Tag: Goldendoodle puppies

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Millie’s Puppies….Already Three Weeks Old!

Already three weeks old……how time flies.

It’s hard to believe Millie’s puppies are already three weeks old. They have been developing quickly this week. The rest of the puppies have opened their eyes, and their ears have opened as well. They are becoming more aware of their surroundings and have begun to interact with each other during their brief “awake” periods. 

As usual, we have had a busy week. Day 16 was the last day of ENS and ESI, as well as our puppies’ daily weigh-in. Some of the chores over the past week included cleaning and disinfecting the whelping box, laundry, deworming the puppies, grooming — brushing and nail trimming —and caring for mama Millie, to name a few. And of course, my favourite–puppy cuddles.

Puppy Culture

Over the remaining weeks, we will be working on new experiences for the puppies, exposing them to as many new experiences as possible to raise the best possible companions for their forever families.

Critical Socialization Period (weeks 3 – 12)

The next period for the puppies is the Critical Socialization Period. We know that puppies have entered this period when they react to sounds. We raise our puppies following many of the Puppy Culture protocols. Following these protocols helps us reach our goal of “Raise Healthy, Calm, Confident, Well-Adjusted Puppies.”

Emotional Intelligence

Because Goldendoodles are companion dogs, teaching emotional intelligence to young puppies and starting them with a great beginning is essential. With this intention, we follow seven key things to nurture a puppy’s emotional intelligence.

  1. Communication – giving a puppy his voice, i.e. Communication manding and attention/distraction protocols
  2. Emotional stability – the ability to recover quickly 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, and meeting different people and dogs.
  4. Enrichment—Teach the puppies that novelty and challenges are enrichment opportunities, not to be feared or avoided. For example, they can be introduced to new novelty items on an ongoing basis at an activity centre, car ride, outdoors, etc.
  5. Health – physical wellness and motor skills that will allow the puppy to develop neurologically and physically soundly. For instance, daily weight checks, grooming, proper nutrition, fecal checks, and deworming, vet health checks and vaccinations)
  6. Skills – learned behaviours that teach the puppy to function in human society, i.e., recall, manding, simple commands, potty training, crate introduction, resource guarding, bite inhibition, etc.
  7. Love – teach puppies to seek out the company of dogs and humans as emotionally positive experiences, i.e., Daily cuddles with humans and the puppy’s mom.
  8. Shaping emotional responses: happy and calm CER (Conditioned Emotional Responses). For instance, treats and encouragement during puppy training.

We have had a few adventurous puppies climb out of the whelping box, so it was time to add another panel to the entrance.

Millie is a wonderful Mama

Millie continues to be a wonderful mama, loving and patient with her litter of twelve. She’s now spending more time away from her puppies, but always checks in and feeds them. Weaning will start soon. Every mama is different, so I let each mother tell me when it’s time to introduce puppy milk replacement, followed by puppy mush.

Whenever the puppies see their mama return, they think they should eat. They weren’t too pleased when Millie decided to eat her kibble before feeding her babies.

😂

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Looking Back at Week Three

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 essential 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 training started
  • Puppies will be moving to the main floor towards the end of the week
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Millie’s Puppies Are Already Two Weeks Old

The puppies are already two weeks old–how time flies! We have plenty to keep us busy while raising them, including ENS, ESI, cleaning, weighing, and laundry, to name a few.

Two weeks old

Puppy Culture

We raise our puppies using many of the protocols 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 shape a puppy’s future by what we choose to teach them. Consequently, by doing the right things at the right time, we can give puppies the best start possible.

Transitional Period

The puppies enter the transitional period when they open their eyes. Because every puppy is different, we use “Behavioural Markers” 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 at sounds.

Milestones

When raising puppies, we watch for Milestones to gauge their progress.

Weigh-In

The first milestone the puppies reached this week was doubling their birth weight. We are pleased to report that nine of Millie’s puppies have doubled their birth weight, and the rest are expected to reach this milestone within a day or two. Given the size of such a large litter, this milestone is expected to be reached later than with a smaller litter. Great job, Millie!

Eyes Opened

At birth, the puppies’ eyes are sealed shut because they are still developing—the retina, cornea, and optic nerve pathways are still actively forming behind the eyelids.

Another milestone we look forward to is when the puppies open their eyes, usually between days 10 and 14. Yellow Boy was the first to open his eyes, on day 13, and a few more followed the next day. The rest of the litter should open their eyes over the next day or two.

Yellow Boy was the first puppy to open his eyes

ENS

ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) 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. 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.

