Category: Willow & Nash

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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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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!!!