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Our New Ultrasound Machine

Ultrasound Machine

As an ethical breeder, we are always looking for ways to improve our breeding program. Something that has been on my wishlist for a while is an ultrasound machine. We finally decided to go ahead and make the purchase. It is a big investment but I am so excited to add this tool to our mama dogs prenatal care.

Our new Ultrasound Machine

Advantages

Some of the advantages of having an ultrasound machine ….

  • Monitor our mama’s in their home throughout their pregnancy
  • Pregnancy confirmation can happen as early as day 25.
  • Rule out a singleton litter. Extra care is needed when a mother is carrying a singleton litter
  • Get an idea of the size of litter
  • Useful during whelping – We can check during whelping to make sure all the puppies have been delivered

Technology has come a long way!

It is amazing how far technology has come. Years ago, I always found it difficult to figure out “what was what” on an ultrasound picture. To demonstrate, I found this video clip on YouTube of an ultrasound picture from 1979.

Machines have sure have improved since I had my first child in 1981. They didn’t even give me a picture of my baby but they did point him out on the screen. It wasn’t very clear and believe me he didn’t look anything like a baby😂

CBC news clip of Ultrasound pic of baby from 1979
1979 ultrasound picture

To illustrate the improvements, compare the 1979 ultrasound pic to the 2024 ultrasound pic. If you weren’t told what the 1979 picture was of, you may have been puzzled as to what you were looking at. But, the 2024 pic is obviously easy to see that it is a baby.

FYI – This is an ultrasound pic of my grandson who is due in July. We are so excited to welcome on 13th grandchild into our growing family! My daughter and her husband are expecting their first child – such a blessing!

2024 Ultrasound picture – My handsome grandson that is due in July

Time to Learn

Learning how to use this machine is going to take practice and Maui and Willow are my “guinea pigs” 😂. Not only do I have to learn to use the machine but trying to get the video’s saved and downloaded was no easy task. Hopefully moving forward I will become more familiar with the process and things will be easier.

Even though I am a novice, I want to share a couple of video’s saved from the girls ultrasounds that we did last night. As Willow and Maui are nearing the end of their pregnancy and their puppies are getting bigger, you are not able to get a picture of the whole puppy at once. I had the depth setting further away so I could get more of the puppy on the screen. The downfall of changing the depth is that the image doesn’t appear as clear.

Even so it isn’t too bad. See if you can make it out. Look for movement from the puppy’s ribs, spine and a beating heart. Slowing the video by adjusting the speed in the settings may help.

Willow’s Ultrasound

This is a video of Willow’s ultrasound. There are two puppies close together. Look for the spine, ribs and beating heart. Toward the end of the video look for two hearts beating

Maui’s Ultrasound

Maui was a little less co-operative than Willow because she moved a couple times but I was still able to capture a video of a few of her puppies. Look for spine, ribs, beating hearts
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Already two weeks old …how they have grown!

Two Week Old Puppy Huddle

Echo is a loving and attentive mama and she continues doing an amazing job caring for her babies. We have been kept busy this week as well with many of our daily tasks. For instance, some of the tasks include ENS exercises, cleaning, laundry, watching as puppies nurse, bottle feeding, weighing, and collar checks. As a result of both Echo’s and our care, our two weeks old puppies are growing bigger and stronger with each passing day.

While watching this video, notice the small movements made while the puppies are sleeping. These movements are called “Puppy Twitches” and are signs of a healthy puppy.

Why do puppies twitch?

A quote from the Puppy Culture Program we follow while raising our puppies explains Puppy Twitches.

“This twitching actually has a functional purpose – “activated sleep” helps build muscle and form the connections that will allow the puppies to develop motor coordination. This is why twitching is a key indicator that the puppy is healthy and developing normally.”

Puppy Culture

Milestones

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

Weigh-In

The first milestone the puppies reached this week was Doubling Their Birthweight. Unquestionably, this is a milestone we pay close attention to because when puppy isn’t gaining enough weight it indicates there is a problem.

On average large breed puppies double their birthweight between day 10 and day 14. Because Echo has a large litter we justifiably would expected that the puppies might be delayed in reaching this milestone.

