Category: Piper & Rocky

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Wow, Piper’s puppies turn two weeks old already

Two Weeks Old Today

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

MILESTONES 

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

Doubling Birthweight

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

The puppies are doing well at their daily weigh-in

Puppies Eyes Open

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

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

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

Puppy Culture

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

Neonatal Period: Day 0-14 

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

Early Neurological Stimulation

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

Transitional Period @ Two weeks old

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

Learning to Walk Hind Legs

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

A Look Back At Week Two

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

Looking Ahead to Week Three

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

COMING SOON—Look for puppy two week single pics

L

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Piper’s Puppies First Week

Looking back at first week

Whelping Day

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

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

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

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

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

GOOGLE
Eleven Girls, One Boy
Whelping day

The Beautiful Girls

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

The One and Only BOY

Light Blue Boy

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

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

Settling into a Routine

Neonatal Period

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

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

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

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

Daily Weigh-in

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




ENS exercises

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

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


Socialization

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

A LOOK BACK AT WEEK ONE

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK TWO

  • Much the same as week one – Eat, Sleep, Repeat!
  • Puppies will continue growing
  • Puppies still crawl; hind legs will become stronger
  • Eyes should begin to open towards the end the week – so exciting !!!
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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.
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Wow, Piper’s Babies Are Five Weeks Old Already!

Five weeks old

Piper’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 for longer periods and enjoy playing with each other, and their toys, and cuddle time. We can now see their personalities starting to develop.

It is important when raising puppies to socialize them which means introducing them to as many new experiences as possible when they are young. For instance, this week the puppies have been introduced to different sounds, different floor surfaces, new toys, and our other adult dogs.

Can they get any more adorable?

Click on photos to check what collar colour we are

Meal Time

The puppies are still nursing from their mama any chance they get but Piper limits this as she is gradually weaning them.

The puppies are always excited when they smell the food being prepared.

Remember how watery the puppy mush was? We have gradually been making the puppy mush thicker.

The puppies have now progressed to softened kibble. At first, it is very waterlogged. Over the next two weeks, we will gradually reduce the time spent soaking the food until the puppies are seven weeks old and have progressed to hard kibble.

Notice the difference in the dry and softened kibble
Kibble with boiled water
Lid on to help kibble absorb water
Puppies enjoying their softened kibble

Potty Training

We have been working hard on training puppies to use the potty box.

Some of the puppies are more consistent than others but, all the puppies are making progress.

It’s amazing to watch puppies wake up or stop playing and go over to use their potty box.

Should I sleep alone or with a buddy?

The puppies still sleep much of their time. This is when they grow and process what they have learned while awake. Remember the puppy huddles? Now that they are bigger and can regulate their temperature, some puppies sleep with a buddy, and some puppies sleep alone.

Maybe a Snuggle Puppy

Looking Ahead to Week Six

  • Awake time will continue to increase
  • New indoor play area
  • Outdoor exercise will begin and puppies will have daily outdoor play time as weather permits
  • Continue learning to use potty box both indoor and outdoors
  • Socialize with each other through play
  • 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.
  • Puppies will meet their forever families ❤️
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Four Weeks Old Today, How Time Flies

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

A lot has happened this past week! The puppies’ milk teeth have erupted, their hind legs have become stronger, and their awake time has gradually increased. The puppies still sleep much of the day, but when awake, they love socializing with their littermates through play.

Starting to Wean

Orange collar boy showing off his new teeth
Now that the puppies’ milk teeth have erupted, it is time to start weaning and introduce solids. Piper started nursing in the standing position. It is so cute watching the puppies try to balance on their hind legs to nurse.
Piper has a large litter and has done a fantastic job feeding all her babies. On Monday, I decided to help her by starting the puppies on a formula supplement. The puppies happily lapped up the milk and soon be ready to begin eating puppy food. 

Time to Begin Potty Training

The puppies have been using a washable potty pad in their whelping box this week. On Monday, we enlarged their whelping box with the potty box extension. This addition has litter boxes filled with pine pellets. We have raised our puppies using this method for several years. 

Puppies must learn that they cannot “go” anywhere. We teach them that “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 will benefit forever families by making housebreaking easier for them when they go to their forever homes.

 

Checking Things Out

The puppies were curious about the new area. They poked their heads in and smelled the pellets, but none ventured in.

Adorable Babies

A look back at week four

Looking Ahead to Week Five

  • Move to the main floor
  • 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 toys
  • Mama will add the invaluable teaching phase to her caring & protecting responsibilities over the next weeks.