Puppy Raising & Location
Below is our week by week, tentative schedule for raising your puppy and where they are!
Please note that specifics can change from litter to litter, so if there is something that is incredibly important to you, please make us aware of that prior to purchasing or going home with one of our puppies. Relationships with our puppy buyers are incredibly important as we whelp and raise these puppies for the first part of their lives. We want to stay an active member of the dog's life, thereafter.
Prenatal/Birth
During the prenatal phase, we are getting momma ready for delivery. Dogs are pregnant for approximately 63 days, but can go as early as 55 and as late as 70 days. We always calculate from the first tie we see, but depending on when she ovulates it can be sooner or later. During this time, we are feeding her a high-quality food. She is getting plenty of exercise without overdoing it. We believe a healthy, fit dog has a much easier delivery than an overweight or under exercised dog. We will also be introducing her to her whelping box where she will sleep at night for at least a week before delivering, so she is comfortable in the area. We currently have our mommas whelping in our master bathroom so that we are near enough to hear any distress. This is a very fun stage, in the last couple days you can feel the babies nudging at mamma's side.
Week 1
Babies are born! YAY! This is such an exciting time. Babies stay in our master bathroom so we can hear them and check in on them at night. During the first week, puppies are not able to hear or see things. Their ears and eyes are closed shut. They will find their way around primarily by feel and smell. Newborns can also not bear weight on their legs, so will learn to maneuver and wiggle around as they build those muscles in their legs. For the most part, sleeping and eating are the focus in the first couple weeks. At this time, their momma is staying with them pretty much all of the time except to eat and potty. During this week we are primarily making sure all the puppies are eating well and gaining weight. The puppies will get held every day to get used to a human’s touch and get their ENS in.
Week 2
The puppies get moved to our dog room in a bigger whelping box so that they are hearing and seeing all sorts of sounds as their eyes start to open! We use DuraWhelp for easy cleaning and storage. For the most part the puppies are still eating and sleeping for most of their time. They are getting a bit wigglier and squeakier as they gain more muscle in their legs and find their voices. During the end of this week we will start to see some eyes beginning to open and we will notice the puppies reacting to sounds as their ears open. At this time, momma is still with them most of the time, but taking small breaks away from them to eat and potty. We will give the puppies their first dose of worming medication. They will also get their first pedicures done. For stimulation, we are holding the puppies and making sure to target their feet, neck, and belly’s for touch.
Week 3
Three weeks is a fun age. Puppy’s eyes and ears are starting to open and they are starting to wobble around. They are also starting to find their personalities. During this time they will start playing with each other. Their baby teeth are also coming in, so momma is not with them 100% of the time now. She is with them at night and periodically throughout the day. During this phase we will introduce a litter box and start litter box training. They will not start using it too much yet, but they will start to use it towards the beginning of the fourth week. We are introducing new sounds like the blow dryer, running water, and music. We also give them their first taste of goats milk and mush!
Week 4
Four weeks is when we see such a big change in puppies as their personalities are really developing. At this point the puppies are getting pretty messy and mom is not cleaning up after them as much, so they are moved to their big puppy pen! My husband build this room for the puppies with a doggie door to start potty training. Personality wise, we are starting to see which puppies seem to be more outgoing and which ones are more in the middle of the pack.
The puppies are walking around much better. We will introduce wet puppy food at this time, but they will still be eating off their mother as well approximately 2-3 times a day. At this age she is still sleeping with them, however we make it so she can escape from them if need be. The litter box is a blessing at this age. They are using it approximately 40-50% of the time, but are leaving their bed to potty every time. We introduce some fun toys for them that make sounds and wobble around. People are usually coming to visit the puppy around this age, so they are meeting new people! We will do a second round of worming and nail trimming during this time.
Week 5
At this stage, they will usually start to explore going outside into their outdoor puppy area, which is a 10x10 area connected to their puppy room. They are starting to go outside to use the bathroom at this age! *We use pea gravel for easy cleanup and so that we can sanitize during/after each litter. Pea gravel does not get muddy when it gets wet, so our puppies can stay nice and clean.* We will take them outside to the grassy area at least once a day, weather dependent, to start introducing them to pottying outside and experiencing new sounds. They are starting to get 15 minutes of time in the crate as a group!
This is a really good age for us to introduce them to a lot of sounds and new people (with kids). Their sight and hearing has improved immensely from the first weeks. At 5 weeks of age, puppies are beginning to become more independent. They are walking around, wandering and exploring new things. They are a little more whiney when we leave them, because they love being with humans. Their mother is with them in the morning and at night, but during the day we are feeding them their own kibble food.
Week 6
Week 6 is very similar to the week 5, however they are mentally more developed. We notice at this time they are more aware of their surroundings and looking beyond what is directly in front of them. They are playing and establishing their roles in their litter pack, and we can identify who is going to be the most dominant, submissive, noisy, etc. We are doing a lot of stimulation with their senses such as new and loud/soft sounds, new feelings like hanging toys and wobbly toys, new smells with treats, and new tastes with the treats as well. We will start some treat training. The first week is just an introduction, we don’t expect them to be pros yet. At this time, they are using their litter box 90% of the time, with only a few outside accidents. We are also letting them play outside and working on outside training as well with a doggie door. Their mother is only feeding them once a day.
Week 7
A ton of stuff happens the 7th week in preparation for the 8th. Puppies are developing very quickly. They are going to go to their first vet visit to get a puppy physical. They will also get up to date on their shots and get their microchip. We will continue treat based training this week and puppies seem to catch on much quicker. They will also be introduced to crates and crate training with a buddy. They are eating solid food now, and their mom is only feeding them when the puppies sneak a sip.
VOLHARD TESTING:
https://www.volharddognutrition.com/content/choosing-your-puppy.pdf
At this time we will be doing the Volhard testing so that we can prepare to match puppies to their families. Social Attraction, Following, Restraint, Social Dominance, Elevation, Retrieving, Touch Sensitivity, Sound Sensitivity, Sight Sensitivity, and Stability.
Week 8
Puppies go home! If any of our puppies stay past 8-9 weeks we begin training. This is a very key time to start introducing to common commands and environmental stimulation. See our training page for some of the key things we will begin. We charge $25 a day for puppies to stay past 9 weeks for our training.