However this was not the case for Echo’s litter because some of Echo’s puppies reached this milestone early. Three puppies doubled their birth weight on day eight. Following close behind on day 9, one more puppy reached the milestone. Four other puppies followed suite with one puppy doubling on day 10 and three on day 11.

However two or Echo’s puppies, took a little longer to reach this milestone. Because they are our smallest puppies it is hard to compete with their larger littermates. Therefore we have been intervening to help them achieve this milestone. Firstly with a waiting box to separate the largest puppies during feeding time and secondly by supplementing with puppy formula.

Puppy Formula syringe

Finally our last two puppies reached the milestone. First of the two was Black girl on day 13 followed by Red girl today on day 14.

Eyes Opened

Another milestone was reach later in the week – Eyes Opening. Puppy’s eyes open between day 10 and day 14. While doing our ENS on day 11, I was excited to notice that two of our puppies had opened their eyes. Black girl and Purple girl, our two apricot parti puppies tied for the title “First Puppy to open their eyes”. It is always so exciting to see the puppies look back at me – I think they look more “alive”!

Soon after, and day by day the seven more puppies opened the eyes too. We are still waiting to see our Dark Blue Boy looking back at us…..maybe today he will open his eyes too.

Day 11
Purple Girl
Black Girl

Daily Cleaning

As we stated before newborn puppies are susceptible to disease. For this reason it is important to keep their area clean. We clean and disinfect their whelping box daily. During this time we put the puppies in the basket.

Disinfectant
Cleaned whelping box
Echo keeping an eye on her babies in the basket

Vet Bedding

In addition to the daily cleaning, we will replace the Vet Bedding when needed sometimes two or three times a day. As you can image, this makes for a lot of laundry LOL

What is Vet Bedding? At first glance, you may think it is sheepskin. It is in fact a manmade version of a sheepskin. It’s made from artificial fibres and has two sections: first, an underlying mesh, similar to the “skin” part of a sheepskin, and second, the comfy, soft, springy artificial fleece part that is attached to the mesh.

Vet Bedding is a costly investment but when we began our breeding program without reservation it was imperative that we provide our puppies with the best. Undeniably, vet bedding provides excellent traction for our puppies and keeps them warm and dry. It is important that puppies have proper traction while nursing, moving around the whelping box, and learning to walk as this traction protects the puppies growing joints.

Clean whelp[ing box and vet bedding
DAY 9
Puppies return to a clean whelping box as mama Echo looks on. When all the puppies are back in the whelping box, Echo checks things out 😊
Day 12

Too cute not to share

I thought I would share a cute video that I caught of one of Echo’s puppies. Echo had poked her head into the whelping box making sure all was okay. While doing so, dark blue boy, whose eye’s had yet to open, could smell his mama. He then crawled over to the opening and began to climb out. LOL😂

Transitional Period

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. By doing just the right things at just the right time, we can give your puppy the best start possible.

Because every puppy and litter is different, we look for “Behavioural Markers” to identify the beginning and end of each developmental period. The transitional period begins when the puppy’s eyes open and ends when they first startle upon hearing sounds. Now that the puppies’ eyes are open they have entered the Transitional Period.

Looking Ahead to Week Three

  • ENS exercises will continue until day 16
  • Puppies will continue to eat and sleep most of their day
  • 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
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Look How Much Our One Week Old Puppies Have Grown

One week old already….It is hard to believe the seven days have passed since Echo’s babies arrived. We have had a busy week because raising newborn puppies is a 24/7 job. As you can see from the comparison pic below, our one week old puppies have grown so much!

See how we have grown
Picture on the left – Friday – Day 2
Picture of the right – Wednesday – Day 7

Caring for Echo

As with her last litter, Echo suffered loose stools for a couple of days. Although this is a common occurrence after whelping, we need to treat her symptoms before it affects the puppies. So, we gave Echo a diet of boiled chicken, rice, pumpkin, and added a probiotic supplement. By doing so, she recovered quickly and is now doing well on her regular diet.

