually thicken the mush until the puppies eat soft kibble; they will eat hard kibble by seven weeks old.

Willow still nurses her puppies, but for shorter periods. She also makes them stand to nurse.

Milk Teeth

Friday, we noticed the puppies’ teeth are starting to come in

It isn’t easy getting the puppies to show off their new teeth.

Willow’s puppies Day 27

Exploring outside the whelping box.

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK FIVE

  • Mama will now add the invaluable teaching phase to her caring & protecting responsibilities over the following weeks.
  • Puppies will continue learning to use the 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, giving puppies room to play and explore

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Willow’s Adorable Three Week Old Puppies

Three Week Old Puppies

Willow’s beautiful three-week-old puppies have been progressing rapidly this week. The puppies are more aware of their surroundings and have begun interacting with their littermates during their short โ€œawakeโ€ time. They have become quite noisy as they practice their vocalizing. The puppies still sleep for much of their day/night.

Puppy Culture Program

This week, the puppies were in theย 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. Monday was Day 16 of the puppy’s life and the final day for our ENS exercises.

Critical Socialization Period (weeks 3 – 12)

The next period for Willow’s three-week-old puppies isย Critical Socialization. We know that puppies have entered this period when they react to sounds. We raise our puppies following many of the Puppy Culture protocols. These protocols help us reach our goal ofย Raising Healthy, Calm, Confident, Well-Adjusted Puppies.

The puppies are socializated with children of all ages.

Over the remaining weeks, we will work on new experiences for the puppies, exposing them to as many as possibleย to raise the best possible companions for their forever families.

Emotional Intelligence

Because Goldendoodles are companion dogs, teaching emotional intelligence to young puppies and giving them a great start is essential. With this intention, we follow the following seven key things that will nurture a puppy’s emotional intelligence.

  1. Communication โ€“ giving a puppy his own voice i.e. Communication Trinity: power up clicker, box game, manding and attention/distraction protocols
  2. Emotional stability โ€“ the ability to recover easily from fear as well as stress i.e., startle recovery, barrier challenges etc
  3. Habituation โ€“ 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 โ€“ 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 โ€“ 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 โ€“ 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 โ€“ teach puppies to seek out the company of both dogs and humans as emotionally positive experiences: i.e., Daily cuddles with humans and puppyโ€™s mom.
  8. Shaping emotional responses: happy and calm CER (Conditioned Emotional Responses). For instance, treats and encouragement during puppy training.

Door Panel Added

The puppies are becoming more mobile and exploring their whelping box. Our grey-collar boy wanted to see what was beyond the box and climbed out. Before anyone escaped, I had already added one panel to the entrance, but clearly, they needed the two panels.ย 

Second door panel added

Potty Training Started

Something NEW – We are trying something new in our potty training โ€“ using grass instead of potty boxes with pine pellets. On day 17, we divided our whelping box into two zones. Play/sleep area with little bolster beds for the puppies and a potty area lined with potty pads. After the puppies wake, they leave their beds for the potty pads to relieve themselves. It is incredible how quickly they caught on. When we first added the beds to the whelping box, I often found the puppies sleeping on the one bed LOL! They are now starting to spread out.

After the puppies were going potty on the pads, we added grass trays to the potty area.

Next week we will add an addition to the whelping box. Their current whelping box will be their sleep and play area, and the new box will be used for their potty area.

Day Nineteen

The puppies are nineteen days old in this video.

Things to look for:

  • Hind legs are stronger as they walk upright
  • Puppies in the basket during cleaning time
  • Crawl on their mama and snuggle after eating
  • Beginning to interact with littermates by mouthing and wrestling
  • Checking out new potty grass

Three Weeks Old

In this video, we have a look at each puppy and their markings. Aren’t they so adorable!

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
  • Practicing walking on all fours, strengthening their hind legs
  • Becoming steadier on their feet
  • Hearing will improve 
  • Puppy milk teeth will erupt
  • Potty box addition will be added to the whelping box
  • Puppies will be moving to the main floor towards the end of the week
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Wow, Willow’s babies are two weeks old already

Willow’s puppies are now two weeks old. She is a great mama who lovingly and diligently cares for her babies. Newborn puppies spend ninety percent of their time sleeping and the other ten percent eating.ย 

The Transitional Period

Willow’s babies have entered the Transitional Period from day fourteen to twenty-one. Each litter is different and enters the next period, the Critical Socialization Period, when the puppies “first startle” at a sound.

Such a Good Mama

The puppies still need to be stimulated to void. During the next week, the puppies will begin to go potty on their own. We will introduce a sleep area and potty area to their whelping box.

Milestones

When raising puppies, we watch for Milestones to gauge the progress of our puppies. This week, Willow’s puppies reached two milestones.

Weigh-In

The first milestone the puppies reached this week was Doubling Their Birthweight. We are pleased to say that all Willow’s puppies have doubled their birth weight. Great job, Willow!

Eyes Opened

Day 11

Another milestone was reached later in the week –ย Eyes Opening. Puppy’s eyes open between day 10 and day 14. On day 11, I was excited to notice that Brown collar boy had opened his eyes. Over the next few days, all the puppies’ eyes opened. It is always so exciting when I see the puppies look back at me.

Looking Back at Week Two

The puppies spend their time eating and sleeping. Notice the puppiesโ€™ hind legs are getting stronger, and they are starting to walk on all four legs.

Looking Ahead to Week Three

  • ENS exercises will continue until day 16
  • Puppies will continue to eat and sleep for most of their day
  • Sight will become clearer
  • Ears will open, and they will begin to hear.
  • Puppies will practice walking on all four legs, strengthening their hind legs.
  • They will become more aware of their littermates and start to interactย 
  • Puppies will start to vocalize