Current puppy weights are:
Puppy1: 10.8 pounds
Puppy2: 11.6 pounds
Layla: 9.2 pounds
Puppy4: 7.6 pounds
Biscotti: 8.4 pounds
Measurements (these are approximate with a finger space added)
Puppy1: neck 9 3/4", girth 15"
Puppy2: neck 10", girth 15"
Layla: neck 9 1/2', girth 14 3/4"
Puppy4: neck 8 3/4", girth 13 3/4"
Biscotti: neck 9", girth 14"
8 week photos are my last blog update photos. I will very likely catch some photos within the next week, but I'll send them directly to the new family of the puppy in messenger/text.
Puppies go to their new homes at 9 weeks. This is Twizzle's litter, born January 20, 2021. Their go home date is Wednesday, March 24.
Crate training starts tonight. I will have this litter in crates for two hours tonight, then open the door to let them out. I will add one hour each day until reaching 6 or 7 hours, as long as puppies are doing well and keeping their crates clean. The goal times is crating from 11 pm - 5am or 6 am. I encourage the new families to add another hour before and after those times. The puppies are usually able to go 7 hours in crate at night time consistently by ten weeks of age. And 8 hours by eleven or twelve weeks of age. These puppies have been raised in a constantly cleaned environment. I practice house training them EVERY day in my home. From five and a half weeks, they have been in a small barn at night. At this age, the mothers discontinue night nursing, but the puppies still need to relieve themselves at night. So the barn has given them a good sized space for a sleep area, a play area, and a potty area. We have had a heat lamp on for the puppies most nights. The weather has been inconsistent. Some nights have been cold and the barn needed heat, some nights have been comfortable without heat. So the puppies have been able to sleep and potty and eat whenever needed (at night).
At 8 weeks, I begin to teach them that they need to hold their potty at night. (They already do most of the night, I check on them. They have their routine down to wake up from napping in living room at about 9:45. I put them outside. Then they head to the barn each night around 10. I hang out with them. They rough-house until about 10:45, then drop off to sleep in puppy piles.
In the mornings, all the puppies nurse their mothers. They have (mostly) chosen the correct mother dog as they burst out of the barn for nursing time. I have to do a few swap-a-roos here and there. Twizzle is nursing her puppies just one time in the morning now. I wonder if she will continue or not. She seems to know when they reach eight weeks of age. Speckie is nursing her puppies three times a day. They are younger and this frequency is right on target. I don't force-wean. This is what the mother dogs choose. Speckie, though is a push over, so both litters snitch some milk from her through the day. She is getting less patient with Twizzle's puppies nursing her. This is new to hear her growl at them at all. I feed her more than double what I am feeding Twizzle currently. Twizzle has nice weight, and is beautifully shiny. Speckie is also beautifully shiny. But it's been tougher to keep weight on her, since she has been nursing both litters. She will recover though. She has acted a bit more assertive just recently.
After nursing and a long walk on our back property, so that the puppies relieve themselves and play, all 11 puppies come into the house. In the house, they GO COMPLETLY BONKERS GREETING ALL THE PEOPLE. Then they play and wrestle with each other and the people. Then they all fall asleep on dog beds, blankets, or under the couch.
When the puppies wake, usually they all wake. And I've got to be in a super fast dash to rush each puppy out the door. They have got to go pee IMMEDIATELY when they wake up. When the weather is nice, the puppies stay outside and play some more. They love digging in the garden and carrying around corn stalks. They have several different textures of dog toys too. They have a great time, and we join them! If the weather is too cold or rainy, the puppies round the house and come to the back door and we do round two of house time, then round three, all-day-until bed time. Sometimes puppy play and potty routine is broken up by a puppy outing. We have gone on outings to a store and to parks. We have had many visitors to see the puppies. The puppies have been socialized well for their age, with experiences and people. If no one will be home to play with and potty the puppies, they will spend up to three hours in the barn in the afternoon.
Speckie's puppies will start their adventures off the farm just this week! We do the most between week 7 and 8. Lots of adventures. Also bath time, and picture day when they are 8 weeks (expect Speckie litter photos on March 28).
If you haven't already, now is the time to take a look at "Crystal's Health Care Recommendations" tab. I keep all these things on hand. They are helpful to puppies who will remain unvaccinated AND to those who will be vaccinated. Remember, both can get sick. Be PROACTIVE and stock up on products that help the puppies strengthen their immune systems. Also, consider having a puppy appropriate electrolyte on hand.
Also, stock up on raw food for the puppies. I purchase most of our food from Farm Dog Raw coop. A breeder friend purchases most of her raw dog food from My Pet Carnivore.
If you've missed the order date, don't worry! Just go to the grocery store:
14 cornish hens (make sure no salt/etc)
8 pounds of 90% or higher lean ground beef
4 bags of sweet potatoes
1 fillet of salmon
box of blueberries, bag of apples, or a watermelon (whatever you can get)
and visit a butcher shop or an Asian or Mexican grocery store to purchase a few organs (don't over feed liver or tripe) heart is good. And chicken feet are excellent for growing puppies.
1 dozen farm fresh eggs (chicken, duck, quail)
Then, when you get a chance, order or locate a shop which sells even more nutritious meats such as: goat, lamb, venison, rabbit.
If you aren't used to raw feeding, you get the hang of it fast. I have information on my blog tab, "How to Feed a Naturally Reared Dog". Just go with the flow on amounts. The puppy almost always eats the right amount for his/her needs. Sometimes I feed several small meals, sometimes a couple large meals. Don't feed too many veggies if the puppy is about to have crate time. Veggies cause them to have to relieve themselves more often.
If you plan to feed kibble, hold off for a week or more before introducing it. Our raw fed dogs like Acana (Acana Grasslands and Acana Duck and Pear). We use this for treats. It's nice to have on hand for a rough long day that the food wasn't prepped. It's rare for me to feed kibble, but this one works well when I need treats or just need some convenience. My dogs are used to food being moist, so this dry food is always weird to them, if I feed a bowl of it. So I put some water into the dry food to help my dogs. It's a rare meal for me to feed kibble.
I feed puppies meat 6 days a week. I feed plants 1 day a week. I often will have some veggies or fruit (available before or after feeding meat) just on the floor in case puppies want to eat fresh or chew on these. My older, non nursing dogs eat meat every other day, plants every other day.
Our puppies and adult dogs REALLY like these beds, so I thought I'd post the link here . These will fit into a crate. The crates we are using are Retriever brand, purchased at Tractor Supply. They are USA made. I think the size is Large. They are about 20"W by 30"L. The larger puppies may outgrow this, so size up. Or just wait and see.
I think that's all!
I'll edit this if I think of more to add.
Contact me if you have questions!
A lot of information is in the blog tabs. But if you don't see what you're looking for, let send a message or call me.