Vitamins

Looking after the mama both prenatal and postnatal is an important part of producing healthy puppies. During labor we give our mamas Oral Cal Plus which is a Calcium Supplement between each puppy’s birth. This supplement helps support productive labor with 3 calcium sources.

We also give our Postnatal mamas a daily vitamin Oxy Momma to support lactation and recovery.

Mother’s Pudding

Another thing we give our mama’s to help them recover is Mother’s Pudding. The recipe comes from the Puppy Culture program. We follow many Puppy Culture protocols while raising our puppies.

Mother’s pudding helps Echo produce lots of milk because t is high in calcium and calories. It is also something every mama loves to eat!

Ingredients: goats milk, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla pudding.

Neonatal Period

ENS

The puppies are in the Neonatal Period. This period is from day 0 to approximately day 14. During this period, the puppies spend their time eating and sleeping. On Saturday, day 3, we began ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation). These exercises will be continued daily until day 16.

The ENS exercise causes tiny struggles and stresses in small doses which are a benefit to the puppies. For example some of the benefits include greater tolerance to stress, greater resistance to disease, faster adrenal system, stronger heart rate and stronger heartbeats. This is a gift that a breeder can only give their puppies during the 3 to 16-day window.

After we finished our ENS, Echo was happy to have all her babies safely back in the whelping box with her.

Feeding

Before puppies are born, they receive immunity and everything they need to grow from the placenta. But, after birth, newborn puppies do not possess immunity.

A mother’s first milk called colostrum. This first milk contains a nutritious protein-rich, balanced protective food. Colostrum provides passive immunity. This immunity can last several weeks and protect the puppies from various infections and diseases. For this reason it is vital for the puppies to nurse soon after birth and over the next twelve hours. This will help the puppies build up their passive immunity. 

Passive immunity is the short-term immunity which results from the introduction of antibodies from the puppy’s mother. Active immunity on the other hand is an immunity built by producing antibodies from the immune system that responses to the presence of an antigen.

For the first two weeks of their life newborn puppies spend their time eating and sleeping. Did you know, newborn puppies sleep for 90% of their day/night?

Puppies are born with their eyes and ears sealed shut so, they cannot see or hear. Therefore they have to rely on “smell” and “touch” to find their mother. Puppies are born with a natural instinct to nurse but as the days pass, they have become more proficient at it.

Echo is an amazing, attentive mama. She has a large litter of ten and spends most of the day and night in the whelping box feeding, cleaning and caring for her babies.

With a large litter, we have to keep a close eye on the puppies making sure everyone gets their fair share of milk. So, to keep tract of each puppy’s progress, we weigh our puppies daily and keep a record. This charting showed that most of Echo’s puppies are gaining weight as expected.

Unfortunately though, it was apparent that Red collar girl has been slow at gaining weight. Lagging behind the normal progress is cause for concern.

So on Monday I had to intervene. I spent the day making sure when she was nursing, she wasn’t being pushed off by the larger puppies.

The Waiting Basket

Echo can only feed eight puppies at once so, during feeding, I now put two of the larger puppies in a basket to wait their turn. The basked is placed just outside the whelping box where Echo can keep watch.

Supplementing With Puppy Formula

On Monday, Red Girl was weighed throughout the day with encouraging results. They showed that she was making some progress. But, it was short lived because when I weighed her when we woke Tuesday morning she had lost weight overnight. Because of this set back, I decided I needed to intervene again.

The next step would be supplementing her with puppy formula in addition to her nursing from Echo.

The two puppies in this picture shows Green boy who is our largest puppy compared to Red girl who is our smallest puppy.

With the supplementing it has helped her gain weight. But, we still need to continue monitoring her closely, weighing her throughout the day, and supplement her nursing with formula.

Hopefully she will continue to gain weight and soon catch up to where she should be.

Puppy Pics

Now that is one relaxed puppy! Watch Black collar girl sleeping – her head is rested on Echo and she’s sleeping on her back, (a favourite doodle sleep position) 😂

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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The Long Awaited Whelping Day

Echo’s Due Date: April 9th

Echo’s due date was April 9th. When we started our morning, it was apparent that Echo was in early labor because she didn’t want to eat her breakfast. All she wanted was a quiet place away from the other dogs to rest.

