Petite Multi-Gen Berenedoodle
Blanche loves to be a central part of the fun. She truly cares for all of her family members. She senses when someone is not feeling well or is having a difficult time. When someone is not feeling well she stays right by their side loving on them and watching over them. She loves exercise and affection and always succeeds in giving it back. She is a furry, engaging jovial member of her family. Her favorite thing to do is play fetch. I promise you will get tiered of it before she does. She is obsessed.
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15 pounds, 13" tall, Wavy non shedding coat
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27.8% Bernese Mountain dog, 51.8% small poodle, 17.7% standard poodle 2.7% miniature schnauzer
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Birthday: July 24, 2020
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Health: Pennhip: o.33/0.33 (Better than breed average) OFA Hip: Preliminary Excellent, OFA Elbow Preliminary Normal OFA Eyes, Heart, Patella, Dentition, Normal. Full Embark Panel, 2 copies of CDDY
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Coat & Color Genetics: Ff -/- Ee KyKy atat BB SS mm 8/10 intensity
Blanche & Scout
Petite Golden Mountain-doodles (Goldendoodle X Bernedoodle) 10-15 lbs
Born: March 10th
Match Date: Birth
Go home: Thursday May 4th
These puppies will be $3500
Blanche started early labor about 4:00 pm yesterday and delivered her first little phantom girl just after 8:00. With about an hour break between each puppy she went on to have two more babies. A black and white parti male and a red abstract female. They are all thriving and quickly latched right on to momma. Blanch is very attentive and cares for here little ones just like always. These babies are expected to be petite and should mature to be about 10-15 pounds. They should have a loose wavy low/non-shedding coat.
Blanche/Scout Waiting list
1) John Williams (Red Female) Spirit Lake, ID "Bea"
2) Terrie & Bob Springman (Phantom female) "Dorothy" (Big Piney, WY)
3) Gene Hines Black parti male) "Stanely" (Mobile, Al)
Blanch/Scout 3/10/2023
Blanch/Scout 3/10/2023
1 week
Golden Girls 9 weeks
(Miss Pink "Dorothy") -wavy/Black phantom (Mr Green "Stanely") -wavy/Black Parti
(Miss Purple "Bea")-wavy/Black phantom
Blanches babies are 9 weeks old. They are turning into beautiful little babies. These precious pups are doing great at training. They sleep individually in a their own crate throughout the night and we really don't hear a peep out of them until we wake up around 6:30. They each eat Individually in their crate 3 times a day and they eat about 1/4 of a cup at each feeding for a total of 3/4 of a cup a day. They each use the doggie door to let themseves in and out to go to the bathroom. We still have occasional accidents in the home but for the most part the outdoors is they potty area. These two love playing with one another and have fun with our other dogs as well. They are doing great learning appropriate doggy manners and doggy play from one another and the older dogs in our home. Mr Stanely is a littel higher energy level then Mrs. Dorothy. Dorothy does really well at staying calm and just relaxing and chilling with us when she is held. She is going to make a great snuggle buddy for some special person. Mr. Standly is a little more active and at this time really just loves to play. He will be great for an active family.
Make sure you are prepared
Golden Girls 7 weeks
(Miss Pink "Dorothy") -wavy/Black phantom (Mr Green "Stanely") -wavy/Black Parti
(Miss Purple "Bea")-wavy/Black phantom
A few tips to remember when you first meet your puppy:
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Puppies use smell as their primary sense. Let them smell and greet you before you pick them up.
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If you are bringing kids, remind them that high pitch noises or squealing is stressful for the puppy. They should greet the puppy calmly and quietly and let the puppy smell them first.
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Take them straight to your potty area first thing when you get home. Pick them up and carry them there. Bring treats to reward potty immediately then take them in the house and let them sniff around to get used to a new place.
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Introduce your existing pets one at a time and only when both dogs are calm. If your dog jumps and barks and cries when you walk in the door then that is not a good time to introduce the new puppy. Outside or in a neutral house location is also best i.e. don't take the puppy to your older dog's favorite bed to meet him.
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The babies still sleep almost as much as they are awake. If your puppy is acting really hyper he may be overstimulated. Put him in his crate or on a bed in a quiet location to settle down. Add a chew toy if he is having trouble settling. If he still won't calm down then take him outside again for a few minutes and ignore him as he runs around then try settling down again.