We had some noisy puppies LOL – We demonistrated our ENS (day 14) with Purple girl .

ESI

ESI (Early Scent Introduction) is a daily training program for newborn puppies (performed from days 3 to 16 of life) that introduces new, natural scents for about 5 seconds at a time to stimulate neurological development and improve adult scenting capability. The puppies are introduced to a new scent each day, and we record each puppy’s response as positive (moving toward or actively sniffing), neutral (uninterested), or negative (pulling away). 

Pink Girl is demonstrating ESI. The scent for the day was rabbit fur, which she responded positively to. 

With each passing day, Millie spends more time away from her puppies. When she returns, she cleans them before settling into feed.

A LOOK BACK AT WEEK TWO

Looking Ahead to Week Three

  • ENS and ESI exercises will continue until day 16
  • Puppies will continue to eat and sleep most of their day
  • The rest of the puppies eyes will open and 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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Luna’s six week old sweeties

Luna’s sweet babies are now six weeks old and becoming more adorable each day. We’ve had another busy week caring for the puppies and introducing them to many new things. They have grown bigger, and we continue to see their unique personalities developing. The puppies love the outdoors and enjoy running and playing together. 

Indoor Puppy Area

The puppy area has changed once again. We said farewell to the whelping box where the puppies spent their first five weeks of life. The potty box remains, and we encourage the puppies to use it whenever they need to go. Some puppies are better at it than others, but overall, all the puppies are doing a great job. We will continue focusing on their potty training.

The puppy area now features crates that they can enter and exit freely. We make the crates more comfortable by adding a bolster bed and a snuggle puppy, making them more welcoming and cozy. Two puppies immediately crawled into one of the crates to rest. By week seven, the puppies will nap in their crates with the door closed.

Whelping box removed and potty box remains
Cozy bed and stuffies
Black and Red girl relaxing in their new crate
Two puppies in each crate having a nap

Exploring the Outdoors

This week, the puppies enjoyed a new outdoor adventure. It is always an exciting time watching them sniff their new surroundings and begin to run around. The outdoor puppy area is on the deck. On the first day, we carried all the puppies out and placed them into the outdoor potty box, trying to teach them the acceptable place to go outside too.

The outdoors has ample space for Luna to train her puppies, teaching them to submit and learn proper dog manners. It also provides plenty of different toys, a tunnel, and a structure for the puppies to climb through. 

This week’s puppy challenges

  • Go out the sliding door
  • Go down the stairs
  • Find the entrance to the outdoor puppy enclosure
  • Come inside on their own — the start of recall training using “Puppy, Puppy” Call
  • Come inside on their own — the start of recall training using “Puppy, Puppy” Call

Morning playtime with Lilah—This week, the puppies experienced a positive interaction by playing with an older pup. Lilah, our four-month-old puppy and hopefully a future mama, has been captivated by watching the puppies since they moved to the main floor behind the fencing. We decided to let Lilah interact with the puppies both indoors and outdoors, carefully supervising to ensure she remains gentle. This video taken on Wednesday shows Lilah and the puppies during morning play. I’m so impressed with how gentle Lilah is with them, and it is clear to see how much the puppies adore her. 

A look back at week six

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK SEVEN

  • Puppies time spent awake will continue to increase
  • Puppies will transition to dry kibble by the end of week seven
  • We will continue to encourage puppies to use potty area inside and out
  • 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 one on one cuddle time.
  • Puppies will have their first car ride to visit the for their first vaccinations and microchip
  • Selection Day coming up
Six week photo coming soon
Puppy Selection Day Saturday
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Luna’s Adorable Puppies’ First Week

Luna’s precious puppies are one week old today. When caring for puppies, our days are always busy, and each week brings its own challenges. During the first week, we focus on looking after our mama and her babies, making sure everyone is doing well.

Whelping Day

When we woke on Thursday morning, it was clear Luna’s labour had begun. Sometimes labour takes a long time, but Luna progressed quickly. She delivered her first puppy at 3:10 in the afternoon, with the last puppy delivered at 7:00 pm I was thankful that our delivery was in the afternoon and not in the middle of the night like most whelps. 

Luna and Brinkley had eight adorable puppies; seven girls and one boy. 

Puppy Care 

It is important to watch each puppy’s development and compare to littermates to confirm that the puppies are developing normally and meeting milestones. Some of our daily chores include:

  • Cleaning – Whelping box is cleaned and disinfected regularly. 
  • Vet bedding is replaced with a clean one. 
  • Each puppy is weighed daily, and a record is kept to track their progress. 
  • Puppies are handled and cuddled often throughout the day. 
  • ENS begins on Day 3. 
  • Always plenty of laundry to do.