During the past few days when Echo was outside in our yard, she would go under our deck to dig. Digging is something mama dogs do when they are close to whelping. I wasn’t too worried because she would always come out when we called her.

When Echo went out in afternoon on the 9th, she went under the deck again but, this time didn’t want to come out. After much coaxing, I finally convinced her to come out. Echo would now need to be on a leash when we took her outside because I sure didn’t want her puppies born under there LOL!

It was now evening, and Echo spent the time with us on the couch as we watched some TV. As her labor progressed, she became more restless, and was panting more but, no puppies yet. At midnight, Echo and I went back to the Whelping Room, and I tried to get some rest while we waited for the puppies to arrive.

April 10th: Whelping Day

Echo spent the next four hours going in and out of her whelping box, pacing the room and taking multiple trips outside on a leash of course. I know from experience that a puppy can be delivered during potty breaks.

Finally, at 4:05 am, Echo’s first puppy arrived into the world. He was a beautiful black curly boy and she quickly tended to him. Echo is a third time mama and knows the ropes well. Her puppies started to come quickly and by 5:51 am, Echo had delivered a total of six puppies.

She then had a 90-minute whelping pause and settled in to care for her babies. At 7:21 the next puppy arrived followed another one at 8:19, 9:35 and the last one close behind at 9:40 am.

Echo did an amazing job delivering 10 puppies in 5-1/2 hours. A beautiful litter of 10 puppies. Well done Echo!

Next was cleaning time because as you can image, whelping is a messy job. I washed Echo with a warm wet cloth, then cleaned and sanitized the whelping box. Now that everything was clean, it was time to take a few pictures before Mama and babies settled back in the whelping box to nurse and sleep.

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Introducing Our New Arrivals

Congratulations to Echo & Riggs

We are excited to welcome these sweet puppies into the world and will spend the next eight weeks helping Echo prepare them for their Forever Families. We love what we do and put our ❤️ into every puppy.

The Boys

The Girls

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Willow’s Puppies Experience More New “Firsts”

A vet visit

The puppies had a busy day yesterday as they experienced a couple ” new firsts”. The first was a car ride followed by a visit to the vet, new building and new people.

I was a little rushed getting all the puppies ready for their car trip because as usual I under-estimated the time . Tom loaded the crate into the car while I made sure the puppies were cleaned and brushed. During my puppy grooming, I notice one puppy needed a quick wash which made my sweater dirty so I needed to change. All this caused us to run a little late.

Tom took the pics and little video’s but because I was stressed, I forgot to do my part and take a pics inside while the puppies were being examined. So Sorry! 🥺 I am thankful Tom did his part and we have a few pics/video’s to remember our Vet Visit.

The puppies were a little nervous on the way in the car and they wined off and on but all in all did very well and none of the puppies got car sick. I walked into the room just two minutes late and found Dr. Thompson waiting for us. One by one he started examining the puppies. Each puppy received a complete wellness check and their weight was recorded. Next they received their first vaccinations and then the dreaded micro-chip. We had very brave puppies with only a little soft whimper from two puppies.

Puppies Visit the Vet

It is always exciting for the staff to have a litter of puppies come in. The puppies were so well behaved and again I had high praise from the staff at Stouffville Veterinary Clinic who commented on how well behaved the puppies were. I am happy to report that all our puppies passed their wellness check with flying colours. The car ride home was a quite one because the puppies were all tired from their trip.

Exploring in the Big Yard

Watch as the puppies try to work up the courage to go explore the Big Yard

It is always an exciting day when the puppies explore the big yard for the first time. Every puppy approaches something new in a different way. Even though they know how to go up and down the stairs, they always seem to be cautious when doing something new. They have never been beyond the puppy inclosure on our deck.

