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Puppies are 5 weeks old now and able to enjoy the wonderful weather in Southwest Florida. It took a few minutes to get accustomed to this new environment but pretty soon they were enjoying their picnic and the fresh Florida air!
Puppies are growing by leaps and bounds. So much has happened over the last few days I don’t know where to begin.
We removed the rails in the whelping boxes because the puppies were big enough that mom would khow if she happened to sit on one of them….and, there is a lot more room without the rails.
Then, we introduced the litter boxes. Because the litter boxes take up so much room, we had to move to a bigger apartment! After just a few days, puppies are doing great going potty in the litter boxes.
Then we introduced the back yard! A bit scary at first. Funny sensations on our toes. Breezy air in our ears. Lots of nature sounds. Oh my! But, after 20 minutes or so, all these dangers melted away and they just played and played.
Playing in our whelping box for the last time. Note the rails have been removed now. Puppies are large enough that they don’t have to worry about being squished by mom!
And, playing….playing…playing.
Here we are in our larger pen! There are the litter boxes. There’s even poo in one!! And please note that LIly’s pups and Maxi’s pups are now together as one big, happy family!!
Sunshine, fresh air and grass…..oh my! Puppies love exploring and, after just a few minutes, they LOVED exploring their outdoor pen.
Here is their outdoor playground in our back yard. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we can play outside every day!
Here are the next few puppy nurturing steps on Avid Dog.
7. On Days 3-16 do Avidog’s Early Scent Stimulation. Things like leaves, bark or wood. An orange peel or banana…we let them smell banana. Fresh evergreen or flowers…we introduced jatropha blooms from our patio. Fresh herbs…we introduced basil.
8. Give pups a floor with good traction to build muscle and coordination while reducing future orthopedic problems.
Note: while it is tempting to keep the pups on tile or vinyl, these surfaces are NOT good for muscle development. Instead, they are on cotton pads and fleece that gives their little feet something to grab on to.
9. Stack each puppy on the table twice a week.
Note: We are starting that now. I like to wait until their little legs could support them.
10. Trim toenails every three days to reduce risk of mastitis in the dam and to accustom the pups to this constant grooming task.
Note: I’m on it!
11. On Days 3-16 perform Dr. Carmen Battaglia’s Early Neurological Stimulation protocol on each puppy. Gently supporting the pup;s body, perform these exercises for 3-5 seconds.
* Hold the puppy with both hands perpendicular to the ground, so its head is directly above its tail.
* Hold the puppy with both hands perpendicular to the ground, so its tail is directly above its head.
* Hold the pup in both hands with its belly down so it is facing the floor.
* Hold the pup with its back resting in the palm of both hands so it is facing the ceiling.
* Hold the pup in one hand, while using a Q-tip, gently tickle the puppy between its toes on one foot. Tickle a different paw each day.
* Place the puppy, belly down, onto a cold, textured surface. Do not restrain the puppy from moving.
Note: I will be doing this several times while the puppies are with me.
12. Rotate new toys into the whelping box each day.
Note: We go through mini-kongs, tennis balls, large stuffed toys, and cat toys with internal jingle bells.
Today was a big day. I introduced the puppies to what I call kibble mush. It is the same dry dog food that my adults get but it is soaked in water and then mushed up like potatoes. It is about this time that the puppies show an interest in their momma’s food. When that happens I know they will take to the mush. And, they LOVED it. They will get this 3 times a day now. And, in about 2 weeks they will no longer get their mother’s milk. They are scheduled for their second nail trim later today and I hope the weather warms up enough so they can go outside and play on the grass!!
Maxi’s pups with their first meal of soggy kibble.
Lily’s pups eating their moistened kibble.
Doesn’t this make you just want to jump inside and play?
Then I discovered the entire website called
1. Supplement your dam with Omega 3 fatty acids for increased trainability in her pups.