Mama Care 

It is important that our mama receives exceptional care both physically and emotionally, before whelping as well as after whelping.

  • We feed our mama’s high-quality food, plenty of fresh water, and special postnatal vitamins, all of which help them recover quickly after the whelp.
  • Luna gets the emotional support she needs, and I spend most of my time keeping Luna company in her whelping room. When she nurses, I often join her in her whelping box, giving her pats and massages.
  • At night, I sleep in the whelping room so I can check on things during the night. 
  • Puppies, like human babies, can sense their mothers’ emotions, which influences the newborns. A healthy, calm, and loving mother who is well cared for is in turn passed on to her puppies. This helps us achieve our goal – to raise healthy, calm, confident, and well-adjusted puppies!
Special Postnatal Vitamins
Boiled Chicken
Luna eats her chicken in the whelping box

Dedicated Mama

Luna is a dedicated mama who has been taking wonderful care of her puppies. Newborn puppies cannot regulate their own body temperature. They need a warm space, their mother, and littermates to help keep them warm. During the first few days of the puppies’ lives, Luna spent all her time in the whelping box with her babies, keeping them warm, clean, and ensuring they nursed often.

In the past few days, she has been spending more time away from her puppies in the yard to get some exercise. This break from her puppies is only short. After a bit of exercise, Luna wants to go back inside, running upstairs to check on her babies. As the days pass, her time away from her puppies will gradually increase.

Day 7 Luna now spends time resting outside the whelping box and checks in on her babies

Puppy Development

Puppies are born with their eyes and ears sealed shut; they cannot see or hear. They must rely on “smell” and “touch” to find their mother. Newborn puppies are not able to void without help from their mother. For the first two weeks of life, puppies are stimulated by their mother licking them, which encourages urination and defecation. This “cleaning” by the mother not only helps the puppies void but also benefits them in other ways, such as promoting bonding, grooming, and accelerating the development of the nervous system. 

Neonatal Period

The puppies are in the Neonatal Period which is from day 0 to day 14. During this period, puppies spend their time eating and sleeping.

ENS Exercises

On day 3, we began ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) exercises, which will continue until day 16. Research indicates that these small doses of gentle stress and stimulation benefit puppies. The advantages of ENS include increased stress tolerance, better resistance to illness, faster adrenal response, and a stronger, healthier heartbeat. This is a unique opportunity that a breeder can only provide during the 3 to 16-day window. Puppies will also be handled regularly to help them get used to human touch. 

One of the stresses the puppies are exposed to is lying for five seconds on a cold pack wrapped in a blanket.

Cold Gel Pack
ENS
Cold Pack wrapped in blanket

Expert Nursers

The puppies have become expert nursers and are all gaining weight and growing quickly. Good job, Luna!

Sleep, Sleep, Seep

Newborn puppies spend about 90% of their time sleeping… eat, sleep, repeat. Whether they sleep cuddled with their mama, littermates, or alone, they enjoy many adorable sleeping positions. 

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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Look at Maui’s Adorable Six Week Old Sweetie

The puppies are six weeks old today. We have had another busy week caring for them and introducing them to many new experiences. They have grown bigger, and each puppy’s unique personality is starting to show. 

Food

Maui continues to wean her puppies as they eat softened kibble. She is nursing them less often, so we always have fresh water available for them to drink to keep them hydrated.

Cuddle Time

It’s important to handle puppies and expose them to human touch. We handle our puppies daily from birth. The puppies always get excited when I approach their pen and choose a puppy to sit with me. I am working on teaching them to sit before I pick them up. They love their daily one-on-one cuddle time, where I brush them and give them lots of pats and massages. 

Potty Training

We continue to work on potty training, and we are great making progress. Some puppies are more consistent, but all the puppies are improving. We will soon take the whelping box away and introduce crates to their puppy area.

A look back at the puppies’ seventh week

The puppies have had experience walking on various surfaces, and new toys have been added to their puppy area for them to explore. 

LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK SEVEN

  • Puppies time spent awake will continue to increase
  • Puppies will say goodbye to their welping box which will be replaced with crates
  • We will continue to encourage puppies to use potty box
  • Puppies will continue to socialize and learn from each other through play
  • Puppies will start outdoor play as weather permits
  • Puppies will begin dry kibble by the end of week seven
  • Puppies will visit the vet for their wellness check-up and vaccinations on Wednesday
  • 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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Seven week old Sweeties

Another busy week has gone by, and Piper’s puppies are now seven weeks old. They’ve experienced many new firsts, such as discovering new toys, learning “puppy call,” and entering and exiting the house on their own. As they grow, they are becoming a little more independent. 

