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.
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.