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Remind kids that if the puppy is on his bed or in his crate he is off limits. Puppies should have a safe place to go to when they have had enough 'kid' time.
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It's not unusual for them to refuse food or eat only a little for a couple of days. Don't panic. They will eat when needed.
Feeding: We give our puppies free access to water all the time during the day. Take water up a couple of hours before bedtime. Your puppy is eating 2-3 times a day. If they are eating 3 times a day many will naturally start to "back off" or not finish one of those meals at about 3-6 months of age. This is fine, and this is a good time to go down to 2 meals a day, just distribute the same amount you fed as 3 meals into 2 meals. A similar thing can happen at about 8 months to a year when many puppies naturally go down to 1 meal. By the time your dog is a year old, unless there's a veterinary reason not to, it's best to bring your dog down to 1 meal a day. You can start this schedule as early as 8 months. In your take home folder your puppy comes home with you will find a 6 page document that will go over food and feeding to help you know what to do and expect.
Petite (expected 10-20 lbs) doodles are eating about ¼ cup – ½ cup of food split into thirds or half and eating 2-3 times a day.
Miniature (expected 20-30 lbs) doodles are eating about ½ cup – ¾ cup of food split into thirds or half and eating 2-3 times a day.
Medium (expected 35-50 lbs) doodles are eating about ¾ cup – 1 cup of food split into thirds or half and eating 2-3 times a day.
Pleas be sure to read through our preparation page found here ... Take home preparation page--
Golden Girls 6 weeks
(Miss Pink "Dorothy") -wavy/Black phantom (Mr Green "Stanely") -wavy/Black Parti
(Miss Purple "Bea")-wavy/Black phantom
Puppies are preparing to go home in a couple weeks! I know everyone is excited to finally meet their puppy and start this new venture with their baby. A new puppy is always an exiting and welcome addition. We know that many of these babies will be going to families who have been planning and preparing for this little puppy for quite some time so the anticipation is very high. In these coming weeks these little ones will go to see the vet for their vet check. I will include vet notes and a medication record with your take home packet.
There are really just a couple of things that you have to have before you bring a puppy home.
1. Collar and leash.
2. Crate and pad. See our Supply page to determine the size of crate to get. For the crate you go off of the expected adult height.
Teacup Range: Height between 10-12 inches typically between 5-10 lbs.
Petite range: height between 12-16 inches typically between 10-25 lbs.
Miniature range: Height: 15-18 inches at wither, typically 20-35 lbs.
Medium range: Height: over 18 but under 22 inches at wither, typically 30-50 lbs.
Standard range: Height: over 22 inches at wither, typically 45 or more lbs.
(height is measured from the floor to the top of the shoulder (wither)
3. Food. You should already have ordered your food and it should arrive before your puppy comes home. If not talk to me and I might be able to help you.
3. Chew toys. You need to have something for those little teeth to chew on. We've given lots of ideas in our take home information. If you don't provide something they will find something.
We plan to give the puppies their first full bath this week. Usually at first they act a little reserved but quickly warm up to the idea. Lots of our doodles are influenced by their poodle ancestors and they absolutely love water.
After their bath they will have their first little mini grooming session. We trim their back sides to help keep them clean (mom usually stops cleaning them when they started eating solid foods) and we cute the hair out of the corner of their eyes so that their vision development is unobstructed. As always we keep their little razor sharp toenails trimmed as well. The puppies have gotten really fun to watch playing together.
The puppies will receive fenbendazole (dewormer medicine) this week .
This is week 4 of the socialization period. Puppies have now learned to take food from my hand and are doing great with manding. Every time we feed the puppies we call them with a high pitch "here pup, pup, pup, pup, pup, pup" similar to how you hear people call a kitty. They now have a great recall down and will come any time I call out like this. It is so important to have a good "recall" with a puppy to help keep them from trouble. This recall will transition to the dogs name once you have him/her in your home.
The babies are all doing great sleeping in crates. They still usually pile into one crate together but we offer them a couple of sizes of crates and they sometimes nap all alone. We don't close the door with them and we don't have them sleeping separately at this stage.