Puppies’ Mealtime

Newborn puppies get all their nourishment from their mother’s milk. When Piper’s puppies were three weeks old, we started them on puppy formula in a dish because feeding twelve puppies can take its toll on a mama. Piper started weaning her puppies at this point too.

During weaning, the puppies gradually start eating solids. First, they eat a ground, watery puppy mush. Second, we soak kibble in hot water to make it soft and waterlogged. Lastly, the puppies transition to dry kibble. This week, the puppies have completed the transition to dry kibble.

Feeding time has become much simpler now. No more grinding puppy food to turn it into mush or waiting while the kibble is soaked in hot water. We just scoop the dry kibble into the dishes and watch the puppies eagerly eat their meals.

Piper will be returning to her guardian family next week, so to help with the weaning process, she wears a weaning suit. Piper isn’t as strict as some mamas who tell their puppies “no milk.” When she wears her suit, her puppies can’t nurse, but she can still spend time with them. 

Our Door Exercise

We like to give the puppies outdoor exercise every day, weather permitting. This week, we experienced a variety of weather, from +7 degrees on Tuesday, a snowstorm on Wednesday, and heavy rain on Friday. So the puppies couldn’t go outside on Wednesday and Friday. But for the rest of the week, they enjoyed their outdoor exercise, where they loved chasing each other and playing on our outdoor toys. 

Grandma Willow Teaching the Puppies

Willow was a strict mama with her puppies, and we are happy that she can help our mamas teach their puppies. When I let Willow into the puppy area, she taught them “no jumping” and to stay away. A couple of puppies didn’t listen at first, but they soon learned Grandma Willow means what she says.

Piper Teaching her Puppies

This week Piper was training her puppies a couple at a time teaching them submit.

Looking Ahead to Week Eight

  • Puppies will continue exploring and playing together inside and outdoors as weather permits
  • Piper along with our other dogs will continue teaching the puppies dog manners
  • Crate training with the door closed during nap time will begin
  • We will continue to encourage puppies to use the potty area 
  • Puppies will visit the vet and have their first car ride
  • Puppies will continue to get lots of cuddle time
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Maui’s Adorable Five Week Old Pups

Maui’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 extended periods but still sleep most of their days and nights.

Socializing puppies is crucial when raising them, which involves exposing them to as many new experiences as possible during their early weeks. This week was 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 started on solids.

Potty Training

We have been working hard to train the puppies to use the potty box. This litter is making good progress; some puppies are more consistent than others, but all are improving. Once they become more reliable, we will remove the whelping box and replace it with crates.

Solids

The puppies are now eating soft kibble. I soak the regular kibble in boiling water and let it sit, which makes it easier for the puppies to eat. Gradually, I reduce the amount of water and soaking time, working towards puppies eating dry kibble by seven weeks of age.

Looking Back at week five

Looking Ahead to Week Six

  • Awake time will continue to increase
  • Puppies will continue learning to use the potty box 
  • Introduce crates to the puppy area
  • Socialize with each other through play
  • As they walk on uneven ground, their balance will continue to improve 
  • Daily Outdoor play time as weather permits
  • 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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Maui’s Adorable Four Week Old Puppies

How quickly the weeks go by. It is hard to believe that Maui’s puppies are four weeks old. This week, we have been focusing on potty training. Although they still sleep a lot during the day, when awake, they enjoy socialising with their littermates through play and by climbing onto my lap for cuddles.

Mama’s Milk is best

Maui continues to be an excellent mother caring for her puppies. She has done a wonderful job feeding them….they are very chubby! Maui is still willing to nurse her puppies, so we haven’t started solids yet. Since birth, she nurses them in a lying-down position, but I have seen her feed them standing a couple of times, which suggests she will begin the weaning process. 

Laying down
Standing Position

Those Adorable Faces

We’re a little late with our weekly blog again because of Piper’s Selection Day prep. These pictures were definitely worth the wait. How adorable are those faces!

The Girls

Pink Collar Girl
Purple Collar Girl

The Boys

Fluorescent Green Boy
Dark Blue Boy
Red Boy
Light Blue Boy
Yellow Boy

Potty training continues

Partway through this past week, we introduced a separate potty area. This provides the puppies with a whelping box for sleeping and playing, and we encourage them to use the potty box when needed. We use pine pellets in the potty box. 