One puppy has to be the brave one and go where none of their littermates has gone before. The rest of the puppies watch and check things out. In the video, you can also see Nova and Maui trying to encourage the puppies to follow. Soon one by one, the rest of the puppies work up their courage and followed. All the puppies that is, except our Cream Abstract Girl. She kept returning to the puppy enclosure where she felt safe. So, I finally had to carry her to the yard so that she could explore too.

The puppies had a great time running and exploring with their mother and the big dogs in the yard. Then, they came inside, when into their crate to eat a biscuit and then had a long nap.

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See How Far Willow’s Seven Weeks Old’s Have Come

Willow’s puppies are now seven weeks old and have come to far in the first seven weeks of their life. They have grown bigger and are adorable little fur balls that are full of energy. They are curious about everything.

Happy Seven Weeks

Puppy Selection Day

One of the highlights of raising our puppies is Puppy Selection Day because we love the excitement in the air as we introduce the puppies to their forever families. Tom and I so enjoyed meeting everyone and getting to know the forever families a little better!

Of course, just as every family and every puppy is different it is always interesting seeing how each family and puppy seem to match up. ,

Outside Play, Whatever the Weather

Our puppies love outdoor playtime. Sometimes it is quite cold but our puppies still want outside for their play time. Even in the snow they were eager to go outside and explore.

Puppies Meal Time

Newborn puppies get , all their nourishment their mother’s milk. When Willow started weaning her puppies at 3-1/2 weeks of age it was time to start on solids. .

During weening time the puppies start solids in progression. Firstly they eat a grinded watery puppy mush. Secondly we we soak kibble in hot water to make waterlogged soften kibble. Lastly the puppies transition to dry kibble. .

When this happens, it makes feeding time so easy. No more grinding puppy food to turn into puppy mush or having to wait while the kibble is soaked in hot water. Feeding time now is easy because now I just scooped 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 during outdoor play, first in regular speed and then in slow motion. This is on area that the puppies have become more independent.

Watch puppies exit to go outside for play time
And now in “Slow mode” so you can see your puppy

Outdoor Play Time

Outdoor play time is important because it gives the puppies space to run. During this time, Willow and our other big dog teach the puppies dog manners.

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 potty area
  • Puppies will be introduced to the crate with the door closed
  • A visit to the vet for Puppy Wellness Checks, Immunizations and Micro Chips
  • Puppies will continue to get lots of cuddle time
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Six Week Old, Can They Get Anymore Adorable

Six Weeks Old

Willow’s puppies are now six weeks old and getting so adorable. . They have grown bigger, and you can see each unique personality starting to develop. We have had another busy week caring for the puppies and introducing them to so many new things. Such as new toys, water bath, crates and the new puppy area. Puppies have now progressed to eating softened kibble. They enjoy running and chasing each other during outdoor play time . Also, potty training is continuing both inside and outside. At this time, they are doing very well using their potty box. We still have an accident here and there but for the most part they are becoming more consistent. 

Six Week ‘s Old

Observation Week

Willow’s puppies are now six weeks old and getting so adorable. and they have grown bigger with each passing day. We can see each unique personality starting to develop. It has been another busy week caring for the puppies and introducing them to so many new things. Such as new toys, water bath, crates, the new puppy area, and softened kibble to name a few.

The puppies enjoy running and chasing each other during outdoor play time. Also, potty training is continuing, both inside and outside. which I am pleased to report they are progressing well. They still have an accident here and there but for the most part they are becoming more consistent. 

It is amazing to see their unique personality’s develop as they mature. Although each puppy receive the same care from us, they still have their unique personality and approach things differently. So, this week we have been observing the puppies. Firstly we observe how each puppy interacts with their littermates. Another thing we watch is how they approach something new.

New Puppy Area

With potty training well on its way, it was time to say good-bye to the puppies’ home since birth and introduce the puppies to their new home. On Sunday, while the puppies were outside, I started with removing the Whelping Box. Then it was time to set up the new puppy area. Firstly, we set up fencing to keep our puppies safe inside. Secondly, we added the Potty Box, a couple crates, the evaluated dog bed, carpets, water dishes and, lots of new toys for the puppies to play with. Finally, we brought in the puppies and introduced them to their new area.

