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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 easy—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, it’s important to maintain a daily brushing routine. 

Please excuse my attire—I’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 “puppy call”. 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 “puppy call”. 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

Willow’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 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 puppies’ 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 puppies’ 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 improve 
  • 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 puppies’ 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 “where to go” before they start on solids. 

Puppies must start learning that they cannot “go” anywhere. We teach them “there is an acceptable place to go potty”.

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 “awake” 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 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. 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 is 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 of 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 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 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 – 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.

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. 

Second door panel added

Potty Training Started

Something NEW – We are trying something new in our potty training – 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. 

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 – 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 puppies’ 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 interact 
  • Puppies will start to vocalize
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Willow’s Beautiful One Week Old Babies

Whelping Day

It is a day that is full of anticipation and awe. I have never tired of the miracle of birth and the instincts God has given animals. Friday, it looked like Willow may start labour. She refused her breakfast. I had even mixed wet dog food with her kibble—still nothing, a sign that her puppies were on their way. But I was confused because in the evening she ate all her dinner. 

We had an early night after a tiring week, and Willow again slept in her Whelping Box. I was awakened several times that night because Willow was restless and digging up her bedding.

In the morning, it was apparent Willow was in labour. She spent the morning going back and forth from the Whelping Box to the bed in our Whelping Room. 

Our first puppy arrived at 12:27 p.m., and over the next four hours, she delivered seven more puppies. I cleaned Willow and the Whelping Box and put fresh vet bedding in it. Then, Willow went outside for a potty break and returned to care for her newborns. 

After a three-hour whelping pause, Willow surprised us with a late arrival. She now had a litter of nine: three boys and six girls.

Breeding is not always joyful. During our many years of breeding, I have been blessed with an extremely low mortality rate. Unfortunately, sometimes, all the hours and extra care spent trying to save a fading puppy end in sadness. 

Goodbye to our sweet chocolate parti girl.

The Boys

Dark Green collar boy
Brown collar boy
Grey collar boy

The Girls

Purple collar girl
Pink collar girl
Lime Green collar girl
Turquoise collar girl
Red collar girl

Settling into a Routine

Neonatal Period

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

Daily Weigh-in

Willow has done a fantastic job caring for her new babies. I have been pleased with our daily weigh-ins, and I’m happy to report that they have all been steadily gaining weight. 


Socialization

Part of raising well-adjusted puppies is socialization. We handle our puppies from birth. When our mamas are comfortable, we also let others cuddle the puppies. Willow was less tolerant than usual, with us holding her puppies, so we respected her wishes and held off for a few days. Only my daughter and I handled the puppies when necessary to clean the whelping box and for daily weight checks. I believe Willow’s over-protectiveness was due to losing her baby girl. Willow is now much more relaxed, which means more puppy cuddles.

ENS

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

Newborn Puppies just eat and sleep

ABOVE: Can you see the Blond Parti female trying to find a comfy spot to sleep?
BELOW: Sleeping puppies. Newborn puppies spend 90 percent of their time eating and sleeping – that’s almost 22 hours a day!

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
  • Continue ENS
  • At the end of the week eyes should begin to open towards the end of the week – SO EXCITING!!!
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Eight-Weeks Old and Time to Say Goodbye

Today, the puppies are eight weeks old. It is hard to believe that eight weeks have passed, and the puppies are ready to head home to their forever families. Remember how tiny they were…..I could hold them in the palm of my hand. They have learned so much over these past eight weeks. I have enjoyed raising them to the point where they are ready to join their forever families.

See how they have grown!

We have had another busy week, and the puppies have experienced many firsts: car rides, vet visits, crate training, new toys, and exploring the big yard.

Vet Visit

On Wednesday, the puppies visited the Vet for a wellness check, their first vaccinations, and a microchip.

My husband, Tom, stayed with the puppies at the car, and my daughter helped by transporting them back and forth. I just watched as each puppy was examined and given their shots. I generally know which puppies yelp. Typically, it’s a couple of boys, and this litter was no exception.

Dr. Thompson and the staff complimented us on how calm and well-behaved our puppies were. It always makes me proud, and we get confirmation that the work we put into raising the puppies shows!

After the visit, we always head to Starbucks for a well-deserved treat. Nash, who came for the car ride, also got a treat – a puppuccino.

As you can hear in the video, some puppies complained on the way to the vet. It was their first car ride, and they were a little anxious. On the way home, they settled and went to sleep.