A look back at week four

Looking Ahead to Week Five

  • Moving to the main floor
  • Introduce Solids
  • Puppies will continue learning to use the 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
  • Intorduce play area
  • Mama will begin to add the invaluable teaching phase to her caring & protecting responsibilities over the next weeks.

Piper’s Six Week Old Sweethearts

Piper’s sweet puppies are now six weeks old and growing more adorable each day. We’ve had another busy week caring for the puppies and introducing them to many new things. They have grown bigger, and you can see each pup’s unique personality developing. We usually introduce our puppies to the outdoors at five weeks of age, but we’ve experienced very cold weather this past week and weren’t able to let the puppies outside to play until Friday. The puppies love being outdoors and enjoy running and playing together. 

New Play Area

This week, the puppies got a new play area. They enjoy the extra space and new toys.

Lots of new toys to explore; a slide, tunnel, wobble disc to name a few. We also have potty boxes and a crate. The puppies explored inside the crate and even took a nap.

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 as each family meets their new puppy. We had a great day meeting everyone, and I know that each of our puppies has found a loving forever home.

After a busy day visiting many families, the puppies were tired and slept most of the evening.

A look back at week six


LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK SEVEN

  • As always, puppies will continue to get lots of cuddle time.
  • 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 and out
  • 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 and our other adult dogsas she disciplines them and teaches them to behave 

Look for the Puppies Six week old pictures this week

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Piper’s Puppies Are Already Five Weeks Old

Five weeks old

Piper’s puppies 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.

Puppies Start Solids

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

We start the puppies on a water puppy mush with ground puppy kibble, puppy formula and boiled water. Then we gradually been make the puppy mush thicker.

The puppies have started eating water-soaked kibble. We will guaually reduce the water and soaking time and by seven weeks, they will begin eating dry kibble.

notice the difference

Should I sleep alone or with a buddy?

The puppies still spend much of their time sleeping. This is when they grow and process what they’ve learned while awake. Remember the puppy huddles? Now that they are bigger and can regulate their temperature, some puppies sleep in groups or with a buddy, while others sleep alone. This week, new beds were added to the puppy area. They quickly became a favourite spot to sleep… So comfy!

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 of them are making progress. It’s amazing to see puppies wake up or stop playing and go over to use their potty box. 

We have now introduced pine pellets to the Potty Box. 

A look back at week five


Looking Ahead to Week Six

  • Awake time will continue to increase
  • Introduce 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
  • Socialize with each other through play
  • 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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Maui’s Puppies Turn Three Weeks Old

Maui’s puppies are now three weeks old and have progressed rapidly this week. With only seven puppies to feed, they are quite chubby. Their eyes have fully opened, and their vision is getting better. Their ears have also opened, and they now respond to sound.

Puppy Culture

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. Sunday was Day 16 of the puppies life and the final day for our ENS exercises.

Critical Socialization Period (weeks 3 – 12)

The next period for Piper’s puppies is the Critical Socialization Period. We know that puppies have entered into this period when the react to sounds. We raise our puppies following many of the Puppy Culture protocols. These protocols helps us reach our goal “To Raise Healthy, Calm, Confident, Well-Adjusted Puppies“.

Over the remaining weeks we will be working on new experiences for the puppies by exposing them to as many new experiences as possible in order to raise the best possible companion for their forever families.

Emotional Intelligence 

Because Goldendoodles are companion dogs, it is important to teach emotional intelligence from young puppies and start them on a great beginning. With this intention we follow 7 key things that will nurture the emotional intelligence of a puppy.

  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.

Potty Training Begins

Now that the puppies can void on their own, they naturally move away from their sleep area to go potty. To encourage the puppies to “go in one spot,” we have divided the whelping box into a sleep/play area and a potty area, adding bolster beds and potty pads.

Daily Cleaning

Raising puppies involves daily chores, including cleaning. We clean and disinfect the whelping box and replace it with fresh vet bedding each day.

While cleaning the puppies’ whelping box, I placed them in a laundry basket. They have started to climb out, so on Thursday I put a quilt on the ground and let the puppies explore while I cleaned their whelping box. I thought Maui would lie down on the quilt and feed them, but to my surprise, she went into her crate and her puppies followed.

Maui feeds her puppies in her crate.

Maui’s Three Week Old Puppies

Looking Back at Week Three

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
  • Whelping box will expand with the introduction of litter box
  • Becoming steadier on their feet 
  • Practicing walking on all fours strengthens their hind legs
  • Hearing will improve 
  • Puppy milk teeth will erupt
  • Puppies will be moving to the main floor towards the end of the week