Echo’s puppies – One Week Old

Looking Back

One week old

Our precious puppies are now one week old. We have had a busy week caring for Echo and helping her care for her babies. Echo suffered loose stools for a few day which a common occurrence after whelping. She also took a couple days to get an appetite. We put Echo on a diet of boiled chicken and rice with an added probiotic supplement. Echo didn’t want to leave her puppies so I fed her inside her whelping box. She recovered quickly after a couple days of this diet and is now eating well on her regular diet.

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. On day 3 we began ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) which continues through day 16. We preform ENS daily during our weigh-in time. Research shows these tiny struggles and stresses in small doses are good for puppies. Benefits from ENS 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 to 16-day window.

Puppy Twitches

The above videos show sleeping puppies “twitch” This is a sign of a healthy puppy.

Feeding

Before puppies are born, they receive immunity and everything they need to grow from the placenta. After birth newborn puppies do not possess immunity. A mothers first milk called colostrum is a protein-rich, nutritious, balanced, and protective food. The special milk provides passive immunity which can last several weeks and protect them from various infections and diseases. For this reason, the first twelve hours after birth it is vital for the puppies to nurse frequently and build up their passive immunity. (Passive immunity is the short-term immunity which results from the introduction of antibodies from the puppy’s mother. Compare with active immunity – the immunity which results from the production of antibodies by the immune system in response to the presence of an antigen)

Puppies are born with their eyes and ears sealed shut; they cannot see or hear. 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. The puppies are now experts at nursing! As you watch the video below, listen to the cute little sounds the puppies make as they nurse – so precious !

Echo is an amazing, attentive mama. She has a large litter of eleven babies and is not able to feed all the puppies at once. She has done an amazing job feeding her babies and cycling them through. She is very dedicated and stays with her babies around the clock.

With a large litter, we have to keep a close eye making sure all the puppies are getting their fair share of milk. We weight our puppies daily and keep records to track their progress. Some of our puppies are putting weight on quicker than others but, all our puppies are gaining weight daily. Good job Echo!

For the first two weeks of their life newborn puppies spend their time eating and sleeping.

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 !!!

Puppies Are Beginning Crate Training Training

I finally got the crates set up to begin crate training. I decided to do one litter a a time. This morning Willow’s litter went in to explore. They were in and out and a couple puppies stayed inside and laid down. After awhile, it was time to put each puppy in and close the door.

I want to make this a positive experience for the puppies so, I gave them a treat. It was a Whimzees dental chew for puppies. This is a first experience for our puppies and it kept them occupied.

Puppies had a Whimzees treat in their crate so that they associate the crate with something good!

Willow’s Puppies

Willow’s puppies Crate Training 1
Willow’s puppies Crate Training 2

Willow’s puppies did very well. Our grey collar girl wasn’t happy at first but soon settled. The puppies slept for a couple hours. Great job puppies!

Ellie’s Puppies

Ellie’s puppies Crate Training 1
Ellie’s puppies Crate Training 2

Ellie’s puppies took a little longer to settle. Our pink collar girl didn’t like the crate at first and it took awhile but she finally stopped whining and slept quietly. Ellie’s litter did a great job sleeping quietly in their crates for their afternoon nap.

The puppies will continue to have naps in their crates for the next few days. Next week we will begin night time in their crate.

Outdoor Fun For Our Puppies

Just a short post today. It was a beautiful winter day full of sunshine and the puppies had a great time playing and exploring. They are becoming experts at coming outside on their own. We added a couple large stuffies and I opened up a new little area for the puppies to explore.

They have come a long way!
Can you see your puppy?

See Excited Puppies Enjoy Their First Snow

Selection Day

We had a great day yesterday at Puppy Selection. It is one of my favourite times raising puppies. I get to experience the excitement of our forever families as we introduce them to their puppy.

Our puppies were very tired at the end of the day with so much interaction with people. Meeting lots of new people is great for the puppies’ socialization. Even though the puppies didn’t get their daily outdoor exercise, they were all tired and had a long nap after a late dinner.