Golden Girls 5 weeks
(Miss Pink "Dorothy") -wavy/Black phantom (Mr Green "Stanely") -wavy/Black Parti
(Miss Purple "Bea")-wavy/Black phantom
This week the puppies have begin to spend time outside during the day when we have nice weather. They will eventually spend time outside every day sun, rain or snow. All dogs need to be comfortable with going outside in all kinds of weather.
The puppies are all very steady on their feet now and are getting really playful (especially with each other). They are doing great with their potty training by using the potty area about 95% of the time and they are keeping their beds clean all of the time. We will introduce crates to the puppies this coming week. We put all their soft bedding in the crates to encourage them to choose the crate for sleeping. They usually all pile in one crate together as they still need each other for warmth and comfort.
Puppies are now transitioning over to solid dry crunch kibble as they are getting their teeth. We will keep offering soft food until they all have their molars.
The puppies had their first barrier challenge this past week. For a mental challenge that encourages problem solving and stress tolerance, we introduce a barrier that they have to navigate to get to their food. It can be as simple as putting their food around a corner at first. We allow each puppy to negotiate the challenge at their own pace and we watch each puppy to make sure they successfully navigate to their food before we make things harder.
This is week three of the socialization period. This week the puppies have begun to learn and be shaped by other adult dogs in the household but especially mom. Learning dog manners is a skill that can only be taught by other dogs! We always watch interactions with other dogs closely. Mom is really the best teacher as she will stop or pin puppies that are overly energetic or that aren't picking up on cues to settle down. This interaction is important to learning good dog social skills. They are also learning how to use their teeth without causing damage. They teach each other that lesson as they constantly mouth and play with each other.
We gave the puppies their Neopar vaccines this week. Neopar helps develop immunity to Parvo--it is the only vaccine that is effective at this young age as these puppies still have passive immunity from nursing with mom. Some vets prefer to give full immunizations at 6 weeks of age but shots at this early stage are less than 30% effective. They have a much better immune response at 8 weeks. Our neonatal specialist recommends waiting until 8 weeks for full immmunization. Parvo is the most prevalent puppy illness so getting a head start with Neopar is important. We will talk more about vaccines in the take home information.
This is the week we begin "Manding" with the puppies. Manding is teaching the puppy to sit to 'say please.' This type of sit is not a cued behavior (we aren't asking them to sit), we are just instilling a natural instinct to settle down and sit calmly to get what they want. It's a way for them to communicate with us in a polite way. We simply approach them with a handful of soft treats and we give a treat to any puppy sitting quietly. We ignore the puppies that are jumping and pawing us. Eventually they all catch on that sitting nicely is what gets the reward. Peer pressure is a great thing with puppies! By the end of this week they will all have caught on and will begin expressing this very desirable behavior whenever we approach the pen.
Golden Girls 4 weeks
(Miss Pink "Dorothy") -wavy/Black phantom (Mr Green "Stanely") -wavy/Black Parti
(Miss Purple "Bea")-wavy/Black phantom
Puppies are all steady on their feet now and are starting to get more and more playful. We introduced a new bed/sleeping area along with our new pee/pooping area to help start these little ones on a path to easier potty training when they turned 3 weeks old. In the beginning we have one soft bed area and the rest of the pen is potty area. We use the puppies' natural instinct to keep their bed clean to help with potty training--the minute they step off their bed to go potty they will be in the desired area. Once they are accustomed to use the paper/grate area for potty we will be able to make their play/sleep area bigger.
They are doing great with their potty training by using the potty area about 85% of the time.
Last week puppies left the transitional period and entered the socialization period. During this time their ears opened and they began to hear. The puppies live in our living room so they are naturally exposed to a variety of noises that will help them adjust to family life: TV/movies in the background, children playing, vacuums running etc.are all familiar sounds to these babies. we worked on some startle recovery exercises this past week. For startle recovery exercises we randomly make sudden unusual noises that may startle the puppies ever so slightly to help shape their emotional responses. We watch closely to make sure there isn't a fear response and if necessary we work with individual puppies more gradually to help them adjust to the noises.