It’s too cute not to share

Stealing the BIG stick

Practicing Recall

Recall is a command that takes a while for puppies to learn. We practice recall by calling the puppies to come with our “Puppy Call.” It started by calling them from one indoor puppy area to another. We continued when the puppies went outside on the deck and in the large yard. This is a video I took on Saturday. All the puppies came except the Light blue-collar boy. He sat at the top of the stairs and just looked at me. LOL!

Preparing the Go-Home Packages

Preparing for puppy go-home day is always bittersweet. I’m always happy to know the puppies have found forever families, and I look forward to joining them. We shed a few tears when we bid our sweet puppies farewell.

Looking Back at the puppies’ Eighth Week

The puppies love to go into the big yard to run and explore. Piper uses this opportunity to teach the puppies to submit. Some puppies are very submissive, while others need more encouragement.

Looking Ahead

Puppies are leaving this week for their forever homes. You have a lot of work ahead of you: correcting, training, and caring for your new puppy. Be patient because they are still babies and learning. The time and work you put into training your puppy pays off when you have a loving, well-behaved dog that will love you as only a dog can—unconditionally. You will be the most important person in the world to them. 

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Piper’s Seven Week Old Puppies

Piper’s puppies are now seven weeks old. They have come a long way in the first seven weeks of their lives. They have grown bigger and are adorable little fur balls full of energy and curious about everything.

Puppies Meal Time

Newborn puppies get all their nourishment from their mother’s milk. Piper’s puppies started their solids at four weeks with watery puppy mush. Next, they progressed to waterlogged kibble. On Sunday, they transitioned to dry kibble.

When this happens, feeding time is so easy. No more grinding puppy food to turn it into puppy mush or waiting while the kibble is soaked in hot water. Feeding time is easy now because I scoop the dry kibble into the dishes and watch the waiting puppies devour their food.

Puppies are becoming more Independent

Watch the puppies as they exit the house for their outdoor play, first at regular speed and then in slow motion. We have been working on this area this past week, and the puppies have become more independent. They can now exit and enter the house on their own.

Puppies exit the house at a regular speed.
Puppies exit the house at a slow-motion speed.

Teaching “Submit”

Watch Nash making puppies submit. They lay on their back and look.

Outdoor Play Time

Outdoor playtime gives the puppies space to run. The extra space also allows Piper to work with her puppies individually and teach them proper dog manners.

Piper gets help with disciplining her puppies from Nash and Ellie.

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK EIGHT

  • 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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Pipers Puppies Are Six-Week-Old Today

Today, the puppies are six weeks old. We have had another busy week caring for them and introducing them to many new things. They have grown bigger, and you can see their unique personalities developing. 

Selection Day 

This past Saturday was Selection Day. It is always exciting to meet each forever family and introduce them to their new puppy. I’m happy our puppies are joining such amazing families and will be loved!

After all the socialization, the puppies are always tired. After dinner, they all went into the whelping and fell fast asleep. 

New puppy area

Last week, we set up a new indoor puppy exercise area. This area has potty boxes, a raised dog bed that the puppies love, crates, and carpets for traction. The puppies had a great time exploring their new area. They also had fun playing with each other and their new toys. Some puppies even took their nap in the new crates, and a couple of puppies went under the raised dog bed for their nap.

Watch the puppies explore their new area for the first time. 

Recall

This week, we are working on teaching the puppies recall with our “puppy puppy” call. They are alerted and come to me. Right now, we call when it is time for their meal. I put their food in the exercise pen with the door open. Then I open the sleep area pen door. Standing in the exercise pen, I call them. A couple of brave puppies exited their pen and came to me for food. Others took more encouragement. A couple of puppies needed to be carried. With daily practice, we are making progress.

Recall is an ongoing learning lesson that our forever families will continue teaching their puppies.

Outdoor Exercise

On Monday, the puppies had an exciting day. They had their first taste of the outdoors. We were blessed with an unseasonably warm day, and the puppies enjoyed running, chasing each other, and exploring on the deck. 

We fed the puppies their lunch outside on such a warm two days. When it was time to bring them in, some puppies were unhappy and let us know by howling. I played some classical music to calm them, which did the trick.

Looking Ahead to Week Seven

In Week Seven, we will be working on obstacles. The puppies must use their brains to figure out how to maneuver around them. The puppies will also learn how to go down steps.

  • Puppies time spent awake will continue to increase
  • Puppies will have transitioned to dry kibble by the end of week seven
  • We will continue to encourage puppies to use the potty boxes both inside and outside
  • Puppies will continue to socialize and learn from each other through play
  • Puppies will continue exploring and playing together outdoors as weather permits.
  • Puppies will continue learning from their mama as she disciplines and teaches them to behave. 
  • As always, puppies will continue to get lots of cuddle time.