Snow Day

Today we woke up to excitement of snow. Being Sunday, my husband Tom went to church with my grandsons who are sleeping over for the weekend. I stayed home to look after puppies (they are never left alone). This gave me a chance to take the puppies outside and introduce yet another new experience – SNOW! I have read and agree, “The only thing goldendoodles like better than water is Snow! Our puppies loved their time outside. While our puppies continued playing in the snow, I went inside to clean out the puppy areas. After their long outdoor play session, I brought tired wet puppies back inside for a long nap.

First taste of Snow
Fun in the Snow

Tired Wet Puppies

A New Toy For Puppies To Explore

The puppies are growing bigger and more active with each passing day. We have been fortunate with the weather and the puppies have been able to have daily outdoor play. Today Ellie’s puppies went out first for their outdoor exercise which included a new toy – a tunnel. The puppies know when there is a new toy, and everyone wants a turn. The tunnel makes a “crinkle sound” which the puppies loved. At first, they just jumped on it. I waited to see which puppy would be the first to go through. Watch and see.

Puppies love the “crinkle sound” the new tunnel makes
Who will be the first puppy to go through the tunnel?

Willow’s Puppies Challenge

Puppies are always learning and being challenged to build their brain. Today’s challenge was for the puppies to come out of their enclosure and go outside on their own. Watch to see which puppies succeeded.

Puppy Challenge – Who will be brave and make it outside on their own?
All the puppies except our Merle’s made it out on their own. Maybe tomorrow LOL!

Outdoor Play and then, back inside where it is nice and warm for a nap

Look At Our Adorable Puppies

Can you find 17 puppies?

Watch Our Excited Puppies And Their Outdoor Adventure

Our first Outdoor Adventure with the puppies is one of the highlights of puppy raising. From five weeks on, the puppies will have outdoor play as weather permits. This is exciting for puppies, mama’s, and our other dogs. It is so fun to watch the puppies experience new smells, new walking surfaces, descending steps, and lots of room to run.

At first the puppies were a little timid staying close to the ground and smelling as they moved around. When they felt more at ease they started to relax, explore, run and play.

My husband Tom enclosed our deck with fencing making the outdoor puppy enclosure. This keeps our other dogs out while giving our mama room to teach their puppies without interference. Maui the nanny, doesn’t let the fence stop her. She jumps over with ease and comes and goes as she pleases. In the video’s watch as the mama’s along with Maui teach puppies to submit.

Ellie’s Puppies First Outdoor Adventure

1st taste of the outdoors – Watch the puppies descend the steps.
Fun time of learning and play – Ellie and Maui are teaching the puppies to submit

Willow’s Puppies First Outdoor Adventure

1st taste of the outdoors Willow’s puppies were a little more cautious than Ellie’s puppies to go down the steps. (Ellie is not too please to be excluded LOL)
Fun time of learning and play – Near the end of the video, Grandma Ruska came in for a little training. The puppies were quick to listen!

Grandma Ruska Teaches puppies

Grandma Ruska wanted in on the puppy teaching. She loved being a mama and raised some amazing puppies. Ruska is now retired but still loves puppies. She wanted into the puppy enclosure to get in on the teaching. Watch as she calmed the puppies right down. They listen well!

Puppies learn to listen

Our Sweet Puppies are in the Transitional Period

Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) Exercises (day3 to day 16)

We have now finished our ENS exercises with both litters. While raising our puppies, I want to do everything possible to produce Healthy, Calm, Confident, Well-Adjusted Puppies. During the ENS exercise the puppies experience tiny struggles and stresses. These stresses in small doses are good for puppies and the benefits include greater tolerance to stress, greater resistance to disease, faster adrenal system, stronger heart rate and stronger heartbeat. This will help our puppies grow into strong, healthy, well-adjusted adults.

Transitional Period Day 14 – 21

Ellie and Willow continue to take wonderful care of their puppies and they continue to grow stronger with each passing day. The puppies are now in the Transitional Period. The transitional period begins when the puppy’s eyes open and ends when they first startle upon hearing sounds. The puppies are becoming more aware of their littermates but still sleep most of the time.

Although the puppies still spend most of their time eating and sleeping, they are now awake for short periods of time. During their awake time, they are now beginning to interact with their littermates. The puppies are also vocalizing. I was able to take the videos below during the puppies awake time. As you can hear, they are quite noisy – I was talking during the video but not loud enough (sorry) LOL!