This is week two of the socialization period. Their little teeth are starting to erupt so this week puppies will start on solids and begin the process of weaning. We take our cues from mama--when she starts standing up to nurse we know it's time to introduce soft solid foods. First we use ground food mixed with water. As they get used to eating and swallowing we use regular food soaked in water until it is soft. Mom has already started to wean by spending less time in the box with them. This time will gradually increase over the next 2-3 weeks until they are no longer nursing. Mom still interacts with them throughout the day but she does so in shorter amounts of time. Puppies will participate in their first barrier challenge this week. Once they are really interested in their food I will place it behind of barrier of some sort so that they can use their problem solving skills to help work through problems or obstacles.
Golden Girls 2 weeks
(Miss Pink "Dorothy") -wavy/Black phantom (Mr Green "Stanely") -wavy/Black Parti
(Miss Purple "Bea")-wavy/Black phantom
The puppies are all doing great. Everyone has their eyes open now. It will take a little while for them to be able to see clearly. They are starting to move around more and more. We've begun handling the puppies a lot more as mom isn't quite as nervous to have them away from her for a few minutes. Handling by young children is a daily occurrence here at the Thompson household because we have a built in 6 year old to help socialize them!
At two weeks of age the puppies leave the neonatal period and enter what is called the transitional period. Traditional period is typically between days 14-21. During this time we will begin to introduce them to a new novel item (toy, new bedding etc.) and or a new experience daily. These items and experiences will help to build a healthy startle/recover/curiosity/exploration cycle to lay the foundation for a confident puppy. This week we will take a dermal nail trimmer to the puppies nails for a few seconds at a time to begin to get them used to vibration and trimming of the nails. These puppies will have a lifetime of grooming and will need to be handled on their feet and toes on a regular bases. Early exposure to common grooming practices will help them be relaxed during grooming for the rest of their lives.
Golden Girls 1 week
(Miss Pink "Dorothy") -wavy/Black phantom (Mr Green "Stanely") -wavy/Black Parti
(Miss Purple "Bea")-wavy/Black phantom
Puppies are 1 week old and have all doubled their weight. These first 3 weeks they grow so fast!
Momma is still doing most of the work right now feeding, cleaning, and keeping them warm and happy. We are enjoying giving them short times of daily handling and ENS daily.
The puppies are entering their 2nd week of the Neonatal period. We will continue doing ENS until they are 16 days old. At this stage the puppies can't see or hear--scent is their main interaction with the world. They are surprisingly agile little crawlers but they aren't able to get up on their feet yet. Their eyes should open somewhere between 10 days and 2 weeks.
"Golden Girls" Newborn
(Miss Pink "Dorothy") -wavy/Black phantom (Mr Green "Stanely") -wavy/Black Parti
(Miss Purple "Bea")-wavy/Black phantom
Blanche's temp dropped yesterday morning and we went on puppy watch. Of course she waited to go into labor until I had a house full of thirteen 11 year olds in the home for a birthday party. Lol. Blanche started early labor about 4:00 pm yesterday and delivered her first little phantom girl just after 8:00. With about an hour break between each puppy she went on to have two more babies. A black and white parti male and a red abstract female. They are all thriving and quickly latched right on to momma. Blanch is very attentive and cares for here little ones just like always. These babies are expected to be petite and should mature to be about 10-15 pounds. They should have a loose wavy low/non-shedding coat.
The puppies have transitioned through delivery are now in the Neonatal period. The Neonatal period last for two weeks. During this time we pay close attention to the little pups to be sure each is thriving and growing. We watch weights and observe feedings to make sure everyone is eating and gaining weight. Momma does most of the work right now and we just do a lot of observation. Mom will tend and care for her puppies instinctively and make sure all is well by keeping them fed, clean, and warm. She licks constantly to stimulate their elimination systems and to keep them clean. We will begin Early Neurological Stimulation on day three. ENS is a an exercise developed by puppy behaviorists and trainers that is designed to stimulate neuro-pathway growth and start the physiological basis for resistant and predictable neurological development. Is takes only a few seconds per puppy. We hold each puppy upright, head-down down and flat on the back. Then we apply pressure to one paw near the toes and then set them on a cold cloth. Each exercise is done for to 2-3 seconds. We will also clip sharp little toenails as needed.