Introduction to New Things

When raising puppies it is important to build strong bodies but, also strong minds. Because Goldendoodles are very smart, challenging their minds if vital in developing a well-adjusted dog. This is something that forever families will continue to do when they take their puppy home.

From birth we try to teach puppies to be independent and figure things out of themselves such as finding their way to nurse from their mama. . In like manner, we continued this week and challenged the to exit the puppy area and walk to the door to go outside on their own. Some puppies were quick to figure things out but, in due time with daily practice, all our puppies can independently walk to the door and go outside on their own.

Daily Outdoor Play

Indeed, the highlight of the puppies’ day is outdoor play. During this time, they love to run, chase, wrestle and explore. It is important to note that this is also the time when Willow teaches her puppies to listen and submit.

Outdoor Play, the highlight of the day😊
Watch as the puppies follow their mama Willow. Then she barks to tell them to back-off

Then, eventually the puppies tire and fall asleep as you can see in the pictures. They were so tired that when I carried them inside, they transferred to their bed without waking up. Equally important to note, as the puppies take a long nap they process into their brains what they learned.

Puppies fall asleep outside and cuddle to keep warm
Puppy huddle back inside where it ‘s nice & warm

Looking Ahead to Week 7

  • Puppies will meet their forever families
  • 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 box
  • Puppies will continue to socialize and learn from each other through play
  • Exploring and playing together outdoors 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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Our Adorable Five Week Old Puppies

Our adorable puppies are now five weeks old and continue to learn. Without a doubt, the most important thing that they have been working on this week is potty training. extension to our whelping box has been helpful in our effort to teach the puppies to void in one place. All the hard work is paying off because the puppies have made great progress in this area. That being said, they still have some work to do because they are not always consistent when they are given a larger area during their play time. All in all, I am very pleased at their progress!

HAPPY 65TH BIRTHDAY TOM

Our weekly post is a day late because yesterday when the puppies turned five weeks of age, we had a birthday party for my husband Tom. We had the family over for a party to celebrate with lots of food and fellowship.

As you can see from the photo it was a BIG number for him and he is now officially a senior. Although he is getting older, you would never guess it because Tom never stops. He takes after his dad who turns 90 in a couple weeks. . At almost 90, Tom’s dad never stops either. For example, if you need help with a project you can always count on Tom’s dad’s expertise as a master carpenter. On Thursday, Tom and his dad put in a full day building a workbench and shelving in our garage. I’m hoping Tom is as bless as he father with good health at 90.

Puppy Party

As I have previously mentioned, we raise our puppies using The Puppy Culture Protocols. During the Critical Socialization Stage that the puppies are currently in, here are 7 key things that will nurture the emotional intelligence of a puppy. #3 on our list is Habituation – to familiarity the puppies with the maximum number of things. For example , Puppy Parties, sound protocols, household noises , meeting other dogs, and different people different.

When raising a litter of puppies, it is important to introduce them to as many things as possibly. One way to accomplish this is raising our puppies in a home setting because the puppies become accustomed to the noises of a busy household.

Another way is to exposure the puppies to people of all ages. So, during the Birthday party, we had a built in “Puppy Party”. Throughout the evening,, the puppies interacted with people of all ages. Indeed, it was easy for lots of socialization with the 10 children all wanting to take their turn. Without doubt, every one enjoyed playing with and cuddling our puppies.

Puppy Party
*Our puppies are exposed to children of different ages. Look how gentle they are interacting with my two year old grandson.
*Listen to my other grandchildren in the background. They were so excited that one of the puppies went to the potty box.
*Did you hear the “GOOD GIRL” and then 👏👏👏clapping for the puppy’s success? What a smart puppy!

One on One Time

One on one time is a daily occurrence for our puppies. I love to sit on the couch with a coffee and cuddle with a puppy. This morning after a few minutes of cuddling, our Black Parti boy decided he didn’t want to sit on my lap anymore. He got off, walked around the couch, and decided that the pillows were a great spot for a snooze 🥰

Outdoor Adventure

One of the highlights raising our puppies is introducing them to the outdoors. This happened today when the puppies are introduced to the outdoors. So, now that they are 5 weeks old, as weather permits, they have daily outdoor exercise playing with their litter mates, exploring and learning about the world around them.

