Rory's puppies

January 27, 2021

Puppies are preparing to go home in this coming week!  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 this coming week 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. 

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There are really just a couple of things that you really have to have before you bring a puppy home. 

1. Collar and leash.  get a size "small" collar and a plain flat leash. 

2. Crate and pad.  For this litter you will want a size 24x24 inch crate. 

3.  Food.  You should already have received your food.  If not talk to me and I can sell you a bag.

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. 

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Take home, first day schedule and training information here.

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We are continuing with daily interaction and the puppies enjoy meeting new people.  We can see more and more of their little personalities. Their brains are fully developed at this point and they are ready for one on one training.  We don't generally start specific training with the puppies but we do introduce them to the clicker which will make things easier when they get home.

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A few tips to remember when you first meet your puppy:

• Puppies use smell as their primary sense.  Let them smell and greet you before you pick them up.  

• 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. 

• 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. 

• 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.  

• 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 agin for a few minutes and ignore him as he runs around then try settling down again. 

• 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. 

• 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.

Six week puppy pictures!

January 5, 2021

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The babies are four weeks old. This is one of our favorite puppy stages.  They are all walking on steady feet and they are starting to play and interact with each other.  They can hear and see clearly now and mom is ready to start weaning.  She still nurses multiple times a day but has started standing for some of their nursing. When mom starts standing to nurse that is our cue to begin introducing solid foods! We start with a mush of puppy food offered once at day at first and gradually increasing to three times a day.  Once their teeth come in they will switch over to hard crunch food-usually between 5 and 6 weeks.  

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Potty training is going well.  The babies all use the paper tray to go potty and they keep their puppy beds and pads clean.  We will move them over the the 'big kid' toddler area where they will start getting exposed to the dog door.  We ill offer food outside when the weather is nice enough and they will go out with mom and start learning to go potty outside instead of in the house.  They have been spending a little bit of tie outside every day and are getting more and more bold with each excursion. 

12/22/2020

Rory's babies have their eyes open! They have all just opened their eyes are are jsut starting to creep around their box.  They are still in the Neo-natal period where they can't really see or hear much at all., Most  of their interaction with the world is through smell and touch.  We handle each puppy every day to help stimulate the development of neuropathways and to develop positive associations with human touch.  Rory still spends most of her time nursing and cleaning puppies but is starting to leave the box for short periods of time each day.  Over the next week the babies will begin to see more clearly and will start hearing the world around them.  As their muscles develop they will become more and more stable on their feet.  Once they are all walking we will introduce potty training to their box! 

Rory had 6 babies Early in the morning on Sunday, December 6th.  All six babies were born active and healthy! We have five girls and one boy.  All of these puppies will have red or apricot, wavy coats.  Rory is a calm and attentive mama--right now she spends all of her time nursing and snuggling and cleaning babies.  The babies are in the neonatal period which lasts for the first 12-14 days of life.  Their eyes and ears are closed and their neurological systems are still not completely developed.  We follow an Early Neurological Stimulation program with careful handling each day to help develop resilient nervous systems and to stimulate neuro-pathway production. 

Previous puppies from Rory