Blanche & Roland
Petite/Mini Golden Mountain-doodles (Goldendoodle X Bernedoodle) 15-25 lbs
Born: Aug 24th. 2022
Match Date: Birth
Go home: Monday, October 17th
These puppies will be $3500
Blanch had puppies early in the morning on Wednesday August 24th. She surprised us with a very small litter of just two puppies. She had one Tri parti male and one beautiful phantom female. Both puppies are doing great and momma is dotting over them like expected. She is so attentive and always wants to be with them. Her potty breaks are extremely short. She gets right down to business and wants to be put right back in with those babies. They are both thriving and doing great. Blanch keeps them clean, warm, and fed all the time.
Blanch/Roland Waiting list
1) Jennifer Zhuang (Phantom female) Seattle, WA
2) Smith Family (Parti Tri male) Twin Falls, ID
Golden Girls 3 weeks
(Mr Green "Salvador") -Wavy Tri Parti Phantom (Miss Pink "Sofia") -Wavy Phantom
This past week the babies have begun to toddle around a little. We introduced a new bed/sleeping area along with our new pee/pooping area to help start these little ones on a path to easier potty training today. In the beginning we have one soft bed area and the rest of the pen is potty area. We use the puppies' natural instinct to keep their bed clean to help with potty training--the minute they step off their bed to go potty they will be in the desired area. Once they are accustomed to use the paper/grate area for potty we will be able to make their play/sleep area bigger.
This week puppies will leave the transitional period and will enter the socialization period. During this time their ears open and they begin to hear. The puppies live in our living room so they are naturally exposed to a variety of noises that will help them adjust to family life: TV/movies in the background, children playing, vacuums running etc.are all familiar sounds to these babies. Over the next week we will also work on some startle recovery exercises. For startle recovery exercises we will randomly make sudden unusual noises that may startle the puppies ever so slightly to help shape their emotional responses. We watch closely to make sure there isn't a fear response and if necessary we will work with individual puppies more gradually to help them adjust to the noises.
Golden Girls 2 weeks
(Mr Green "Salvador") -Wavy Tri Parti Phantom (Miss Pink "Sofia") -Wavy Phantom
The puppies are all doing great. Everyone has their eyes open. It will take a little while for them to be able to see clearly. They are starting to move around more and more. We've begun handling the puppies a lot more as mom isn't quite as nervous to have them away from her for a few minutes. Handling by young children is a daily occurrence here at the Thompson household because we have a built in 6 year old to help socialize them!
At two weeks of age the puppies leave the neonatal period and enter what is called the transitional period. Traditional period is typically between days 14-21. During this time we will begin to introduce them to a new novel item (toy, new bedding etc.) and or a new experience daily. These items and experiences will help to build a healthy startle/recover/curiosity/exploration cycle to lay the foundation for a confident puppy. This week we will take a dermal nail trimmer to the puppies nails for a few seconds at a time to begin to get them used to vibration and trimming of the nails. These puppies will have a lifetime of grooming and will need to be handled on their feet and toes on a regular bases. Early exposure to common grooming practices will help them be relaxed during grooming for the rest of their lives.
Golden Girls 1 week
(Mr Green "Salvador") -Wavy Tri Parti Phantom (Miss Pink "Sofia") -Wavy Phantom
Puppies are 1 week old and have all almost doubled their weight. These first 3 weeks they grow so fast!
Momma is still doing most of the work right now feeding, cleaning, and keeping them warm and happy. We are enjoying giving them short times of daily handling and ENS daily.
The puppies are entering their 2nd week of the Neonatal period. We will continue doing ENS until they are 16 days old. At this stage the puppies can't see or hear--scent is their main interaction with the world. They are surprisingly agile little crawlers but they aren't able to get up on their feet yet. Their eyes should open somewhere between 10 days and 2 weeks.
Golden Girls Newborn
(Mr Green "Salvador") -Wavy Tri Parti Phantom (Miss Pink "Sofia") -Wavy Phantom
Blanche had puppies early in the morning on Wednesday August 24th. She surprised us with a very small litter of just two puppies. She had one Tri parti male and one beautiful phantom female. Both puppies are doing great and momma is doting over them like expected. She is so attentive and always wants to be with them. Her potty breaks are extremely short. She gets right down to business and wants to be put right back in with those babies. They are both thriving and doing great. Blanche keeps them clean, warm, and fed all the time.