It is important to note that the next few weeks are a vital part of their learning experience. During this time they are taught social skills by their mother along with our other adult dogs and their littermates.

When I took the puppies outside I put each puppy out in the Potty Box. Even though we are outside, I still want to teach them to go in one spot. Often when the puppies have a large area, they don’t alway go to the potty box. I was impressed as I saw many of the puppies head over and go into the box 🙂

Looking Ahead to Week Six

  • Puppies awake time will continue to increase
  • Puppies will continue learning to use potty potty
  • Puppies will continue to socialize with each other through play
  • Puppies will have daily outdoor playtime as weather permits
  • Puppies will continue learning from their mama and our other dogs as she disciplines them and teaches them proper dog manners 
  • As always, puppies will continue to get lots of cuddle time.
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Willow’s Babies Turn Four Weeks Old

Willow’s babies turn four weeks old today and are growing bigger with each passing day.

The Girls

The Boys

Looking Back

A lot has happened this past week! For instance, a move, potty training, and the addition of Solids added to the food to name a few. Although the puppies still sleep much of the day, when they are awake, they love socializing with their littermates through play and welcome the company of humans.

Moving to the Main Floor

Tuesday was a big day for our puppies because they left their warm quiet room where they have been since birth and moved to the main floor.

We put the puppies in a container and carried them to the main floor. Their Whelping box was set up waiting for them as well as the addition of a potty box. As you can image, change can be a little stressful. In fact, the puppies were all whining as they were checking out their new home.

Being the attentive mama, and hearing the stress of her babies, Willow quickly joined her puppies in the whelp box and reassured then that everything was fine by feeding them.

Finally, our puppies settled into their new area and began the experience of living in a home with all the noises that goes on in a busy household.

Puppies Start Solids

Although I consider all our girls great mama’s, just as human mothers different in parenting styles, the same holds true for dogs.

I have helped four of our girls raise their litters and have noticed that each mama has a little different style. Willow is my “Strict Mama“. Although she loves and cares for her babies, she certainly doesn’t baby them.

So, because Willow is the Strict Mama, it is no surprise that Willow always starts to wean her puppies early. This was apparent when I woke up Tuesday morning and went to check on the puppies. Because I saw a large area on the vet bedding had been soiled, I knew the reason why. It was apparent that Willow decided it was now time to wean her babies. She had regurgitated her food for them during the night.

Potty Training Begins

The puppies are now able to void without the help of their mother, so it is important to begin potty training. Because puppies have a natural instinct to move away from their sleeping area when they need to go, I want the puppies to begin learning “where to go” before they start on solids. Willow didn’t allow me the head start though. Nevertheless, we began potty training after they had eaten their first meal of regurgitated food.

For the first few days after the puppy move to the main floor, I spend my time moving the puppies to the potty area when they wake and after they eat. It is important that puppies start learning that they cannot “go” anywhere. So, we teach them “there is an acceptable place to go potty”. Teaching them this at a young age will prevent them from developing bad habits that later need to be broken. This effort on our part will benefit forever families by making housebreaking easier for them when they go to their forever homes.

Extension to the Whelping Box

On my wish list for the past couple years has been to have an addition to the whelping box for the purpose of a potty area. Previously we used fencing for the potty area, but it is sometime problematic.

Thursday was exciting for me because my wish came true. My husband Tom made the addition for my whelping box.

Now the puppies have an extension to their whelping box that contains their potty boxes. Finally, no more fencing and the puppies are safely contained in their new extended whelping box.

Looking Ahead to Week Five

  • Puppies will continue learning to use potty area
  • Awake time will increase
  • The puppies will continue to socialize with each other through play 
  • Toys will be added to our whelping box for puppies to explore
  • Enlarging the puppy area, giving puppies room to play and explore
  • Mama will now add the invaluable teaching phase to her caring & protecting responsibilities over the next weeks.