Tag: Four week old puppies

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Four Weeks Has Passed So Quickly! 🐾

Four weeks has passed so quickly! It always amazes me how quickly the puppies go from the helpless newborns that crawl, can’t see or hear to the active four-week-old puppies they are today. Echo’s puppies have grown so much and are experiencing and learning each day. It has been another busy week for sure!

Potty Training Started

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.

 It is important that puppies start learning that they cannot “go” just 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.

New Whelping Box

Recently we purchased a New Whelping box from PetTech Solutions . This was another big investment but well worth the money. The Whelping box is made in Canada with extremely durable and safe HDPE 2 food-grade plastic. HDPE 2 is a durable, non-toxic material that is commonly used for food preparation items, such as cutting boards and food storage containers.

What I loved about this whelping box was the ability to enlarge it with an extension box.

On Thursday we set up the extension box. Then we added the potty boxes with pine pellets to the extension which now becomes the puppies potty training area.

Next it was time to remove the door that separates the two areas. Soon after, Echo’s puppies were curious and one by one checked things out.

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The puppies are doing well with their potty training. When they are kept in a small area (their whelping box) their success rate is higher because they don’t want to soil the area they play and sleep. This will be the same when they go to their forever homes. Too much room to roam equals more accidents.

Moving to the Main Floor

Saturday 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.

When we moved the puppies, we put the puppies into a Laundry Basket and made three trips to the main floor where their whelping box was set up waiting.

This move was a less stressful for Echo’s litter than my other litters. This is because the puppies had already been using the potty box extension for a few days. But unfortunately not for Echo as she was the one that was a little stressed. Soon Echo’s puppies settled into their new area and started experiencing living in a home with all the noises that go on in a busy household.

Puppies Start Solids

The puppies started solids on Monday. We usually start our litters on solids. when they are four weeks old but, with such a large litter it can take its toll on Echo. I gave her a hand by supplementing formula the last of couple days, Saturday and Sunday. The puppies did a great job and lapped it up eagerly.

On Monday I added ground kibble to their puppy formula. They ate it up but not before putting their paws in it. When they were done, we had very dirty puppies with full tummy’s.

Oops….not Willow

Oops, Credit goes to Echo, not Willow as I mistakenly said in the video. Sorry Echo, you have done an amazing job and deserve all the credit!!! I was tired and I had Willow on my mind after whelping her litter – 😂

Exploring Outside the Whelping Box

The puppies experience new things daily which helps build their confidence. I always find it interesting to watch how the puppies approach new things. When you observe you see some puppies are more outgoing and dive in while others stay back and need extra encouragement.

When it was time for the puppies to go to the play area I removed the door and let the puppies come out on their own. Notice in the video two of the puppies took longer to come out and explore. Without a doubt, Dark Blue Boy and Dark Green Boy were less adventurous. It took them awhile before they joined their littermates outside the whelping box.

The puppies had a great first adventure and Echo loved interacting with her babies! When play time was over, we had some tire puppies so, back to the whelping box for a nap.

Nothing puts a smile on your face easier than a lap full of puppies 😃
Puppies first adventure outside the whelping box.

Puppy Monitor

Now that the puppies have left the upstairs where we have cameras on the Whelping Box, we have a monitor set up to keep an eye on the puppies when we go outside.

We enjoy our morning coffee on the front porch with our puppy monitor

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.
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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.