The puppies have transitioned through delivery are now in the Neonatal period. The Neonatal period last for two weeks. During this time we pay close attention to the little pups to be sure each is thriving and growing. We watch weights and observe feedings to make sure everyone is eating and gaining weight. Momma does most of the work right now and we just do a lot of observation. Mom will tend and care for her puppies instinctively and make sure all is well by keeping them fed, clean, and warm. She licks constantly to stimulate their elimination systems and to keep them clean. We will begin Early Neurological Stimulation on day three. ENS is a an exercise developed by puppy behaviorists and trainers that is designed to stimulate neuro-pathway growth and start the physiological basis for resistant and predictable neurological development. Is takes only a few seconds per puppy. We hold each puppy upright, head-down down and flat on the back. Then we apply pressure to one paw near the toes and then set them on a cold cloth. Each exercise is done for to 2-3 seconds. We will also clip sharp little toenails as needed.
Blanche & Roland
Petite/Mini Golden Mountain-doodles (Goldendoodle X Bernedoodle) 15-25 lbs
Born: February 6th. 2022
Match Date: Birth
Go home: Thursday, March 31st
These puppies will be $3500
If you are interested in one of these available babies and have questions after reading through our Adoption Process pleas send me a text. 208-731-0053
Blanch/Roland Waiting list
1) Silvia Fu (Miss Pink "Rose") Commack NY
2) Russ and Stephanie (Mr Blue "Charlie") Meridian, ID
3) Katie Lahman (Miss Purple "Betty") Chandler, AZ
4) Brandon Larsen (Mr Green "Miles") Burley, ID
5) Mike Thompson (Miss Yellow "Nylund") Spokane Valley, Wa
Blanch/Roland 2/6/2022
Blanch/Roland 2/6/2022
Blance/Roland 4 weeks
Blanche/Roland 2 weeks
Blanche/Roland 1 week
"Golden Girl (Rose)" 5 weeks
(Mr Green "Miles") -Wavy Parti Phantom (Miss Pink "Rose") -Wavy Parti Phantom
(Miss Purple "Betty") -Wavy Phantom/Tri (Miss Yellow "Nylund") -Wavy Phantom/Tri
(Mr Blue "Charlie") -Wavy Phantom
This week the puppies will begin to spend more time outside during the day when we have nice weather. They will eventually spend time outside every day sun, rain or snow. All dogs need to be comfortable with going outside in all kinds of weather.
The puppies are all very steady on their feet now and are getting really playful (especially with each other). They are doing great with their potty training by using the potty area about 95% of the time and they are keeping their beds clean all of the time. We will introduce crates to the puppies this coming week. We put all their soft bedding in the crates to encourage them to choose the crate for sleeping. They usually all pile in one crate together as they still need each other for warmth and comfort.
Puppies are now transitioning over to solid dry crunch kibble as they are getting their teeth. We will keep offering soft food until they all have their molars.
This is week three of the socialization period. This week the puppies have begun to learn and be shaped by other adult dogs in the household but especially mom. Learning dog manners is a skill that can only be taught by other dogs! We always watch interactions with other dogs closely. Mom is really the best teacher as she will stop or pin puppies that are overly energetic or that aren't picking up on cues to settle down. This interaction is important to learning good dog social skills. They are also learning how to use their teeth without causing damage. They teach each other that lesson as they constantly mouth and play with each other.
We will give the puppies their Neopar vaccines this week. Neopar helps develop immunity to Parvo--it is the only vaccine that is effective at this young age as these puppies still have passive immunity from nursing with mom. Some vets prefer to give full immunizations at 6 weeks of age but shots at this early stage are less than 30% effective. They have a much better immune response at 8 weeks. Our neonatal specialist recommends waiting until 8 weeks for full immmunization. Parvo is the most prevalent puppy illness so getting a head start with Neopar is important. We will talk more about vaccines in the take home information.