Puppies interact – Willow’s above, Ellie’s below

Adorable Puppy Pics

Introducing Our Beautiful Puppies

Just a short blog to introduce the puppy singles. Both Ellie and Willow are great mamas and are doing a wonderful job caring for their new babies. The puppies in both litters are gaining weight daily. They are doing what newborn puppies do best – eat, sleep, repeat!

Ellie’s Litter

Ellie’s puppies have variety of colours in the red spectrum ranging from cream, apricot and reds and one brown male. Many of the puppies look similar so we put different colour collars on them to help keep track of who’s who at weigh-in.

The Girls

Dark Pink Collar Female
Orange Collar Female
Light Pink Collar Female
Purple Collar Female
Red Collar Female

The Boys

Green Collar Male
Dark Blue Collar Male
Light Blue Collar Male



Willows Litter

Willow’s litter has a variety of colours, some with lovely white markings and three merle puppies with their own unique chocolate spots and lovely white patches. I haven’t given them collar colours (except green collar girl) because I can visibly differentiate between them at weigh-in. Their collars are pending.

The Girls

Blonde Female Green Collar
Chocolate Merle Female
Blonde Female (no collar)
Chocolate Merle Female
Black Female

The Boys

Blonde Male
Chocolate Male
Chocolate Merle Male
White Male



Time To Say Good-bye To Finley, Our Sweet Singleton Puppy

8 weeks old

Eight weeks have passed since our sweet singleton puppy came into the world. Remember how tiny she was – I could hold her on the palm of my hand. Echo has been a wonderful mama caring, loving, and teaching her baby. Finley has learned so much over these past eight weeks. I have enjoyed helping Echo raise her puppy to the point where she is ready to join her forever family.


Substitute Littermate – The Snuggle Puppy

Finley with her “Snuggle Puppy”; her substitute littermate. Look how much she has grown over the past eight weeks!

Finley was not too impressed with her bath and wanted no part of the blow dryer. I had to let her dry off in her puppy pen.

A Look Back At The Past Eight Weeks

This video looks back on the past eight week – how quickly puppies grow. Finley has grown into a Beautiful Girl!

Off To Her Forever Home

Our sweet puppy left for her forever home on Wednesday. Finley is a lucky puppy to be joining a wonderful forever family. Her forever family already have a dog Charlie (red collar boy from Ellie and Brinkley’s 2021 litter). Finley and Charlie will be great companions, playmates, and best friends.

Even though Finley was a singleton pup without littermates to keep her company, I am so happy that she will always have her brother Charlie as her companion. She goes from Finley the singleton to Finley and Charlie the duo! Good-bye sweet Finley girl, we wish you a long and happy life full of love, continued learning and, lots of adventures !

Finley is already getting comfortable in her new home. Watch as she plays tug-of-war with her big brother (Spoiler – Charlie wins this time LOL!)

Raising a Singleton – Week 7

Seven weeks old

LOOKING BACK

Echo’s baby is now seven weeks old. Finley continues to grow bigger and more adorable each day. She is full of energy and curious about everything. Finley is a smart puppy – she knows her name, the sit command and is doing well on recall. Finley had an exciting week experiencing more firsts. Sunday she met her forever family who will soon be her world. Her forever family includes one of our puppies from Ellie and Brinkleys 2021 litter – red colour boy now Charlie. Big brother Charlie didn’t show too much interest in her other than a few sniffs every now and then but Finley was very cautious of this new dog. She hid under a chair when Charlie came to investigate her. I am sure that they will quickly become best friends playing and exploring together.

Finley meets her big brother Charlie

Outdoor Play

Finley, our 7 week old singleton puppy loves spending time outdoors! She has lots to keep her busy: running and exploring the yard, playing with my grandchildren, learning from the big dogs and wrestling with her mama.


Finley thinks that she is a big dog drinking from our elevated water bowls LOL



LOOKING AHEAD TO WEEK EIGHT

  • Puppy will start eating dry kibble this week
  • Puppy will continue exploring and playing inside and outdoors as weather permits
  • We will continue to work on Recall with “The Puppy Call”
  • Puppy will continue learning from her mama Echo and our other dogs
  • We will continue to encourage puppy to use potty area 
  • Puppy heads to the Vet on Saturday for her wellness check, first set of shots and her microchip
  • Puppy will continue to get lots of cuddle time