This week our puppies usually hit what is called a fear period. This period can last only an hour or a few days. We will take extra care to be sure that if they exhibit any fear towards anything we will scale back and individually help them overcome those fears slowly. Yawning, crying, hiding or avoiding are all signs of fear in a puppy. This is also the week we begin "Manding" with the puppies. Manding is teaching the puppy to sit to 'say please.' This type of sit is not a cued behavior (we aren't asking them to sit), we are just instilling a natural instinct to settle down and sit calmly to get what they want. It's a way for them to communicate with us in a polite way. We simply approach them with a handful of soft treats and we give a treat to any puppy sitting quietly. We ignore the puppies that are jumping and pawing us. Eventually they all catch on that sitting nicely is what gets the reward. Peer pressure is a great thing with puppies! By the end of this week they will all have caught on and will begin expressing this very desirable behavior whenever we approach the pen.
The puppies had their first barrier challenge this past week. For a mental challenge that encourages problem solving and stress tolerance, we introduce a barrier that they have to navigate to get to their food. It can be as simple as putting their food around a corner at first. We allow each puppy to negotiate the challenge at their own pace and we watch each puppy to make sure they successfully navigate to their food before we make things harder.
Here at the Thompson home we will move the puppies over to the "toddler" area and introduce the dog door this week. We initially introduce the puppies to the door by physically helping them push the flap with their heads. Sometimes this takes a couple of days for them to get the hang of it and some puppies will take on the challenge more quickly than others. When we have a reluctant puppy we will pin the flap up out of the way so he can gradually explore going outside to get the reward of food. We teach them to go back in this same way--we just push them through the door and they figure it out in no time. We've never had a puppy that didn't figure the dog door out on their own within a couple of days. The puppies naturally follow mom out the dog door--usually hoping she will let them nurse for a minute which is a great reward for trying a new experience. As they spend more time outside (they go outside in all kinds of weather and at all times of the day...) they naturally go potty outside more and more. They also see mom go potty outside which helps develop that instinct.
"Golden Girl (Rose)" 4 weeks
(Mr Green "Miles") -Wavy Parti Phantom (Miss Pink "Rose") -Wavy Parti Phantom
(Miss Purple "Betty") -Wavy Phantom/Tri (Miss Yellow "Nylund") -Wavy Phantom/Tri
(Mr Blue "Charlie") -Wavy Phantom
Puppies are all steady on their feet now and are starting to get more and more playful. They are doing great with their potty training by using the potty area about 85% of the time.
This is week two of the socialization period. Their little teeth are starting to erupt so this week puppies will start on solids and begin the process of weaning. We take our cues from mama--when she starts standing up to nurse we know it's time to introduce soft solid foods. First we will use ground food mixed with water. As they get used to eating and swallowing we will use regular food soaked in water until it is soft. Mom has already started to wean by spending less time in the box with them. This time will gradually increase over the next 2-3 weeks until they are no longer nursing. Mom still interacts with them throughout the day but she does so in shorter amounts of time. Puppies will participate in their first barrier challenge this week. Once they are really interested in their food I will place it behind of barrier of some sort so that they can use their problem solving skills to help work through problems or obstacles.
"Golden Girl (Rose)" 3 weeks
(Mr Green "Miles") -Wavy Parti Phantom (Miss Pink "Rose") -Wavy Parti Phantom
(Miss Purple "Betty") -Wavy Phantom/Tri (Miss Yellow "Nylund") -Wavy Phantom/Tri
(Mr Blue "Charlie") -Wavy Phantom
Everyone has their eyes open and this past week the babies all started to toddle around really well and have started to find their little voices. We introduced a new bed/sleeping area along with our new pee/pooping area to help start these little ones on a path to easier potty training. In the beginning we have one soft bed area and the rest of the pen is potty area. We use the puppies' natural instinct to keep their bed clean to help with potty training--the minute they step off their bed to go potty they will be in the desired area. Once they are accustomed to use the paper/grate area for potty we will be able to make their play/sleep area bigger.
This week puppies will leave the transitional period and will enter the socialization period. During this time their ears open and they begin to hear. The puppies live in our living room so they are naturally exposed to a variety of noises that will help them adjust to family life: TV/movies in the background, children playing, vacuums running etc. are all familiar sounds to these babies. Over the next we will also work on some startle recovery exercises. For startle recovery exercises we will randomly make sudden unusual noises that may startle the puppies ever so slightly to help shape their emotional responses. We watch closely to make sure there isn't a fear response and if necessary we will work with individual puppies more gradually to help them adjust to the noises.
"Golden Girl (Rose)" 2 weeks
(Mr Green "Miles") -Wavy Parti Phantom (Miss Pink "Rose") -Wavy Parti Phantom
(Miss Purple "Betty") -Wavy Phantom/Tri (Miss Yellow "Nylund") -Wavy Phantom/Tri
(Mr Blue "Charlie") -Wavy Phantom
The puppies are all doing great. Everyone has their eyes open. It will take a little while for them to be able to see clearly. They are starting to move around more and more. We've begun handling the puppies a lot more as mom isn't quite as nervous to have them away from her for a few minutes. Handling by young children is a daily occurrence here at the Thompson household because we have a built in 5 year old to help socialize them!
At two weeks of age the puppies leave the neonatal period and enter what is called the transitional period. Traditional period is typically between days 14-21. During this time we will begin to introduce them to a new novel item (toy, new bedding etc.) and or a new experience daily. These items and experiences will help to build a healthy startle/recover/curiosity/exploration cycle to lay the foundation for a confident puppy. This week we will take a dermal nail trimmer to the puppies nails for a few seconds at a time to begin to get them used to vibration and trimming of the nails. These puppies will have a lifetime of grooming and will need to be handled on their feet and toes on a regular bases. Early exposure to common grooming practices will help them be relaxed during grooming for the rest of their lives.
"Golden Girl (Rose)" 1 week
(Mr Green "Miles") -Wavy Parti Phantom (Miss Pink "Rose") -Wavy Parti Phantom
(Miss Purple "Betty") -Wavy Phantom/Tri (Miss Yellow "Nylund") -Wavy Phantom/Tri
(Mr Blue "Charlie") -Wavy Phantom
Puppies are 1 week old and have all almost doubled their weight. These first 3 weeks they grow so fast!
Momma is still doing most of the work right now feeding, cleaning, and keeping them warm and happy. We are enjoying giving them short times of daily handling and ENS daily.
The puppies are entering their 2nd week of the Neonatal period. We will continue doing ENS until they are 16 days old. At this stage the puppies can't see or hear--scent is their main interaction with the world. They are surprisingly agile little crawlers but they aren't able to get up on their feet yet. Their eyes should open somewhere between 10 days and 2 weeks.
"Golden Girl (Rose)" Newborn
(Mr Green "Miles") -Wavy Parti Phantom (Miss Pink "Rose") -Wavy Parti Phantom
(Miss Purple "Betty") -Wavy Phantom/Tri (Miss Yellow "Nylund") -Wavy Phantom/Tri
(Mr Blue "Charlie") -Wavy Phantom
Blanch had her sweet babies Sunday night. She labored long but everything went well. First little parti baby came at 8:00 pm followed by a puppy almost every hour until the last one. Last little baby came just 30 min later. She finished up having 5 babies at 11:30. Blanche and her babies are all doing well. She is a good little momma and hesitates to leave them even for a second to go out to the bathroom. All the babies have phantom points just like momma. There are 3 girls and 2 boys. Everyone will have a wavy coat. There are two parti pups (1 girl and 1 boy) and 3 black Phantoms (2 girls and 1 boy). The two phantom girls are tri and have some white on their chest but not a lot of white. The phantom boy does not have any white.
The puppies have transitioned through delivery are now in the Neonatal period. The Neonatal period last for two weeks. During this time we pay close attention to the little pups to be sure each is thriving and growing. We watch weights and observe feedings to make sure everyone is eating and gaining weight. Momma does most of the work right now and we just do a lot of observation. Mom will tend and care for her puppies instinctively and make sure all is well by keeping them fed, clean, and warm. She licks constantly to stimulate their elimination systems and to keep them clean. We will begin Early Neurological Stimulation on day three. ENS is a an exercise developed by puppy behaviorists and trainers that is designed to stimulate neuro-pathway growth and start the physiological basis for resistant and predictable neurological development. Is takes only a few seconds per puppy. We hold each puppy upright, head-down down and flat on the back. Then we apply pressure to one paw near the toes and then set them on a cold cloth. Each exercise is done for to 2-3 seconds. We will also clip sharp little toenails as needed.